Learning How to Learn, Learning How to Understand E-Book

Wolfgang Fries

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 348

Beschreibung

Well, I was sent to school and I was told to learn. But nobody ever took the time to tell me how to learn ... and worse, nobody explained to me how understanding worked. So it was up to me to find out what learning was all about and to find out how understanding worked. Indeed, there are tools with which this work can be done, a thinking grid of how to understand. No matter how you may choose to apply this knowledge, I wish you success in whatever you hope to achieve. There are countless books for teachers on how to teach and for students on how to learn, but Learning How to Learn stands alone in the clear, practical approach it takes in providing teachers, students, parents, administrators, and government officials the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today's diverse educational settings. It is more than just a philosophy of education. It is a guide of incomparable value for students of all ages who aspire to be autonomous learners and for others, experienced or novice, who may be charged with planning, programming, and executing educational curricula and programs. The many illustrative examples add to its exceptional readability, and the book can be read in its entirety or used as a desk reference for specific topics. Francis C. Pengitore, Ed. D. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration

Leseprobe

Acknowledgements

I want to thank

My sister,

Dr. Diana Pengitore, ND, freelance translator, and American Translator Association (ATA) member, for her expert translation from German to English, which was long overdue.

My brother-in-law,

Dr. Frank Pengitore, Ed. D., for his editorial expertise in bringing this publication forth.

Important Note to the Reader

Learning How to Learn, Learning How to Understand is the second book in a fivepart series from the book Philosophy of Life. This complete series is available in German. The remaining three books (A Happy Relationship; To Endure Life – The Bible of the 21st Century; and, Past Life Regression – Introduction and Brief Guide) will be published in English in the future. The book, Human Rights and Obligations - Revised, is another excellent publication recommended for inclusion in the series. My Philosophy, English version, is the first book in the series and was released in September 2018.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to those who read it in the hope that more reason and understanding is brought to humanity.

How to Read the Book

I tried to keep the wording of the book as simple as possible, except for a couple of difficult words, only because they are not commonly used, or because they are specific terms and must be used to have a proper understanding.

A word about the level of education and reading the book. Education has become completely artificial. Today, it is sufficient if one articulates in a well-sounding manner. In the educational institutions, understanding is not really emphasized. It only seems to matter that the learner can parrot the teacher’s words that later on are presented in a quiz show called class work - complete automatism, without true reason!

Reading means to perceive with the eyes and the mind*. Because the human being does not know much about the mind and its capabilities, he fails to perceive to a large extend with the mind. Take note: The mind is not the brain; there is a difference. Unfortunately, books are not written on the basis of understanding and for this reason cannot be understood.

A word is just a substitute for the thing. Wanting to understand the thing that is described in words, one needs to know the definition of the word or it becomes necessary to take a closer look at the thing itself, e.g. if you don’t understand plectrum, go and get one for inspection. It is a significant undertaking to represent reality in words, as it is always the interpretation of the writer, as well as the interpretation of the reader that remains.

Because the thing itself is often not available for direct observation, one uses words or pictures to get an impression of the thing, meaning an immediate impression in the form of a picture that one imagines in one’s head.

Starting on page → in the glossary*, an overview of the definitions of the words listed in the book marked by an asterisk* can be found. These definitions deviate in part or entirely from conventional definitions. In order to have a complete understanding of a word, it should be looked up in a good dictionary, including its origin.

Please note: This book cannot be fully understood if the words are not looked up and researched, be it words of common use or the specific definition mentioned here in the book.

Note: First read the glossary, then the book from the very beginning!

Table of Contents

At a Glance

Part I – Topics Specialist Field

Part II – Philosophy

Glossary

Sources

About the Author

Other Publications

Table of Contents

Foreword

Part I – Topics/Specialist Field

The Theory of the Superior Datum

Communication

The Communication Formula

The Complete Communication Cycle

When Does the Child Know That the Sky is Blue?

Word

Grammar

Important!!! The Definition of Definition

Dictionaries

The Breakdown of an Entry Word in the Dictionary

Language

Language and Concept

Understanding - The Final Solution

Not - Understanding

Understanding - What Force in What Direction

Concentration

Education, Understanding, Logic, Intelligence, etc

.

