Blog 4: Everybody Likes Pizza, Doesn't He or She?

This article is very difficult. It is about pronoun-antecedent disagreements.

Here is the TEXT for everyone to read.

The author is a Jewish gentleman from New York, whose little daughter Eve once thought that she had found a mistake in a classic novel; however, what she had read was RIGHT, because it had been fixed by a copy editor. The original author had made a pronoun-antecedent mistake. The little girl thought the actually right version sounded wrong to her, because she had no idea about pronoun-antecedent disagreements and would have spoken slang!!!

Please keep in mind that the correct rule is: If the person committing the action is SINGULAR, the PRONOUN must be SINGULAR, too! Plural would be wrong.

The correct sentence is: "Everybody likes pizza, doesn't he or she?"
The wrong sentence would be: "Everybody likes pizza, don't they?"

These words are ALWAYS SINGULAR:
everybody, everyone, who, no one, somebody, someone, either, neither, none, each.
They are always followed by a PRONOUN in SINGULAR.

The summary is done by:
ENGL300-1: Voniqua Warren (dropped; available for 5 pts. extra credit!!!)
ENGL300-2: Stefanie Kuchta
It is due on Friday, Sept. 2nd, at class time.
The responses by the whole class are due on Wednesday, Sept. 7th, since Monday is off!!!
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by Drew Burnside for 5 pts. extra credit (can be posted any time during the semester)

by: Drew Burnside

The article "Everybody Likes Pizza" written by George Jochnowitz discusses how in the rules of grammar have been reversed. In formal writing if the person who is executing an action is singular then the pronoun must be singular as well. However we often see the reverse. If the person who is executing an action is singular we often times use a plural pronoun. In the article Jochnowitz's daughter brought to his attention that a sentence in an older version of the story "Gone With the Wind" was grammatically incorrect because the way that the sentence was phrased was not the way that she had been taught to write and speak.
Jochnwitz later found that a rewrite of the story was published and that same sentence had appeared to have been corrected. He found that the sentence in the version of the story that his daughter was reading was indeed grammatically correct according to the rules of English grammar.
In the article He explains that formal English in modern texts have been replaced by the informal form for the sake of sound. An example of this was when he visited an elementary school and asked 34 members of the faculty which sentence was correct; "Everybody likes pizza doesn't he..." or "Everybody likes pizza don't they..." He found that of the 34 teachers only 12 responded correctly, but had to ponder the question first.



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by Stefanie Kuchta:

The article "Everybody Likes Pizza" is written by George Jochnowitz in which he discusses the grammatical issue of he or she versus they or them. The article begins with Jochnowitz explaining that his daughter had brought to his attention what she believed was a grammatical error in a classic novel. As it turns out the original edition had written the error the way that the daughter and the author believed it should have been written, but in the edition the daughter was reading had changed it. Why? Apparently a copy editor found the they to be incorrect and therefore replaced it with the grammatically correct he.

He is generally used as a non gender specific word, but with the recent feminist movement women are arguing that she should be used instead. The reason he or she is supposed to be used has to do with it being singular. For example, Everybody is technically singular so the sentence must be finished with another singular even though it sounds incorrect. Whichever word people choose to use it is technically correct for formal English. Although this is the correct way to write it sounds odd to most people. Informally, they would be used, which is also the way most people would structure the sentence. So the question is, is it truly incorrect to write "Everybody likes pizza, don't they?"

Blog 3: The 6 E's of the Learning Cycle

Your text for reading is HERE.

The reading summaries are done by:
ENGL300-1: Emily Dunn
ENGL300-2: Terrance Peacock
They are due on Wednesday, August 31st, at class time.

The comments by the whole class are due on Friday, September 2nd, 2011, at class time.
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"The 6-E Learning Model," by Debby Chessin and Virginia Moore, is an article discussing the success in adding a sixth E to the 5-E model of science instruction. The 6-E's are engage, explore, explain, expand, evaluate, and e-search. Chessin and Moore describe "e-search" to be the technology students use to further understand the science experiments they conduct. To exemplify the product of using "e-search" in conducting science experiments, a first grade class was used to demonstrate.
This first grade class focused on rocks to carry out their science experiments. The authors broke down how each stage in the 5-E model incorporated and aided in sufficiently examining the rock experiment. The first stage was to "engage" which brought attention to the experiment by discussing the first-grader's previous knowledge of rocks. Students also learned to "explore" the different types and textures of rocks through hands-on investigations of the rocks. Chessin and Moore added "e-search" to both of these stages by allowing the first graders to use the Internet to research more unknown facts about rocks and minerals. By allowing the first graders to "e-search" using the Internet, the students were provided an extra source of information, one they had found by themselves.
Through "explanation," the students began their hypothesis and analysis of the rocks in their experiment, and clarify what they had learned so far. Chessin and Moore used "e-search" to videotape the class and allow them to videotape each other, further creating independence and willingness to work and learn in a setting that they could control. By this point, students had a basic understanding of the terminology of different rocks. Using their basic understandings, Chessin and Moore next had them use "e-search" to create flashcards so the students could quiz each other and "expand" their knowledge. The first-graders used these cards in guessing games to identify the different rocks and their characteristics.
The first graders reached the "evaluation" stage which is the final step of the 5-E's. The students were tested on their knowledge of rocks through peer, self, and the teacher's assessment. The results of the experiment on the first grader's class, and their ability to retain information through the 6-E's, was successful. Chessin and Moore were correct that incorporating technology as a means of further understanding a science experiment is rewarding towards the outcome of the the project. By allowing the students to "e-search" and develop understanding of their experiment through hands-on involvement, they were given an independence and insight that the experiment was their responsibility. "The 6-E Learning Model," by Debby Chessin and Virginia Moore, is an article that is fully supported by tested research and proves the success of incorporating "e-search" into the previous 5-E model of learning.
by Emily Dunn:


