English 320: English Grammar Syllabus, Fall 2010 Instructor:

Dr. Gerald Stacy 408 C Language and Literature Building Office Hours: 1:00—2:00 MWTh and by appointment. Phone: 963-1533, E-Mail: [email protected]

Texts:

Dodds, Jack. The Ready Reference Handbook. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2006. Logsdon and Perkins. Adult Literacy in Writing. Stillwater: New Forums Press, 2003. Stacy, Gerald. English Grammar: History and Review. Coursepack, CWU, 2010.

Overview:

After a brief introduction to the history of the English language, we will undertake a review of the concepts, terminology, and historical development of traditional grammar, the parts of speech, and their functions in sentences. The elements of the sentence and its various patterns will also be studied. We will also review various grammatical and mechanical errors as exemplified in college freshmen essays.

Outcomes:

1. Students will master the basic terminology necessary to discuss and/or teach language, language change, and traditional grammar. 2. Students will learn to recognize and employ effectively the various conventions of grammar, mechanics, and punctuation. 3. Students will achieve a basic understanding of how the English language has developed from Old English through Modern English. 4. Students will master the grading symbols necessary to edit written work effectively.

Grades:

The final grade will be averaged from three examinations and a final examination.

Exams:

There will be three hour long exams during the quarter: Oct. 12th, Nov. 1st, and Nov. 23rd. The two hour final examination (Wednesday, December 8th) will count double.

Participation:

You will be expected to attend and participate in every class. From time to time you will be sent to the board to analyze sentences for points of grammar. At other times I will be calling

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on you at random in class to do grammatical exercises. Continued failure to respond correctly during these opportunities or failure to respond at all could result in your losing up to five points off your final grade. Attendance:

Since this is a four hour course, I allow four absences (one full week of class). However, we will be dealing with difficult material; class participation will help you master it. That said, I will deduct four points from your final grade for every absence exceeding four. I make no provision for excused absences for sickness, car problems, family problems, whatever. All absences must fit within the four which I allow, so use them wisely. Finally, if you are not in class when I take attendance, I may mark you absent, so be on time. Readings and Lectures

Sept. 22

Prolegomena

Sept. 23

Introduction to the Study of the English Language Coursepack pages 1-4. Note Indo-European Language Chart on page 4, also Section #5 p. 12-14 up to #6.

Sept. 27

The Beginnings of English Coursepack pages 5-7 up to #3 Outer History.

Sept. 28

Old English Inflection Coursepack: Section #6, pages 14-18 up to #7 and Essentials of Old English, pp. 23-26.

Sept. 29

Old English Literature: Caedmon and Beowulf Coursepack, pp. 27-29.

Sept. 30

Introduction to Middle English Coursepack: Section #3, pp. 7-10 and Section #6, pp. 15-18.

Oct. 4

Middle English: Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales General Prologue, Coursepack, page 31.

Oct. 5

Middle English to Early Modern English Coursepack: Chapters 4 and 7, pp. 10-12, 18-20 Caxton’s Preface.

Oct. 6

Early Modern English Shakespeare and the English Language Read through the survey on pp. 33 and 34.

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Oct. 7

Dr. Johnson’s English Dictionary

Oct. 11

Review and Catch Up Day

Oct. 12

Exam #1: History of English

Oct. 13

Parts of Speech Handbook: Chapters 8-9, pp. 75-86

Oct. 14

Parts of Speech Phrases, Clauses and Sentence Types Handbook: Chapter 10, pp. 86-90 Extra Credit Quiz: Subordinating Conjunction, Prepositions, Conjunctive Adverbs.

Oct. 18

Sentence Parsing: Identifying Parts of Speech and Grammatical Function of Words in a Sentence, “Toilet Seat History”

Oct. 19

Sentence Types and Sentence Parsing “Mary had a Little Lamb” and “After the Greeks”

Oct. 20

More Sentence Parsing “I’m sick of Sentence Parsing” and “Poor Pru at School” For practice begin to work through the sentences on pp. 35 and 36 of your coursepack. You can check how well you’re doing by looking at the answers on pp. 37-41.

Oct. 21

Sentence Fragments and Sentence Parsing “Molly at the Diner” Handbook: Chapter 11, pp. 91-96 Adult Literacy: Ex 1, pp. 4 and 5

Oct. 25

Sentence Fragments and Sentence Parsing “Israeli artillery shells…” Adult Literacy: Ex. 2&3, pp. 8-13.

Oct. 26

Editing Sentence Fragments Adult Literacy: Ex. 4&5, pp. 16-21.

Oct. 27

Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Handbook: Chapter 12, pp. 97-103.

Oct. 28

Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Adult Literacy: Ex. 2, 3, and 4, pp. 34-42.

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Nov. 1

Exam #2 Sentence Parsing, Fragments, Comma Splices, Fused (or Run-on) Sentences

Nov. 2

Regular and Irregular Verbs Handbook: Chapter 13, pp. 103-114.

Nov. 3

Verb Agreement Handbook: Chapter 14, pp. 114-122.

Nov. 4

Verb Voice and Tense Handbook: Chapter 24, pp. 167-168 and Chapter 31, pp, 209-220.

Nov. 5

Uncontested Withdrawal Deadline

Nov. 8

Exercises on Recognizing Verb Tense

Nov. 9

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Handbook: Chapter 23, pp.163-166. Writing Effective Transitions.

Nov. 10

Correcting Student Essays “Is College Really Needed?’ Coursepack, 43 and 44.

Nov. 11

Veterans Day Holiday

Nov. 15

Continued work on “Is College Really Needed?”

Nov. 16

Pronoun Reference and Agreement Errors Handbook: Chapters 15 and 16, pp. 122-129.

Nov. 17

Pronoun Case Errors Handbook: Chapter 17, pp. 130-136.

Nov. 18

Pronoun Modification Errors Sentences from Student Essays Coursepack: Student Essay, “Analyzing Car Advertisements,” pp. 47-49.

Nov. 22

Adjectives and Adverbs Handbook: Chapter 18, pp. 136-140. Coursepack: Finish “Analyzing Car Advertisements.”

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Nov. 23

Exam #3: Sentence Parsing, Fragments, Comma Splices, Run on Sentences, Verb Agreement Errors, Misplaced Modifiers, Pronoun Reference and Agreement Errors.

Nov. 24-27

Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 29

Troublesome Words and Phrases Handbook: Chapter 29, pp. 192-291. Adult Literacy: Ex 1 and 2, pp. 169-180.

Nov. 30

Punctuation: End Punctuation and the Comma Handbook: Chapter 33 and 34, pp. 238-248. Adult Literacy: Ex 4, pp. 67 and 68.

Dec. 1

Comma Punctuation Adult Literacy: Ex 5, pp. 71 and 72.

Dec. 2

Semicolon and Colon Punctuation Handbook: Chapters 35 and 36, pp. 248-254. Adult Literacy: Ex. 4, pp. 104 and 105; Ex 6, pp. 116-118.

Dec. 3

The Apostrophe Handbook: Chapter 37, pp. 254-257. Adult Literacy: Chapter VI, pp. 142-144; Exercises 1 and 2, pp. 146-150

Dec 8.

Final Examination 8:00—10:00 AM

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