Being Klug

Establishing Values

The Value of a Datum

Intellect and Education

Miseducate

Pre-Logic

Differences and Similarities

Look, Don't Think!

Not Knowing!

Truth and Stability – An Instruction About Thinking

True Knowledge

Knowledge, Understanding and Cause, Function

Seeing Through Knowledge or Blinded?

Caution and Speed

To See the World as It Is

A World Full of Theory

The Electronic of Thinking

Theory and Its Background

Concrete - Abstract

Relative

Chemistry

Trigonometry

The Importance of and Current School Education

Antisocial

Education and Social Behavior

The Concept – Short and Sweet

The Learning Method

The Three Learning Barriers

Repetitio est Mater Studiorum!

Learning for Life

The Fields of Knowledge and Their Valuable End Product

On Size Does Not Fit All

A Raw Concept for Education

A Code for the Teacher

A Code for the Student

My Letter to the Landtag

Part II – Philosophy

The Human Being

Awareness

The Ability to Observe

Understanding

Amendments

Hygiene

Civilization

The Stages of Development in Human Life

Responsibility

The Value of a Citizen

The Freethinker

Experiencing Life

Right and Wrong

Conclusion

Foreword

Understanding is one of life‘s inherent abilities, especially for the human being as a living entity that tries to get along with his environment through understanding – thus, understanding can become an extensive matter.

The manufacturer of cars must know not only about the engine, the body and the wheel suspension, but also about human anatomy* and human preference. These may include such things as: the size of the seats, the distance to the steering wheel and the height of the windshield, as they are located in a particular area of the car. They also should be esthetically pleasing, otherwise it will not be purchased.

The same concept applies to understanding and learning as specialty areas. It includes the basics of the mind, dictionaries, proper observation, personal attitude, and knowledge about maintaining the body’s health in order to be efficient when working mentally.

In this book, a bit of extensive work will be done not only to obtain a concept* about learning and understanding but also to develop a specific attitude. Therefore, there is a section on specialized fields and philosophy. The text of the philosophical section was taken from my book, Philosophy of Life – The Book of Basics. This book encompasses life itself with a variety of aspects and insights. It is a philosophy* for life.

In Learning How to Learn, Learning How to Understand, I try to convey a thought pattern to provide the reader with the tools needed for learning and understanding. It is of no use to know about the complexities of the brain, such as the storage capacity of brain cells and synapses*, for this is mere knowledge and must be learned. Rather, it is about introducing a technology* to humankind, meaning knowledge that can be applied.

Thus, the following is neither written a professorial* style, nor does it meet a classical writing technique. It happens to be written by me, open and frank, straight to the point, to see what there is to see and not to think what others think of what to think!

The essays* in the book serve as a metaphor* and should give the reader the possibility to apply the herein described experiences to one’s own life.

OF WHAT USE IS THE LANGUAGE IF ONE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE WORD!

The Theory* of the Superior Datum

The professional part actually begins with some philosophy*. If one wishes to understand something, it requires an assignment, meaning an explanation of what is to be achieved with something. A superior datum is a datum to which all subordinate data are aligned. The name of a specialized field usually is the datum to which data of the specialized field is aligned.

Example: Frank wants to build a house. First, he goes to the bank to find out about his financial status. Then he goes to city hall to inquire about a lot. He already has a rough idea of what his future home should look like and, thus, goes to the architect. This now continues step by step from the contractor to the furniture to the finished house.

The superior datum as mentioned in the example above is building a house. All other data will be assigned to the superior datum to fulfill the purpose of the superior datum. The sequence would be the idea, the planning, the action and the product. The building of a house is divided into several phases, and each area consists of an idea, the planning, the action and the product. For example, what plasterer do we hire, how much are the costs associated with his work, how much does he charge, is he reliable, and is his work of good quality?

Learning as a superior datum is defined as follows: “The recording of data resulting in a valid final behavior.“ It is about that information is recorded, stored and understood to be retrieved in a certain behavior. Consider the elementary school student who is supposed to learn the multiplication table that he can use after elementary school. Thus, he has taken up data, stored and understood them and is able to recall them for calculation – as a result, he has learned.

