Since standard first onwards we are exposed to grammar. We are primarily introduced to nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs. Then, we keep on learning them in depth and add more to it a year by year. The active life in studies turns passive by solving more and more sentences each year. Teachers directly and indirectly help us to improve. Yet, there is no transformation in the language; we are interrogated in exams and our teachers exclaims while evaluating. The positive marks turns negative and we on the other hand are still amazed, “How so?”
Four years after school, I took up Literature as my majoring subject. Once again I was being exposed to grammar, as a separate paper. Knowing this, “Oh no!” was my first reaction. I realised that Mrs. Usha Subramanian is going to take our grammar lectures. I also knew that she was meticulous, stern with her attendance, sarcastic when she feels if we are not working hard and very difficult to please. So, it was very important for me to remain in her good books all throughout (I still don’t know if I achieved that.)
Barely did I know that grammar rules over the years had changed. What was an adjective for us was now an enumerator, what was an article was also used as a determiner and an endless list of pronouns did confuse my poor brain. So, it did take me a couple of months to figure out what it all meant. I contemplated if I was a right candidate for literature majors.
My first session of TYBA grammar was a rendez-vous with the memories of my language class in school. I clearly remember my grammar teacher, Mrs. Bharti Phanse who made us write “did+ present tense” hundred times if we made an error while speaking like, “I did spoke to him.” It sounds absurd now, that time it didn’t. She tried her best and punished us severely for every single mistake. That only helped us through the exam, not practically. We were some bunch of hooligans to be taught. So, those punishments made no severe impact on our speech.
Now, thanks to Mrs. Subramanian who helped us learning grammar and solving every doubt. Her methods helped in grooming my sentence formations. Eventually, words, phrases and clauses became crucial. Knowing how scoring the paper is, I started to strive hard and attain maximum marks. Each day would not pass by without me practising or at least revising.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. ~Albert Einstein
I didn’t know if this holds true and I don’t claim that I m smart either. But this is what I did. I just stayed with my sentences for a longer a duration. During my exams, I solved each question paper over three times. That gave me enough of confidence to attempt my exams fearlessly.
Grammar was one thing I had become dedicated to, by the end of the year. Not only because it was scoring, but also it gave me a different kind of high. With every complicated sentence that I solved, I attained euphoria. I don’t think five years back I would have ever dreamt of solving or learning grammar all over again. Now that I teach same grammar that I learnt in school to my students, I realised where I went wrong.
I realised how Wren and Martin is “treasurable” book and Geoffrey Leech, Margaret Deuchar and Robert Hoogenhard’s grammar books’ SPOCA (subject, predicate, object, complement and adverbial) structure is an unforgettable experience. I shall never forget in my life the verb "be" is always followed by a complement.
He conquers who endures. ~Persius
