Bryson Reading Response

Before You Read

1. I think good English is well written, understandable, relatable, writing with good grammar. I think bad English is dry writing with bad grammar. I think this because of the way I was taught how to write in my English classes throughout school.

Summary

In his article "Good English and Bad" he explains good English and bad English. He also explains that we follow some rules in English. These rules are not necessarily real, but we have always known them so we go along with them. These rules have changed from past to present, along with the English language in general. He is explaining these rules of English to students and teachers so they have a better understanding of it.

Synthesis

Bryson's article "Good English and Bad" relates to Dawkins' "Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool" and Berger's "Ways of Seeing". It is related to Dawkins' article because he explains the "rules" of punctuation and Bryson explains the "rules" of the English language. It is related to Berger's article because Berger compares the way women and men see women in the past and how they see women now. He explains how the judgment has changed over time. Bryson explains how English has changed over time, how it was then and now.

Thoughts

I thought this article was very relatable. It is relatable because almost everything has changed over time. I liked how Bryson explained that English, and everything in it, can be confusing. I relate to this because I am confused about just about everything in English. He successfully explained how the language has developed.

Dialectical Notebook

Response	Quotation
It’s exactly what it says. I never thought about it, but it’s so true.	“We seldom stop to think about it, but some of the most basic concepts in English are naggingly difficult to define” (61).
He is asking the reader to think about where the English “rules” came from. He explains that they just came about, no one actually made the about.	“..who sets down all those rules that we all know about from childhood..” (64).
He is explaining that the meaning depends on where you’re at, who your with, what time period it is, etc.	“Considerations of what makes for good English or bad English are to an uncomfortably large extent matters of prejudice and conditioning” (65).
He is saying that “we” must all agree on things for them to be commonly known.	“Even the most liberal descriptivist would accept that there must be some conversations of usage” (67).