The content in this book is structured in such a way that learning is geared toward the superior datum. This requires a certain sequence to get a functional whole, starting with the most important foundation, which is developed and again advanced. Imagine a specialized field as a pyramid. The tip represents the goal, which was designated by a word and represented by its definition. There are different levels in this pyramid, each having equal importance. However, before ascending to the next level, the current level must be completed, otherwise the structure will no longer work.

The same applies to the procedure in this book: First the most important things are addressed so that the mind is oriented towards understanding. In regard to pyramid and pyramid levels: At the beginning of his life, the human being starts at the bottom of the pyramid and works his way up to find the superior datum at the next level. When he has found the superior datum at that level, he advances to the next level, the exception being the one who remains on one level. Interestingly enough, he truly then starts to understand when he has found the superior datum. Thus, the human being understands more and more, from level to level, from one superior datum to the next.

Remember, a pyramid is three-dimensional* and at its tip becomes one dimensional to its origin itself. In fact, at the tip of the pyramid is only one word: SURVIVAL!

Thus, the most important part of learning is communication. The human being perceives his environment through the senses. It is a very specific process which is described below.

First one has to perceive things in order to learn them!

Communication

Definitions:

Duplicate: To have the same concept in the head as the sender. The recipient duplicates the statement of the sender. A duplicate is an exact copy of the original.

Duplication: The creation of a picture in the mind (image) that corresponds exactly to what has been heard or read or that has been perceived with the five senses*. (B03)

Therefore, after communicating, the recipient has a duplicate in his mind of what was expressed by the sender. The end result: the recipient is duplicated. Here it is again in all clarity: The imprint of the rubber stamp on the sheet of paper is the recipient, and the rubber stamp is the sender.

Naturally, one must know the words of the language, as well as the meaning of the symbols. I mean, of what use is a word or symbol if one cannot understand it and does not have a precise definition for it? One must be able to define the symbols and words precisely, regarding what is being expressed about the situation, the thing and the purpose.

For this purpose, an unabridged dictionary, e.g., Merriam Webster’s, is very helpful, but keep in mind, the lexicographers* are human beings, and they see things from their own point of view. When the definition of a word from a dictionary is inadequate for one’s purpose, then it is helpful to define it differently or to invent a new word to bypass associations with common words.

As Voltaire* said: “Define your language.“ ... THAT IS IMPORTANT!!!

In order to avoid being misunderstood in a conversation, it is very helpful to clarify the topic; therefore, one should portray the topic figuratively or define it. Usually words are not looked up in a dictionary (important where they look it up!), and the individual does not have an exact idea of its meaning. This is why one should make it clear to others what the topic is about, or ask someone what he understands about “thingamabob.” JJJ

Trying to put into someone’s head to 100% the exact, same idea by means of words or symbols? Here is a quotation from the movie Robin Hood with Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman: “There are only perfect* intentions!“ The material world around you has been created with very specific intentions; however, it is difficult to find something perfect, as there are almost always deviations from the result and the intention.

Words have limited ability that is subject to a scale of 0% - 100%. If someone says red to you, what does he mean, light red, dark red? Being pregnant? One is always 100% pregnant. However, there are different stages of pregnancy. Also with a disease: Does being 100% ill mean being 100% limited? Being pregnant is not an illness, but one is rather limited during the end stages of pregnancy.

One can bypass explanations through words by showing pictures. Pictures give no room for error to interpret something differently. They are unequivocal. As far as the human being is concerned, regarding the essential more important part of the thing, a picture does not show the motive why one does what he does. Is he friend or foe? When two individuals fight each other, is it a dispute or a competition? When the other says, “I love you,“ is it for purely selfish, sexual interest, or does he want to be there for the other?

Communication and understanding? True communication results in assured understanding. The human being tends to demand traceability from the communication; he wants to understand things, and he wants an explanation. See for yourself. When someone tells you something, a reason is given, or the listener will ask for a reason if he does not understand the context.

Communication and agreement? To understand something is the basis for a decision: Agreed or not agreed. Even if one understood and does not agree, one can still negotiate to reach an agreement that both parties can accept (compromise)– even if both sides are not truly satisfied. Maybe the circumstances do not allow it. Not willing to give in? What have wars* brought forth up to now?

Let us make communication to mean a precise matter. There are still other terms like conversation or talk methods of intellectual exchange where accuracy is not that important.

