GrammarianThere are two basic responsibilities of the Grammarian: to introduce new words to members and to comment on the use of English during the course of the meeting.
Select a *Word of the Day* prior to meeting, potentially related to the theme of the meeting. The goal is to select a word that will increase our vocabulary; thus, we should choose words that go beyond the way we usually express ourselves, but also are easily incorporated into everyday speech (making adjectives and adverbs preferrable).
- On a separate handout sheet to be replicated and passed to all members or on the board at the meeting, write the word, a definition, and use it in a sentence.
- During the meeting introduce the word of the day, explaining it, using it in a sentence, and encouraging participants to use it when they speak that day.
- Note how many times the word is used throughout the meeting.
During the meeting:
- Listen carefully to how speakers use English in their presentations.
- Make note of *killer fillers*--ums, ers, uhs, double words, etc.
- Make note of other incorrect usages of the language such as incorrect grammar, run-on sentences, incomplete sentences, etc.
As with other roles, when introduced, the Grammarian should explain his/her role if new members or guests are present.
At the end of the meeting, the Grammarian should report both the number of incorrect usages (if possible, offering the correct usage) and the number of times the word of the day or its derivative was used.
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