Job Discussion Forums

[dduck]

I seem to have missed it the first time: I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with once again's ideas about student questioning. His comments articulated very well how quick fire questions and answers can work. However, a simply question can sometimes blow up in a teacher's face, so it's important to know beforehand what your letting yourself in for.

I feel strongly that "just because" as a blanket policy alienates students. I had this used on me when I was a child, it certainly made me feel as if questions weren't welcome. When you have a student afraid to ask questions you have a student who's not learning.

Iain

[arioch36]

getting back to Slat's question, ghost is a noun. Adding "ly" makes it an adjective. Love is a noun or verb. Adding "ly makes it an adjective. Now dead is a noun or an adjective. Adding "ly makes it an adjective.

So what is the "rule" ? it depednds on the grade I am teaching. For young kids, I am more then happy to say you make an adverb by adding "ly" which of course is not really true but useful when they are working on adverbs.

I tell my college students that if the word can only be used as an adjective, then adding "ly" makes it an adverb. Otherwise it becomes an adjective. Then I try to tell them that there are exceptions to every rule, if you can call it a rule. And my students still must know that "dead" can be a noun. And I don't know if there is any such rule.

But it's a useful gimmik, though like all teaching gimmiks, it is dangerous to use if the students attach all importance to it.


What was that old spelling "rule", i before e except for...except for...except for... etc. A helpful gimmik, but a dangerous notion as a "rule" of english, because a rule must always be true, especially in the minds of chinese students. So i DO NOTwant them to blindly accept. I want them to think.

But for the life of me I don't know why we add "ly". Maybe because it sounds love...ly?