THE DIARY OF PROFESSOR FREEDOM: Hoarding the Parts of Speech

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Hoarding the Parts of Speech

I tricked my students into revealing themselves to be perhaps more materialistic than they would admit to being by asking one of the many seemingly open-ended, subjective questions I will ask over the course of the semester, questions that don't seem to have a right answer, but certainly do in my mind. It's terrible to do perhaps, but one of teachers' true joys, I suppose.

I have learned that it's never a bad idea to review the eight parts of speech on the first day or two of a composition class. Once the class has listed and described them all, I ask them which they think is most important. Inevitably they say nouns, but we know better. We know that actions are more important than possessions. Don't we? Keeping in mind that the shortest sentence consists only of a verb--"Go."--I think we have linguistics on our side too. It's the difference between having a brain and using it. Sometimes I need to listen more to my own advice.

posted by Professor Freedom # 7:54 AM

Comments:

Its so weird for me to read your comment here now that you are a professor. It's not that you are a real professor, or that I am surprised that you are so smart and together in that role, its just one of those life things. I learned today that the pluperfect is rarely used anymore and most journalists are urged to not use. Isn't that weird?

Carwin

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:52 PM

Realizing that you haven't written anything in a while and probably won't read this, I think adverbs, actually, are the most important. It's not always what you do, it's how you do it!

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:48 AM

I am with you that it is how that matters, but even then a well-chosen verb describes it better than a modifier can. Saunter is better than walked leisurely, isn't it?

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Saturday, February 03, 2007

Hoarding the Parts of Speech

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