Ooooooooh! Two posts in one day. I must be very bored indeed...
Actually, I need your help. I need to do a pre-course task for my teaching course and one of them is to talk about negative associations with grammar. Those who know me will know that I'm a bit of a freak and I love grammar. Yes. I do. I think it's the easiest thing in the world, so you can see why I can't do this task at all... So, if you could help me by posting what you think of grammar - no swearing please! - that would be great. Thanks!
10 comments:
In all it seems that if language is relative to its effectiveness to convey the intended meaning that grammar is only of use if it is a complement to this function. The fact that so few people understand it would imply that it's failed to perform in this area.
Grammar is somewhat elusive - especially the type that Microsoft Word advocates. It's not that I find such things disagreeable, grammar provides exceptionally useful ways to critique otherwise good work and look down at "lesser" people who don't understand it's intricate foreplay as well as you do.
I really like grammar too! Though I didn't realise this for a long time. It kind of shocked me that the only part of 1st semester 1st year English Language I enjoyed was the grammar! It makes language fit together so snugly... like a jigsaw! (I like jigsaws :) )
the tenses in English are so difficult that even native speakers can't master them. Saying things like "I've went..." have become very widespread that even teachers make these mistakes. Apparently in Chinese there is only one tense. Also a common error is "I should of..." and no doubt in 50 years, that'll be correctly, and people will consider "I should've..." to be old fashioned.
I've just realise I made a grammatical error in that post. How ironic..!
Oh no! Only one person who's posted has a problem with one aspect of grammar!! Eek! There must be someone who really hates it...
To Dish: Yey! That's exactly how I feel about grammar - it's a jigsaw! I guess some people just can't see how the pieces fit in the big picture. Oh no! That sounded really smug! Sorry, I just really don't understand how people can't like grammar. It just makes sooo much sense to me... :-S
Em... So does everybody like grammar or at least get it??? Waah! I don't know how take the news that I might not be such a big freak after all...
C'mon you engineers or scientists! Surely you don't like grammar?!
I don't so much have a dislike for grammar but rather a lack of understanding that probably leads to an impatience and dismissal. I have never been taught proper grammar and suspect that if I had then I would probably have a respect for it in the same way that I respect maths for its structure and form.
Engineers and scientists have a fairly strict style of writing imposed on them and this may be the cause of a general dislike for english as a whole and grammar is just another thing to cause them trouble. This is assuming your general sweeping slander is in fact true :P
Grammar? Don't get me started...
Let's parse that, shall we?
(Do) (not) (get) (me) (started).
Wow, where to begin? There's three verbs. Argh! Geez, my mind's in a tizz already!
Grammar: really, it's impossible to sex it up, even by calling it 'intricate foreplay'...
And hey, if THAT'S your idea of foreplay, I don't wanna know!
English grammar is nice and fluid though - malleable might be a good word for it. Though from the point of view of a learner - well, poor learner.
German grammar has this magical structure - for a start, because the verb is put to the end of a sentence, you need to plan what you are saying BEFORE you say it.
In English, you can ramble on for as long as you like, and finish a sentence whenever and however you so choose.
Do you think this means German and English speakers have differing 'thinking' processes in relation to language...or maybe even in relation to the world around them?
If so, grammar's really a pretty life-changing and under-rated thing, no?
Heehee! I know, German grammar is rather perfect! Linguists are trying to figure out whether the grammar of the language spoken really does affect the society of that country. I'm for that argument, but unfortunately don't really have much conclusive evidence to back that up yet. Yup, I really do think that grammar is very underrated and much more important than most people give it credit for. Tut tut.
Is it too late to post? I'm doing it anyway, even if the deadline has passed.
Grammar is what pays my rent, so I'm a pretty big fan of it!
A good writer can break all kinds of grammar rules and come up with a wonderful piece, but only if he's capable of following the rules, as well.
And since we're on the subject of grammar (okay, sorry, Steph, because this is veering a bit off the subject, but you know I love you anyway, let me just say how irritating it is when people don't know the difference between "its" and "it's." That is so annoying; it makes me want to put my foot through a wall.
Oh my, how did I get on this soapbox? There, now I'm off. It's okay if you think I'm crazy or curmudgeonly or a crazy curmudgeon; you have every right, really, after reading this. :-)
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