The Babble of Chambermaids

A question for English teachers: To what extent do you agree with the following opinion expressed by Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592):

"To hear men talk of metonomies, metaphors, and allegories, and other grammar words, would not one think they signified some rare and exotic form of speaking? And yet they are phrases that come near to the babble of my chambermaid."

In other words: When does the analysis of language switch from being a help to being a hindrance to vigorous self-expression? Is it not possible to have too much grammar?

An online ECPE grammar test

There is now an interactive test for ECPE grammar on the Fullspate.net website. It is as hard as the grammar questions in the actual ECPE exam, it is in the usual multiple choice format and students can do it online (and be given their score) so that they can see if they are indeed ready to sit the exam with confidence. Check it out here:

http://www.fullspate.net/exams/ecpe_exam/ecpe_grammartest.html

Rumour has it that the team at Fullspate are also working on a close analysis of the really tricky grammar that has come up in the ECPE in the past so students and teachers know what to focus on not to be caught out (because some of what passes for grammar at the University of Michigan is not what people obsessed with the tenses of verbs often associate with the word "grammar").