The Verbs

It has been about a month now in English 326, and I have got to say my brain is full of grammar already. Each week I come in excited to learn more about grammar, which is surprising because I’ve already learned these concepts way, back when. Yet that doesn’t stop me, I continue to soak up any information I can get that will help me.

            This past week I was happy that we answered my previous week’s question, which was what exactly transitive and intransitive verbs are. I now know that intransitive verbs can stand by themselves. (i.e. She moved to Alabama). Along with the intransitive, I know transitive verbs as well (i.e. the dog holds the ball in his mouth). However, I’m not sure if I have the transitive verbs down. As you know, the next concept we learned was linking verbs which link a subject do a description of the subject. (i.e.  She is getting annoying).

            Despite the fact that I know the definitions of these concepts, I am hesitant in making them up in my own sentence and lacking the confidence that they are correct. I know that if I was given a sentence I could figure out which of the three it was (transitive, intransitive, and linking).  I think that with time in my writing I will gain the confidence to know that I’m writing a certain sentence. The exercises we do in class are really helpful, and I think are beneficial, not only for us as students, but teachers as well. I think that as a future English teacher, I may use these activities to help my students improve their writings.

            On Thursday, I really enjoyed going over the co-conditioning conjunctions of FONSBAY. To be honest, I can’t really remember learning this throughout school. I also never thought about the concept with however. I’D BE INTERESTED TO SEE MY PAPERS; WITH THIS MISTAKE. The only question I really have for this week is when would be a time to use a compound sentence. Also what is the exact definition of a compound sentence? Is it just when two adjectives combined to describe the subject? 

And, now I Feel Refreshed on Word Classes

            This past week for me has taken me back to the good ole days of school. You know the days were school was quite enjoyably, and we were more enthusiastic to learn. This makes me have to say that I am continually excited to be enrolled in this class. Throughout this past week, I have felt that I have begun a complete refresher on elementary grammar.

            Starting off, during these week we went over all world class aka “Parts of Speech” , which I enjoyed defining them and receiving quick examples that I can continue to look back on. I know now a day’s lots of us know what a noun, verb adjective and adverb does, yet sometimes it doesn’t help to refresh or learn more about them. For example with a verb you can always put an –ing on it. “They want to go jump…”, “They want to go jumping”. Also on adjectives knowing that they are comparative and superlative, is something I feel I may have never know or forgot. (i.e. “happy, happier, happiest”).

       Secondly, going over what we titled hard core grammar, was also a bit of a refresher. I feel that this example of subject and verb is something students know a sentence must have, but never really check to understand. As any level teacher, including college, I feel that teachers should refresh on this specific grammatical concept. I say this because even in the newspaper activity we did, some of us were unsure of the subject and verb. Which, I might add the newspaper activity is a great exercise for this purpose.

         Lastly, I enjoyed going over the personal pronoun chart. I felt that going over the singular and plural was stimulating, yet then going over it in different parts of speech helped even more, especially getting into the plural subjects. I know for myself as a writer sometimes I sometimes have trouble translating what I say in my head onto the actual paper. AND, I will end up switching my narrative form. My question for this week is somewhat a simple one, yet I have been struggling with it in class. In class we talk about transit and intrasit verbs I believe, what are these exactly and when can we use them in our sentences? 

Slight grasp... yet till lacking full confidence

            Despite the fact that I have had years of grammar and English classes, coming into this class I feel like I am a novice yet again. With that being said, this past week alone has enlightened me on how many little details I have forgotten about since elementary school. For example, I forgot the specific difference between single and plural possession. While, I may have not forgotten when I write, meaning the difference is just in the back of my brain. I have forgotten the rules we were taught. Therefore, I have to say that I am delighted to welcome the new grammatical rules that are taking over.

If I understand correctly, the rule of apostrophe s is that when it is singular ownership it’s apostrophe s, yet when it’s plural the apostrophe is after the s. Additionally, doing the exercise on rhetorical punctuation, I overwhelming realized the difference in punctuation means. You can easily turn a sentence with explanation into a question, with the simple switch of a comma. “Private, property; No swimming allowed! Versus Private Property, No? Swimming allowed”. Secondly, “extra-marital sex versus extra marital sex”, I never realized the difference between the two, and all it is, is a dash! Lastly, with the number three exercise I learned how placing someone’s name in a specific, spot can confuse people on who the subject actually is.

            Continually, I had never thought about the clarification an apostrophe makes when it comes to abbreviating words. Such as the example of M’s meaning Mariners, and therefore not being mistaken for Ms. Little mistakes like this can easily be mistaken and the apostrophe makes all the difference. Throughout, our scrapbooking activity (house style), I have found it interesting to see what my magazine is doing. However, as a future teacher I am curious to know if we go off our personal preference like our magazines, or is there a correct way?

Yet, despite all I may have learned our remembered I still don’t feel I have a complete grasp on apostrophes. An example, of my confusion would be what exactly we do with words such as YOURS, THEIRS, OURS. (Just a side note, word wants me to put an and in and I really want to as well). What happens with possessive pronouns? In addition, if someone could clarify if I have the apostrophe rule correct in my first paragraph, please let me know.