include the feminine, but modern dogma has overruled established usage, with the result
that sentence construction is rendered clumsy and discordant” by the constant use of
alternatives such as “he or she”. Despite this, the writer Sir Harry Gibbs “capitulated,” his
rationale being that the task of a judgment is to enlighten not antagonise the reader.
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There is though, another possibility. It is now because of wide spread usage acceptable to
use the plural form “they” and its cognate forms as a common singular pronoun. For
example: “Members of the tribunal are appointed for three years. They can, however,
resign at any time.”
3.3 Level 2: Sentences
Level 2 Sentences
Write proper sentences. To do this it is necessary to observe the rules of
grammar and syntax.
Meanwhile, a whole range of deeply significant systems of grammatical choice remain
submerged by widespread public ignorance and the failure of education systems to take
language seriously as an object of study.
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Introduction
Part of good writing, as Level 2 asserts, is to compose proper sentences. A proper
sentence is a sentence that is both grammatically and syntactically correct.
Grammar and Syntax
Rules of grammar and syntax operate within a sentence in three ways. First, where a
sentence has two or more clauses, the rules describe the level of relations between each
clause. There are two possible relations - a clause may be coordinate or subordinate.
Second, within a clause each word is a part of speech. Parts of speech assign a role to
words and enable words to play their part with other words in producing meaning in a
sentence. This determines a word’s function, and by determining its function, determines
the nature of its relationship with other words.
Third, within a sentence the other words to which a word can relate are determined by the
positioning of words. Positioning of words, however, does not always give a definite
indication of relationships between words.
Better Grammar and Syntax
Facility with English syntax is heightened when one knows the syntax of a foreign
language – to go from one language to another entails looking behind the form of
language encoded in the syntax and identifying the meaning. This thought was no doubt
the reason for a comment by Sir Frank Kitto: “I believe that part at least of the reason
why an ability and concern to express oneself in clear English are becoming alarmingly
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Gibbs (1993) p 501
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Annabelle Lukin “We’d say it better with a theme effort” Higher
Education, The Australian, 23 June 2004
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