Teaching English

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 3

Teaching English

Sir, —I am a teacher of English and have just been informed that on being handed a new Form 111 you may be at a loss how to make a start . . . begin by testing them . . . You will probably find: 1. Many faults of arrangements. Among these the most noticeable will be almost total neglect to divide work into paragraphs, very vague ideas concerning the location and use of punctuation marks, inaccuracy in the use of capital letters, a failure to indent the essay, careless and slovenly writing. 2. Faults in the subject matter. Subjects . . . hackneyed and unoriginal. Events do not follow their proper sequence. . 3 Faults of language and style. As might naturally be expected. errors in spelling are numerous; so are grammatical ones. There will not be much attempt at metaphorical language and style as such will probably be non-existent.” My informant? George Mackaness. senior lecturer in English, Teachers’ College. Sydney, in a book entitled “Inspirational Teaching,” published in 1927—Yours, etc., H. L. BAXTER.