I agree completely--and I understand fully why teachers do what they do. I,
too, encourage less experienced writers (heck, *most* college writers) to
put a topic sentence at the beginning of every paragraph because most aren't
skilled enough to clearly organize their thoughts otherwise. I also
discourage the use of the passive voice most of the time. But it would seem
helpful for students (and teachers who don't already know) to understand
that these are helpful strategies--not rules.
(When I am reading published articles in professional journals, I frequently
find myself wishing that *those* writers would use topic sentences at the
beginning of their paragraphs. . .)
Nancy L. Tuten, PhD
Professor of English
Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program
Columbia College
Columbia, South Carolina
[log in to unmask]
803-786-3706
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Geoffrey Layton
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 8:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Myth "rules" (digression from historical present)
Herb and Nancy -
As "wrong" as these rules are, they still can serve a purpose. While
clearly wrong, the "never use a passive voice" rule does provide a structure
that novice writers can follow. I'm not sure that teaching the passive
voice, with all its strengths and weaknesses, is a worthwhile goal for
beginning writers. Similarly the "topic sentence" rule provides novice
writers with structure as they struggle to compose. Instead of the "grammar
rules that aren't," how about a book that explains to teachers how and why
the "non-rules" are supposed to help. Sometimes I think we forget how
difficult writing is for students who are not familiar with writing
conventions, particularly the conventions of academic writing.
Geoff Layton
>From: "Stahlke, Herbert F.W." <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Myth "rules" (digression from historical present)
>Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 09:14:51 -0400
>
>A couple more such rules are "Never use passive voice" and "Put the
>topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph."
>
>
>
>Maybe we could inveigle NCTE into publishing a book titled "Grammar
>rules that aren't"?
>
>
>
>Herb
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>
>From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nancy Tuten
>Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 7:25 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Myth "rules" (digression from historical present)
>
>
>
>When I read Phil's comment, I imagined that he had encountered a
>frustrated teacher deciding that if students wouldn't (appropriately)
>use the historical present tense, that at least he or she could insist
>that they stick to a single tense . . .
>
>
>
>I have thought about compiling a list of "rules" students internalize
>from teachers who are just trying to keep them from making a certain
>kind of mistake. Here are two examples:
>
>
>
>(1) Teachers in middle school and high school who are trying to get
>their student writers to develop paragraphs more effectively will ask
>them to have a minimum of eight (or fill in the number of your choice)
>sentences in each paragraph. Students then come to college believing
>that every paragraph must include eight sentences.
>
>
>
>(2) Because many young students create sentence fragments with
>"because" clauses, elementary and middle-school teachers will tell them
>never to start a sentence with "because." Then they come to college
>still believing that they should never start a sentence with "because."
>And the same logic applies to their belief that they should never start
>sentences with "and" or "but" or any of the coordinating conjunctions
>when we all know that professional writers do so all the time.
>
>
>
>Nancy
>
>
>
>
>
>Nancy L. Tuten, PhD
>
>Professor of English
>
>Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program
>
>Columbia College
>
>Columbia, South Carolina
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>803-786-3706
>
>________________________________
>
>From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cynthia Baird
>Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 10:44 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Literary present
>
>
>
>I have tried to follow this thread for the past several days, and I have
>appreciated the numerous suggestions that have been offered for
>something I, too, struggle with. Countless times I have written on
>papers "discuss literature in the present tense"! Sadly, I have no new
>teaching ideas to offer you, Paul. I do know this--eventually students
>make progress. I have the pleasure of "looping," meaning I teach
>students for two or more years in a row, and what I despaired of for my
>sophomores finally materializes in my seniors!
>
>
>
>I have not seen a response to Phil's comment that some time ago it was
>acceptable to write in either the present or past tense when discussing
>literature. Could someone, preferably a college instructor since that
>is whom I prepare my students for, respond to this comment?
>
>
>
>thanks for all your professional insights on this listserve!
>
>
>
>
>
>"Paul E. Doniger" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
>
>
> I'm looking for advice: This year, many of my high school
>sophomores seem unable (unwilling?) to write about literature in the
>present tense. They discuss events in a novel, story, etc., only as past
>tense events. For example, a student wrote in one of his journals for
>Brave New World: "Bernard was with Lenina when he met John, the Savage."
>How can I get students to think in the present and write "Bernard is ...
>he meets" instead? Has anyone else struggled with this problem? I'm
>looking for teachable moments, here.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Paul
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
>interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
>"Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>
>Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers
><http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48254/*http:/answers.yahoo.com/dir/_ylc=X3oD
>MTI5MGx2aThyBF9TAzIxMTU1MDAzNTIEX3MDMzk2NTQ1MTAzBHNlYwNCQUJwaWxsYXJfTklf
>MzYwBHNsawNQcm9kdWN0X3F1ZXN0aW9uX3BhZ2U-?link=list&sid=396545469> from
>someone who knows.
>Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. To join or leave this LISTSERV list,
>please visit the list's web interface at:
>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave
>the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
>interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
>"Join or leave the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
>at:
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
>and select "Join or leave the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
_________________________________________________________________
Like the way Microsoft Office Outlook works? You'll love Windows Live
Hotmail.
http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migratio
n_HM_mini_outlook_0507
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
|
