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I never did it and I went to a Grammar school! (Ironically)
Morning, all. Wet and windy day. I nearly missed the bin men this morning - had to run out of the front gate with the bin half-way through breakfast.
Morning all. We never done grammar at school neither, Jim :-DSurprise, surprise, s'raining again!
Jim wrote: "I never did it and I went to a Grammar school! (Ironically)"Yeah, explicit teaching of grammar fell out of favour in the 70s. Studies have shown that direct teaching of grammar structures help EAL students develop understanding of syntax more quickly.
It's very hard to explain a grammatical error to someone who never parsed a sentence. Especially when the subject and object (or predicate) of their sentence are not aligned. I'm sure it helps with EAL pupils. Raining again...
The most grammar I learned was from studying German. Didn't know anything about dative, accusative and the rest before then.The gales woke me up in the middle of the night but it's quiet at the mo. Waiting for the next round...
MorningWell I feel a lot better for not really knowing grammar and believing that I was wrong in thinking that we never learnt grammar at school. Grammatical terms flummox me
I wasn't taught grammar at my Grammar School, either! Now I'm helping grandchildren who don't seem to have been taught any either with their homework, I sort of see the point of it in schools!Rain here is biblical. The lane to the house is mostly flooded
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Yeah, explicit teaching of grammar fell out of favour in the 70s. Studies have shown that direct teaching of grammar structures help EAL students develop understanding of syntax more quickly. "I went to the Boys' Grammar school in 1967 and did virtually no grammar and was never taught to parse a sentence.
My sister who went to the adjacent Girls' Grammar school in 1969 spent endless hours doing all that sort of thing.
I'm with Rosemary in learning most of my grammar when I did a foreign language. In my case French which I was seriously bad at.
But it wasn't until I did French that I discovered 'conjugating verbs' and also was taught that some verbs were regular and others were irregular
Raining today, but not as windy at least. Had an early night, but didn’t feel any benefit when Lucy woke me up at 6.50, and she was really fussy this morning. IT issues again, so frustrating. Need to pick up a prescription after work, might also have to pick up neighbours, but thanks to change in rules, that means going home the long way to pick one up from her docs before going to the chemist. Good luck teaching grammar Patti!
Jim wrote: "I never did it and I went to a Grammar school! (Ironically)"I went to a Grammar school and they didn't teach us any grammar at all. Well not english grammar. The french teacher did. The irish teacher was dreadful!
If you read enough good stuff, you pick up grammar, assuming you're the kind of person who picks things up by reading. With a second and third language, things which were implied start to become explicit.Somewhere in there I learned how to diagram a sentence and a few other useful bits.
I can't imagine spending a lot of time on it, but it would depend on the household situation - my parents, and my Mexican grandfather and American grandmother were all college graduates, a relative rarity. The Hungarian-American grandparents were also big proponents of education. That, plus LOTS of books around, made it easier than for kids whose parents' native language isn't English.
I wish I had the energy to volunteer in the local schools - I'd love to read to children. Hope I find some way to do that after we're more settled. When I was growing up, I never met an 'author.'
The grammar that I do know has come from reading and from the likes of this group where people give off about incorrect grammar so I try and learn from the odd comment.I don't think it is working too well but I hope I'm passable.
I expected to learn some grammar as I was taught Latin. Unfortunately, the school transferred to a Nuffield Latin course which felt that grammar was unnecessary.
Blowing fit to bust here, pouring with rain but it’s rain with claggy icy bits in.I have finally volunteered to go into McMini’s school and speak about being an author to year six, eyebombing and metal detecting. The headmaster would love to come along to one of the detectorists’ clubs I go to as a guest. Only thing is, he’s Richard Hammond’s twin brother so the first appearance might be interesting!
Cheers
MTM
Will wrote: "I expected to learn some grammar as I was taught Latin. Unfortunately, the school transferred to a Nuffield Latin course which felt that grammar was unnecessary."If it’s any consolation, I learned Latin and I don’t remember any grammar.
Grammar is the ability to organise language meaningfully.I had the kids think deeply about the above definition.
What are your thoughts?
I couldn’t learn a language phonetically only. I’ve got to do the grammar. It’s much harder to teach a language if they don’t understand the basic construction of a language including their own. I often have this conversation with OH speaking French.
Grammar is to sentences as letters are to words. How a word is spelt is to me an intrinsic part of my understanding of that word - the whole ‘feel’ of it. Not having ever really been taught English grammar, I think I have still managed to absorb it, probably, mostly through reading as a process of osmosis. I like your idea of organisation Patti. Otherwise you just end up with some of that dreadful “poetry”!
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Grammar is the ability to organise language meaningfully.I had the kids think deeply about the above definition.
What are your thoughts?"
hmmm
Grammar is another tool
The rules are there, but there are times when breaking them makes a statement for the author.
Especially in quoted speech.
Also whilst the rules are there, I doubt they're the same across the English speaking world, and I have no doubt that they're 'evolving'
Pretty much like spelling and the rest of the language :-)
The problem is, because I've survived all these years without being taught the rules of grammar, how do I know when I'm wrong?
I suspect that for a native English speaker, if it sounds right, it probably is.
The only thing I’ve learned about grammar is that for every editor who says one way is right there’ll be another who swears it’s another.
Morning, everyone. So windy overnight here we couldn't even leave the windows open.
