Ethan Poole
Department of Linguistics
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4.0
Overall Rating
Based on 10 Users
Easiness 3.0 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.9 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.9 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.5 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

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GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
29.1%
24.3%
19.4%
14.6%
9.7%
4.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

19.5%
16.3%
13.0%
9.8%
6.5%
3.3%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

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Reviews (9)

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Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
May 6, 2025

Honestly, I’m so thankful to have taken Ethan for Syntax I. To be completely honest, both the content of Syntax and Ethan himself can feel a little intimidating at first. When I was first learning the material or wanted to ask a question, I was nervous, since Ethan clearly knows the subject extremely well. But I strongly encourage you to push past that hesitation. After I hit a roadblock in the class, Ethan personally reached out to me after noticing a low exam grade, which led to a great conversation during office hours and a turning point in my experience with the course.
He provides helpful handouts that explain the material covered in the lecture, and I highly recommend following along with them as he teaches. The content can feel very overwhelming in the beginning, but paying close attention during class will help a lot.
One of the most overlooked resources in the course is his worksheets. These are introduced in discussion sections, but there usually isn’t enough time to finish them during the session. I highly recommend doing them on your own each week before the homework, and especially before exams. These worksheets are excellent for practice, and while Ethan does provide an exam study guide, the worksheets often cover the extra material some students tend to miss. They really help tie things together and are especially useful when you’re trying to get comfortable with the trees.
Syntax is a course that builds on itself week by week. It’s important to stay on top of the material, which is why I keep emphasizing how useful the worksheets are. When Ethan says to reach out if you need help, he really means it. He is responsive, patient, and genuinely wants students to succeed. I asked plenty of questions I felt like I should already know, and he always helped clarify without making me feel bad. He listens, and he’s supportive.
If you stay caught up, practice consistently, and take the time to understand how everything connects, you will do well. Homework is manageable if you keep up with the lectures and discussions. Going to sections can also give you small grade boosts, especially if you make the effort to gain points back. I also recommend coming in with specific questions. Syntax can be confusing, but when you know what you’re stuck on, both Ethan and the TAs give really helpful feedback.
Exams are open note, so I suggest bringing your completed homework, the handouts, and your own versions of the worksheets (not just the answer keys). The syntax tree questions may look intimidating at first, but they are always based on patterns and structures you have already seen. Once you get the trees down, the harder part becomes the theory and analysis questions. If anything is unclear, ask about it beforehand. I wish I had done that more.
Last tip, try not to turn in homework late or after class. Ethan seems to value punctuality, especially when it comes to discussion attendance and assignment deadlines, so be considerate with that.

Helpful?

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Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
April 8, 2025

class was extremely well organized and handouts were super helpful and comprehensive of the course material; I never felt like there was a problem on the homework that I was unequipped to solve. I fear lecture was super dry and homework did have to be turned in on paper in-person during lecture but otherwise attendance was not required. discussion attendance was also not required but you got homework points back if you did go, I was never stressed about my grade. goated prof

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 21, 2025

Honestly, I thought this class was pretty free. Ethan posts all the class materials on the course website, so I never felt the need to go to lecture even though they weren’t recorded. Homework had to be turned in physically at the beginning of lecture and you can recoup points if you attend discussion. Exams were also open note.
Overall, this class was never really something I had to worry about and I really enjoyed the content.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2025
Grade: C+
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 21, 2025

Class was understandable and homework was easy because everything you learn in class is reflected on the assignments and you get points back on homework from going to discussion. Although, he is not helpful when I reached out and will tell you that you should know the content already and his exams were absolutely nothing like his practice exams. Like nothing....probably 30% of the practice exam reflected the final.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
June 7, 2024

Ethan is an amazing instructor for Ling 120B. He designs the course so you feel like you are "discovering" syntax, exploring possible frameworks and selecting the "optimal" one based on real evidence. I've found that this approach allows students to gain a truly strong understanding of the abstract theoretical concepts covered in the class. Additionally, he goes out of his way to be understanding during difficult times and offer help when needed. If you have to take Ling 120B, take it with Ethan!

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A+
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
June 18, 2021

Compared to Ling 20, this class was definitely a step up as there is more emphasis on analysis rather than memorizing facts and rules. Also, the content keeps building upon itself throughout the quarter, so it's good to make sure you know what's going on as you go, because it'll get more confusing later. It definitely helps that Professor Poole is very organized and clear in lectures, and his handouts are a lifesaver

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: N/A
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
May 29, 2021

Professor Poole is definitely a super organized instructor and even provides handouts so it's easier to take notes. This is my 2nd Ling class, Ling 20 being the first, and it's super easy to get confused and lost. Totally my fault but I wish he would dumb down his lectures a bit. It's hard to truly understand the topic when he's speaking in big words lol. I think he's just too smart to dumb it down though. Hoping and praying for a C!!!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A
April 14, 2020

The material in this class is dry. However, Poole is a helpful professor during office hours. He is patient to explain and guide you to the answers. He provides handout notes in class so students don't have to print out anything. I like his sense of humor. Sometimes it helps during a boring lecture. Things in class usually don't make sense to you until you do the homework. The test (open-book) is challenging, in my opinion.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: B-
March 23, 2020

Syntax 1 with Poole is a great class, it is definitely not a cake walk by any means, but you have the support and attention from TAs and Poole when you need help and clarification. (Grade was low due to outside circumstances during the quarter). The second half of the class is the harder section that will make or break grades, so stay alert and make sure you understand the material each week.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A-
May 6, 2025

