English Prime

[FRITZ JUENGLING]

Although they are not researchers, most of the English teachers at my high school are on a crusade to rid students' writing of 'to be verbs.'  They have come up with a list of 'to be verbs,' which includes 'am, are, is, been, was, could, should, would, have' and a host of other verbs that they call 'to be verbs.'  Don't know where the list came from or what a verb must do to be (oops!) admitted to this special club, but the zeal with which some of my colleagues mark up papers has taken on a religious fervor.  No teacher (or student, of course) has been able to explain to me what this is all about.  I think it has something to do with the passive voice.  If the passive voice is so bad, you might ask, why not just teach them what the passive is and avoid it?  That is another story.  So, the students just go merrily along, never writing anything on the list.  I love Big Brother.
Fritz

>>> richard20009 at HOTMAIL.COM 05/23/03 10:32AM >>>
I encountered a concept called "English Prime" (roughly, omitting the verb
to be). I admit it intrigues me and wish to learn more. Do scholars hold
this concept in high esteem? Would anyone kindly pass along names of
researches who have studied this concept?

Thank you,
Richard