Knowing Participles from Prepositions--The Case for Hiring a Grammar Tutor

The study of grammar has suffered an unfortunate decline in recent years. As schools become more focused on preparing students for standardized tests, traditional grammar studies have taken a back seat to other subjects such as mathematics, vocabulary, problem solving and reasoning skills, etc. While these are all very valuable things to know, there is still something to be said for studying the grammar of the English language. This has become particularly important in recent years as text messages, instant messaging, and email communication have resulted in a sub culture of American youths that seems to pride itself on its complete disregard for the grammatical subtleties of the language. The loss of grammatical knowledge is not typically noticed until the college years when the student, upon entering his or her first writing intensive English course, may be shocked and dismayed to learn that, at the college level, a fundamental understanding of grammar is assumed and even relatively minor grammatical errors are punished mercilessly. To help your child avoid falling into the trap of poor grammar it may be a good idea to consider hiring the services of a grammar tutor.

A grammar tutor can help your child overcome the holes in his education that may be left by the test focused public school system. Grammar is still fairly well covered in primary school so, typically, a grammar tutor will be most useful for students in high school where the English courses have typically left grammar long behind, particularly in honors or AP literature courses. A grammar tutor can help your child explore the more subtle aspects of English grammar while learning to apply the principles of grammar to reading, writing, and comprehension. A good grammar tutor can ensure that your child does not forget the grammar that he or she has already learned and will help to ingrain the principles so that they become second nature.

A good grammar tutor is typically either a retired English teacher or substitute, or a currently
working teacher who would like to supplant his or her income by working as a grammar tutor. Since grammar is not something that is used directly, rather it is something that is applied on a daily basis when writing and communicating, it is unlikely that you will be able to find many competent grammar tutors who are not current or recent grammar teachers. College students may occasionally be acceptable grammar tutors, but this is becoming less like as formalized grammar is rarely taught at the university level.
A grammar tutor can really help your child start college with a leg up. A good grammar tutor will make up for some of deficiencies that are present in the public educational system which does not stress grammar in the way that it once did.
 posted by Jane