Paul,

I have noticed similar errors in native speakers of English. I don't think
it's a dialect thing, but I should ask the students. I have assumed it's
carelessness and a function of being new at writing. It seems that beginner
writing students construct sentences that they would never say and wouldn't
be able to understand if someone else said or wrote them.

--

Christine Reintjes Martin
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>From: "PAUL E. DONIGER" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: preposition changes?
>Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 07:54:31 -0800
>
>Dear ATEGers,
>
>A few English teachers in my school, including myself, have been noticing
>what seems to be a new phenomenon. I'm wondering if it is localized in my
>region, state, or district, or if this is more universal. Our students seem
>to have trouble using "correct" prepositions. For example, I'm finding
>sentences like this:
>
>"We know he had no intentions ON doing what he did and now regrets
>everything that happened."
>
>This sort of misuse of a preposition is becoming a regular occurrence in
>the papers I'm seeing. The students who write them are NOT ELL students,
>but grew up in average middle-class American homes where English is the
>first language. Is anyone else out there finding this to be an issue?
>
>Also, does anyone have any good lesson ideas for raising awareness and
>correcting the error?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Paul E. Doniger
>
>
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