Communication not precise? Now, what is usually the cause of most misunderstandings and mistakes?

Communication Formular

“Communication is the consideration and action of impelling a particle or impulse from source point across a distance to receipt point, with the intention of bringing into being at the receipt point a duplication and understanding of that which emanated from the source point.” (B01)

The Complete Communication Cycle

The complete communication cycle takes place between two individuals. It starts, changes, stops and turns around: The communicator perceives, understands and acts, and then the other perceives, understands and acts.

If there is no answer in this cycle, the communicator will become hungry for an answer, and he will be dissatisfied and displeased after a while.

Here are some examples of a complete communication cycle:

Mother: “Do you want milk?”

Child: “Yes.”

Mother: “Ok.“

Also in baseball: The pitcher throws the ball, and the batter tries to hit the ball with his bat.

Thus, there is intention and attention - cause, distance and effect.

When Does the Child Know That the Sky is Blue?

There it is now, the new life. It sees the light of the world for the first time in the United States of America. But when does the child know that the sky is blue? For instance, in France it is completely different, there they say: Le ciel est bleu. It is strange, in the USA: The sky is blue; in France: Le ciel est bleu. Same statement different language!

When the child opens his eyes, it sees what it sees. The adult in the USA points up and says: “Blue sky.“ The child, without any knowledge of the language, must now figure out what blue and sky mean. A car passes by, and the adult says, “Blue car.“ Aha! a difference: blue sky and blue car. An airplane flies by, and the adult says, “An airplane in the sky.“

In this way, the child learns the language when the adult points to something and gives it a name. Over time, the child will start to note differences and similarities and start to develop his language. The language is something that we all have agreed to, and it only works because we say that it is so. A language does not only consist of words that refer to something that can be experienced through the five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. Things perceived through the senses are referred to as concrete, for they are easily recognized in the actual event one speaks of defining.

In the human world, there are things which cannot be perceived through the senses, such as loyalty, virtue, strength, spirit, thinking, etc. These are referred to as abstract. It is something that does not exist as matter, but is available in the human world. One could say: “ It exists only in the mind.“

The human being uses words to express all of this, but few have ever looked up words in order to have certainty about whether they have the exact meaning that is generally agreed upon. The general agreement often determines what is right and wrong, in some cases ignoring the truth.

So when the adult points to a house and says, “house,” the child duplicates this process, creating a duplicate in his mind. A duplicate is an image in the mind of the individual, a likeness of the experienced, a mental impression or image of the physical universe, called facsimile.

Often it takes a while until something is duplicated. As the saying goes: “The number of repetitions corresponds to certainty and results.“ (B01) This reminds me of my schoolmate Jörg. The French teacher was upset at him because he did not know the French word for “now.” He “punished” him by making him write “maintenant” (now) 100 times. Jörg’s schooldays have long passed and, never having used French, forgot it, except for “maintenant!” One duplicates faster and another slower. This has to do with the ability to create energy because a picture in the mind is a picture composed of energy that can be measured with sensitive instruments.

During the training it is often misunderstood that a house has a foundation and consists of separate parts. The same applies to learning. The foundation is the ability to create energy, what the human being does compulsively. However, the individual parts of the building are often presented in such a way that the human being finds it difficult to build a house.

The basic part of a word is the letter. Thus, one must first know the ABCs. The basic part of the language is also the letter, in this case the pronunciation of it, which, for learning purposes, is presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

When the learner has an accurate idea of what the individual letter looks like and how it sounds, he would be perfect in orthography*, except for the capitalization, the punctuation, etc. This statement counts for German because all letters in a word are pronounced and do not change their pronunciation with a few exceptions. English is a mess! There are three different ways to pronounce an a, like in care, car, name. U is pronounced differently in understand and uniform. Then there is is and ice, and lead-free gasoline and leader. The foreigner learning English does not know when to use the appropriate pronunciation. By reading a word often enough, one will eventually have all the letters duplicated to be able to write the word correctly in accordance with the grammar rules. Words are misspelled when:

They are not looked up, read or written often enough;

Unknown words are encountered in dictation, when the one dictating has an unclear pronunciation, or when the transcriber cannot reconcile the sound of the word with the sound of the individual letter, syllable, etc., meaning that one still does not know the phonetic* alphabet.

