Mulroy, Chapter 1

Upon entering this grammar class, I expected to read interesting, intellectually-stimulating material. I just never knew what a treat I was in for. Mulroy's approach is not without style or a certain bit of in-your-face controversy to make the reader sit up and pay attention. He writes as though he is the alpha male of the intellectual community, and reminds me a bit of Ezra Pound, who felt that if you did not understand what he said, you were beyond hope.

The chapter essentially pointed out all of the flaws in the teaching styles and methodology of modern educators, going so far as to feel pity for those who do not know how to properly attribute a passage from The Declaration of Independence, one of this nation's greatest documents. It saddened me to read this, that many people do not know a few passages from this great document, but it also seemed that Mulroy was one of those stick up his butt types, who would sooner point out all the wrong things, rather than praise the correct, and help with the things that needed improvement. I think that what he has to say has just enough truth in it to make me question my own perceptions of what I have been taught up to this point, about anything, grammar or no.

autogrammography

The following paragraphs are what I feel about the subject of grammar at this time, based on past experiences, and the overall issue as I understand it.

Grammar is essential, so I am told, because it is imperative for the structure of sentences. By extension, these sentences make up what should be a logical, well-thought whole. My experiences with it have not been the best. Coming from California to Oklahoma in the fifth grade, to a brand-new method, is something that has plagued me for over a decade. I still do not fully understand what a preposition is.
When I speak to people, or write my own imaginative thoughts down, nobody outside of the educational field seems to point out any mistakes in my sentence structure. Is this because they are dumb? Far from it, I should think. Do I simply have the preternatural ability to make my thoughts known in a logical way? I don't know. What I do know is this: English and writing have always been a fascinating thing to me. The total understanding of these concepts may always continue to elude me, but I feel that as long as I keep my resolve firm, I will endure and do well for myself.
The question still remains: why is grammar essential? Based on previous experience, I see no inherent value to knowing what passive or active voice, prepositions, et al. are, aside from fully utilizing a Mad-Lib.
Grammar has never been a fun or easy subject, and when I moved to a new place and method, I was treated completely without respect to my abilities and mental faculties, simply because the method was unfamiliar. Everyone else knew the songs and all associated materials, and do please excuse me for not being in the state when some uptight bitch decides that her 'widdle boy' needs some help, bless him. So, since I was made to feel like a mentally deficient reject, I did the truly idiotic thing, and turned off my brain when the material was presented to me, robbing myself of actually learning it.
All told, I would love to be able to recognize a participle, infinitive, or other things. As a person who enjoys writing, and wants to be taken seriously as a writer, knowing such things could be nothing besides beneficial. My self-imposed ignorance has allowed me to coast my way to victory so far, but the path is slowly turning uphill, and I am losing steam as I forge ahead in my academic career. Ironically, several people who knew the method that made me feel like a lesser human still relied on my help to get them through the annals of High School.
So, is grammar important? I am told so, and I hope that it is, because I want to be able to communicate and write to the best of my ability.

First post

I created this blog for the purposes of my Grammar class at East Central. Deal with it.