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Students taking this course should read all
the material in this syllabus, as well as all the material on the right side
of the photograph on my home page.
Required Textbook:
Kolln, Martha and Robert Funk. Understanding English Grammar. Ninth Edition. Pearson Education. ISBN:9780205209521.
Description:
College
Grammar provides a thorough study of the English language.
We will begin by providing a foundation for our understanding of the background
and development of English--from its Indo-European, Celtic, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Latin
sources through its transition to Middle and Modern English. After a brief
history of the language, we will focus on the structure of English.
We will begin our study with word categories (parts of speech), then progress to a study of phrases and
clauses and their functions. Along with the analysis of words, phrases, and clauses, we will focus on the importance of punctuation,
and then explore the more sophisticated aspects of English usage and syntax--from
simple sentences to compound and complex variations of sentences. Included in these discussions will be the use of the active and passive voice, as well as the fundamentals of diagramming--from the traditional Reed-Kellogg method to the contemporary use of tree diagrams.
This class will help students improve their understanding and knowledge of grammar and assist them in their efforts to become more effective writers and editors of their work and the work of others. Language is a fascinating subject, and students will find that this course will be an enthusiastic exploration of how people communicate with one another, how the way they speak often has social and political implications--and how they make judgments based on speech. In other words, this will not be a dry course in English Grammar.
Prerequisites:
To enroll
for this course, students should have received a placement of English 111,
009, or higher on the English Placement Examination given at Northern Virginia
Community College. Students who have successfully completed a college-level course in Freshman
English--either at this college or at another college or university--are also
eligible for enrollment. Naturally students who have earned a college degree
may enter the course. However, students do not need any previous background in the study
of grammar in order to do well in this course.
Course Objectives for students:
- to learn to recognize and employ appropriately the various levels of English usage--from the eight word categories (parts of speech) to simple, compound, and complex sentences
- to edit their writing and the writing of others
- to evaluate the content and intent of both spoken and written language
- to punctuate accurately
- to be knowledgeable about the background and development of the English language
- to be able to diagram sentences, in both the Reed-Kellogg and tree-diagram format
Evaluation:
Evaluation for the course will consist of two forms: five written assignments that reflect your
understanding of the concepts of grammar and five objective exams that reflect
your knowledge of the text and the material presented in class.
There are links below the schedule of assignments that may help you understand some of the basics of grammar. All of the material is discussed more fully in the text, and will be discussed more fully in class, but I've summarized and, I hope, clarified some of these explanations.
The
Schedule for the Semester:
We will adhere to this schedule throughout the semester. When you come to the exercises in the text, please do not write them out. Look at them and make some notes about them in your text or in your notebook, but these are not to be submitted in writing. Rather, we will work together in class to solve the problems and to answer the questions posed by selected exercises. Don't allow the diagrams to confuse you. In class, we will provide a foundation for your understanding of them. Also, you can find notes on all the chapters at the end of this syllabus.
| 1/9 | Introduction--The Background and Development of English |
| 1/16 | Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday--No Classes Today |
| 1/23 | Chapters 1 ("The Study of Grammar: An Overview") and 2 ("An Introduction to Words and Phrases") |
| 1/30 | Chapter 3 ("Sentence Patterns");click on this link for assignment #1; Exam #1 on History of the English Language, chapters 1, 2, and the handouts I gave you leading into Chapter 3. Bring a scantron (form # 882-E) and a #2 pencil. |
| 2/6 | Chapter 3 (continued); Chapter 4 ("Expanding the Main Verb") |
| 2/13 | Chapter 4 (continued) |
| 2/20 | Chapter 5 ("Changing Sentence Focus") |
| 2/27 | Chapter 6 ("Modifiers of the Verb: Adverbials");click on this link for assignment #2; Exam #2 on Chapters 3, 4, and 5 |
| 3/5 | Spring Break--No Classes This Week |
| 3/12 | Chapter 6 (continued) |
| 3/19 | Chapter 7 ("Modifiers of the Noun: Adjectivals") |
| 3/26 | Chapter 8 ("The Noun Phrase Functions: Nominals");click on this link for assignment #3 ; Exam #3 on Chapters 6 and 7 |
| 4/2 | Chapter 8 (continued) |
| 4/9 | Chapters 9 ("Sentence Modifiers") and 10 ("Coordination") |
| 4/16 | Chapters 11 ("Morphemes") and 12 ("The Form Classes");click on this link for assignment #4 ; Exam #4 on Chapters 8, 9, and 10 |
| 4/23 | Chapters 12 (continued) and 13 ("The Structure Classes") |
| 4/30 | Chapter 14 ("Pronouns") |
| 5/7 | Chapters 15 ("Rhetorical Grammar") and 16 ("Purposeful Punctuation"); click on this link for assignment #5 ; Exam #5 on Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 |
For a quick review of the following aspect of English grammar, follow the links below.
