Grammar Research

English Grammar: what do native speakers know?

English Grammar: what do native speakers know?

I was recently introduced to a friend of a friend and... it happened again. When I told him that I was an ESL teacher/ teacher trainer, he nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, right, English grammar and all that! I could teach grammar." He proceeded to tell me how he works in journalism so he often has to proofread articles to make sure everything is spelled and worded correctly. And he assured me he was very confident in the difference between "your" and "you're." I nodded and smiled politely. I've learned that responding with, "Oh, you know grammar- great! So how about that past perfect continuous tense, huh?" ​tends to elicit a less than positive response. (It's like no one even wants to talk about auxiliary verbs and present participles at dinner parties these days.)