LIN ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND USAGE FALL 2010

Transcription

1 1 LIN ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND USAGE FALL 2010 Instructor: Dr. Barbara Malinowska Jolley Class time: online; tests on dates Office hours: T: 5:00-6:00 by appointment and via Elluminate Live! Room: DAV COURSE DESCRIPTION: The English Grammar and Usage class is aimed to help students with their command of the English language. The course complements composition and creative writing courses and provides a review of grammar for the students interested in improving their knowledge of English. We will analyze various aspects of English grammar in order to build your knowledge and help you improve your writing skills. We will practice implementing the material learned through a variety of exercises on Blackboard and online review tests (on the textbook s website). The exercises will be submitted individually on the Assignments page on Blackboard; online test scores will be ed to me. Tests on portions of the material and final examination will be in class. There will be one scheduled conference in my office (date indicated on the syllabus). The students are encouraged to take advantage of the conference and come to discuss any questions they may have on our class material or bring samples of their writing; if you want to see me on a different date, please make office appointments with me. You are also welcome to meet me during scheduled Virtual office hours via Elluminate Live! (I will schedule the session and send you an announcement, or you can request the session via ). Additionally, I will provide handouts and tips in connection with teaching grammar (posted on Blackboard). The students are encouraged to browse a very helpful teachers website: STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of the semester, the students: Will learn how to craft coherent, grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs Will be able to eliminate the most troublesome grammatical errors in syntax and usage Will improve their writing skills as well as oral communication through the improvement of their command of English grammar and usage Will be able to design a lesson plan (extra credit) on a chosen grammatical issue (the lesson plan can contribute to a student s ESOL Portfolio required by the College of Education).

2 2 ASSESSMENT TASKS: Online quizzes: the quizzes are primarily self-assessment tests (you receive credit for doing them); they will help you to assess your weak points in grammar and usage and to practice the aspects discussed in class; please print the quiz and bring it to our office meeting if you wish to discuss an issue that posed a problem. Exercises (submitted on Blackboard): I will post exercises (selected from your textbook) on Blackboard; they will not be graded, but I will review them and re-upload them on Blackboard with my feedback; they will help you master chapter material and assess your knowledge. The exercises will count toward your participation grade. Three tests: They will be given in class to assess your progress with the material (after each two units) Final examination: The final examination is cumulative; it will review major aspects discussed and practiced during the semester; it will also test your knowledge of grammatical issues in editing writing. COURSE WORK and GRADING POLICY: 1. Online quizzes 20% 2. Exercises 20% 3. Three tests, each after two units of the material 30% 4. Final examination 30% ATTENDANCE: Attendance of scheduled in class tests is mandatory. In case of documented emergency, notify me to schedule an in-office test on a different day. LATE WORK: It is imperative that you complete assignments on time. Late work will not be considered for grading unless caused by documented reasons beyond the student s control. OTHER IMPORTANT CONCERNS: 1) Electronic devices: no electronic devices are allowed unless justified by the disability accommodation; b) cellular phones should be either off or in a silent mode; any phone ringing is considered disruptive, and the student whose phone causes distraction will be requested to leave the class and withdraw from the course. Using phones to send text messages or surf the Internet during the class is not allowed either.

3 3 2) Academic Dishonesty: Any assignment dealt with in a dishonest manner (i.e. copied from another student) will be penalized by an automatic failing grade for the class. 3) Students with disabilities: Any student with certified disabilities is encouraged to make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss accommodations. Each student must bring a current Memorandum of Accommodations from the Office of Student Disability Services that is prerequisite for receiving accommodations. TEXTS and LEARNING RESOURCES: 1). Choy, Penelope and Dorothy Goldbart Clark. Basic Grammar and Usage. 8th Edition. Wadsworth/Cengage Learning: n.p., ). Go to click on Higher Ed Home; on the website, type in the name of the author: Penelope Choy, then, click on Student Book Companion Site. You will find two sites for your online quizzes: 1) Grammar Review (under Book Resources) it gives you a brief overview of the material followed by one online quiz; 2) Online Grammar Quizzes (under Course Resources) each set of quizzes has a heading; please make sure that you selected the correct set of quizzes; then click on each individual quiz as indicated on your syllabus; the quizzes can be reviewed and repeated until all answers are correct (please make sure that you me the final score, with all answers labeled correct ; the quizzes give you additional opportunity to practice the grammatical issues discussed in your textbook) 3)

