This course is for any student who wants to know about how the English language works at the sentence level. This study of the English sentence may be excellent training for teachers, writers, editors and others who may be called upon their careers to look at text and decide how to make it more readable, understandable, correct, and powerful. We will be using a new book—Essential Grammar for Today’s Writers, Students, and Teachers—that is up to date in its treatment of how variables like dialect, media, and globalization affect the English sentence.
Students in this class will have daily homework (25% of final grade), two quizzes per book chapter (50%), and a final examination in May (25%). Attendance matters: more than a couple of unexcused absences and you will lose points. I can be contacted at anytime by e-mail to assist in study, and I am happy to meet if additional time is necessary to master what is a vital, complex, and rewarding subject.