This is Why We Read Books

Every week Nicco has a language arts assignment to be completed with a parent.
This week the lesson was on base words and the -ed and -ing verb endings.

The story that went with the lesson was called "Sad Day, Happy Day." It was about two kids who couldn't play outside because it was a rainy day. They didn't laugh, they didn't smile. They just looked out the window. Then, oh happy day, the sun SHINED on the rain. I asked Nicco, does it say "shined?" He said, "Yes...is that even a word? I think it should be shone." That set my little Grammar Police heart all aflutter, bursting with pride!

When he finished reading and got to the practice part of the assignment, he added all the -ed and -ing endings to the base words. He paused when he came to shine. He didn't know what to do. Should he do what the assignment says, or should he do what is grammatically correct? I told him to do what is grammatically correct.

I added a note to the paper, suggesting that his teacher point out to the children that shine is an irregular verb and shone, not shined, is the proper past tense. Then I called my mom to share the outrage. She suggested that I check my dictionary to make sure I'm right. Our language is not dead, after all. It is a living, and evolving tongue. I said yes, but the reason many improper uses become acceptable is that we have illiterates teaching illiteracy!

I checked the dictionary anyway.

It said:
Shine: v. shone or esp. for vt. 2, shined, shining. 1. to emit or reflect light 2. to stand out; excel 3. to exhibit itself clearly.

I had to look in the guide to the dictionary to find out what the "esp. for vt." designation meant before I could allow Nicco to turn in his assignment. It said, "Where three forms of the verb are given, the first represents the past tense, the second the past participle, and the third the present participle."

I win!

The moral of the story is, of course, to read books. Reading books enables one to intuitively know when something is wrong in a sentence. It makes you smart. And you win.