Grammar for College Writing - Heinemann

Grammar for College Writing

A Sentence-Composing Approach-- Instructor's Manual

DON and JENNY KILLGALLON

Boynton/Cook Publishers HEINEMANN

Portsmouth, NH

"When it comes to language, nothing is more satisfying than to write a good sentence."

--Barbara Tuchman, author

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Contents

THE SENTENCE-COMPOSING APPROACH TO GRAMMAR

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Explanation of the two essential processes of the approach:

addition and transformation

APPLIED GRAMMAR

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Rationale for the sentence-composing approach to grammar

A NEW PARADIGM: GRAMMAR BY FUNCTION

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Reasons for arranging grammatical structures by function rather than by form,

and for classifying structures by whatever is first in a grammatical cluster

IMITATION: THE FOUNDATION OF SENTENCE COMPOSING

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Desirability of frequent imitation of professional sentences

CREATION: THE GOAL OF SENTENCE IMITATION

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Link between sentence imitation and sentence creation

THE SENTENCE-COMPOSING PRACTICES

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Description of the standard six practices for teaching each sentence-

composing tool, with suggestions for teaching each kind of practice

LITERATURE THROUGH THE SENTENCE-COMPOSING APPROACH

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Methods for integrating sentence-composing activities when teaching literature

COMPOSITION THROUGH THE SENTENCE-COMPOSING APPROACH

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Ways to present a composition assignment to help students succeed

GRAMMAR OF THE GREATS

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List of the sources of the model sentences in the worktext

REFERENCES: THE ORIGINAL SENTENCES

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Model sentences that are the basis for practices in the worktext

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Definition syntax |sin?taks| (noun) - the choice and arrangement of words,

phrases, and clauses to create well-built sentences "Syntax, my lad. It has been restored to the highest place in the republic."

--John Steinbeck, one of the most popular American writers, winner of both prizes for literature: the Nobel and the Pulitzer

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The Sentence-Composing Approach to Grammar

Sentence composing provides acrobatic training in sentence dexterity. All six sentencecomposing techniques--matching, unscrambling, combining, imitating, exchanging, expanding--use literature as a school for writing with a faculty of professional writers. Growth in the composition of sentences stems from two processes, both taught through Grammar for College Writing: A Sentence-Composing Approach:

(1) addition--the ability to add structures associated with professionally written sentences; and (2) transformation--the ability to convert structures into ones associated with professionally written sentences.

For both processes, this worktext provides many activities for teaching students to build better--often much better--sentences. By learning, practicing, and applying the grammatical tools of authors, who serve as virtual mentors, students improve their writing.

Sentence composing encourages the development of unique style. Authors have a signature sentence style that markedly enhances their writing. After exposure to and imitations of hundreds of diverse professional sentence styles, many students, with their newly acquired clear understanding of "style," will create their own distinctive style. That's the point of grammar.

"What's the point of grammar?" asked Achille. "You ought to know by now," replied Madame

Never-mind-that-I-am-paid-to-teach-you. "Well, I don't," replied Achille, "No one

ever bothered to explain it to us." --Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

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