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by Terrance Peacock:

Blog 2: Is WHO always singular?

The reading summary is done by:

ENGL300-1: Hannah Varga
ENGL300-2: Blake Harris

Due by class time on: Monday, Aug. 29th, 2011 at class time

The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Wed., Aug. 31st, 2011
The text you need to read is here (just read the ONE page that is displayed; don't buy the article!). Please be aware that the text constitutes Sylvia Chalker's PERSONAL opinion about the fix grammar rule that WHO IS ALWAYS SINGULAR. She has good reasons why this doesn't seem fair, and lists a couple of plausible examples, but that does not give her the power to change existing rules! You can talk about your own feelings about fairness, too (but you don't have the power to change this rule, either ;-))
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by Emilie Russell, for 5 pts. extra credit:

In the artical "Is WHO Always Singular?" Sylvia Chalker shares her personal opinion on Geoffrey Leech's viewpoint on singular and plural verbs. Geoffrey says that who takes a singular verb even when a plural answer could be given. He believes that it MUST be singular but Sylvia Chalker disagrees. In this article, Sylvia used the dictionary as a reference when stating that the definition of who defines it as being used as a singular OR plural verb depending on the situation. It says that "you" can either be plural or singular depending on how its used as well. Even I myself, a native speaker, find that the plural verb seems more natural is frequently used sentences. I use sentences like, "Who are coming to the party?" or "Who have the leading roles in the film?" or "Who are going to work together on homework?". I don't realize how often I use the plural form because it only seems natural. Technically is it grammatically incorrect but it has become so normal in everyday language that it has become slang. Due to this, I would have to agree with Sylvia Chalker.

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In Sylvia Chalker’s article, “Is WHO Really Singular?” she gives examples of when it is acceptable to use “who in a plural form. She agrees generally with Doctor Leech that who is singular, but disagrees with him saying that it has to be singular. Doctor Leech states when “who” is used with plural verb that it is grammatically incorrect. Chalker believes that “who” is neither grammatically singular nor plural, but can be used with either type of verb. She begins to give examples of when “who” can be used with a plural verb. Chalker believes if trying to give a plural answer it is acceptable to use plural verbs with “who.”

by Blake Harris

Blog 1: Engfish

Here is the text for everyone to read: "Engfish" by Macrorie.
The summaries are done by:
ENGL300-1: Rebecca Sisson
ENGL300-2: Mary Meadows
Due date for the summaries to be posted: Wednesday, August 24th, at the start of class.
Due date for the comments: Friday, August 26th, at the start of class.
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Mr. Ken Macrorie, in his book “Telling Writing”, explains how “Engfish” is defined. The play on words with a French accent struck a cord with the college professor. Engfish is now an urban term referring to the writing style students’ use nowadays. In so many words, it basically means that the students write only to fluff up their papers rather than give their paper a story to picture in the readers mind. I know I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion, but it was how I was taught to write.

Macrorie also makes the point that teachers are equally responsible for creating Engfish just as much as the students. Most teachers only grade on the punctuation and spelling rather than the content of the paper itself. If you are educated to write a certain way, it becomes ingrained in you to continue to write the way you know how, in order to get the best grade possible.

In the blog, a teacher is used as an example of someone who does not want Engfish. He wants his students to see, feel, hear, touch and even taste what they are writing, but receives Engfish instead. The teacher tries as much as he knows how to encourage writing in English, even making his students keep journals. However, even when writing in their journals, the students keep to themselves and do not divulge what they feel nor paint a picture in your head from their writings.

The blame does not all just go completely on the teachers and students either; schools and their textbooks are guilty as well. There was an example given out of a textbook beginning with an Engfish sentence for an introduction. It is now so common to see and read Engfish that students assume it is an acceptable practice used for every paper that they write for every class.

