e we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new

They’re at it again; teenagers and their fractured language! It is getting progressively more difficult for me to keep a straight face when I work with them. I reviewed basic grammar with a group of three teenage boys, as I usually do this time of year, to prepare them for the state ELA exam. I had a tough time not laughing.

For the rest of you who have forgotten the rules...it’s grammar lesson time! In case you didn’t know, proper nouns are capitalized, such as the name of a particular person (Elvis Presley), place (Toronto), or thing (Moby Dick). Common nouns name classes of people (singers), places (cities), or things (books) and are not capitalized.

It is very difficult to get a junior high school student (ages 12 – 14) to grasp that concept. They just don’t comprehend the difference between a proper noun and a common noun no matter how creatively you try to teach it. They think dinosaur-breath and booger-brain should be capitalized. I keep trying to tell them that those words are not proper nouns, and therefore do not need to be capitalized. In fact, they are not even proper words to use in mixed company.

Then again, maybe we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new l

xam. I had a tough time not laughing.

For the rest of you who have forgotten the rules...it’s grammar lesson time! In case you didn’t know, proper nouns are capitalized, such as the name of a particular person (Elvis Presley), place (Toronto), or thing (Moby Dick). Common nouns name classes of people (singers), places (cities), or things (books) and are not capitalized.

It is very difficult to get a junior high school student (ages 12 – 14) to grasp that concept. They just don’t comprehend the difference between a proper noun and a common noun no matter how creatively you try to teach it. They think dinosaur-breath and booger-brain should be capitalized. I keep trying to tell them that those words are not proper nouns, and therefore do not need to be capitalized. In fact, they are not even proper words to use in mixed company.

Then again, maybe we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new

lasses of people (singers), places (cities), or things (books) and are not capitalized.

It is very difficult to get a junior high school student (ages 12 – 14) to grasp that concept. They just don’t comprehend the difference between a proper noun and a common noun no matter how creatively you try to teach it. They think dinosaur-breath and booger-brain should be capitalized. I keep trying to tell them that those words are not proper nouns, and therefore do not need to be capitalized. In fact, they are not even proper words to use in mixed company.

Then again, maybe we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new

vely you try to teach it. They think dinosaur-breath and booger-brain should be capitalized. I keep trying to tell them that those words are not proper nouns, and therefore do not need to be capitalized. In fact, they are not even proper words to use in mixed company.

Then again, maybe we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new

e we could add those words to the proper noun list and send it to the upcoming fifth edition of Strunk and White’s, "The Elements of Style".

Personally, I think teenagers should have their own book on rules of usage when writing. It would put state education standards on a whole new level.

Copyright © 2006 by Pamela Beers. All rights reserved.