College-level grammar lost on college students

The Digital Collegian (Penn State) ^ | Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 | Jen Winberry

[Graybeard58]

For the same reason you park in the driveway and drive on the parkway.

Corn oil is made from corn.

Olive oil is made from olives.

Baby oil is made from....

[petitfour]

Do you say things like, "When Sally went Goth a year ago"? My daughter was describing a girl in one of her classes, and daughter made a statement such as that. Hubby was clueless because he didn't know what it meant to "go Goth." Thanks to my addiction to FR, I was not ignorant of this trend.

[elli1]

And THIS is supposedly the smartest woman in the world! NOT!

I've always been of the opinion that she married up.

[squirt-gun]

I gow two a govment scool. Mary Montis-soory kidds skore hier ten mee ery tim. Eyee hat thos skools

[Graybeard58]

Irregardless of this thread many will still misremember proper grammar anyway.

Don't misunderestimate us.

[Inspectorette]

Hey, Laz - howcome you're not over on the thread about why women earn less than men?

[Lee Heggy]

I will do my bestest...I reckon...I speck...

[Sloth]

Though many resist, I will continue to speak correctly, irregardless.

[RexBeach]

Dat chile iz oft dah mussel...dat 'cuaz he be jumpin cleen!...or my name isn't Larry!

[dighton]

dont jugde cletis,,,, him and me is best budys,,,,,,,,, we winned honers in speling and gramer at the harverd shcool, masachusits.

[dk/coro]

Regrettably, this phenomenon in American Education has been incrementally developing over the last several decades.

In the mid 40's I was afforded a scholarship to Culver Military Academy. Upon my arrival as a plebe, I was shocked to learn that I had a choice of taking either Latin or Greek. The romance languages were likewise available, but only as electives. The classics were compulsory. Further, there were but 10 to 12 cadets to a class, so the opportunity for any free rides were minuscule at best.

I was forced to learn the basics of English composition under acute duress. Our mid-term and final grades were posted publicly on the applicable classroom doors twice a semester, following final week. The bottom performers were subject to intense ridicule by their peers -- a true lesson in humility, I assure you.

Recently, I developed and implemented a seminar at a local college keyed to the issues posed in Huntington's "Clash".
In the course of the seminar, it was a true shock to my system to hear and read such crass abuses to the basic rules of syntax and grammar. To compound the issue, this class was composed of adults -- many of them professionals in the local community.

Where did we go so terribly wrong? The answer is self-evident; but that knowledge will not correct the damage done to the civility of our social discourse.

[UScbass]

I have met him quite often: Stuart Ped. To his close friends, he is known as Stu Ped.

[Steve0113]

... and motor oil is made from?

[Graybeard58]

I like these grammar threads but when commenting I always have a fear that I will make a grammatical error myself or an error in punctuation or spelling.

And starting a new paragraph with a conjunction would be the death of me.

Damn, it's difficult to be a perfectionist.

[MHT]

This is a direct result of three things: (1) English teachers no longer drill on either grammar or spelling; (2) students no longer are required to diagram sentences; and, (3) television personalities (including erudite news anchors) use improper grammar.

To remedy this: (1) teachers have to start teaching again, by (God forbid!) rote memorization and drills; (2) kids have to start deconstructing their language visually to understand its logic; and, (3) we need better educated people in broadcasting who can write correctly and ad-lib (or at least read) proper English.

[ThanhPhero]

Between each...

[Centurion2000]

College-level grammar lost on college students

Not to mention History & Geography.

And Civics, Mathematics, Sciences, the list has been replaced with items such as, Sex Education, TV Appreciation, Womyn's Studies.

I shudder to think about where this country will be in 100 years.

[VeritatisSplendor]

It isn't quite free of errors.

And there is no convincing me that I am wrong or that this mistake is not that big of a deal

should say "not that big a deal", not "not that big OF a deal".

[Puppage]

I shudder to think about where this country will be in 100 years

Not even that long...25-30 years should just about do it.

[Vor Lady]

Like your commet was so totally tubular. I'm mean, like the gag me with a spoon thing.