EVERYTHING (ALMOST) YOU WANTED TO KNOW (WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF?), BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK. I am totally html inept, but will do my best to keep this blog supplied with plenty of syntax junk. The main aim here is to help my students (my future colleagues, in fact) come to grips with the syntax of English, even if they can't stand it.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Why study syntax?

I am sure most of my students ask themselves this during and after my syntax classes. To be honest, it is truly a valid question. I mean, if you think about it, all you get to know is a bunch of rules. But (there is always a "but"), I must, as a syntax teacher, comment on the plus that this bunch of rules has given to my writing.
By studying syntax, my writing has become more correct; my word order, more precise; my selection of structure, more well thought out. It is through knowing the basic syntax concepts that I have stopped writing like I speak (an unpunctuated flow of language, that, when on paper, is ambiguous and cumbersome to read). My punctuation now helps my readers rather than hindering them. While this may seem unimportant to most people, for those who are constantly putting pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard), this is an essential tool that will change the way you view written communication.
There, I've said my bit....

3 Comments:

Blogger Higor Cavalcante said...

ToM (lol),

Scary as it is to leave a message on a syntax teacher's blog, I'll "say my bit".

I really like the idea of studying rules and I can see how important they are, mainly for written communication. However, I don't think it's the importance (or lack thereof) of it that startles us; it's how unbelievably difficult it is.

Anyway, I'll keep on dropping by. I'll read everything carefully and try to take it all in. Whether I'll want to go to college after that or not is what remains to be seen.

Cheers!

10:29 PM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

thank you so much for your idea Lunacy :)

9:38 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I really thank you Lunacy, you were very helpful

6:33 AM

 

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