“A woman, without her man, is nothing. A woman: without her, man is nothing.”

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air.
“Why?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
“I’m a panda,” he says at the door. “Look it up.”
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds as explanation.
“Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

Lynne Truss uses this anecdote about the “dangers” of misusing punctuation in her aptly titled book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves. A self-named “stickler for punctuation,” Truss wittingly addresses the world’s digression from using the “proper” rules of grammar and language. I enjoyed the book, being able to relate to her “grammar rants.” I mean, she’s right. Every language has rules, and in order to have full command of the language, one must use the rules properly. Take Truss’ example of the power of punctuation:
1. “A woman, without her man, is nothing.”
2. “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
The wording remains the same, but the usage of punctuation bears significant weight in meaning.

So, as an English teacher, a supposed “master” of the English language, I feel obligated to correct my students’ grammar foibles in both speech and in writing. My motives are pure intended: I want them to sound academic and intelligent. However, the “linguist” in me has to recognize the other side of the coin. Do I assume that when my students do not use the correct rules of English grammar that they are lazy, or ignorant, or stupid? What could be other causes? What about socio-economic or racial or cultural factors? America is known for its diversity; thus, as teachers, should we not take that into consideration? It seems like now more than ever America is classified into the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” and Standard American English rules and correct usage definitely play a role in determining what group we fit into.

So, while Lynne Truss may have been in jest when referring to punctuation and grammar as a “life and death” situation, the reality is that how we speak and how we write is a reflection of our work ethic, intelligence, and overall competency. The problem, then, is how this is addressed in the classroom. Once again, back to the drawing board.