Why did they change to NINE parts of speech?

Question

My husband and I were watching Jeff Foxworthy's new game show (Are you smarter than a fifth grader), and I would *swear* the "correct" answer was actually incorrect. A sentence was given, and the students were asked how many adjectives were in the sentence. I looked at the sentence and answered four without hesitation... but the "correct" answer was *three*. They did not include "the" in the adjectives.

When I was in school (not so *very* long ago), there were eight parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, interjection, preposition, and pronoun. Now, apparently, articles have been given their own designation as a part of speech, for a total of nine. When did this happen, and more importantly, *why*?

An article is *clearly* a type of adjective. It describes the noun as either definite or indefinite. If you diagram a sentence, the article is diagrammed like an adjective.

I realize that this is a small matter, but it bothers me. I am neurotic.

I should note... I graduated high school in 1992 (and will receive my second master's degree, heaven willing, in May).

Answer 1

don't worry. The curriculum for 7th graders brings it back down to 8.
The movement to bring the number of parts of speech up to 9 started appropriately enough on Sept 9. Most 5th grade curricula were changed (although Missouri kept it to 8 figuring they already had long enough sentences). When Pluto was demoted as a planet, though, many school jurisdictions panicked, and started reverting to the older curriculum. The process got tangled up in jurisdictional issues, not to mention the 'No Child Left Behind' program that wanted to reduce parts of speech to 3: verb, noun, and stuff.

I'm with you. Remember, HE's neurotic - you and I are concerned.

Answer 2

I just asked my shrink the other day "whatever happened to the word "neurotic? It seems to have disappeared." And diagrams?!?? So I just had to answer.

I went to HS in 1965 and I remember articles...but I recall it as a separate part of speech, despite the diagram placment.

ADDED: Aldo, GREAT answer. Still laughing. The Pluto thing actually crossed my mind, but the No Child Left Behind!!! The truer, the funnier.