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CANDACE PERKINS BOWEN2015 JEA ADVISERS INSTITUTE

GRAMMAR

What’s your grammar background?

Take the Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication diagnostic

So….?

Top 10 grammar demons

1. Thinking you don’t have to know grammar to write well

2. Subjects and verbs that don’t agree3. Nouns and pronouns that don’t agree4. Lack of parallelism5. Confusing who and whom 6. Confusing that and which7. Confusing possessives and contractions8. Dangling and misplaced modifiers9. Misused commas10. The dreaded passive voice

When Words Collide, by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald

An approach that works

It doesn’t matter what you call the parts, but students need to learn structure. Traditional grammar terms (noun, gerund, clause, etc.) “New” grammar terms: Main parts, lead-in parts, in-

between parts, add-on parts (Steve Peha, president of Teaching that Makes Sense) Transitional grammar terms

Explain as you use whatever term (this –ing word, a gerund, is used as a noun. What do nouns do?)

Teach the structure as a system and also in the context of their writing.

Two-pronged approach

Prong One: First teach grammar systematically because it IS a system. The sentence Parts of speech Agreement Punctuation Clarity & conciseness Style PART TWO: Speedy grammar and word use guide

Prong two: Integrate it with writing

Check sheets for returned papers

More integrating

Sentences from their papers, the cheesier the better, sometimes with sound. (other ppt)

And even more integrating

Focus on one problem area with sentence pairs. Choose a problem, say, commas. Have them find five comma errors on past papers. Write them as they did originally (incorrectly). Then write the sentence with the comma error

corrected and tell why. After the teens went to the dance they drove back to

McDonald’s.

After the teens went to the dance, they drove back to McDonald’s.

Use that idea for a grammar final or other test.

Some bits of fun

For class, have students Make cookies (or other food) in the shape of

punctuation marks and then have students describe how the mark is used while others are eating. (Yes, I know…some places, that’s a no-no)

Dress up as punctuation and do same. Celebrate National Grammar Day – always March 4th.

Sometimes online grammar sites have special contests or activities.

Celebrate National Punctuation Day – always Sept. 24 Digital options: Grammar Bytes (ChompChomp)

Some other bits of fun

The Glamour of Grammar,” by Roy Peter Clark of the Poynter Institute

Grammar Girl podcasts and “Quick and Dirty tips,” podcasts and Facebook

Poynter NewsU – especially “Clean Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More”