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ENGL 313 Grammar of Current English

General Description
Introduction
If you think semicolons, subordinate clauses, and subject complements are exciting, you are in the right place. If you have always found such things dull or even nightmarish, you also are in the right place. The truth, as I hope you will come to see, is that English grammar is fascinatingand important. Like the basic physical items that make up spectacular architecture, grammar is the building material for our language, and language is at the heart of practically every human endeavor. You may never have realized it, but when you were making friends, buying a car, and falling in love, grammar was right there with you. Indeed, understanding grammar can help you to understandand improveyour world. In this course, we will look behind the spectacular architecture that is our language and seek to understand the basic principles that keep all those beams and bolts in place. At the same time, we will use our grammatical knowledge to increase our understanding of rhetoric.

Instructor

One day, after I had finished teaching a class on English grammar, a student who had been standing out in the hallway waiting for the next class approached me and asked what class I had been teaching. I told her it was English grammar, and she remarked on how interesting it sounded. I take some pride in that comment because grammar doesn't exactly have a great reputation. I won't take credit for making it interestingit already is interesting!but apparently my enthusiasm for the subject comes through when I teach it.

General Description
I can't remember exactly when I became interested in grammar, but I know that I was good enough at it to work as a copy editor at a couple of newspapers in Indiana. That was back in my journalism days. I later went to graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I earned a PhD in English, majoring in early American literature and the English language. Now that I am an English professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, I still get to draw on my background and interest in grammar and other aspects of the English language. In addition to teaching English Grammar and Aspects of the English Language, I use my knowledge of language to explore the works of Benjamin Franklin, Emily Dickinson, and other authors. You may be relieved to learn that I also have a life outside grammar. I like to spend time with my wonderful wife, Lisa, and our two children, Esprit and Will. I also enjoy exercising, traveling, and reading.

Objectives

Language: Above all, I hope you will learn to recognize and appreciate the structure of English, seeing how individual sounds and words function together to create meaning in sentences. Ideas: We will look, too, at the ramifications for the ideas expressed through various grammatical concepts. For example, we will study the rhetorical effects of appositives, vocatives, and the passive voice. Research: One of the most valuable skills you will learn in college is the ability to gather detailed, reliable information so that you can make informed decisions. In this course, you will become familiar with some standard reference works on the English language and practice finding, evaluating, and incorporating sources. Communication: Knowledge confined to a single person's brain has limited use. It is through sharing this knowledge that humans make progress in medicine, science, politics, and every other human endeavor. In this course, you will have the opportunity to stretch and to improve your communication skills as you explore the basic components of language. At the 2

General Description
same time, you will begin to master the rules that underlie Standard English and thus polish your usage.

Required Textbooks

Martha Kolln and Robert Funk, Understanding English Grammar, 8th edition A hardback college dictionary

You may purchase these texts from Friday Center Books & Gifts using the order form in this manual, or you can order them online at https://s4.its.unc.edu/HigherGrounds.

Optional Resources

For further assistance learning the material and writing your essays, you may want to investigate some of the resources identified in the list below and on the various individual lessons. Although I have tried to choose credible resources, you should not assume that everything you find is accurate. If you doubt something you see, please let me know, and I will try to clear up any confusion or correct any inaccuracies. The American Heritage College Dictionary Baugh, Albert C., and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language, 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1993. Cleary, Linda Miller, and Michael D. Linn. Linguistics for Teachers. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Curzan, Anne, and Michael Adams. How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction. New York: Longman, 2006. Dodds, Jack. The Ready Reference Handbook: Writing, Revising, Editing. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000. Fromkin, Victoria. An Introduction to Language. 6th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1998. Hogg, Richard M., ed. The Cambridge History of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992-2001. McArthur, Tom, ed. The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.

General Description
Parkes, M.B. Pause and Effect: An Introduction to the History of Punctuation in the West. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993. Pyles, Thomas, and John Algeo. The Origins and Development of the English Language, 4th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1993. Quirk, Randolph, et al. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. New York: Longman, 1985. Williams, Joseph. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1981. History of the English Language (University of Toronto). www.chass.utoronto.ca/~cpercy/hell/ The Grammar Hardware Store www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/ language/grammar/hardware.htm Merriam-Webster OnLine www.Merriam-Webster.com English Grammar Review www.iei.uiuc.edu/structure/structure1/salzmann_index.html

Web resources

Course Components

If grammar is the subject of this course, then you are the verb. In this online course, just as you would in any of my traditional classes, you will be practicing active learning. In short, what you get out of this course depends on what you put into it. Of course, I am here to help you get the most out of your abilities. Since we will not meet in a classroom, I will provide assistance largely through lessons, where you will find reading assignments, lesson objectives and terms, lists of resources, a discussion of material covered in the lesson, and exercises to help you review and apply the material.

