A long, long time ago, I taught a journalism writing class at the University of Tulsa.
I loved everything about it. I loved writing, I loved teaching, I loved my students, and they loved writing. Well, it might not be the last. However, many of them did, and some went on to become professional writers in other fields.
I still love writing. Beautifully crafted writing, whether it's as solid as a brick wall or delicately emotional, brings me great joy. Both written and spoken English are so painful that I wince. It's happening more often.
I would like to ask native English speakers, is there no one here who speaks this language?
That's an allusion to a quote from an irritated person Casey Stengel Watch the New York Mets' sensational fumbles and fouls in 1962, as the team lost 120 games that season, setting a league record. “Can't anyone here play this game?” Stengel exclaimed.
Poor pronoun, sorry for the most abused victim. I often read and listen to
Educated adults sound like infants because their first and third person pronouns are so intertwined.
It's easy.pronoun me, him, her, us, them teeth Subject of the verb. (“I went to a lacrosse game.”) Pronouns me, us, he, she, they teeth object of verbs and prepositions. (“They gave him a trophy.”)
Add multiple people to the mix, and suddenly the speaker is lost in a thicket of compound pronouns. We then hear, “Margaret and I had lunch together.” And “The club sent flowers to her and her family.” In the deep woods, someone wrote, “Me and the children are very happy.”
To see English-speakers leave our language by the side of the road while the Cherokee, Osage, and other tribes allocate significant funds and serious efforts to preserving their native languages. is interesting.german philosopher wilhelm von humboldt “Nothing is more important to a country's culture than its language.”
I believe it. However, I read grammar books as a hobby. “Grammar for a Fulfilling Life: How the Way We Shape Our Sentences Limits and Expands Us” is by the author. Lawrence Weinstein, co-founder of the Harvard University Writing Center. The book's compelling premise is this: How we use language determines how we think and feel.
Are you using passive verbs like a helpless victim? Do you grab your phone and groan that you've been on hold for 20 minutes? Or do you say “I'm holding on” assertively with active verbs to show that you have the strength to take action, even if it's just to hang up the phone?
One of the textbooks I needed to teach in college was “Grammar for Journalists.” I was resistant at first and only incorporated a few grammar lessons. I quickly realized that it wasn't enough. Ten years later, half of my classes were basic grammar drills like identifying the subject of a sentence. They were bright students from great schools across the country, but they were not taught the basic grammar skills they needed to speak their native language correctly.
Recently, I visited a recreated one-room schoolhouse at the Bartlesville Regional History Museum and saw a framed copy of “Rules for Teachers — 1915.” Here we will introduce some of them.
- You cannot get married during the contract period.
- Students must be at home between 8pm and 6am, except for school events.
- Do not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man other than your father or brother.
- Do not wear brightly colored clothes.
- Hair cannot be dyed under any circumstances.
- Dresses can be at least 2 inches shorter than the ankle.
We also had to sweep the floors every day, scrub them with hot soapy water every week, clean the blackboards, and start a fire at 7 a.m.
Teaching has always been a demanding profession. That's a lot of work. I couldn't be a teacher today. Especially in this condition. May God bless and help those who strive.
