“Rethinking the
Teaching of Grammar”
by Rei R. Noguchi
The English Record,
Vol. 52(2), 2002, pp. 22-26
The Emphasis Principle
PowerPoint Presentation Created by Elizabeth M. Hanson
Teaching Grammar,
especially the
“drill and kill”
type of instruction,
may not improve
the quality of grammar.
Principles of Writing,
Not Rules of Grammar,
should be stressed
when teaching
expository writing.
Grammar rules
have limited effects.
“Never
place a preposition
at the end of a sentence.”
“Never use the passive
voice.”
Principles of Writing,
however,
hold true
in many situations.
The Emphasis Principle
guides
the entire
writing process,
from start to finish.
The Emphasis Principle:
A key idea
is given emphasis
by placing it at the
end
of a sentence.
Key Ideas are accentuated
1.Bill ate a ham sandwich
yesterday for lunch.
2.For lunch, Bill ate a ham
sandwich yesterday.
3.Yesterday for lunch, Bill
ate a ham sandwich.
The Emphasis Principle:
When the key idea
needs to be placed
at the end of a sentence,
the passive voice is
permissible.
Active versus Passive Voice


The active voice is not
always right.
“Don’t write in the
passive” can violate
the Emphasis Principle.
Active versus Passive Voice

CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER:
The audience wondered
who would get the
science award.
a. Maria won it.
b. It was won by Maria.
Answer B is correct
b.
It was won by Maria.
It refers to the science
award, which is
old information.
Maria refers to the winner,
which is new information.
Prepositions and Emphasis
Pre
+ position means
“not last
in the sentence.”
This
is the old Latin rule.
Prepositions and Emphasis
“Where
is he at?”
violates this Latin rule.
“Where
is he?” seems to
solve the mystery.
Prepositions and Emphasis
Yet,
“Where is he?” can
be vague or ambiguous.
“Where is he near?”
“Where is he behind?”
“Where is he next to?”
The Emphasis Principle
is an overarching principle
that:
(1) overrides Latin
grammatical rules
(2) guides sentence
formation
The Emphasis Principle
(3) guides information in a
paragraph
(4) guides the arrangement
of paragraphs within an
essay; and
The Emphasis Principle
(5) ensures that the entire
essay is driven by the
correct placement of new
information in the most
salient positions so that
the essay supports the
thesis.
The Emphasis Principle
organizes paragraphs
so the best idea
is presented last
to build
an effective climax.
The Emphasis Principle
organizes essays so
the best idea is
presented last to
conclude the essay.
The Emphasis Principle
is
an integrative guide
for arranging
information, and
is a holistic explanation
for the informational
structure of an essay.
The Emphasis Principle
has more potential for
improving the overall
writing quality
than any single
grammar rule.
Most importantly,
the
Emphasis Principle
is teachable.