“The train angry thoughts that stokes anger is also potentially the key to one of the most powerful ways to defuse anger...”
Not a fan of books that have basic grammar errors when they are supposed to be these ground breaking, life changing books. Ugh. Subject-verb agreement here people.
Angry thoughts are plural, therefore they stoke anger and are the key. #whoeditedthis #grammarmatters #grammarsaveslives #why #edit
CSeydel Interesting. As I read the sentence, the subject is “train”. “Angry thoughts” is the object of the preposition. “Train of angry thoughts” would indeed take a singular verb. 7y
CSeydel Never mind - you‘re right. “Is” goes with “train”. Seems like the author means to include “that stoke anger” inside the “of” clause. Altogether a poorly constructed sentence, really. Angry thoughts stoke anger? No kidding? 7y
GingerAntics @CSeydel maybe yeah...it makes sense when you take “angry thoughts” out instead of “train.” Hm. Maybe it would have been easier to understand in that way, which I‘m guessing was the intention, if it was worded differently... “the angry train of thought...” Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was really frustrated with that sentence. 7y
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CSeydel It‘s a very awkward sentence! 7y
GingerAntics @CSeydel lol I know, in the end the thought wasn‘t very ground breaking. I understood that part at least. Probably needs to be reworded. 7y
CSeydel I won‘t be able to rest until I‘ve diagrammed it. I think it works if you put the prepositional phrase “of angry thoughts” AND the dependent clause “that stokes anger” BOTH under train, and then the subject-verb “train-is” still works. 🤔 7y
GingerAntics @CSeydel I‘m so glad I‘m not the only one who is taking issue with this sentence. Perhaps not necessarily in subject-verb agreement, but certainly with the word choice. I‘m also not finding this particular sentence to be groundbreaking or life changing. Perhaps that‘s other sentences in the book. Hopefully I‘ll get to those soon. The author has also informed me that worrying makes you more anxious, and sad things make you more depressed. 7y
CSeydel Wow, I need to write that down! Who knew? 😂 I hope it picks up! 7y
GingerAntics @CSeydel oh I was always horrible at diagramming sentences which is odd as I‘m usually a visual learner. I think it would have to be that way to work, though. This sentence seems slightly convoluted, and possibly made more complex than is necessary to effectively communicate the idea. Sounds like Hume. I thought I was taking a break from that. Oy. 7y
GingerAntics @CSeydel I know! I think I found the life changing/groundbreaking part. I‘d hate for you to miss it. Definitely write that down. 😂 7y
LiterRohde This was all the rage when I was doing my teaching undergraduate work 20 years ago. Even presented at a conference. And I‘ve now been teaching long enough to see fads come and go and come back. EQ or EI might just be another. I don‘t see anything wrong with these fads, per se, I just have come to see them as tools and not the panaceas they claim to be. We all want understanding bosses or teachers, but couldn‘t one also say Hitler had a high EQ? (edited) 7y
GingerAntics @LiterRohde yup, but my job gives continue ed (they call it TOLI credit for instructors/professors) credit for this madness. I also saw a reading list that claimed it would change your life. I‘m not seeing it, but if it means I don‘t have to spend my free time in some dry presentation at work, I‘m happy with that. At least I can do this anywhere. Next up is something on “growth mindset.” That‘s a favourite buzz word at the moment. 7y
LiterRohde @GingerAntics I wasn‘t saying this stuff isn‘t useful. I‘ve got two books on ‘growth mindset‘ sitting on my coffee table. Much of it is - in the right situation, with the right person. Most of them, however, claim to be the magic bullet. I learn what I can, incorporate what seems reasonable, and then use them all as bullets in the right place at the right time. I‘ve quit looking for snake oil or one size fits all as I think so many still do. (edited) 7y
LiterRohde @GingerAntics The job I‘m at right now literally focuses on a different buzz word each year. This year it was a narrow-minded definition of ‘blended learning‘ focused on a student-directed program. We were expected to use it consistently throughout the year and have artifacts of evidence proving we used it. Instead, maybe just let me use everything I‘ve learned and am still learning in order to best teach my kids? Nope. That makes too much sense. (edited) 7y
GingerAntics @LiterRohde Oh I totally get that. This idea that there is a magic bullet is insane. The fact that educators actually fall for it concerns me. “Artefacts of evidence proving” you‘ve used a buzz word? For the love of all that is holy!!! 🙄 I find they claim this growth mindset is working, but all I see is they don‘t say “I‘m never going to get this” out loud when they think a teacher can hear them. 7y
GingerAntics @LiterRohde like you said, it‘s a tool. There are tons of them. The more tools you have to use the better the outcome, but acting like any one of them is the solution to whatever problem people think exists is nuts. Part of my job is with a collegiate high school, so it‘s supposed to be the fix for all their bad habits from their regular high schools. 7y
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