As some of you know, I'm a credentialed English teacher in the state of California. I hold a BA in English with a concentration in teaching. My credential training included being able to support English language development. Finally, since California has fired most of its teacher (except in math and science), I get to put my training to good use. In Vodka's welcome thread I volunteered to help her with learning English (learning any language is a difficult task, and English is one of the more challenging because of all the borrowing). I decided to not limit it to her or me. Here everyone can ask a question about grammar and anyone can answer. My grammar philosophy: Grammar is structure, it is foundation, if it serves a purpose it is not right or wrong as long as that purpose is recognized. Think of Mark Twain writing Huck Finn in the first person. The grammar was atrocious in many cases because it was how Huck thought. The purpose was to build Huck as a character and let the reader be Huck. The story would not have been as powerful if it had been told in the third person with perfect grammar. Dialogue follows different conventions than narrative. Sometimes good grammar sounds wrong. Usually, I deal with form and substance and leave terms behind, unless I need them to demonstrate why something should be the way it is. Unfortunately the people who write the tests, don't think that way so teachers need to teach terminology. I hate terminology as I have to look it up. My two main resources that I have with me at all times whether I'm writing or teaching and recommend for everyone who writes, reads, is just a grammar geek are Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual. EoS is more fluid and designed for the writer of any genre, where PSM is more rigid and geared more towards essays and research papers.

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Wow! Is it just me or did your explanation of gerunds just click into me.. So it is as if I'm "asking" a question And okay okay I'm understanding it better -redos English homework- the means I did it horribly wrong xD But can you please give me more examples of possesive gerunds please! I appreciate your help

Originally posted by VodkaSo it is as if I'm "asking" a question

Yes and no. Possessive pronouns: My, yours, ours, theirs. Your knocking on the door woke the dog -- gerund You are knocking on the door; it will wake the dog -- present participle Our swimming pool is the nicest in the neighborhood -- gerund We are swimming in the nicest pool in the neighborhood -- present participle Their editing of the story made the difference -- gerund They are editing the story -- present participle Hope this helps! Here's an additional example that I should have included: I recently read The Taking by Dean Koontz In this case Taking is acting as a noun, specifically an event, it also serves as the direct object telling what I read, read being the verb. Recently acts as the adverb telling when I read, and by Dean Koontz is a prepositional phrase giving additional information about the direct object.

shoot I did possessives wrong..again Arghh! It is so irritating Okie okie, "My failures are achieving my goal" (made no sense..) I need to redo my homework again and I got a examination on it today too!

Good luck on your test!

I wish you the best of luck on today's examination, Vodka! Amethyst ... I have to say a big "thank you" from my part, also! This thread is helping me a lot and is most refreshing!

Thanks Marie! That's good to hear. In a few moments I'll put up a small bit on relative clauses. Don't be afraid to make requests or just ask questions about stuff you see that seems off.

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Originally posted by gatchamarie I wish you the best of luck on today's examination, Vodka! Amethyst ... I have to say a big "thank you" from my part, also! This thread is helping me a lot and is most refreshing!

Thank you Gatchamaire n_n; my examination was..so unfair! But i tried my best and implied of what Amethyst had taught me! --- Hey! I think I understand realative clauses now, it is just subject and preticate and wheather if one part of the senttence stands alone makes sense? -finishes homework-

Originally posted by amethyst Don't be afraid to make requests or just ask questions about stuff you see that seems off.

Thanks a lot, Ame!

Originally posted by Vodka my examination was..so unfair! But i tried my best and implied of what Amethyst had taught me!

Oh, you're reminding me of the rush of adrenaline I used to feel when I sat for exams ... a long time ago! Believe it or not I loved exams! I always like to test myself! But, I also hated that occasional paper which might have consisted something unexpected, or for which I wouldn't have been well prepared! Hope you'll have a good result, Vodka, and more to come with Amethyst's precious help!

Originally posted by gatchamarie Oh, you're reminding me of the rush of adrenaline I used to feel when I sat for exams ... a long time ago! Believe it or not I loved exams! I always like to test myself! But, I also hated that occasional paper which might have consisted something unexpected, or for which I wouldn't have been well prepared! Hope you'll have a good result, Vodka, and more to come with Amethyst's precious help!

If, if only I can be like you and enjoy take exams, why you do you like them? I really want to know! (I HATE extended papers, they rape..my brain) Tomorrow is Saturday classes and I think my professor will grade it by tommrow and I think I will recieve my final grade, I still feel pretty confident I think at least got a 8 or may be a 9! Either way I m still going to hug Amethyst ^___^

Originally posted by Vodka

Originally posted by gatchamarie Oh, you're reminding me of the rush of adrenaline I used to feel when I sat for exams ... a long time ago! Believe it or not I loved exams! I always like to test myself! But, I also hated that occasional paper which might have consisted something unexpected, or for which I wouldn't have been well prepared! Hope you'll have a good result, Vodka, and more to come with Amethyst's precious help!

If, if only I can be like you and enjoy take exams, why you do you like them? I really want to know!

As I said, as strange as it might seem I so like to prove myself in nature, in order to try to ameliorate where there would be the need! Exams acted like a perfect tool for me to achieve such a goal during my academic phase of life! I also remember my loving to fill past papers, whilst timing myself, just for fun! I'm not saying that studying and sitting for exams isn't hard, but now that I've seen what the real hardships of real life are, once that particular period of my life was left behind, when I think back I find that life at that time was so much easier! Crossing my fingers for you!

Originally posted by gatchamarie Exams acted like a perfect tool for me to achieve such a goal during my academic phase of life! I also remember my loving to fill past papers, whilst timing myself, just for fun! Crossing my fingers for you!

I wish I have youre motiviation and determinism! Just mention it today I had 3 examiniations and two them were extended papers and I pratice last night and I like timeing!

Originally posted by gatchamarie Crossing my fingers for you!

Youre really nice !