Honestly, I’m so thankful to have taken Ethan for Syntax I. To be completely honest, both the content of Syntax and Ethan himself can feel a little intimidating at first. When I was first learning the material or wanted to ask a question, I was nervous, since Ethan clearly knows the subject extremely well. But I strongly encourage you to push past that hesitation. After I hit a roadblock in the class, Ethan personally reached out to me after noticing a low exam grade, which led to a great conversation during office hours and a turning point in my experience with the course.
He provides helpful handouts that explain the material covered in the lecture, and I highly recommend following along with them as he teaches. The content can feel very overwhelming in the beginning, but paying close attention during class will help a lot.
One of the most overlooked resources in the course is his worksheets. These are introduced in discussion sections, but there usually isn’t enough time to finish them during the session. I highly recommend doing them on your own each week before the homework, and especially before exams. These worksheets are excellent for practice, and while Ethan does provide an exam study guide, the worksheets often cover the extra material some students tend to miss. They really help tie things together and are especially useful when you’re trying to get comfortable with the trees.
Syntax is a course that builds on itself week by week. It’s important to stay on top of the material, which is why I keep emphasizing how useful the worksheets are. When Ethan says to reach out if you need help, he really means it. He is responsive, patient, and genuinely wants students to succeed. I asked plenty of questions I felt like I should already know, and he always helped clarify without making me feel bad. He listens, and he’s supportive.
If you stay caught up, practice consistently, and take the time to understand how everything connects, you will do well. Homework is manageable if you keep up with the lectures and discussions. Going to sections can also give you small grade boosts, especially if you make the effort to gain points back. I also recommend coming in with specific questions. Syntax can be confusing, but when you know what you’re stuck on, both Ethan and the TAs give really helpful feedback.
Exams are open note, so I suggest bringing your completed homework, the handouts, and your own versions of the worksheets (not just the answer keys). The syntax tree questions may look intimidating at first, but they are always based on patterns and structures you have already seen. Once you get the trees down, the harder part becomes the theory and analysis questions. If anything is unclear, ask about it beforehand. I wish I had done that more.
Last tip, try not to turn in homework late or after class. Ethan seems to value punctuality, especially when it comes to discussion attendance and assignment deadlines, so be considerate with that.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
April 8, 2025

class was extremely well organized and handouts were super helpful and comprehensive of the course material; I never felt like there was a problem on the homework that I was unequipped to solve. I fear lecture was super dry and homework did have to be turned in on paper in-person during lecture but otherwise attendance was not required. discussion attendance was also not required but you got homework points back if you did go, I was never stressed about my grade. goated prof

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A
March 21, 2025

Honestly, I thought this class was pretty free. Ethan posts all the class materials on the course website, so I never felt the need to go to lecture even though they weren’t recorded. Homework had to be turned in physically at the beginning of lecture and you can recoup points if you attend discussion. Exams were also open note.
Overall, this class was never really something I had to worry about and I really enjoyed the content.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2025
Grade: C+
March 21, 2025

Class was understandable and homework was easy because everything you learn in class is reflected on the assignments and you get points back on homework from going to discussion. Although, he is not helpful when I reached out and will tell you that you should know the content already and his exams were absolutely nothing like his practice exams. Like nothing....probably 30% of the practice exam reflected the final.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
June 7, 2024

Ethan is an amazing instructor for Ling 120B. He designs the course so you feel like you are "discovering" syntax, exploring possible frameworks and selecting the "optimal" one based on real evidence. I've found that this approach allows students to gain a truly strong understanding of the abstract theoretical concepts covered in the class. Additionally, he goes out of his way to be understanding during difficult times and offer help when needed. If you have to take Ling 120B, take it with Ethan!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A+
June 18, 2021

Compared to Ling 20, this class was definitely a step up as there is more emphasis on analysis rather than memorizing facts and rules. Also, the content keeps building upon itself throughout the quarter, so it's good to make sure you know what's going on as you go, because it'll get more confusing later. It definitely helps that Professor Poole is very organized and clear in lectures, and his handouts are a lifesaver

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: N/A
May 29, 2021

Professor Poole is definitely a super organized instructor and even provides handouts so it's easier to take notes. This is my 2nd Ling class, Ling 20 being the first, and it's super easy to get confused and lost. Totally my fault but I wish he would dumb down his lectures a bit. It's hard to truly understand the topic when he's speaking in big words lol. I think he's just too smart to dumb it down though. Hoping and praying for a C!!!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A
April 14, 2020

The material in this class is dry. However, Poole is a helpful professor during office hours. He is patient to explain and guide you to the answers. He provides handout notes in class so students don't have to print out anything. I like his sense of humor. Sometimes it helps during a boring lecture. Things in class usually don't make sense to you until you do the homework. The test (open-book) is challenging, in my opinion.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: B-
March 23, 2020

Syntax 1 with Poole is a great class, it is definitely not a cake walk by any means, but you have the support and attention from TAs and Poole when you need help and clarification. (Grade was low due to outside circumstances during the quarter). The second half of the class is the harder section that will make or break grades, so stay alert and make sure you understand the material each week.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
1 of 1
4.0
Overall Rating
Based on 10 Users
Easiness 3.0 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.9 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.9 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.5 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

There are no relevant tags for this professor yet.

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