Grammar still matters – but teachers are struggling to teach it

[Still Waters]

Do you know what a suffix is, or how to distinguish adjectives from adverbs? If you have a six or seven-year-old, the chances are they do. Or at least, the UK government now says they should – by the end of year 2, to be specific.

In year 3, primary schoolers turn their attention to prefixes and conjunctions. By the time pupils head to secondary school, they are expected to know what determiners and adverbials are. They should be able to recognise a relative clause as a special type of subordinate clause. And their creative writing should showcase modal verbs and the active and passive voice.

Obviously, for all this to happen, teachers need to be comfortable with these terms and the concepts they cover. And if you went to school before 1960, you probably are. However, between 1960 and 1988, English – in England and Wales – was taught in a virtually grammar-free manner.

https://theconversation.com/grammar-still-matters-but-teachers-are-struggling-to-teach-it-166292

[Sojo]

I learned how to diagram sentences in sixth grade (1966). This helped me learn not only about sentence structure and grammar, but also helps you learn how to create sentences that best convey your actual meaning with less potential for confusion by others in what you're trying to say.

However, I don't necessarily agree with all the rules of grammar, particularly the rule about not ending a sentence with a preposition. I enjoy the story of an English teacher who had a child to which she read stories at bed time. She had sent the child on upstairs to bed and said she would bring a book to read to him. When she entered the bedroom, the child looked at the book and said, "Why did you bring up that book I didn't want to be read out of to for?". Talk about ending a sentence with a preposition! HIs reply still makes perfect sense to me though.

Sojo

[Setton]

That's what happens when you have a government whose educational policy is based on what they did at school instead of actual educational research.

[Inn Spectre]

10 hours ago, Setton said:

That's what happens when you have a government whose educational policy is based on what they did at school

You mean what their civil servants did at school.

[Setton]

3 hours ago, Inn Spectre said:

You mean what their civil servants did at school.

No, I don't. This government's entire education agenda is driven from the top, not the advice of civil servants.

[itsnotoutthere]

The comprehensive school system ......innit.

[godnodog]

It's not only a UK problem.

I learned grammar rules in primary school.

Today I cannot remember what is what, but obviously I know how to write properly in Portuguese (n engrish I still do offend the language).

One thing one needs to look at is the press media aka "free speech defenders journalists", as an example I'll give the example of the "prestigious" RTP (Portuguese BBC) where in the news.block the news writen in Portuguese language have the grammar being considered as optional, despite multiple and continuous protests the RTP board and government does zero because of ....."free speech".

 

[Inn Spectre]

9 hours ago, Setton said:

No, I don't. This government's entire education agenda is driven from the top, not the advice of civil servants.

Are you seriously accusing our elected buffoons of having their own ideas?

[Setton]

1 hour ago, Inn Spectre said:

Are you seriously accusing our elected buffoons of having their own ideas?

Ones based on ideology instead of reality?

Absolutely.

[+Desertrat56]

5 hours ago, godnodog said:

It's not only a UK problem.

I learned grammar rules in primary school.

Today I cannot remember what is what, but obviously I know how to write properly in Portuguese (n engrish I still do offend the language).

One thing one needs to look at is the press media aka "free speech defenders journalists", as an example I'll give the example of the "prestigious" RTP (Portuguese BBC) where in the news.block the news writen in Portuguese language have the grammar being considered as optional, despite multiple and continuous protests the RTP board and government does zero because of ....."free speech".

 

I think you "offend" english less than a lot of native english speakers.  

[Ozymandias]

24 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

I think you "offend" english less than a lot of native english speakers.  

Yes, English is much offended on this forum. 

Sorry. I'll get my coat. 

[itsnotoutthere]

22 hours ago, Setton said:

Ones based on ideology instead of reality?

Absolutely.

Schools are all about ideology these days....keep up.

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by itsnotoutthere

[Setton]

58 minutes ago, itsnotoutthere said:

Schools are all about ideology these days....keep up.

 

Firstly, no they aren't but I wouldn't expect you take the word of someone who merely worked in one for years 

Secondly, the UK education system is not the same as the US.