What's wrong with the wording of the following question?

Question

Someone asked in this homeschooling section:

How do I know if homeschooling is the right choice for me and my son?

Somebody (nicky 7372) replied, "After the way you worded that question, I'd be sending him to school for English!"

Now, there is a very small error in that sentence. I'm curious to know if people actually know what it is or if they only think they know. Or if people can actually see the error. Perhaps where Nicky lives, these errors aren't rampant, but here, the wording is very much the kind of thing we hear on tv and read in the newspaper .

I'm also curious to know why someone might think a parent shouldn't homeschool simply because of the wording of the above question. Do you think it's really that bad? Is one sentence indicative of a person's inability to use English correctly? I had English teachers who used "I" and "myself" incorrectly and some who never used "whom". No person has perfect grammar. No place is a guarantee for learning it.

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far. I knew I would get the following and decided I would correct it now:

"...is the right choice for my son and I" is thoroughly INcorrect.

'I' is a subject and only a subject. You would not say, "Is it the right choice for I?" 'I' is not a subject here, it is an object. That means it has to be 'me'.

Answer 1

If you were taking a grammar exam, I would think either the way you chose to word the question or "my son and me" would be correct. I don't think the order of the objects is critical.
In response to your second question, I personally don't think you have to be an expert in all subjects to teach or assist your children in learning. Heaven knows the regular liscensed teachers aren't! If you are weak in a subject, you will learn alongside your child- which a good many parents do anyway, whether they realize it or not. I remember learning about different things in elementary, junior high, and even high school- but did not really master the material at the time. When I originally learned about clouds, for instance- I wasn't particularly interested and really did not bother to learn what the differences were. When my eldest learned about clouds, I had my first refresher. Now having done that lesson 5 more times, I can tell a circulonimbus from a stratocumulus at a glance. Sometimes it helps not being the expert, as your children usually enjoy having you learn along with them. You also don't have any problem trying something in many different ways, either- just because you aren't a know-it-all. The good teacher learns from her students every bit as much as the students learn from her.
The responses you get like that one come from somebody who is not familiar with homeschooling, except to be against it. They have bought into the line that children can only be taught by those with a degree in education. If you do decide to homeschool, prepare yourself for a lot more remarks by that kind of person. They are the same type who will throw in the remarks about socialization. When they can't find fault with the educational results, that's the only weapon left in the pathetic little bag of tricks. You just have to develop your own line of come-backs and perfect the withering looks to give back.
Regardless of what you finally decide, just remember some people remain ignorant in spite of their fine public school educations.

Answer 2

Oy ....I can't stand for someone to ask a question in that manner! Like the people mouthing off about spelling mistakes. It's as if those people are so perfect that they never make typoes. And grammar mistakes? It's not like that asker typed "How do I no if homeskuling is the rite choice for me & my son?" I see a lot of that, and that gets on my nerves....

Anyway, I imagine that the answerer couldn't think of any snappier comebacks than that. Lack of imagination, which happens a lot in public school.

I am a writer and I really don't see a thing wrong with that sentence. The last part could be rearranged, but this isn't English class...it's a message board on the internet!

Answer 3

I"m originally from a very small rural farm community in the midwest, so you DO NOT want to hear how that question would've been asked there, LOL!!!!! :)
I live in Texas now, so the only thing I see missing is a "y'all" at the end! :)
But, I get your point. I read that comment too and did not understand at all. I hear worse assults on the English language on the news EVERY night.
I guess that was the best argument against homeschooling that person could think of.

Answer 4

I don't particularly like the "how do i KNOW". I think "how WOULD I know" or "how do I DECIDE". Also, instead of "if", because its choice, I would say "whether". You are actually asking ' whether or not' it is the correct choice, so, 'if or not' does not make sense.
Basically, though, we know exactly what you mean, which is the main thing. The way you have phrased it does not complicate the matter at all.

Answer 5

How DO I know if homeschooling IS the right choice for me and my son?

How WOULD I know if homeschooling WOULD be the right choice for me and my son? (In both, there is agreement of verb forms)

probably, just it's a matter of style, of taste. but, as cast, i see no error.

As to whether it should be "me and my son" or "my son and me", it's all a matter of preference; i feel more comfortable with "my son and me", a construction analogical to the polite "my friend and I" or "my friends and me".

I believe "my son and I" would be incorrect; both should be noun-objects, i.e., my son and me.

Answer 6

How do I know if homeschooling is the right choice for my son & I

I think people online need to just realize that a teeny imperfection like that is WAY better than some of the crap that kids actually use. (IE. HoW Do I TeLls my MaNs thaTs I goTs an STD) Or something.

Answer 7

The original question is more correctly worded "How could I know whether homeschooling would be . . .", but it isn't actually wrong as it stands.

There are some partly-educated people who have a knee-jerk reaction to the words "me and . . .", no matter where they occur in a sentence. In the case quoted, "me and" is correct, while "I and" would be wrong.

Answer 8

The question should read, "How do I discover if homeschooling is the right choice for my son and me?"

Answer 9

i've got a pal i've got pointed out because formative years. for see you later as i can do not overlook he's reported my call as Ro-dri-circulate, now not Rod-ri-circulate. He suggested the D and the R such as you assert the word capacity. injury my ears everytime he did.

Answer 10

How do I know if home schooling is the right choice for me and my son?