2. English Grammar
It is not desirable to take up formally the study of English, grammar as a regular part of first year English. Whenever the plan of devoting a semester or a term to English grammar has been tried, it has been conceded that the course has not been very successful. The cause of this is not far to seek. Since the pupils have been drilled in grammar in the seventh and eighth grades, a repetition of the subject at the beginning of the high school course invariably proves distasteful, and it is extremely difficult if not practically impossible to arouse any interest in the subject. High school pupils in the first year are too immature to take up the subject from a point of view materially different from that from which it was studied in the grades. The work, consequently, is done in a perfunctory manner, and seems to have little practical result in the pupils’ written or spoken English. It is the general experience, nevertheless, that a number of pupils entering the high school are deficient in their knowledge of the most elementary principles of English grammar, and that they are therefore somewhat handicapped in taking up the study of composition. If the present system of promotion permits some pupils to enter the high school without a sufficient knowledge of the elements of English grammar to make possible an intelligent study of high school English, it seems very doubtful whether the high school course in English should be planned to provide for pupils whose preparation is deficient. If provision must be made for the deficient ones, a special class in grammar should be organized for their benefit, and well-prepared pupils should not be compelled to repeat this grade work. This special review of grammar for poorly prepared pupils should not form a part of the regular English work of the first year, and it may be questioned whether it should be credited for graduation from high school. For pupils of required preparation the only study of grammar necessary in the first year may be taken up in connection with the correction of errors made by the pupils in composition. Syntax must be studied in connection with the construction of sentences in composition work. A consideration of the grammatical construction of sentences required for effective work in reading and composition, with such review of grammar as is made necessary by the actual errors of the pupils, will generally be sufficient training in grammar for the first year.