Cool moment with Dan
Sylvia Toyama
This was a cool moment for me to realize how much Dan is learning
just being in the world. He's almost 4 (on the 24th!) and our only
totally unschooled child, having done some school at home with Andy,
so he's the true unschooling testimonial.
This morning, I used the word 'himself' in a sentence. Dan
corrected me, saying "HISself, Mama." I answered, "No, it's
himself." He asked, "Why?" I thought about it for a moment, then I
saw what had happened. He's already figured out that my and him are
different kinds of pronoun forms! He was right, too. If we say
myself (with my being a possessive pronoun) it should be hisself
(with his as the possessive pronoun). The same is true of
themselves/theirselves. Likewise, if himself and themselves is the
preferred usage, it should be meself, since him, them and me are all
reflexive (or is it prepositional?) pronouns.
I explained to him that I could see what he meant, but that what we
say is himself, and I'm not sure why, just that it is.
We've known for a while that he's the budding grammar nazi, but I am
constantly amazed by how much he learns just listening to us talk!
It is so cool to watch unschooling work.
Sylvia
just being in the world. He's almost 4 (on the 24th!) and our only
totally unschooled child, having done some school at home with Andy,
so he's the true unschooling testimonial.
This morning, I used the word 'himself' in a sentence. Dan
corrected me, saying "HISself, Mama." I answered, "No, it's
himself." He asked, "Why?" I thought about it for a moment, then I
saw what had happened. He's already figured out that my and him are
different kinds of pronoun forms! He was right, too. If we say
myself (with my being a possessive pronoun) it should be hisself
(with his as the possessive pronoun). The same is true of
themselves/theirselves. Likewise, if himself and themselves is the
preferred usage, it should be meself, since him, them and me are all
reflexive (or is it prepositional?) pronouns.
I explained to him that I could see what he meant, but that what we
say is himself, and I'm not sure why, just that it is.
We've known for a while that he's the budding grammar nazi, but I am
constantly amazed by how much he learns just listening to us talk!
It is so cool to watch unschooling work.
Sylvia
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In a message dated 1/19/2005 6:27:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
sylgt04@... writes:
Likewise, if himself and themselves is the
preferred usage, it should be meself, since him, them and me are all
reflexive (or is it prepositional?) pronouns. <<<<
And 'herself' just screws you both ways! <g>
It is so cool to watch unschooling work.<<<<<
I had a huge knock-down-drag-out with a school-at-homer (doh!) on a local
list a year or two ago. She wanted to know how I could teach my children
English. I said just by talking with them. She was totally shocked! Of course, her
posts were *full* of misspellings and grammatical errors. I insisted that my
children would at least be reading/hearing *correct* English! <G>
~Kelly, who also likes to watch it work! <g>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sylgt04@... writes:
Likewise, if himself and themselves is the
preferred usage, it should be meself, since him, them and me are all
reflexive (or is it prepositional?) pronouns. <<<<
And 'herself' just screws you both ways! <g>
>>>>>>>We've known for a while that he's the budding grammar nazi, but I amconstantly amazed by how much he learns just listening to us talk!
It is so cool to watch unschooling work.<<<<<
I had a huge knock-down-drag-out with a school-at-homer (doh!) on a local
list a year or two ago. She wanted to know how I could teach my children
English. I said just by talking with them. She was totally shocked! Of course, her
posts were *full* of misspellings and grammatical errors. I insisted that my
children would at least be reading/hearing *correct* English! <G>
~Kelly, who also likes to watch it work! <g>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]