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hagwonnewbie

Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:15 pm Post subject: Koreans often begin sentences with "Because" " |
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Am I correct in saying that a statement like "Because I am tired" is not a complete sentence? Isn't this considered a dependent clause?
I was under the impression that it should be written like "Because I am tired, I will go to sleep." That is to say that a dependent clause should be followed opr preceded by an independent clause for it to be a complete sentence.
While using dependent clauses by themselves is acceptable in informal speech, I know it is incorrect in formal writing.
Am I the only one that has noticed that every Korean does this. Am I the only one who is wrong? Do you stress this point when teaching? |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: Koreans often begin sentences with "Because" & |
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hagwonnewbie wrote: |
Am I the only one that has noticed that every Korean does this. Am I the only one who is wrong? Do you stress this point when teaching? |
Hakwon students learn to answer Why? questions with Because. Grade 5 and up, I make them stop it. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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A: Why don't you want to run another lap?
B: Because I'm tired.
I wouldn't always use "because", but I don't see anything wrong with it every now and then. |
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createasaurus21
Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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... Because in Korean language, a similar equivalent is used commonly to start sentences. |
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hagwonnewbie

Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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They also begin sentences with "and" and "so".
That kills me. |
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harlowethrombey

Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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So. . . they learned conversational English somewhere?
If they pepper their sentences with 'um' and 'like' then you know they've fully embraced western speech.
Just teach your kids the difference between gramatically correct, formal English and natural speaking.
Whenever I correct official papers at school I change all the sentences beginning with Because or But or And. But if I'm just having a normal conversation I might use those myself. |
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Underwaterbob

Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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It's everywhere! Sentences starting with and, but, so, because, hence, therefore, however etc. It's one of the hardest habits to get out of them in when teaching writing. The bloody public school (middle) textbooks have sentences beginning with "but" and "and" in them. |
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njp6

Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Location: Gangnam, South Korea
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:22 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I'm a grammar Nazi on this also. Normally I'm not too strict, but what's the point of a conjunction (a word that joins two sentences) if you use it to make a new sentence? I know there are exceptions, but you can't break the rules (successfully) until you know the rules. Most of the kids think starting a sentence with because is the rule rather than the exception. One of my co-teacher was actually teaching them to do this. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:49 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
but what's the point of a conjunction (a word that joins two sentences) if you use it to make a new sentence? |
Because it makes you sound cool. And you can shorten your replies like I have done. But don't worry, they can still understand what you mean. |
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WoBW
Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: HBC
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:00 am Post subject: |
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njp6 wrote: |
Yeah, I'm a grammar Nazi on this also. Normally I'm not too strict, but what's the point of a conjunction (a word that joins two sentences) if you use it to make a new sentence? I know there are exceptions, but you can't break the rules (successfully) until you know the rules. Most of the kids think starting a sentence with because is the rule rather than the exception. One of my co-teacher was actually teaching them to do this. |
I kind of agree with this. If you are a good writer and know what you are doing, you can get away with starting senteces with 'and' or 'but'. Some of my favourite non-fiction writers do this and it works just fine.
However, I would also agree that it is not a good habit to get into for learners of English. Might as well be a grammar Nazi about it to be on the safe side.
This is a little off-topic, but one thing that really kills me is when a Korean wants to talk with you about a serious or delicate topic. They always start by saying "Actually...." I hate that. |
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losing_touch

Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Location: Ulsan - I think!
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:27 am Post subject: |
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Just teach them about it. I correct it in their writing, but the subject is just too much for them to understand. My oldest students are able to understand why it is wrong. This would fall under the conjunctions category. It annoys the heck out of me when I see it in writing. |
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Xuanzang

Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:51 am Post subject: |
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Better than them starting off with I no Englishee. I would try to correct my elementary school kids but they dont speak enough as it is. |
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katepult
Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Location: the other Gwangju (Gyeonggi-do)
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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In China they started sentences with "and", "but," "or," "so" and "because" all the time too. I taught high school students that it was incorrect in writing. The students who listened and stopped doing it started losing points on sentence correction in their school English tests because they'd correct sentences beginning with "and" and "but." But the Chinese English teachers didn't want them corecting this or didn't know that it was not correct in writing. |
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ardis
Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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They do it probably because no one has corrected them and they hear it all the time. It is sometimes acceptable to start sentences with "and" or "but." I agree with the others saying that its something that shouldn't be accepted from young students, however.
But I will say...I worked at my university's research paper help center for a year and was pretty disgusted with what I saw there. I can understand people who aren't native speakers having crappy grammar, but there is no excuse why a 20 year old--at a very competitive university--should be writing those kinds of disaster papers. They couldn't understand why the professors kept giving them low marks. It was a bad experience working there. |
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dutchschultz
Joined: 01 Feb 2004
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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IT IS NOT INCORRECT TO START A SENTENCE WITH A CONJUNCTION.
Let me quote The Chicago Style of Manual regarding this topic. For those who actually have a copy of th 15th edition, go to 5.191.
There is a widespread belief-one with no historical or grammatical foundation- that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and, but, or so. In fact, a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions. ...Next to the groundless notion thtat it is incorrect to end an English sentence with a preposition, perhaps the most wide-spread of the many false beliefs about the use of our language is the equally groundles notion that it is incorrect to begin one with 'but' and 'and.' As in the case of the superstition about the prepositional ending, no textbook supports it, but apparently about half of our teachers of English go out of their way to handicap their pupils by inculcating it. (Emphasis added)
It does go on to state that one should use care when starting a sentence with but, in that one needs to make sure that it truly contrasts with what it precedes.
GRAMMAR NAZIS BE DAMNED |
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