Excerpt from
"Lectures on Language"
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I am preparing
to begin a course on Grammar of the English Language. I am aware that this is
difficult, not as a result of the subject itself, but due to the thousand and
one methods that have been used to teach it.
There is also the multiplicity of
books pretending to "simplify" it, and the wide variety of opinions
of those who profess to be its master.
By many it has
been considered a needless affair, an unnecessary addition to common education. By others it is seen as something that is
beyond the reach of the common man. And
by all it is cold, lifeless, and uninteresting.
It is full of contradictions, where the wisest have differed, and the
firmest have changed opinions.
All this
stems from the wrong view that is taken of the subject. The most beautiful
landscape may appear unsightly if viewed from the wrong position. I refuse to
believe that the subject that has guided our community, the study of all
sciences, and the history of all nations can be unworthy of study. Or, even worse,
uninteresting.
In fact,
on the principles I am about to teach, I have seen the deepest interest grow
from the small child to the gray-headed sire, from the mere novice to the
philosopher. All alike seemed to be
improved by the attention bestowed upon the subject.
Reading
Comprehension Questions
1) In the above passage, the opening words are "Ladies and Gentlemen." This suggests that it is which of the
following?
a. a speech
b. a journal entry
c. a quiz
d. a newspaper article
2) What was the narrator’s purpose in delivering the
above passage?
a.
to criticize those who study grammar
b.
to point out incorrect uses of grammar
c.
to explain the different types of grammar
d.
to introduce his class on grammar
3) Which of the following best describes the narrator’s tone
when speaking about those who describe the study of grammar as
"needless"?
a.
amusing
b.
annoyed
c.
envious
d.
hopeful
4) Which of the following best describes the narrator’s feelings
about the subject of Grammar of the English Language?
a.
unconcerned
b.
exhausted
c.
passionate
d.
confused
5) In the final two paragraphs of the above passage, the
narrator explains that the widespread dislike of grammar is a result of what?
a.
the uselessness of the subject
b.
the wrong perception of the subject
c.
the difficulty of the subject
d.
the monotony of the subject
Answer Key
1)
In the above
passage, the opening words are "Ladies
and Gentlemen." This suggests
that it is which of the following?
a.
a speech
b.
a journal entry
c.
a quiz
d.
a newspaper article
2)
What was the narrator’s
purpose in delivering the above passage?
a.
to criticize those who study grammar
b.
to point out incorrect uses of grammar
c.
to explain the different types of grammar
d.
to introduce his
class on grammar
3)
Which of the
following best describes the narrator’s tone when speaking about those
who describe the study of grammar as "needless"?
a.
amusing
b.
annoyed
c.
envious
d.
hopeful
4)
Which of the
following best describes the narrator’s feelings about the subject of
Grammar of the English Language?
a.
unconcerned
b.
exhausted
c.
passionate
d.
confused
5)
In the final
two paragraphs of the above passage, the narrator explains that the widespread
dislike of grammar is a result of what?
a.
the uselessness of the subject
b.
the wrong
perception of the subject
c.
the difficulty of the subject
d.
the monotony of the subject