2/11/08 Reading Response

I picked this chapter to respond to because I struggle with the “that/which” rule, admire her story, and absolutely love how she believes that stupid questions exist. I always knew deep down inside that teachers who said that were lying to the class. In fact, I bet they kept a notebook of stupid questions students had asked throughout the semester. The author simply proves my point. Casagrande says, “In other words, I spent four years proving that if you really think there’s no such thing as a stupid question, you’re just not trying hard enough.” This one sentence stands out in my mind when reflecting on the assigned reading.

I found chapter 20 inspiring and informative. Though not related to grammar instruction, it is important for teachers to help students realize that (not which!) past mistakes should not be a future deterrent. It’s amazing that Casagrande has been so successful in the field of journalism as a high school dropout. Obviously she sought to continue her education later in life, which ultimately opened many professional doors. The author serves as a testament that hard work and perseverance often times correlates into success. After reading the story it made me wonder how teachers and administrators can prevent young adults from dropping out.

Anyways, back to my new found love – grammar. Chapter 20 focuses on the proper usage of “that” and “which.” I always mix these two up and tend to side with “that” more often than not. Casagrande does a good job of explaining the rule, which states, “’Which’ sets off what are called ‘nonessential’ or ‘nonrestrictive’ clauses.” As a future teacher, I think it would be beneficial to use some of her stories while lecturing on grammar. She writes funny, memorable chapters that are easy to comprehend, which would help students learn grammar rules.

Quick question. Did I use “which” correctly in the above sentence? I sure hope so! If not, just add another wrench in my hodgepodge understanding of English grammar.

Overall, the author’s explanation of the “that/which” rule was helpful; however, I wish we would just get rid of “that” because using “which” makes me sound like 007.