The sun., 1919-09-28
What the School Boy Said and How
He Wrote the Same Sentence Pre-.
sents an Interesting Phase in the
Use and Abuse Of Language
and Underlying Causes.

found her enterprising small son stand
ing on a chair talking confidentially to
the parrot:
"Oh, TOMMY" she cried, "Are you
actually teaching Polly to say all those
naughty words?"
why, no, ma" defended Tommy.
I'm just telling Polly all the naughty
words he mustn't say"
These teachers say that the wrong
form should never be given. for fear Of
impressing 1t on pupils minds.
Instead, they correct errors as they
arise and little later ask questions
to make sure that the pupils have
understood the corrections. In some
schools teachers make lists of COM
mon errors of speech on which they
exercise the pupils. pointing out the
errors. ThA is one list:
1A-Ain't got no, amt got none,
Yous done it, yous don't dare do 1t, I
told youse, he give 1t to me brother,
me mother told me to, left me glove
in me coat.
1B-Me brother learned me my, can
I take my book, can I go home.
done 1t, he done it, he drawed, my
point is broke, Sleeps, RENDERS, mans,
mems.
2A--I ct my dinner, he got it off
me. 1 bought 1t off the pedler, I seen
him do 1t, kin get my pen, me hear.
is broke, he done it.
2B-It got took, gimme that, he
brang it, I didn't git none,, me arm
hoits, I'm got it, I amt got no pen.
3A--I amt, there amt, that amt
right, amt done yet, amt got no
pencil, I haven't got none. i've got it,
I'm got it, my father and mother was
there, they was late, the girls was late,
where was you? was you out? where
is the keys? where is the boys?
3B-It don't need any, he don't do 1t
right, we seen him, seen it, I come
home late last night, John come home
late this morning, amt got no. where's
the girls? I done it, he done it.
AL laid down and slept, tell the
dog to lay down, l can hardly set up.
1t is me, it's me, It wasn't me, Il was
them, / hain't got none, seen him do
1t, I didn't git none, didn't do nothing.
"Who" and "whom" Troublesome.
4B-who are you going to take ?
who did you ask? who did you say ?
I don't like them things. them two
girls did 1t, me point is broke, he ct
his dinner, git II now.
5A-Him and me will go, me and
John is going, me and me brother
went, them is fine looking shoes, two
girls was late, I've got it. where was
you?
5B-She bees late every day, he bees
In church every, he sweared that he,
1t was writ, 1t felled off and got broke,
I'm not done It, I'm got it marked.
6A-My mother says, he says that
he. my mother says like this. he
shouldn't have his book, open no more,
we'd yet, where is the keys? we seen
him when he done it, it's me. it is me,
1t was them.
6B-He has 1t in his hand, there is
much people. she asked me would I
SO, there is six, it don't need any.
7A-Give me the lend, I'm just after
doing It. who did you say? Yeh (yes),
ha? (what was the question?), me
pencil, me brother.
7B-Review the following: Use of
may and can, use of got, 1 got 1t Off
my father, 1t is me, it wasn't them, 1
-hink 1t is her. didn't know you was
ding.
Sth Year-Review particularly the
following: He asked me would I do
him favor. use of was and were (see
SA), use Of lie and lay (see 3B), use
Of see and seen (see 2A), use of sit
and set (see 4A), use Of do and does
(see 3B), nominative and objective
case (see "A, Alb. SAD, use Of may and
can (see 1B), nominatives after forms
of the verb to be, improper use of my,
agreement OF subject and verb (SA),
double negative (see la and 2B).
A list such as that is like a few
grains Of sand picked up from the
seashore. A hundred or a thousand