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To some degree, this thread is inspired by PF user erobz's thread "Why do we spend so much time learning grammar in the public school system?" That's why I made a title to this thread that paralleled the title of erobz's thread. I totally disagree with erobz. I created this thread because the curriculum of grammar at Universities is a totally distinct topic from the topic of the curriculum of grammar in public schools.
I have noticed that the English grammar of many ( perhaps most) people with Bachelor's Degrees from universities in the United States of America is atrocious. I've known so many college graduates that write comma splices all the time. Both of my parents have Master's Degrees, and they both write "could of" or "should of" instead of "could have" or "should have" all the time. I see people with Bachelor's Degrees use predicate pronouns that don't match the antecedent all the time. For instance, many college graduates will write: "I'm older than her" instead of "I'm older than she." I see college graduates use the past tense of a verb when they should have written the past participle of a verb all the time. Many college graduates would write "He should have wrote the research paper yesterday" instead of "He should have written the research paper yesterday."
I attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) when I was in college, and UAH does not offer any courses on English grammar. And I think that most or all universities in the United States don't offer courses in English grammar. UAH mandates that to get a bachelor's degree, all undergraduates must take English Composition I and English Composition II, but those courses don't teach English grammar. English Composition I and English Composition II just consists of reading short stories and writing research papers about those short stories, not English grammar.
I think that most people will say that universities in America don't offer courses on English grammar because people should learn English grammar in public schools. But let's get real. Most graduates of high school don't learn English grammar adequately in public school. Public schools teach to the lowest common denominator. In other words, public schools teach their curriculum slow enough so that the academically weakest students in the class can understand it. Most of the academically weakest students don't go to universities. If universities had classes on English grammar, those classes at a university on English grammar would probably be far superior to the classes on English grammar in high schools. Furthermore, universities require students to take lots of classes that high schools also have. For instance, I had to take American History and Economics classes at UAH, even though I took classes on American History and Economics in high school.
I think that all universities in America should mandate that students take at least two courses on English grammar: Basic English Grammar and Advanced English Grammar. I think that in these English grammar courses at universities students should teach students how to diagram sentences, proper use of verb tenses (including how to write the past tense of a modal verb), and proper punctuation, and how to use the correct pronoun case with an antecedent. A large part of earning a bachelor's degree is to just become a well-rounded, educated person as opposed to specialization of knowledge for a specific career. That's why electrical engineering majors and physics majors have to take courses in English Composition, history, economics, and many other subjects that don't pertain to electrical engineering or physics at all. Knowing how to write and speak with proper English grammar is a huge part of being an educated person.
I don't think that graduate students trying to get a master's degree or a PhD should have to take courses in English grammar unless they are getting their Master's Degree or PhD in English because graduate school is about specialization, not about getting a well-rounded education.
I'm aware of the fact that universities in America could offer courses on English grammar without mandating that all undergraduates must take those courses in order to get a bachelor's degree. My opinion is that all undergraduates should be required to take courses on English grammar in order to get a bachelor's degree. But I think that if universities in America are not going to require all students to take courses in English grammar to get a bachelor degree, the universities should at least offer the courses on English grammar as an optional course (which the universities don't do).
Should universities in the United States of America require students to take courses on English grammar?
I have noticed that the English grammar of many ( perhaps most) people with Bachelor's Degrees from universities in the United States of America is atrocious. I've known so many college graduates that write comma splices all the time. Both of my parents have Master's Degrees, and they both write "could of" or "should of" instead of "could have" or "should have" all the time. I see people with Bachelor's Degrees use predicate pronouns that don't match the antecedent all the time. For instance, many college graduates will write: "I'm older than her" instead of "I'm older than she." I see college graduates use the past tense of a verb when they should have written the past participle of a verb all the time. Many college graduates would write "He should have wrote the research paper yesterday" instead of "He should have written the research paper yesterday."
I attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) when I was in college, and UAH does not offer any courses on English grammar. And I think that most or all universities in the United States don't offer courses in English grammar. UAH mandates that to get a bachelor's degree, all undergraduates must take English Composition I and English Composition II, but those courses don't teach English grammar. English Composition I and English Composition II just consists of reading short stories and writing research papers about those short stories, not English grammar.
I think that most people will say that universities in America don't offer courses on English grammar because people should learn English grammar in public schools. But let's get real. Most graduates of high school don't learn English grammar adequately in public school. Public schools teach to the lowest common denominator. In other words, public schools teach their curriculum slow enough so that the academically weakest students in the class can understand it. Most of the academically weakest students don't go to universities. If universities had classes on English grammar, those classes at a university on English grammar would probably be far superior to the classes on English grammar in high schools. Furthermore, universities require students to take lots of classes that high schools also have. For instance, I had to take American History and Economics classes at UAH, even though I took classes on American History and Economics in high school.
I think that all universities in America should mandate that students take at least two courses on English grammar: Basic English Grammar and Advanced English Grammar. I think that in these English grammar courses at universities students should teach students how to diagram sentences, proper use of verb tenses (including how to write the past tense of a modal verb), and proper punctuation, and how to use the correct pronoun case with an antecedent. A large part of earning a bachelor's degree is to just become a well-rounded, educated person as opposed to specialization of knowledge for a specific career. That's why electrical engineering majors and physics majors have to take courses in English Composition, history, economics, and many other subjects that don't pertain to electrical engineering or physics at all. Knowing how to write and speak with proper English grammar is a huge part of being an educated person.
I don't think that graduate students trying to get a master's degree or a PhD should have to take courses in English grammar unless they are getting their Master's Degree or PhD in English because graduate school is about specialization, not about getting a well-rounded education.
I'm aware of the fact that universities in America could offer courses on English grammar without mandating that all undergraduates must take those courses in order to get a bachelor's degree. My opinion is that all undergraduates should be required to take courses on English grammar in order to get a bachelor's degree. But I think that if universities in America are not going to require all students to take courses in English grammar to get a bachelor degree, the universities should at least offer the courses on English grammar as an optional course (which the universities don't do).
Should universities in the United States of America require students to take courses on English grammar?
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