General Description

Read this General Description carefully and highlight important points. In particular, make sure you understand the course objectives. In this correspondence course, we will not be meeting in a classroom, of course. Instead, I will teach you largely through these lessons. When you are ready to begin a new lesson, read the objectives and terms carefully. Next, read the textbook chapter listed in the Assignments section and do the 4

Lessons

General Description
exercises there. Jot notes in your book when you come across terms or concepts mentioned in the lesson plan. After you have finished reading the chapter, read the Lesson Notes, again noting important terms and concepts. Try your hand at the exercises at the end of the lesson. Finally, read the objectives and terms again. If you have met those objectives and learned those terms, you are ready to move on to the next lesson. If not, review the material and share your questions or concerns with me either by calling me at 910-521-6431 or by e-mailing me at mark.canada@uncp.edu.

Assignments

You will complete three types of assignments in this course. Here are detailed descriptions of the assignments: Think Again Essays: Over the course of the semester, you will write three essays, one for each of the three units in the course. In each essay, you will apply what you have learned in that unit. In writing this essay, you should quote or paraphrase the primary source you are analyzing, as well as at least one secondary source, such as one from the resources listed above. Like any academic essay, this project should contain abundant details, a logical organizational scheme, unified and coherent paragraphs, and clear sentences that are free from distracting lapses in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics. When you have written, revised, and carefully proofread your essay, you should submit it along with the appropriate submission sheet after Lessons 4, 8, and 13. You must complete each essay before taking the exam for that unit. Specific instructions for each essay appear below. Unit 1: Coin a word and write a dictionary entry for it. Your entry should include all of the components of a standard dictionary entry: headword, pronunciation symbols, and information about part of speech, denotation, and etymology. Thus, you should become very familiar with your own hardback dictionary and understand the form and purpose of each of these components. Dont worry about using fancy pronunciation symbols; just try to represent the pronunciation of the word with normal letters. Finally, please include a paragraph explaining your reason for coining this word, the type of process of word 5

General Description
formation it demonstrates (blending, compounding, acronym, eponym, and so on), labels for the morphemes in the word (free/bound, base/affix, derivational affix/inflectional affix), a sentence or two about the words part of speech, and at least one sample sentence. (Length: 250300 words. Sources: 2. Value: 10 points.) Unit 2: Find an example of a transformation in a speech, advertisement, newspaper article, short story, or other language sample and quote it. Using what you have learned in this unit, provide the underlying structure and identify the basic sentence elements (subject, verb, and so on) in this underlying structure. Finally, in a succinct paragraph, comment on the rhetorical implications of this transformation. For example, you might discuss the way this transformation shapes the speakers or writers tone. (Length: 250300 words. Sources: 2. Value: 10 points.) Unit 3: Find an example of modification or coordination in a speech, advertisement, newspaper article, short story, or other language sample and quote it. Using what you have learned, analyze the entire sentence, making sure to comment on both form and function in the case of modifiers. Finally, in a succinct paragraph, comment on the rhetorical implications of the modification or coordination you have analyzed. For example, you might explain why you think an author used a participle instead of an adjective or why a speaker combined two ideas in a single sentence through coordination instead of using two separate sentences. (Length: 250300 words. Sources: 2. Value: 10 points.)

Exams: At the end of each unit, you will call me to take an oral exam. Please call or e-mail me at least two weeks in advance to schedule your exam. Detailed descriptions of the three exams appear below. Unit 1: This exam will cover material from the first unit of the course. When you call me for your exam, I will ask you questions about morphemes and words 6

General Description
from a specific section in this course manual. (Length: 10 minutes. Value: 10 points.) Unit 2: This exam will cover material from the first and second units of the course. When you call me for your exam, I will ask you questions about words and sentences from a specific section in this course manual. (Length: 10 minutes. Value: 10 points.) Final Exam: This cumulative exam will cover material from the first, second, and third units of the course. When you call me for your exam, I will ask you questions about words and sentences from a specific section in this course manual. (Length: 25 minutes. Value: 50 points.)

Evaluations

I will respond to your exercises with brief comments. Read all my comments carefully and use them to improve your future work. Finally, whenever you have a question about anything related to the course or English grammar, get in touch with me, either by writing a note, e-mailing me, or calling me. I will do my best to respond to you promptly.

