Sayings

Better untaught than ill taught

This page is about the saying "Better untaught than ill taught"

Possible meaning:
This proverb drops the verb "to be" (It is better to be untaught than ill taught). We understand: "It is better not to be taught at all than to be taught badly." It's better not to learn something than to learn it badly.

Note:
taught = past participle of verb "teach" (here used in passive voice) | ill taught = badly taught

This idea is echoed in Pope's famous line: "A little Learning is a dang'rous Thing"

Quick Quiz

"Better untaught than ill taught" can be interpreted as

a. bad teachers can't teach sick students

b. a bad teacher is better than no teacher at all

c. it's better to have no teacher than a bad teacher
a) bad teachers can't teach sick students b) a bad teacher is better than no teacher at all c) it's better to have no teacher than a bad teacher

See Saying of the Day today

Contributor: Josef Essberger