Comments on: Sink, Sank, Sunk: Story of the L.A. Times http://grammarsource.com/2008/09/21/sink-sank-sunk-story-of-the-la-times/ Bring your curiosity and questions about English and let's find answers Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:37:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Grammar Guyhttp://grammarsource.com/2008/09/21/sink-sank-sunk-story-of-the-la-times/comment-page-1/#comment-372 Grammar Guy Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:04:43 +0000 http://grammarsource.com/?p=303#comment-372 I agree with you that learning by rote is the surest route to correctness in English (and many other subjects), but the educrats who teach teachers call this "kill by drill."Also, how does ignorance differ from stupidity--one's innate, the other a result of schooling? I agree with you that learning by rote is the surest route to correctness in English (and many other subjects), but the educrats who teach teachers call this “kill by drill.”

Also, how does ignorance differ from stupidity–one’s innate, the other a result of schooling?

]]> By: Larry Hauserhttp://grammarsource.com/2008/09/21/sink-sank-sunk-story-of-the-la-times/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Larry Hauser Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:16:27 +0000 http://grammarsource.com/?p=303#comment-371 Gary: I saw your comments when I Googled "Sink, Sank, Sunk." I too remember from my school days the correct conjugation of verbs. And I too have seen the same misuse of "Sunk" on too many occasions in our newspapers. In this case, an article today in the St. Petersburg Times, "Rattler bites her finger, then feels her cane." I don't agree with you about it being a result of stupidity, but rather just plain ignorance. No doubt young people, who were schooled in our new system of never giving passing or failing grades, because to do so, might harm the self esteem of the youngster. As a result, they go into the world not knowing simple things, which quite honestly, should have been taught by the "learn by rote" methods. Gary: I saw your comments when I Googled “Sink, Sank, Sunk.” I too remember from my school days the correct conjugation of verbs. And I too have seen the same misuse of “Sunk” on too many occasions in our newspapers. In this case, an article today in the St. Petersburg Times, “Rattler bites her finger, then feels her cane.” I don’t agree with you about it being a result of stupidity, but rather just plain ignorance. No doubt young people, who were schooled in our new system of never giving passing or failing grades, because to do so, might harm the self esteem of the youngster. As a result, they go into the world not knowing simple things, which quite honestly, should have been taught by the “learn by rote” methods.

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