Grades

When I evaluate your work, I will use the following criteria:

Content Assignments should contain all of the required components and


should thoroughly and insightfully address their subjects with accurate, credible, timely, and relevant information. Except for properly cited quotations, every sentence and phrase must be in the writers or speakers own words. All interpretations, except for those properly cited, also must be the writers or speakers own. Furthermore, essays should effectively incorporate source material with proper use of attribution, paraphrases, summaries, quotations, and documentation. Parenthetical citations and lists of works cited should conform to MLA style.

Clarity

Assignments should engage audiences with lively, direct, and concise language that is free from lapses in spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, diction, and pronunciation. They

General Description
should be functional and attractive, conforming to all appropriate professional standards. After evaluating your work, I will decide which of the letter grades below best represents your mastery of the material. A (90100 percent) A student who earns an A has excelled in both skills and knowledge. In content, clarity, readability, and format, the students work fully or almost fully meets my criteria. In short, the student has mastered the material and is likely to succeed in future challenges. B (8089 percent) A student who earns a B has demonstrated many of the same qualities shown by the student who earns an A, but is deficient in a few minor areas. The student has generally mastered the material and is likely to succeed in future challenges. C (7079 percent) A student who earns a C has demonstrated some of the same qualities shown by the student who earns an A or a B. Although the work is adequate, it suffers from several minor deficiencies. Nevertheless, the work suggests that the student is competent and is ready to take on future challenges, though he or she may need to shore up some of these deficiencies to succeed. D (6069 percent) A student who earns a D is deficient in at least one major area or many minor areas, but has demonstrated adequate knowledge and skills to merit a passing grade. The student who earns a D probably will struggle when confronting future challenges. F (below 60 percent) A student will earn an F for one of the following reasons: The students work contains a glaring example of plagiarism. The students work does not meet the requirements of the assignment, such as number of sources. The students work contains glaring deficiencies, indicating that the student is unprepared to meet future challenges. 8

General Description

For the purposes of calculating your final course grade, I then will assign the work a number of points corresponding to the appropriate letter grade. Let's take a look at how this system might work for a hypothetical student: Think Again Essays: In her first essay, Jane fails to enclose exact words from a source inside quotation marks and, because of this plagiarism, earns 0 points for the assignment. Her next essay is clear and insightful, but it contains some inaccurate analysis, along with several careless typographical errors; she earns 6 points for it. Her final essay meets the requirements of the assignment, contains accurate and thorough analysis, conveys information clearly, and lacks distracting errors in readability; she earns 10 points for it. Thus, Jane earns 16 out of 30 points for her essays. Unit 1 Exam: Jane has an adequate grasp of several concepts covered in the first unit, but she never gets around to reading one of the lessons and uses an inadequate paperback dictionary instead of a good hardback one when taking the first oral exam. She earns 6 out of 10 points. Unit 2 Exam: Jane studies diligently for this exam, knows the material, and earns 10 out of 10 points on the second exam. Final Exam: Jane continues studying regularly throughout the remainder of the semester, spends a lot of time and energy preparing for the final exam, and does well on this exam, earning 46 out of the possible 50 points. Final Course Grade: Jane earns 78 out of 100 points and thus earns a C in the course. She wishes that she had done a better job of incorporating source material into her first essay, and she knows that she should have spent more time checking and proofreading her second essay. She regrets not being better prepared for the first exam. Nevertheless, she takes responsibility for her own performance. She never even considers complaining to Dr. Canada or begging for extra credit. Instead, she thanks him for challenging her and maintaining high standards.

General Description Honor Code You are expected to adhere to the University of North Carolinas
Honor Code in all of your work. If you turn in someone else's work, use a sources exact words without placing these words in quotation marks, or use a unique interpretation you found in a source without giving credit to the source, you are guilty of plagiarism, a serious academic offense that can result in a number of different penalties, including a score of 0 on the assignment, failure of the class, and a report to the universitys administration. You must mail me photocopies of your sources if I request them.

List of Lessons

Unit 1: Words Lesson 1: Foundations Lesson 2: Morphemes Lesson 3: Form Classes Lesson 4: Structure Classes and Pronouns Unit 2: Basic Sentence Elements Lesson 5: Syntax Lesson 6: Verbs Lesson 7: Nominals Lesson 8: Transformations Unit 3: Modification and Transformation Lesson 9: Adverbials Lesson 10: Adjectivals Lesson 11: Sentence Modifiers Lesson 12: Coordination Lesson 13: Punctuation and Rhetorical Grammar

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