Yes, a rough night, but looking at the radar predictions Saturday is going to be horrible!
Morning! Noisy here. The drains company is currently digging farther up the road. All their barriers blew down overnight. Sheesh!
Morning all. Storm Gareth has apparently arrived. It's a bit frustrating though ... I mean, they'll name a storm after you, but try finding a bloomin' keyring or mug with Gareth on it and you'll look for a lifetime! :-D
Morning, trying to throw some breakfast into me so I have time to go for a coffee before my meeting at 10. Should manage it okay, I've started eating my porridge pot before the oats are fully soft.Kitty has croup again, poor wee soul. She was very good at calming down when I told her to, the crying and calling out just makes it worse. I've never been more grateful for the cold weather in March, a few minutes sitting by the open window really helped too.
Poor Kitty. It's nasty and exhauting for them. xx
Poor Kitty. It's draining for child and parent.Pretty windy here today
Little Harry had a croup session last week too. He had Dex at the GPS and it sorted him. Thank goodness. The alternative would have been 40 mile drive to hospital. The excellent local hospital no longer has paediatric cover overnight. 😡
Thankfully we didn't need to take Kitty to the hospital this time, hopefully it'll be the same tonight but if we do it's only a 10 minute drive for us.
Well, between the wind and my foot, had another disturbed night sleep. Wasn’t too bad driving to work, but wind has really got up since, hope it’s better tomorrow for my day off, glad I’m not off today. Friend is popping round tonight to pick up the dog food I ordered for her – ironically she asked for it for the 16th, when she got paid, but I did it early to be on the safe side, and she ran out this morning, so handy that I did. Would be great if you could find a way to read to children Alicia, would be so rewarding. Glad you have volunteered to go into McMini’s school MT, great that the head wants to come along to the detectorist club. Poor Kitty, do hope she gets better without needing a hospital trip.
Ridiculously bloody windy here, blimey! Stuff blowing all over the place. On the up side, the chest and sinus infections are nearly gone. Might need a last check up tomorrow.
Jud and Lynne, so sorry about the little ones being sick. I hated that - I would rather be sick myself.The wind here is high, too, and the husband scared me because he put out a new bathroom cabinet (made in China) to air out on the balcony last night, with drawers and doors removed - and they are all rattling. Whatever solvent the Chinese used stinks. After over a week, the smell isn't going away. Better it be outside, but it's right outside MY window.
M.T. wrote: "Ridiculously bloody windy here, blimey! Stuff blowing all over the place. On the up side, the chest and sinus infections are nearly gone. Might need a last check up tomorrow."Glad you are nearly better
I had a mad moment yesterday and vacuumed the house from top to bottom. I really hate that vacuum cleaner. It’s a Dalek type pull along, weighs a lot as it’s got a caddy for tools built in. I can’t hardly carry it upstairs I have to empty it then carry the tools and the pipes separately. It often falls down the stairs on me but yesterday it raised its game and sucked my lacy jumper into the pipe bit that you can open on the handle to reduce the suction. Bleddy thing pulled my jumper in and it caught on something inside. I couldn’t get my jumper off, I couldn’t unhook the loop either. Thank goodness OH heard me swearing at it. He had a laugh anyway. It’s got such a strong rewind on the wire it’s like Arkwright’s till in Opening all Hours. I have to put a strong clothes peg on it to stop it whipping my ankles if I’m daft enough to press the button to rewind. I fekkin hate that thing.
Well, day off and was wide awake at 7! Windier than yesterday, so plans are going to change. Was supposed to go to a food market then lunch but don't feel like that, so hopefully we'll go to the retail park, then take stuff to the charity shop.
You've given me my first laugh of the day, Lynne!Flower arranging this aft, but I have a lot to do before then. Better crack on.
The Way is shut.(I was supposed to be on a course in Bristol today, and they've gone and closed the bridge so I have had to come home. A waste of getting up at 5 am!)
Morning all. PHSE day at the school today. Lord help me.
I got out of a meeting today cuz there was no one to cover my lesson during that period.Happy Patti
I think you suggest that it's obviously not the machine for you, and it's time it moved on!
I’m hanging fire on buying a new one as I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the house etc. We don’t really want to sell here yet but the journey is long with the dogs it’s got to be a road trip not a flight. We are waiting to hear if Brexit etc will give us more hoops to jump through regarding travel, so I don’t want to buy anything I don’t really need. It’s got a now illegal motor. It’s 1800 whatever’s and the EUs maximum sucker is 1300. So I’m using it till it dies (or it eats me) just to spite the buggers. 😁
Lynne will next be heard of in prison for illegal hoovering!!
Perhaps it could be a new sport, like extreme ironing?
Just recovering from replacing the battery in my extremely elderly MacBook. IT repairs are not my natural environment to be honest :) anyway it’s in and charging, and although that’s any warranty oot the windae I’m not overly concerned given its age. Apple don’t like you DIYing. The old battery would no longer take a charge and in its final hours had bulged so much it was pushing out the trackpad. Somewhat alarming! The machines are indeed out to get us. I had a hated vacuum cleaner too. Hoovering should be illegal...
Will wrote: "Perhaps it could be a new sport, like extreme ironing?"Isn't it wonderful the new crimes we've got, extreme hoovering, DIY electronics,
Extreme irony, Jim?
That was meant to say ironing
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Got them defining the parts of speech in their own words.
weyhey.
Gotta be done.