Michael McLaughlin
I am typically a good speller and punctuation comes pretty naturally. In terms of grammar, it’s a completely different story. Most of my AP classes focused on improving the style and smoothness of our writing; few focused on actual grammar. The “whom, who debate” was long forgotten. Normative case? Objective case? Never heard of them. Knowing the amount of preparation that I am lacking is a little startling at first. And to be completely honest, it’s sad.
The big question for me is why have our schools abandoned grammar? More curiously, why are “advanced placement” classes allowing grammar errors to become commonplace? Perhaps, it is only my experience. Any thoughts?
I think it's because we were supposed to learn advanced grammar in earlier years.
ReplyDeleteMy Junior and Senior AP English teachers corrected grammar, without ever giving an explanation for why it was wrong because they assumed we had studied it in Pre-AP English Freshman and Sophomore year.
Freshman year we studied it and all the grammar we've done is vaguely familiar. I agree. They should focus on grammar every year, instead of abandoning it after two years of teaching.
Yeah I totally think that is what happened. But I do not remember learning grammar in AP English freshmen or sophomore year. Oh well, I need to let my school know they need to teach grammar.
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