MODERN ENGLISH GRAMMAR


First things first:

Although this section of ENG 403
initially tests overall awareness of the prescribed grammar of School English
(SE), it does NOT teach students English, nor will it offer a comprehensive
overview of SE grammar and punctuation (a great deal of self-study will be
necessary for those who lack such essential skills
).

 

ENG 403 is an advanced class and
therefore looks primarily at different levels of grammatical description. It is
aimed at English and English Education majors who need to know how (and teach
others how) to analyse, in terms of their constituents, modern English in
actual use –rather than the idealized (context-free) sentences found in most
grammar books.

The course will offer a brief
history of grammatical description and, more importantly, considerable practice
in the sort of analysis used to explain to language users how they make sense
of each other. What remains true, however, is that a great deal of the grammar
(singular) of English is usually presented not so much as a description of our
shared linguistic and communicative competence but as a prescription for the
correct (and the only acceptable) way to express ourselves. We will therefore
also discuss the significance of the prescribed standard language usage to
which most speakers conform far less than they imagine.

 

Assessment:

Final grades will be based on                 

1.    Eight Laulima Postings                 25%

2.    Two Midterms and a Final             65%

3.    Full Attendance                                10%