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Dumbing Down

Uncle Bob

Uncle Bob

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Uncle Bob:

If you want a handwriting tablet, you'll have to go the stores that carry stuff for elementary school! I still diagram sentences when trying to figure out the paragraph long sentences you sometimes discover in code books and certainly in anything legalese. This post made me laugh out loud. Must be my age!
 
vegas paul said:
My mom was an English teacher... I thought every 5-year old practiced diagramming sentences for fun!
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Mine too. Probably why I'm traumatized over it.
 
I never got the hang of it and that is evident by most of what I post. My previous position I had a 22 year retired Senior Chief who was a flag writer as my administrative assistant he insisted I give him double spaced rough drafts of letters and reports and he would diagram portions of them in front of me ask if this is what I was trying to say and then come back with a final and boy did he make me sound good. I sure miss him
 
Dr J.,

"Those responsible for code language could use a good refresher in sentence diagramming."

I agree 100%. Too many times; our problem with code "interpretation"; comes down to how the code is written (sentence structure & word application). There are too many errors in the sentences and word usage.

There should be a * grammar expert at the final writing for publication.

[* Grammar:

1 a : the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence b : a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax.

2 a : the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of a language b : a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language.]

This would go a long way to better understanding of the codes. A lot of "code changes" are simply to correct errors in the last code publication.

With all the Grammar teachers out of work; shouldn't be too expensive.

Great point,

Uncle Bob
 
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Don't forget those dangling Parsnips! And I always thought sentence diagrams were best when folded into tight little rectangles that could glide across the room under the teachers radar! must have been the builder in me!
 
RJJ,

Did you mean a "dangling participle"? :p

pars·nip / ˈpɑr
thinsp.png
snɪp [pahr-snip] – noun

1. a plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated varieties of which have a large, whitish, edible root.

2. the root of this plant.

.

 
Example of grammar based misinterpretation: I have heard several times (on this board as well as other places) that IMC 403.2.1 exception 1 "Ventilation air shall not be recirculated from one dwelling to another or to dissimilar occupancies. means that one can't recirculate air from, say an office area to a lab area.

Bravo-Sierra!

A diagram would show that the clause "from one dwelling area" directly affects "to another", and is linked to the clause "to dissimilar spaces" by the "or". This sentence is describing the two types of spaces that air “from one dwelling unit" can’t be recirculated (1) “to another" and (2) "to dissimilar spaces". Another way to look at it is that in a well constructed "or" sentence, you should be able to break it in to two and have it make sense:

"Ventilation air shall not be recirculated from one dwelling to another."

"Ventilation air shall not be recirculated from one dwelling to dissimilar occupancies.
 
It's ok to end a sentence with a preposition now.

"excuse me .. where's the library at"

"don't you know it's not proper grammar to end a sentence in a preposition?"

after some thought "excuse me, where's the library at, a******"?

a proper sentence.
 
Yeah, I was taught by nuns (the huns with Attila leading the school) - when I went to school you could not start a sentence with the word AND - now I guess the rules have changed and it's okay to start a sentence with the word AND. Anyone else know about this ... or did I learn it wrong all those many years ago?
 
the grammar police gave in , marvel... they just gave up..

Oops.. there's a pesky preposition ending a sentence.

again..
 
There should be a * grammar expert at the final writing for publication
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I can understand the manner that code language is written concise as possible and it requires the reader to be familiar with the code definition of each word.

But when I was a technician I would sometimes read from a manual a set of instructions that was incoherent or clearly incorrect and had to guess the next step being too busy to consult an engineer. Come to find out that book publishers would have editors do grammar corrections without having any knowledge of the subject with heteronyms; "current" can be the present time or amperage.

http://www.fun-with-words.com/nym_heteronyms.html
 
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mmmarvel said:
Yeah, I was taught by nuns (the huns with Attila leading the school) - when I went to school you could not start a sentence with the word AND - now I guess the rules have changed and it's okay to start a sentence with the word AND. Anyone else know about this ... or did I learn it wrong all those many years ago?
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It is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with ANDs and BUTs. However, we write like we talk. We don't talk in formal english where all the rules apply. Informal, relaxes on some of the rules like contractions and slangs. However, 90% of Americans don't know English. They speak American (ie. bastardized in every way and form of Engilish). This is because most students are mentally pre-occupied with playing video games, (now text messaging), and partying then they are about actually getting an education. Then during high school, we have a policy to 'graduate' you if you meet the attendance and you'll get a C in your classes after taking it the second time. Just so they can get rid of you. The schools turned into a glorified babysitting so the parents don't have to worry about you robbing the 7-11 for a friggin' candy bar.

Parents don't care about education and in some cases, even their parents had low regards to education. If the parents have no care about their child's education then how can you expect the child to care. It is because we have been in a downspiralling "I don't care" attitude.

So how do we solve this?

Per Exempoator

By Example

This means, if you want your children to know how to talk properly and write properly. You need to lead by example. Therefore, you need to know how to talk and write properly.

How do you teach to another what you do not know?

Quam operor vos docui ut alius quis vos operor ignoro?

In point -> How do you instruct another of something when you are ignorant of it?
 
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