我一直感到納悶的是，為什麼現在很多孩子犯很多英文基本文法的錯？比方說，第三人稱單數現在式的動詞不加s、在助動詞can的後面用了過去式或者用了to、否定語氣亂用verb to be、寫出I am not like you.
而過去我的同學好像都不犯這種錯的，原因何在？
最近我和一些大學教授聊天，我問大家為什麼學生會犯那些最基本的文法錯誤，所有的大學教授都嘲笑我，他們說我太糊塗，我所關心的那些題目現在是不考的，現在的會考幾乎沒有任何基本的題目，可是卻有非常難的題目。
我是在民國43年考高中的，最近看了民國43年考高中的英文考題，我完全懂得了，在那個時候考題是相當簡單的，而且非常重視最基本的文法。以下是一些高中入學的考題，我們可以看出這些題目都是相當基本的。令我感到相當高興的是，很多題目都在我和海柏教授寫的一本文法書中看得到。最有趣的是，很多題目只要看書中的第一章就可以了。可惜現在的老師們是不會注意這些最基本文法的。
一女中考題
1. My country is
(1) Yellow River (2) The Republic of China (3) The United States of America
(4) The Philippine Islands
2. ________ he get up early in the morning?
(1) Do (2) Has (3) Does (4) Don’t
3. It is cold in _______
(1) Summer (2) spring (3) autumn (4) winter
4. The wind ____________ now.
(1) Blow (2) blowing (3) has blown (4) is blowing
新竹中學
Correct the errors in the following sentences
1. I am writing a letter when he comes in.
2. If I was you, I would not go.
3. He does not to speak loudly.
4. The book on the table belong to my friend.
5. You should not comes late.
新竹女中
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
1. He work hard.
2. He could wrote as well as you.
3. He is a American.
4. They said they are glad to see you.
5. Chen, my teacher, who is a very clever man.
台中一中
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
1. I went to school tomorrow.
2. He is think of his father.
3. He can ran fast.
台中女中
Choose the correct word or phrase in the parenthesis:
1. We (are taking, take, have taken) a lesson every day.
2. I (saw, see, shall see, see) him yesterday.
3. He (come, will come, came) tomorrow.
4. He (go, goes) to bed very late.
5. There (is, have, are) two books on the table.
6. This park is (beautiful, beautifuler, more beautiful) than that park.
7. He sings (goo, well, nice)
高雄中學
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
1. He has tolds them a story.
2. She will go to the city yesterday.
3. He can neither read or write
4. The little girl who you see is my sister.
高雄女中
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
1. Your friend don’t know that man.
2. We have study English for three years.
3. I heard him to talk with his father.
4. The letter wrote in red ink.
5. She go to school every day.
花蓮中學
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
1. Let him goes.
2. The men who stand in the street is my brother.
3. What you are doing?
4. Why do you came late last night?
5. He study hard.
最令我感動的是，所有的高中沒有難的題目。不要忘了，當時要進這幾個學校都是菁英份子。可是，顯然當時的考題不難，但是這些中學照樣培養了相當多優秀的學生。不知何故，我找不到建中和師大附中的考題，但是我們要知道，李遠哲院長就是經由這一類的考題進入新竹高中的。
我不反對在會考中有難題，可是絕對應該有很多非常基本的題目。唯有如此，我們才知道學生究竟有沒有到達最低要求的程度。因為我們不可能要求所有的學生程度都非常高，但我們必須要求學生學會最基本的學問。唯有如此，老師才會很認真地教那些最基本的學問。以目前來講，老師不管學生會不會寫文法不錯的句子，因為考高中不考的。
寫到這裡，我忍不住長嘆一聲，因為我寫這種文章已經寫了很久了，也寫了很多次了，可惜大官們完全不理會，真令我痛心也。