We will study how we use
sentences in our writing: how we construct them, how we de-construct them, how
we employ them in larger units of language, how we read them and understand
them. Issues for discussion will include language variation, regional dialects,
standardization of language, prescriptive and descriptive grammars, the
teaching of grammar and writing, grammar’s relation to syntax and style.
Course requirements are
in-class work on the sentence, regular homework, three in-class examinations,
and attendance. Required text is Martha Kolln’s and Robert Funk’s Understanding English Grammar, 8th
edition, published in 2009 by Pearson. Note that this 8th edition is
NOT the current edition, but will be purchasable at a much more affordable
price than the current one.