English Grammar
Class Information
Instructor: Kitses, Jasmine
Time: TR 4:40-6:00
Location: 146 Olson
Description
This course will give you a firm grounding in English grammar so that you can communicate your ideas effectively in writing. Using a range of texts and strategies, we will learn to identify key grammatical structures and sentence components, before exploring their impact on our own (and other people's) writing. Adopting a "sentence-composing" approach, we will consider grammar through a reader’s and writer’s eye, exploring issues of clarity, complexity, and coherence. We will also consider the most effective methods of grammatical instruction. How does knowledge of grammar enhance a person's ability to communicate effectively in today's world, in different contexts, and for different audiences? The course will provide some answers to that question along with plenty of hands-on practice in constructing persuasive, clear, and syntactically-mature compositions. We will read various pieces on English grammar, syntax, and style by writers and scholars who have thought about verbal communication and grammatical conventions in enlightening and provocative ways. Ultimately, we will aim to dispel the mystique of grammar and reveal its fundamental role in our everyday lives and interactions.
Grading
Graded Homework Exercises, including short essays 30%
Two dissections 10%
Midterm 10%
Group Project 15%
Participation (In-Class, Discussion Section, and Canvas Discussions) 15%
Final Exam 20%
Texts
Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, Virginia Tufte
Grammar for College Writing: A Sentence-Composing Approach, Gillgallon, Don & Jenny