The student rhymes together his own spelling instead of listening closely. Herewith dyslexia* is now cured, except for psychological or anatomical disorders. One really does not need a speech therapist or speech pathologist.

A further remark regarding the various rural dialects: In rural areas it is frowned upon to speaking properly among local individuals. Even the adult the adult cannot speak a proper language! The learning child, therefore, has some problems with the written and the spoken language. Generally, one just does not belong, if he does not speak the language that the others speak.

There is “Chinese School:“ The teacher stands in front of the class, says something, and the pupils repeat it. At the beginning, the teacher writes the matter in question on the blackboard, for example, the letter “A” and says: “Give me an A!“ The students respond in chorus: “An A!“ They now write a small and a large A on their small writing boards with white chalk and hold them up. This is continued with syllables and followed by words.

In this way, in 10 minutes a day of Chinese School, one can practice the alphabet, the words, the language, the basic terminology, etc., until the end of the training, using a small writing board and chalk!

Learning means to have the basics that require the application of mechanical practice! As mentioned earlier: “The number of repetitions corresponds to certainty and results.“ (B01) (Dedicated to Jörg S.).

PS: The human being still is at a level of mental health where no mental processes are necessary to get a good education. It only lacks good methods and the knowledge about the functioning of the mind.

On a personal note, the theoretical driving test was so easy simply because I “only” worked through all questionnaires three times.

Word

Nowadays, it is easy to chat with someone by using words to communicate unless they speak a different languages or are deaf. The basic vocabulary of a language is usually sufficient to get along with each other and is about 1,000 words in English and in German. Lists of basic vocabulary exist, which one can learn ... and should in order to learn the language!

At the beginning of human language development, it was different. You saw something and wished to tell Uckh* about it – you want to communicate an idea that is in your head. You saw a stone, the largest that you have ever laid eyes upon. How are you going to share this with someone? Language has not yet been developed; therefore, you take Uckh by the hand and drag him to the large stone. “Aah,” Uckh nods.

The ancient language is called Indo-European. It got its name because the Germans settled in the Northwest and the Indians in the Southeast. In this context, the Germans and the Indians interacted long ago; they were a common nation. Nevertheless, they separated, and with increasing distance, other languages evolved.

Therefore, from the Indo-Germanic language origin, Germanic, English, High German, Dutch, Swedish, etc. evolved; (B12). Furthermore, a group of people migrated to the Mediterranean region; they were called Italic peoples). From Italic,Latin developed and served as the foundation for the Romance languages, such as Italian, Spanish, French, etc. To the east, Indo-European developed into other languages, such as the Slavic, Baltic, Iranian, etc. Imagine all languages like your family tree where somehow something evolved out of something else. Thus, from one tribe a world of many countries with their own languages came to be.

Word could be defined as a sequence of letters that make sense, interjections* included. Fortunately, there are dictionaries, where one can verify words. However, problems arise with dialect or colloquial expressions (similar to slang but more localized), which are not found in the dictionary until someone makes an effort to add the words to the dictionary.

Colloquial expressions can have their origin when humans do not know their own language exactly and have to invent words to express what they think. The process is: to experience something, to memorize it and to converse with someone. When one thinks about anything, one must have some knowledge of it.

You can determine if you understand a word by recognizing its function. Every word has a specific function, otherwise the word would not exist.

Names also have their function, such as Smith, a person who may have been a blacksmith in earlier days, or Miller, a person who perhaps operated a mill. However, sometimes the function of the name can no longer be accurately traced. There are separate books about this.

Words are often derived from the characteristics of physical objects and, sometimes, from human beings. In English/German parlance* someone is called an academic because he attained a degree from a university or college. Therefore, he has an academic degree. In Webster’s New World Dictionary, a further definition is found stating that anyone having to do with general or liberal education, rather than vocational or technical education, is an academic.

The word academy finds its roots with Plato, a Greek philosopher. He named an olive grove after the Greek hero Academus. Later, Plato built a school on his “philosophical” garden – where he started teaching. (S01)

One could ask from what characteristics the definition of “academic” is derived. Were they the characteristics of the hero Academus or the place where Plato educated his students? What is the indicator education: the characteristics of a hero or a philosopher? It is simple. The more words that are interpreted and construed in a strange way, the more confusion and misunderstanding will result.

