The Teaching of English Grammar: History and Method |
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adjective adverbial analytic Anglo-Saxon century Chaucer's clause committed to memory conjunctions connection constructions coördinate dative declension dedun definition Elementary English Grammar emphasize Essentials of English exercises in false expression fact formal formal grammar French language GEORGE LYMAN KITTREDGE give go than stay gram grammar schools Grammar Teaching grammatical analysis guage highly inflected historical study Illustrate important inflected influence instruction interest introduction Kirkham Latin lecture Lindley Murray literature logical Lowth method of teaching Middle English modern English modern pedagogy modified Norman Conquest Norman French noun object parsable pedagogical phrase Plural practice in composition predicate preposition principles reading relative pronoun rules of syntax Sanskrit scholarship scientific grammar sentence analysis simple speaking speech student study of grammar study of language subject-matter suggestions systematic teacher teaching of English Teutonic text-book thing thought tion tongue usage verb vocabulary W. D. WHITNEY West Saxon dialect words writing young pupils
Popular passages
Page 22 - Consider for a moment what grammar is. It is the most elementary part of logic. It is the beginning of the analysis of the thinking process. The principles and rules of grammar are the means by which the forms of language are made to correspond with the universal forms of thought.
Page 27 - Sterne's intended implication that a knowledge of the principles of reasoning neither makes, nor is essential to, a good reasoner, is doubtless true. Thus, too, is it with grammar. As Dr. Latham, condemning the usual school-drill in Lindley Murray, rightly remarks:—" Gross vulgarity is a fault to be prevented; but the proper prevention is to be got from habit—not rules.
Page 13 - The principal design of a Grammar of any Language is to teach us to express ourselves with propriety in that Language; and to enable us to judge of every phrase and form of construction, whether it be right or not. The plain way of doing this is, to lay down rules, and to illustrate them by examples. But, beside shewing what is right, the matter may be further explained by pointing out what is wrong.
Page 16 - FROM the sentiment generally admitted, that a proper Selection of faulty composition is more instructive to the young grammarian, than any ru'es and examples of propriety that can be given, the Compiler has been induced to pay peculiar attention to this part of the subject ; and though the instances of false grammar...
Page 27 - That the leading object of the study of English grammar is to teach the correct use of English is, in my view, an error, and one which is gradually becoming removed, giving way to the sounder opinion that grammar is the reflective study of language...
Page 22 - ... modifier, thus revealing the essential nature of thought itself, the most important of all objects, because it is self-object. On the subjective or psychological side, grammar demonstrates its title to the first place by its use as a discipline in subtle analysis, in logical division and classification, in the art of questioning, and in the mental accomplishment of making exact definitions. Nor is this an empty, formal discipline, for its subject-matter, language, is a product of the reason of...
Page 22 - ... study par excellence. A survey of its educational value, subjective and objective, usually produces the conviction that it is to retain the first place in the future. Its chief objective advantage is that it shows the structure of language, and the logical forms of subject, predicate, and modifier, thus revealing the essential nature of thought itself, the most important of all objects because it is self-object. On the subjective or psychological side, grammar demonstrates its title to the first...
Page 17 - Or possibly some may have been looking over the pages of James Buchanan's book, London, 1767. Under the rule that a verb must agree with its nominative in number and person a long paragraph begins as follows : " I is going to London and I is to stay a Week.
Page 18 - As a sentence is the expression of a thought, and as the elements of a sentence are expressions for the elements of thought, the pupil who is taught to separate a sentence into its elements, is learning to analyze thought and consequently to think.
Page 14 - I will not take upon me to say, whether we have any Grammar that sufficiently instructs us by rule and example; but I am sure that we have none, that, in the manner here attempted teaches us what is right by shewing what is wrong.