4 4 ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE August 24 Introduction to the class; explanation of the assignments. Lecture 1 (posted on Blackboard optional). September Week 1 (from Aug. 24 -Sept. 7): Read: Unit 1, Chapter 1, Sentences with One Subject and One Verb (pp. 3-9), Chapter 2, Multiple Subjects and Verbs (pp. 15-7), Chapter 3, Distinguishing Between Objects of Prepositions and Subjects (pp. 23-7), and Chapter 4, Main Verbs and Helping Verbs (pp. 33-5). Homework: Download the Unit 1 practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 1), due on September 7; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Finding subject and verb in simple sentences, Self-Quizzes 1, 2, 3, and 4 (scores submitted via before September 7). Week 2 (from Sept. 7-14): Read: Unit 2, Chapter 5, Recognizing Singular and Plural Subject and Verbs (pp ), Chapter 6, Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects (pp. 55-6), Chapter 7, Subjects Understood in a Special Sense (pp. 63-4), and Chapter 8, Subjects Joined by Conjunction (pp ). Homework: Download the Unit 2 practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 2), due September 14; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Subject-Verb Agreement (under Grammar Review Book Resources) and Making subjects and verbs agree, Self-Quizzes 1, 2, 3 and 4 (scores submitted via before September 14). 14 Test #1 (in class): Units 1 and 2. Week 4 (from Sept ): Read: Unit 3, Chapter 9, Compound Sentences (pp ), Chapter 10, Complex Sentences (pp. 95-7), and Chapter 11, Avoiding Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices (pp ). Homework: Download the Unit 3(Chapters 9-11) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 3), due September 28; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Correcting the runon, Self-Quizzes 1, 2, 3 and 4 (scores submitted by before September 28).

5 5 28 Conferences no homework assigned for next week. Please, bring a sample of your written assignments and/or prepare any issues in reference to grammar and/or writing you wish to discuss. October Week 6 (from Sept. 28 -Oct.5): Read: Unit 3, Chapter 12, Correcting Fragments (pp ); Unit 4, Chapter 13, Parenthetical Expressions (pp ) and Chapter 14, Appositives (pp ). Homework: Download Unit 3 (Chapter 12) and Unit 4 (Chapters 13 and 14) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 4), due October 12; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Fragments and Runons (under Grammar review Book Resources) and Correcting the fragment in simple sentences, Self-Quizzes 1, 2, 3 and 4 (scores submitted via before October 12). Week 7 (from Oct. 5-12): Read: Chapter 15, Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses (pp ) and Chapter 16, Commas with Introductory Phrases, Series, Dates and Addresses (pp ). Homework: Download Unit 4 (Chapters 15 and 16) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 5), due October 19; Online grammar quiz (from the textbook s website), Grammar Review -- Using Commas Correctly (Under Grammar Review Book Resources; scores should be submitted via before October 19). Week 8 (from Oct ): Read: Unit 5, Chapter 17, Subject, Object, and Possessive Pronouns (pp ), Chapter 18 Pronouns in Comparisons and Pronouns with-self, -selves (pp. 2036), and Chapter 19, Agreement of Pronouns with Their Antecedents (pp ).. Homework: Download Unit 5 (Chapters 17-19) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 6), due October 26; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Pronoun Agreement (under Grammar review Book resources) and Choosing the correct pronoun form, Self - Quizzes 1, 2, and 3 (scores should be submitted via before October 26). 26 Test #2 (in class): Review of Units 3 and 4. November Week 10 (Nov. 2-9): Read: Unit 5, Chapter 20, Order of Pronouns and Spelling of Possessives (pp.

6 ), Unit 6, Chapter 21, Capitalization (pp ) and Chapter 22, Additional Punctuation (pp ) Homework: Download Unit 5 (Chapter 20) and Unit 6 (Chapters 21 and 22) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 7), due November 9; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), Choosing the correct capitalization and punctuation, Self- Quizzes 1, 2, 3, and 4 (scores should be submitted via before November 9). Week 11 (Nov. 9-16): Read: Unit 6, Chapter 23, Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers (pp ), Chapter 24, Parallel Structure (pp ), and Chapter 25, Irregular Verbs (pp ). Homework: Download Unit 6 (Chapters 23, 24, and 25) practice exercises (posted on Blackboard as Exercise 8), due November 16; Online grammar quizzes (from the textbook s website), (under Grammar Review Book Resources), Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers and Parallelism ; Online grammar quizzes, Choosing the correct form of the irregular verb, Self-Quizzes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (scores should be submitted via before November 16). 16 Test #3 (in class): Review of Units 5 and Grammar review (in class meeting), bring all the tests and exercises for review and discussion. 30 Last class: final examination