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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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 Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject: Minor Vent |
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Does anyone else feel like beating whoever decided it was OK to begin sentences with conjunctions to Koreans to death slowly with a nail-studded crowbar?
I'm correcting University students' homework. Every second sentence begins with "And" or "But" or "So" or "Because". Why why why why why??!? |
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crescent
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: yes.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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To go boldly where no one has gone before!
Grammar textbooks generally say that beginning a sentence with a conjunction is ok in certain situations.
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Yes, you can begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction!
Some teachers warn that beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is wrong. Teachers will typically tell you this because they are trying to help you avoid writing fragments. Other times teachers give this advice because their preference is that a sentence not begin with a coordinating conjunction.
What you should remember is that you break no grammar rule if you begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Because you might be breaking your instructors' rules, however, you should ask what their preferences are.
If you decide to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, keep these three things in mind:
Be sure that a main clause follows the coordinating conjunction.
Do not use a coordinating conjunction to begin every sentence. Use this option only when it makes the flow of your ideas more effective.
Do not use a comma after the coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are not transitional expressions like for example or first of all. You will rarely use punctuation after them.
Here are some examples:
While I was answering the telephone, Buster, my cat, jumped onto the kitchen counter and swatted all of my jalape�o-stuffed olives onto the dirty kitchen floor. So I had to rinse off the cat hair and crumbs sticking to these delicacies before I could add them to the salad.
Flying down the bumpy path, Genette hit a rock with the front wheel of her mountain bike, flew over the handlebars, and crashed into a clump of prickly palmetto bushes. Yet even this accident would not deter her from completing the race. |
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/coordinatingconjunction.htm |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| crescent wrote: |
To go boldly where no one has gone before!
Grammar textbooks generally say that beginning a sentence with a conjunction is ok in certain situations. |
Yes, in certain situations it would be fine. Using it literally every second sentence is unacceptable. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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The assignments I'm correcting are mock classroom scenarios/lesson plans. I'm not entirely sure of the guidelines for these things since it's not even my class. I don't even teach university. Never mind the fact I'm giving them actual grades that may effect their future.
Anyhow, the last one I corrected had the teacher giving the students the homework assignment "write pages 144 to 145" then told them they had a test next class. That's some fine teachin' |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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It is likely a language interference issue. To my knowledge, Korean usage will often build sentences this way, at least conversationally.
You might try some exercises to build their skills with complex or compound sentences so that they will have some variety from short sentences beginning with and, and, and. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Moldy Rutabaga wrote: |
It is likely a language interference issue. To my knowledge, Korean usage will often build sentences this way, at least conversationally.
You might try some exercises to build their skills with complex or compound sentences so that they will have some variety from short sentences beginning with and, and, and. |
Except I don't teach them...
It is a language interference thing. Korean sentences begin with things like 그러나, 그런데, etc. all the time. These are third year, English major, university students. (I think.. I'm going by student numbers) You'd think someone would have taught them better by now. |
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