As we progressed from identifying subject and object pronouns separately to working with them at the same time, I experienced something I do each year. Though I feel I constantly remind students of our foundation skills, and at this point in the quarter it seems we should have mastered them, today we faltered a bit, namely when it came to subject pronouns and linking verbs. Yes, the dreaded predicate pronoun, a common and widespread problem area. We worked our way through two pages of practice, and nearly everyone called on missed the predicate pronouns on the first page. Those pesky linking verbs! The problem is that subject pronouns after linking verbs simply don't sound "right," and yet they are. I made a point of reading each missed sentence two ways -- with a predicate pronoun, and then "switched" so that it used the same pronoun as the subject. I hope it solidified for students how they can test for correctness. I wasn't shocked by our little setback. I admit I'd hoped students would initially better remember what we've studied, but they didn't. They had to learn from their mistakes. Again. Just part of teaching.
GW
