I wonder if this use of "although" doesn't reflect a speech pattern by which conjunctions, both coordinating and subordinating, are followed by a strong pause, a sort of comma pause, and so take on sentence-adverb status, like "however." It's not unusual to find sentence-initial "but" followed by a comma in informal writing, and I know that I've used "although" adverbially in this way in speech. I'm not sure it's even non-standard anymore, at least in speech. Although, it's not accepted usage in formal writing though.
Herb
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Paul,
I have noticed the same problem in native speakers. Since preposition use is often idiomatic, the only approach I see is to teach use of specific pronouns as errors arise. I am also seeing an increase in the misuse of other function words, particularly the confusion of subordinate conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs. Students are, for example, using "however" and "although" as if they were interchangeable. Jane Healy writes about these problems with syntax and clear thinking in Endangered MInds; Why Our Children Don't Think. As I recall,she attributes it to decreasing amounts of interactive language experience in children's lives. TV goes too fast and parent-child interaction is hurried--the connecting words get lost. I am not doing justice to her argument here.
Fay Sweney
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----- Original Message -----
From: PAUL E. DONIGER <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 7:54 AM
Subject: preposition changes?
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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