A Simple Question

A simple question at the start of a journey can reveal a more effective route. That's certainly true for an English language learning journey. Why would anyone leave the Main Road of English structure unless obsessed with grammatical detail, which most students are not? As it happens, the preferable route is the one least travelled.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, Lao Tsu said. He was right, of course, but what is that first step? Some might argue that any first step will do, irrespective of direction. Yes, it does get you started - that much is true. Still, you might consider the route as well. At the very least, not getting lost and not having to change direction will save travellers time and frustration.?

They say that you're never truly lost if you don't mind where you are. Well, that may be true, but what about your destination? The journey is part of your destination, would be the usual answer - and I agree. Fact is, though, that neither limitless sightseeing nor endlessly staring at the map are helpful. You'd either risk losing your direction or won't fully enjoy the experience and the view along the way.

The sprawling landscape of the English language deserves routes leading up to enchanting vistas, not sunken roads that are lower than the land on either side. The boundless riches of English have an incredible power to motivate travellers to continue their journey - and will do just that. Getting bogged down in grammatical detail most certainly won't.

So for students of English embarking on their journey, which basic grammatical steps should be the first, if indeed less is more? The tour directors and guidebooks of the learner's journey - teachers and coursebooks - know where to start. And many roads may lead to grammatical Rome, yet those first steps are always the same. Every guide will show their travellers the basic English word order and the forms of the verb?to be. So far, so good.?

Yet before moving further down the road, rushing ahead, let's briefly stop and think. Why should you want to leave the Main Road almost immediately after setting out? Logic suggests that you don't. Yet most if not all guidebooks dictate that you do. Just think about it: after those initial steps and the verb?to be, which is the first point of grammar everybody turns to when it comes to tenses? Exactly, it's the Present Simple.?

That name, Present Simple, suggests ease and uncomplicated travelling. But does it offer what it seems to promise? Let's rethink what's so readily assumed, asking a simple question - and yes, the pun's intended. Is the Present Simple the Main Road? It may come as a surprise then, or even a shock, that it's not.

Think of all the verb forms in English, all possible constructs with verbs, including questions, negatives, passives and conditionals. Look at their basic structure and count the number of verbs in each construct. Which show only one, and which two or more? Again, it's a simple question.

As it turns out, among the dozens and dozens of possible verb constructs, there are only three with a single verb. So these are the odd ones out, the exceptions to the rule. One is the imperative, which never poses any real problems for learners. The other two are the indicative forms of Present Simple and Past Simple. The logical next question then must be: why would you build a rule on an exception?

So this is a sad and simple truth - again, pun intended. Almost as soon as the language journey is underway, and at first sight of basic tenses, it leaves the Main Road and takes a bizarre detour. We start learning about tenses with an exception instead of a basic rule.?

You might argue that the Present Simple clearly shows the root form of verbs. Yes, it does, but only if you think like a grammarian; as a teaching tool, it may prove a?Radix Malorum?- a root of evil. It merely confuses learners of English because it's still a sidetrack and a detour. Exceptions make no sense as essential structures for laying a solid foundation. Basic patterns do, so why complicate the early stages of the journey?

They also say that a learning journey never ends. All the more reason to recognise that, right from the start, our Main Road in English is Continuous.

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grammar Concept for One-Rule English: Less is more - because grammar should HELP, not hinder?