Macrorie pointed out the fact that we do not speak Engfish, just write it. If Engfish was spoken, conversations would be extremely boring, lengthy and probably need to have an interpreter on hand to explain what was said. “Wordy” would not even begin to define those conversations.

We all did not start out writing Engfish. A short passage is given by a third grader who does not use Engfish whatsoever. When you read it, you can picture every bit of his story in your mind with colors, scents, and sounds. It automatically grabs your attention and that is what the teacher is looking for, a creative story that will stick in your mind. The writer of this blog makes a clear distinction between the college student’s writing and the third grader’s, “…One is dead, the other is alive.” Unfortunately, accepted teaching methods and materials exposed us to Engfish in mass quantities throughout public school systems.

The child writes well because he writes what he thinks mainly because he has not been corrected otherwise. He does not hold anything back either and the story speaks straight to you. The college student’s papers are very drab and have no depth to them at all. Where did they lose it all?

by: Rebecca Sisson

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In the first chapter of Ken Macrorie’s book, Telling Writing, he explores the term Engfish.

Mr. Macrorie begins the article by telling a story about a girl who had an instructor who told her that she could not write. The girl retaliates against this instructor by writing a paragraph about him in another class in the style of James Joyce. When she shows the paragraph to the professor of that course he recognizes the word she uses, Engfish, as a word that defines the writing of schools.

Mr. Macrorie goes on to say that English teachers tend to correct students’ writing for spelling and punctuation, so when the students receive their corrected papers they believe that their instructors do not care about what they are writing only how they write. This is Engfish.

The next several paragraphs of the article are about a teacher trying to get his students to stop writing Engfish. He tries to give them topics that he believes will discourage them from writing Engfish, topics they will care about, however, this does not work. The students are too used to writing in the style of Engfish, so that even if they are writing about a topic they are close to they still produce this language. Mr. Macrorie describes in the article that students are trained in this language because of the response they receive from teachers.

In essence, Engfish is devoid of any true emotion or original thought. When students write Engfish they write what they believe their teachers want. They use fancy words to discuss a topic that does not require those words to be used, or they use simple language but still do not say anything at all. When students write Engfish they do not put any of themselves into their writing, which leads to the writing being devoid of any true emotion or passion, and relatively boring. Engfish is a language which only exists in the academic world.

To close the article Mr. Macrorie gives an example of writing from a third grader. The third grader does not write in Engfish. The third grader discusses “huhwayun” music in his or her paper. He or she connects “huhwayun” music to the way their grandma’s screams sound like when she is sick and connects their grandma being sick to a jar with a lid on. The words in a paper that is not written in Engfish, such as the example by the third grader, speak to one another. This makes the writing exciting, full of emotion and passion. The problem with Engfish is that the author does not write anything of consequence. The words do not speak to one another in an Engfish paper, and if they do happen to it is still dull. This is how Mr. Macrorie closes this article, by describing the difference between a college student’s writing and a third grader’s. He says that the difference is only that one is dead and one is alive. He mentions that we were once all third graders, but that by spending more and more time in the school system and being trained by teachers we go from writing in English to writing in Engfish. We begin to focus more on the words we use to say something instead of focusing on what we are actually saying. When we write in Engfish Mr. Macrorie believes that we are unable to discover truths that are relevant to us, but he believes that there is a way out of this Engfish cycle.

~ Mary Meadows ~

Introduction & Welcome

Hello grammarians,

Welcome to ENGL300, a pure grammar course!!!

The purpose of this class blog is to save in-class discussion time by summarizing our readings and commenting on them on this site.

How it works:
Every student has to read the assigned text for each lesson, but only two students (one from each section) will write a 500-700 words summary. The text for reading will be hyperlinked to this blog, and also to our website, http://siu-voss.com/Fall2011_ENGL300.aspx.

Then, everyone will reply with a 100-250 words comment. The comment should be about the original research article you read, and not about how well the summary of your peer was done. Critical thinking is important.

Due dates:
The due dates will be posted in the header of each new blog thread. Your instructor has already created the headers for you. You just need to click on "Edit Posts" to write your summary when it is your turn to summarize an article. The responses by your peers are always due the next class session at the start of class.

How it will be graded:
The reading summaries (one per student) are worth 10 points, and each comment is worth 2 points. You only need to write 25 comments altogether. If we are exactly 25 students, that will be ideal; if we are more, you can leave out the additional 2-3 posts, or you can use them as extra credit points. If we end up with fewer than 25 students by the end of the semester, I will assign the left-over blogs for extra credit, so you can write your comments on them until you have 25.

New task for today: INTRODUCTIONS


This will be your first post on our blog -- and the easiest one: an introduction to yourself. Just post a few sentences you would like us to know about yourself, such as your major, your future goals, your hobbies, your anticipations of this class, your most favorite/least favorite grammar topic, etc.....

Please keep in mind that grammar and spelling will be graded on our class blog, not just content. If you send your comments from your phone, make sure you capitalize and don't use text speak.