In any case, the German-English translator should be careful not to translate the German words into English word for word e.g. Schmetterling – butterfly (literally butter + fly meaning in German Butterfliege which doesn’t make sense!), and I think that the Webster‘s definition of academic is a little far-fetched.

Thus, God confused the language of human beings in Babylon, and the same goes for the native language, as long as one has not looked up unfamiliar words in the dictionary!

PS: Remember: A word is just a substitute for something. Of course, it is easier to dream up a word for something and to store it as an image in the mind instead of always having to drag the thing itself around with oneself! To be brief, one would always have to lug around a bunch of stuff, and a skyscraper does not fit in one’s pocket!

One dresses one’s thoughts in words, a purely abstract matter, and it does not matter what language is being used: English, German or Chinese. Words are used to convey thoughts. Thus it is not the word that is important, but rather the meaning behind it! Thinking only works with images, for if one only has letters in one’s head, one will not achieve a result.

The study of a specialized field is too complicated? They are only the words one does not understand! Also, look at the obvious behind it and not at the theory that someone has fabricated.

Grammar

Definition of grammar: sy*. Teaching of language, consisting of spelling, sentence structure, tenses, etc.

Here it is, the German’s archenemy*: grammar. Generally, nothing else gives the pupil more discomfort than this subject. No wonder, for it is intentionally kept quite complicated, often explained or approached in a way that the student is more confused after the instruction. By this I mean, ask the teacher if he can give an applicable definition for understanding because he will convey the instructional material with or without understanding.

In general, human beings have agreed to use logic as a basis. If things do not seem logical to someone, one does not accept them and these cannot be understood. Thus, there must be a connection where one can see what one thing has to do with another and how one thing effects the other. This would be a definition of understanding.

Unfortunately, grammar rules are arbitrary. The problem in regard to grammar is the only partly logically constructed sequence. Some things do not make sense because they are not logically traceable. It just seems logical because one is used to one’s native tongue and never questioned it in detail, such as upper and lower case letters. What is the meaning of this? In a conversation, there is nothing to distinguish! One does not hear lower or upper case letters. Might I mention the German articles der (singular-masculine), e.g., der Zaun (the fence), die (plural, singular-feminine and plural all articles) die Kinder, die Wand, e.g., (the children, the wall), das (singular-neuter), e.g., das Haus, (the house). Trying to explain to a British citizen that a wall is feminine and that a fence is masculine can be quite a challenge! How can one distinguish the gender?

Then there are the scholars who defend this nonsense, but only because they do not understand the meaning of it. Being educated means that one can superbly parrot the stuff that someone has prattled to him. Being educated does not mean that one has to be especially smart to understand the sense and background of things.

The word which identifies one of the various objects one is surrounded by was invented by someone. Each thing has been given a name. In order to have a cogent conversation, rules were put into the world about how to assemble a reasonable sentence from individual words so that the other can understand what is going on, whether the matter is completed immediately or the next day. An exact outline is demonstrated in verb tenses. The English language has 12 of them. Tense tempus originates from Latin and means time.

The sentence structure (syntax) is a very important part of the language. If you are not able to construct a rational sentence, no one will know what is meant. In the case where you desire to play a game with others called life, you can play only if you can tell them the name of the game. Thus, in this game there is a cause and an effect, meaning someone or something where things have a beginning and a way to where they lead: a logical sequence.

Here, I want to establish neither a grammar guide nor reinvent the entire subject anew; however, I just want to point out that it is possible for one to achieve some logic so that grammar makes sense.

My grades on grammar tests were a catastrophe. I simply never understood the concept of what it was all about. Later on, when I began to understand my environment and realized that understanding consisted of knowing the meaning of words and symbols by recognizing what the other wishes to express, things became clear to me.

This is how one can find this cause-effect principle in the sentence structure: subject, predicate, object. Let us say that Peter wishes to play a game. The example sentence is: “I go to Peter.” If one knows the exact meaning of subject, predicate and object, one really has a good grasp of how language can be used in playing a game.

Let us discuss the example sentence: “I go to Peter.”

