HOW OUR KIDS CAN DRIVE US INSANE

Lies Your English Teacher Told You

Punctuation That’s Too Popular

 (Wordpress.com)

You can’t end a sentence with a preposition.
Yes, you can. The world won’t stop revolving, and your old English teacher can’t argue because there is no such rule. The problem started in England back in 1672 when John Dryden wrote a piece criticizing Ben Jonson for ending a sentence with a preposition. Dryden believed that since the construction wasn’t possible in Latin, it shouldn’t be possible in English.
If you encounter fierce resistance from overzealous followers of the nonexistent but persistent rule, you can recast the sentence, but the result is usually awkward. I saw a funny example of recasting on a greeting card (one that unfortunately used an unnecessary preposition):

GIRL #1: Where’s your birthday party at?

GIRL #2: Never end a sentence with a preposition.

GIRL #1: Where’s your birthday party at, bitch?

This answer was the reason I re-printed this partial article... so if really interested in grammar and myths about the english language, follow this link:
http://lisakusko.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/lies-your-english-teacher-told-you/

 “QUESTION, QUESTIONS??????”

HOW OUR KIDS CAN DRIVE US INSANE....

One day, I found myself driving, with my daughter in her car seat in the back. She’d been chattering away, nonstop, for a good twenty minutes and I realized I hadn’t heard a word she’d said. My mind had drifted off to some quiet place with butterflies and puffy clouds. (I may be inventing the butterfly and puffy cloud image. It’s more likely that I was fantasizing about those glass barriers that they have in expensive limousines, the ones that go up and down between the driver and the back seat. They were soundproof, I was pretty sure.)

 

“What is one million trillion million five hundred and six thousand and three times four trillion trillion and nine hundred and seventy-five?

Where does the sun go at night?"

Whatever the explanation, I remain puzzled to this day by the question that continues to echo inside my skull. How is it that I was on the receiving end of all that yelling as a child, and now find myself in the same position as an adult? How did I miss my turn at bat? Or is it too late to be asking? Has this become my ultimate stupid question?

Oh, but at the other end of life’s spectrum, there is a whole other experience waiting for you…
“Honey, how do you make this thing turn on the tv?”
“Where did I put my wallet?”
“Is today the day we go to the doctor?”
“Where did you put my wallet?”
“Did you break the tv? I can’t get it on….”
“Did you put my purse somewhere? I think my wallet might be in it.”
(You produce the wallet)
“Why did you take my wallet?”
In the end, maybe all those kids’ questions are just like the questions the elderly ask. They’re just a way to keep the communication flowing.
(From shoreacres Comments)Posted on September 30, 2011 by bronxboy55 "Don't Ask, Don't Yell" .