The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-02-04
English Grammar.

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Doubtless q Of the most diff
cult subjec!s that faces u live teach
er is English Grammar. Other
branches of study can be and often
ate made interesting and therefore
profitable. Arithmetic is perhaps
oitener made interesting than any
other branch of study. A certain
inherent a.tractiveness seems TO
cling to figures, SO that if a child is
wisely started and iudiciou;ly man.
aged, its interest rarely flags. Little
to's like II pencil and slate and Il
wise teacher seldom has any diff
Guilty with larger pupils.
Geography and history, if rightly
presented, usually awaken a lively
interest. Independent questions in
geography and lectures in history
rarely fail to make those subjects
attractive ior the more advanced
pupils. Cities and rivers in Qcog-
raphy, and men and monuments in
history / always the same. Bu.
such cannot be said Of English
grammar. A word in ono sentence
is a noun; in the next q verb. Many
words ara either propositions, con-
functions, or adverbs. Ten state
ments can be made il grammar to
which there ais not glazing excep,
tons. A rule in arithmetic, facts
in geography and history, do not
have exceptions; and children, a.
they advance in those studies, come
to have confidence in themselves.
They know they are right. They
feel that they can back up their
statements with facts and rules
which can't be disputed. Many
children finding few such plain
rules or statements in grammar.
have thrown up the whole subject
in disgust. On account Of age, q
careless teacher, or an ill-arranged
text book, they have become puz-
z'ed, and are prepared to believe
o0e thing in grammar as soon as
another. They have me- so many
exceptions to plain rules that they
reasonably doubt whether grammar
be q science or no.. or course
many children find grammar no
such riddle. They have been started
early and wisely guids]. Sill l
fear many telchers and more pu-
pills find the study to be about as
difficult as described.
Now the frat thing to be done is
for the teacher TO get q clear and
accurate Knowledge of the subject.
1t is not a difficult subject for ma.
ture minds, though it puzzles be-
ginnera. The next thingis for the
pupil to acquire an elementary
knowledge Of the different parts Of
speech. After an elementary knowl-
Edge has been obtained, in which
none or at least few exceptions are
noticed, let the pupil take a page
or less Of his reading or history
lesson and point out all the nouns,
or propositions, or verbs. After
that the pupils are able to select the
different parts Of speech.
In this way the pupils learn by
practice the ordinary rales and are
prepared to understand the various
exceptions as they appear. The
text book recitation should in no
wise be neglected, but should be
c~lsarly enforced by examples and
exceptions the reading lesson may
bring out.
But as in arithmetic more time is
given TO The practice of rules than
10 the study Of rules, so in, gram
MAJ more time should be spent in
exercise than in learning Of mere
statements. OF course the text
book should be wisely selected and
its instruction followed, though not
blindly. The teacher who simply
hears Rotations day after day even
from a good text book is teaching
very little grammar. No text book
on any subject should be blindly
followed by any teacher-though il
should rarely If ever be altered OF
disputed. A. teacher should be able
to present the subject Of English
or any other subject he processes t.
teach, not only as the text book
does, but also az 1t applies TO hi:
or her own educated common sense
Tp do this the teacher will have t
study closely and make his state
rnsnt accurate. After the teaohe
mas made a CAREFUL study of Eng
Eeh ond his or ha~ ,,ku;ta 49,. -