The subject: “I“ is the noun performing the action, except in a passive voice sentence, for there it is the other way around. In this case, something happens to the subject, e.g., money (subject) was stolen from me.

The predicate: “go“ is the statement, the verb which indicates a state of being or an action within the sentence. The predicate shapes the sentence, like a coin that received an imprint so that one can recognize the meaning of the coin.

The object: “Peter“ is the sentence completion. The subject and predicate call for an object, something that the action is directed towards.

Thus, a definition of the word “sentence“ in the literature: a linguistic unity* that begins with a capital letter, contains a concept and ends with a period, exclamation point or question mark.

Realizing that every word has a function, if you wish to attain understanding, you have to know the function of the word and recognize what one has to do with the other. Grammar will be easier when you can explain the technical terms in regard to how terms affect the language, in other words, what the word causes within the language.

Likewise, the words: adjective, adverb and participle. What is the purpose of these words? If someone has studied English grammar a bit more in detail and has read English grammar books, he will find a term for the group of the words listed above: modifier (to modify, or in simple English, to change or to alter). Therefore, adjective, adverb and participle modify something. Adjectives modify nouns, pronouns and other adjectives; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs; and, the participle acts like an adverb or an adjective, depending on how it is used.

Let us look at participles (to take part; the participle takes part in something). We know the first and second participle, the participle of the present and the participle of the past. When it is used as an adjective, one can even recognize a causeeffect principle: the loving man (loving as participle I) and the loved man ( loved as participle II). If the man is loved, he is in an effect position and if he loves (loving), then he is cause. ... things are easy when one recognizes the function.

The tree paints a house. Syntax: subject, predicate, object? As we recognize, the example sentence corresponds to the formal structure of grammar, except that it makes no sense. A tree cannot paint! Consequently, the sentence structure needs an important addition: the logic of the real world! The exception would be if one writes fairy tales or science fiction because in the human mind anything is possible!

However, the faculty blow this matter out of proportion, for they want to have something to teach. They are fighting for their right to exist. Language is only an aid to a game, not the game itself. It would be better to prepare the student for the game, rather than to elaborate on inconsequential pedantic* points. Language can work without education. One can have a reasonable conversation with children at the preschool age for the senior has long forgotten the grammatical terms. However, in regard to understanding and explaining, the subject of grammar must be presented clearly.

Important!!! - The Definition of Definition

To define is to describe something, and in addition to form and purpose, also contains a description of the substance*, texture, smell, taste, tactility*, acoustics, chemical reactivity, metallic properties, etc., if required. The human being defines his world through the senses with which he perceives it and the intentions with which he determines it.

Words have their limit because one can only describe things. One’s own experience and perceptions with one’s own senses makes a difference. Thus, when defining, one should add on to what the person already knows in order to approach understanding through a comparative definition. Perhaps someone has never seen a cougar. One would ask him if he had ever seen a lioness. The cougar looks similar to a lioness, only a bit smaller. Furthermore, one could mention that a cougar is also called puma, mountain lion, panther or catamount and that he, unlike large cats, can be found in the Americas; (S01).

Thus, values are set to allow for a better allocation. In this regard, the human being is very precise. He has measuring devices with scales, and the measuring devices are subject to calibration with respect to accuracy. There are even values for the spiciness of food, the Scoville scale/unit, named after the developer Wilbur L. Scoville; (S01).

Application: It is about understanding things, in particular the words of a language. One does not actually define the word, but that which is meant by it. The word is just a substitute for a thing. Even in respect to linguistic expressions, one should know the purpose of the linguistic expression within this abstract* thing called language, such as the purpose of the adjective*.

Based on duplication, one gets a concept when defining: (a) what the thing is exactly; (b) the purpose of the thing, or what it does. The point to this is that you get an image, meaning a picture, in your mind that you create - no picture no understanding! By acquiring even more data on the subject and comparing it with similar data, you can deepen your understanding.

To clarify means to make things clear! This is to have a clear picture, not a blurred or foggy one. Clear pictures can be distinguished from one another for each one has its own shape; it is defined.

A car is a vehicle for transporting people. Thus, it can be assumed that this vehicle is designed primarily for people and has seats. Here again, an image can be outlined in one’s head.