Grammar Wednesday!

Less vs. Fewer
In order to understand whether to use “less” or “fewer,” one must first understand the difference between count and non-count nouns:
A count noun is a noun which refers to things that exist as countable entities – you can point to these things and, theoretically, at least, count them. Boy, ocean, pen, house [...]

Calling All Teachers!!

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Susanna Shakespeare.
Elizabeth Robinson, my Capital-G-Girlfriend, has imagined, written, and produced her own one-woman show based on the life of William Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna. Geared toward middle- and high-school grade levels, the performance brings some of the bard’s most popular works to life through the [...]

Literary Meme

I got this from Tense Teacher, who got it from someone else, who probably got it from someone else. I fear I’m going to be embarrassed by it – I am the first one to admit that, despite my two degrees in English teaching, there is an absolutely alarming number of “classics” I’ve not [...]

Hiiiii-YA!

My mom sent me an email this morning that directed me to the Grammar Ninja.  I’ve lost a good portion of the day playing it and have been occasionally embarrased to not see some of the answers – of course, I went straight to the “Master Ninja” level because my snotty English Teacher pride wouldn’t [...]

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I’m sick of saying to my students:
1. Don’t start sentences with “So.”
2. Don’t start sentences with prepositions – they are meant to connect words, phrases, or clauses, not to introduce a new idea.
3. Break your writing into paragraphs, please. One long paragraph is unacceptable. One long sentence is [...]

THIS Is Why I Don’t Accept Late Homework

I offer you a writing journal entry from one of my stronger students – unedited and in its entirety:
I have finally realized that I am tired of being a good student.  I always do my homework and hand it in on time, though everyone else – except one – in my classes does not.
The same [...]

Grammar Wednesday!

Alternately titled, “What the Hell is a Gerund, Anyway?”
A gerund, quite simply, is the “ing” form of a verb that is used as a noun.
Her acting was the best in the play.
The team’s playing is the only thing that keeps them together; none of them would be friends off the field.
A gerund phrase is just [...]

I’m at a Complete Loss…

I have a reputation for having strict homework policies.  Homework is due when it’s due; if you turn it in late to me, unless we’ve made prior arrangements, you recieve a zero.  This is on my syllabus and I’ve explained it several times since the first day of classes: I am 100% confident that no [...]

God/dess Help Me

I have to bring my children to work with me tomorrow.
My girls – Punkin’ Pie, aged 9 and Beanie, aged 7-nearly-8 – are on vacation from school this week.  My husband was planning on being able to take long lunches so he could come home to be with them while I teach from 11 to [...]

Rethinking My Place in the Universe

Ten of my 21 hybrid students turned in homework this week.  Though, if you count the fact that, of those ten, none of them actually wrote the three to four paragraphs I asked for – and one student sent me an incomplete sentence as an answer to the assignment – I’m pretty sure I have [...]