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I think this is a serious issue worthy of discussion. I also think there is a significant difference between the occasional typo or usage error and generally poor writing. The example in Canudigit's post does not appear to be an error of inattention; it looks like the work of someone who has not mastered the fundamentals of writing. I think it perfectly reasonable to be concerned that the teacher in question would struggle to teach middle-school students to write well.
I expect that my children's teachers will have high standards for written work and will both model and enforce those standards across all aspects of the curriculum. I do not feel confident that the teacher spot-lighted in the OP's example is capable of doing so.
Bear in mind, too, though, that not everything you THINK is incorrect is actually incorrect. There are loads of things, grammatically, that are often taken to be rules (or, perhaps, once WERE rules that have since been dropped due to the natural evolution of language) when they are in reality stylistic choices. I have been involved in more heated editorial meetings where somebody was insisting that something someone else had written was wrong, when in reality, they simply didn't prefer the stylistic choice of the author. This has happened at my current place of employment, as well, regarding comma usage, of all things. It's important to realize that there isn't always one answer, and somebody writing something differently than you'd write it doesn't always make it incorrect. Some things ARE clear cut, others, not so much.
I can easily forgive typos or misspellings, but I have a hard time understanding how an educated person can make subject-verb agreement errors or subject/object case errors.
I also have a huge problem with teachers and newscasters who can't pronounce words correctly. We have a new reporter who is having a great deal of trouble with some of the basics, but he is improving.
If someone is going to speak or write for a living, he or she should be able to use standard English. It is frustrating for me to work for people who make three times my salary, knowing that they did not and could not edit their own dissertations. Our principal tries so hard to speak correctly, but from time to time she does slip. The thing that made me cringe, though, was hearing our superintendent mangle his native tongue in a TV interview. And more than that, I really believe he didn't notice. That is a deeper problem.
If someone is going to speak or write for a living, he or she should be able to use standard English. It is frustrating for me to work for people who make three times my salary, knowing that they did not and could not edit their own dissertations. Our principal tries so hard to speak correctly, but from time to time she does slip. The thing that made me cringe, though, was hearing our superintendent mangle his native tongue in a TV interview. And more than that, I really believe he didn't notice. That is a deeper problem.
And, if you are going to HIRE SOMEONE for a position that involves speaking and writing for a living, hire somebody who can do those things, if not well, heaven forbid, at least passably! This is the part that really aggravates me...who hires these people?
And, if you are going to HIRE SOMEONE for a position that involves speaking and writing for a living, hire somebody who can do those things, if not well, heaven forbid, at least passably! This is the part that really aggravates me...who hires these people?
The inept administrators maybe?
By the way, are you a fan of Dollhouse? (just wondering from your name)
I can easily forgive typos or misspellings, but I have a hard time understanding how an educated person can make subject-verb agreement errors or subject/object case errors.
British refer to a company as plural.
Dealt with a lot of British over the years and you constantly hear:
<Company name> are doing this.
Where here in America we treat a company as a single entity.
<Company name > is doing this.
British refer to a company as plural.
Dealt with a lot of British over the years and you constantly hear:
<Company name> are doing this.
Where here in America we treat a company as a single entity.
<Company name > is doing this.
That is not an error.
"The bank are examining your records."
"Our staff are quite concerned and are searching for a solution."
No problem with that. I'm half British and I can code-switch when needed.
"They is going to take the state tests in a few weeks."
"He have the problem well in hand."
"We had went downtown to check out the situation."
These are the kinds of subject-verb agreement errors that abound at all levels of our district. It's particularly appalling when these kinds of utterances come from English teachers.
A question that came to my mind last night as I was pondering this thread was WHEN are students supposed to learn grammar at all these days when explicit grammar instruction apparently no longer exists at any grade level?
I recall the days when fourth, fifth, and sixth grade were called grammar school. Does anyone else remember that?
"The bank are examining your records."
"Our staff are quite concerned and are searching for a solution."
No problem with that. I'm half British and I can code-switch when needed.
"They is going to take the state tests in a few weeks."
"He have the problem well in hand."
"We had went downtown to check out the situation."
These are the kinds of subject-verb agreement errors that abound at all levels of our district. It's particularly appalling when these kinds of utterances come from English teachers.
A question that came to my mind last night as I was pondering this thread was WHEN are students supposed to learn grammar at all these days when explicit grammar instruction apparently no longer exists at any grade level?
I recall the days when fourth, fifth, and sixth grade were called grammar school. Does anyone else remember that?
There is no grammar taught anymore. Remember parsing a sentence ?
There's barely any reading taught anymore..the audio book is played in the class while the students read along (or are supposed to).
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