04 March 2010

Booking Through Thursday: Grammar

In honor of National Grammar Day … it IS “March Fourth” after all … do you have any grammar books? Punctuation? Writing guidelines? Style books?

More importantly, have you read them?

How do you feel about grammar in general? Important? Vital? Unnecessary? Fussy?

There’s a National Grammar Day? *Sigh* ... I wish we had one of those.

In answer to the question: none of the above. Which is surprising, given that those are just the sorts of books I’d adore. I’m forever mentally editing other people’s errors wherever I encounter them. Bad grammar makes me cringe, and does not make me think well of the perpetrator.

And yet for a self-confessed grammar pedant I know very little about the subject, beyond what I’ve simply absorbed by osmosis. Around Year 4, I learned about nouns, verbs, and adjectives. And that’s it. I can also identify adverbs, pronouns, and prepositions, and I know what split infinitives are because I looked it up. (And I’ve heard of things called participles, but have no idea what they are.)

But then, I came through an education system which taught me precisely zero history prior to 1788, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

7 comments:

Jennifer said...

A wonderfully honest answer. Mine is located here: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/03/booking-through-thursday-grammar.html

Anonymous said...

Great answer.

I agree that we're losing something by having to "teach for the tests."

Lori said...

I think that post made me sad. I am not the best with the grammar. So, does that mean we can't be freinds?:) Here's mine.

D. Leigh said...

Your post did not make me sad in the least ... in fact, I chuckled.. Why? Because I am somewhat wearing the same shoes you are. I say somewhat, because I had to learn and relearn grammer when I homeschooled my three children. It really was a bit of a struggle, I'll admit, but there is always something good that comes out of something ... not so good. I went back college when my three were also in college and we ALL did great with out English classes LOL And to top it off? I am a History major.

Barbara said...

you are so young! we had to diagram sentences.

here's my BTT

http://blog.readinggroupchoices.com/content/blog/barbara/10/march/writing-style-grammar-and-punctuation-important

Things I'd like but can't afford said...

I'm a word fiend, a noun theif, a lover of adjectives, a collector of pronouns. Love the blog.

Karen Carr said...

I struggle with 'that' and 'which' all the time, when am I supposed to use these?

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Header image shows detail of A Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, c. 1776