ENGLISH 135 SYLLABUS
APPLIED GRAMMAR
PROFESSOR BARBARA MARX
TEXTBOOKS: Donald W. Emery, John M. Kierzek, and Peter Lindblom, English
Fundamentals, Form C, 11th Edition
Diana Hacker, The Bedford Handbook for Writers, 5th Edition
WHOM DOES THIS COLLEGE-LEVEL GRAMMAR COURSE SERVE?
This one-semester course serves students at the English 111 entry-level or above whose competencies, needs, and goals vary considerably: American and international students having gaps in grammar or needing a brush-up for greater confidence and proficiency, as well as individuals who have already completed college or have advanced degrees and return to improve their skills further. This intensive course will instruct you in principles of standard grammar and usage that you can apply in editing and improving both your own writing and the writing of others.
WHAT WILL WE DO IN THIS FAST-PACED, CHALLENGING COURSE?
ENG 135 emphasizes the principles of grammar, and while it benefits your writing, it is not a writing course. This course will illuminate materials presented in the two textbooks, using a competence-building approach that combines explanatory lectures with in-class analysis and discussion of selected exercise items. Weeks 1-8 build the basic foundation; weeks 9-15 focus on avoiding common writing and usage errors.
HOW WILL YOUR GRADE BE DETERMINED?
Employers and others expect your grade accurately to reflect your competence in grammar (A, outstanding; B, good; C, average; D, weak; F, not in the ball park). Here is how I will assess your work:
Attendance (2, 5, and 10% deducted for 2, 3, and 4 weeks of absence respectively; no credit received for the course for further absences)
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:
WEEK 1
Topics--Introduction to the Course; Some Basic Concepts of Grammar; In-Class Work with Sentences
WEEK 2
Topics--The Simple Sentence; Subjects and Verbs; Parts of Speech--Nouns, Pronouns
Readings (textbooks are abbreviated as EF and BH respectively; numbers for BH are section numbers, not page numbers; Ex. stands for exercise number)--EF: Lesson 1; BH: 19 (recog. s. frag.), 60, 60a, 60b, 58a, 21g, 58c (s. with delayed subjects), 57c, 57, 57a, 57b; for international students only, also 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d
Exercises--all exercises are in EF: Ex. 1, #2-40 (even-numbered items only) [Each lesson includes Practice Sheets with answers given in the back of the book; you may try them for optional practice but they are not assigned.]
WEEK 3
Topics--Parts of Speech--Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions
Readings--EF: Lesson 2; BH: 27, 28a, 57d, 57e, 57f, accompanying chart
Exercises--Ex. 2, #2-20; Ex 2A, #2-20
WEEK 4
Topics--Basic Sentence Patterns with Intransitive Verbs; Basic Sentence Patterns with Transitive Verbs
Readings--EF: Lesson 3, Lesson 4; BH: 58, review 58a, 58b, chart
Exercises--Ex. 3, #2-20; Ex. 4, #2-20
WEEK 5
Topics--Forms of the Verb; Auxiliary Verbs; Alterations of Basic Sentence Patterns (Passive Voice, Questions)
Readings--EF: Lesson 5, Lesson 6; BH: 27e, review 57e, 58c
Exercises--Ex. 5, #2-20, Ex. 6, #2-20 for each part
WEEK 6
Test 1 on Parts of Speech and Sentence Patterns, EF Lessons 1-6
Topics--Coordination--the Compound Sentence; Subordination--the Adverb Clause, the Adjective Clause
Readings--EF: Lesson 7, Lesson 8, Lesson 9; BH: review 60a, 32a, 34a, 59b (Adverb and Adjective Clauses only), 32 (to end of Restrictive Clauses)
Exercises--Ex. 7, #2-20; Ex. 8, #2-20 (underline each adverb clause but do not identify the type); Ex. 9, #2-20
WEEK 7
Topics--Subordination--the Noun Clause
Readings--EF: Lesson 10; BH: 59b (Subordinate Clauses and Noun Clauses only), 10b, 59d
Exercises--Ex. 10, #2-20, Ex. 10A, #2-20 (don't identify the function of the complement)
WEEK 8
Topics--Verbal Phrases
Readings--EF: Lesson 11, Lesson 12; BH: 59, 59a, 59c, 59e
Exercises--Ex. 11, #2-20 (for each part); Ex. 12, #2-20; Ex. 12A, #2-20 (do not identify the complement)
WEEK 9
Topics--Sentence Building--Completeness (Avoiding Sentence Fragments)
Readings--EF: Lesson 13; BH: review 19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, chart
Exercises--Ex. 13, #1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9; Ex. 13A, #1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 18
WEEK 10
Test 2 on Coordination and Subordination, EF Lessons 7-12
Topics--Sentence Building--Subordination
Readings--EF: Lesson 15; BH: 15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 8, charts, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d
Exercises--Ex. 15, #2-20 (for each part); Ex. 15A, #2-10; Ex. 15B, #2-10
WEEK 11
Topics--Punctuation--Commas to Separate; Commas to Enclose
Readings--EF: Lesson 17, Lesson 18; BH: 32, review 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, chart, review 32e, 32f, 32g, 32h, 32I, 32j, chart, 33, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 33e, 33g, 33h, 34, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d
Exercises--Ex.17, #2-10; Ex. 17A, #2-20; Ex. 18, #2-20; Ex. 18A, #2-20
WEEK 12
Topics--Punctuation--Apostrophes, Colons, Dashes, Quotation Marks; End Marks
Readings--EF: Lesson 19, Lesson 20; BH: 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 35, 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 39a, 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, 37e, 37f, 37g, 38a, 38b, 38c
Exercises--Ex. 19, #2-10 (for each part); Ex. 20, #2-10 (for each part); Ex. 20A, #2-20
WEEK 13
Test 3 on Sentence Building, EF Lessons 13 & 15; on Punctuation, Lessons 17-20
Topics--Usage--Using Verbs Correctly: Principal Parts
Readings--EF: Lesson 21; BH: review 57c, review 27, 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, 27e, review 28a, 28b, 28c, 13b, 13c; for international students only, also 29, 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 31e
Exercises--Ex. 21, #2-20 (for each part)
WEEK 14
Topics--Subject-Verb Agreement; Reference and Agreement
Readings--EF: Lesson 22, Lesson 23; BH: 22, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, chart, 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 13a
Exercises--Ex. 23, #2-10 (for each part)
WEEK 15
Topics--Usage--Using Pronouns Correctly: Case; Using Modifiers and Prepositions Correctly
Readings--EF: Lesson 24, Lesson 25; highly recommended in Lesson 26, look up usage items for which you need more explanation; BH: 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 24g, chart, 25a, 25b, chart, 26, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d
Exercises--Ex. 24, #2-20; Ex. 24A, #2-20; Ex. 25, all items
WEEK 16
TEST 4 on Usage, EF Lessons 21-25
No make-up tests permitted, regardless of reasons; no grades of Incomplete will be given.