Why More English Instruction Won't Mean Better Grammar

Written for the educated reader cognizant of ordinary grammatical terminology or able to look it up in a dictionary, this booklet discusses why grammar seems so intractable. The booklet begins by offering two reasons why more diligent instruction in English grammar will not improve students' knowledge: (1) what is presented as English grammar bears little relation to the way fashionable young people speak and write; and (2) many analyses are wrong, or fail to capture fundamental principles that reveal the natural systematicity of English grammar. The booklet then presents an extended discussion of these topics using as examples a variety of grammatical rules and how those rules are and should be taught. The booklet concludes that teaching grammar using the principles discussed in the booklet would permit teachers to cover more ground, would yield a better understanding of the systematicity of grammar, and would therefore generate both greater rapport between taught and teacher and greater sympathy for the subject. An appendix discussing how certain grammatical concepts are used in the booklet and a corrigenda list are attached. (RS)