Course Syllabus
EXPO E-5: FUNDAMENTALS OF GRAMMAR
Fall 2015
Harvard University Extension School
Instructor:
Judith Murciano (617) 496-8375 office
Harvard College and Harvard Law School
Class Meeting Time: Wednesday 7:40-9:40 PM murciano@fas.harvard.edu
Expo E 5 murciano (course isite) jmurcian@law.harvard.edu
https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/4389
Required Text:
Rules for Writers 7th Edition, Diana Hacker, Bedford/St. Martin’s +website (Tech support for the Hacker websites: 1-800-936-6899).
(I will create original exercises and draw from multiple sources, including The Borzoi Handbook for Writers, Ed. 3, Crews, Schor, and Hennessy). Our website will be replete with valuable data.
Electronic Resources
Website: Hacker, Rules for Writers HYPERLINK "http://www.dianahacker.com/rules/subpages/gm.menu.asp" http://www.dianahacker.com/rules/subpages/gm.menu.asp
For the 6th edition: HYPERLINK "http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/rules6e/Player/pages/Main.aspx" http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/rules6e/Player/pages/Main.aspx (or 7th ed)
For the 7th edition: hackerhandbooks.com/rules
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/rules7e/#669460__693829__
Homework assignments: Hacker text, Hacker online exercises, and course designed exercises. The Hacker exercises provide answers for you online and in the back of the book.
In this course, we will explore the fundamental elements and rules of English grammar for the purpose of strengthening students’ abilities to communicate effectively with confidence and clarity. Students will identify and correct errors in order to become astute editors of their own writing and gain an appreciation for how knowledge of grammatical principles and precision may enhance individual style and choice. The course focus is largely practical: Expo E-5 builds on hands-on exercises to achieve mastery of sentence structure and meaning. Among the areas the class will review are sentence construction, correct verb forms, pronouns, agreement, punctuation, restrictive and non-restrictive cases, parallelism, and logic. Short written assignments encourage students to apply and test their progress. Brief readings will offer students illuminating approaches to English usage, style, and syntax.
Punctual attendance and completion of all assignments, midterms, and exams are required. More than two absences may result in a failing grade for the course. The course grade will be based on performance on two midterms, short written exercises and the final exam, weighted in the following way:
20% Midterm I
30% Midterm II
10% Written Exercises
40% Final exam
Keeping up with weekly homework is essential. Students are expected to attend all classes having completed the Hacker or other exercises; we will review fresh exercises together in class. Most of the exercises accompanying Hacker’s Rules for Writers are available on Bedford’s website, which also provides answers. Please come to class prepared to defend your answers. Keep all handouts for review. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Our class isite has Shared Papers, Handouts & Drop Box essential to the course:
Log into Extension with your PIN # and click on our course isite.
SYLLABUS: Fall 2015
Here is a tentative schedule of the semester’s assignments. I will make adjustments to meet the specific needs of this class. Please be alert to any changes in the syllabus that I may announce, such as a short reading I may distribute or an exercise I may add or subtract to match the pace of the class. Reading and writing assignments should be completed by dates indicated below.
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Week 1 Introduction to the course and discussion of goals
September 2 Topic: Descriptive vs. prescriptive grammars
Building Blocks of English Grammar
Parts of Speech: Nouns, Pronouns (substitutes for Nouns)
COMPLETE SENTENCES (SUBJECTS, VERBS (Action and Linking verbs, Verb Phrases), Direct Objects, Complements, Modifiers (Adjectives, Adverbs), Prepositions (relationships), Conjunctions, and Fragments); Functions of Words. Complete Subject+Predicate
Handouts on class website: Lists of Connectors and Sentence Fundamentals
Discussion: Syllabus overview of course
Diagnostic Writing Quiz and Information Sheet: send to Judith.Murciano@gmail.com
Week 2 Essential Sentence Elements: Subjects, Verbs, Independent Clauses
September 9 HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Basic Parts of Speech
Hacker (7th edition): Chapter 46-49 (pp. 368-389)
Exercises (46-1-46-4);
(Optional:Practice:hackerhandbooks.com/rules: Grammar basics (46-5, -6; 46-15; 46-16)
Hacker Chapter 8: Active Verbs (pp.112-115);
Hacker Chapter 19: Repair Fragments (7th ed. pp.180-188)
Do Hacker exercises 19-1. Practice: hackerhandbooks.com/rules 19-3
Hacker 7th edition (pp. 112-115) Prefer Active to Passive Verbs (writing)
Usage
Study Hacker 7th edition in back of book (pp. 596-605)
Optional: Read online: Jack Lynch, “Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Grammars”
Recommended online: Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language”
Lesson Goal: Clear, precise sentences communicating emphasis and variety
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
(1st hour)
Review Exercises for COMPLETE SENTENCES
Lessons: Identifying Subjects; Distinguishing Verbs from Verbals
Independent vs. Subordinate Clauses
Handouts/slides: Dynamic Grammar Exercises and Powerful Writing
Complete Sentences Clarity
(2nd hour)
Begin discussing: JOINING INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
Subordinate Word Groups: Clauses and Phrases
Identifying Prepositional Phrases (Chapters 31, 47, 48, pp.389-398)
Identifying and Determining the Function of Dependent Clauses
(Exercises 48-1, 48-2, 48-3): Verbals and Challenging complications!
Week 3 Sentence Building: COMMA Coordination; Repair Mixed Construction
September 16 Sentence Types: Simple, Compound, Complex
Sentence Clarity: Aligning Grammar and Meaning Using Strong Verbs
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Hacker, Chapter 9: Balance Parallel Ideas (7th ed. pp.116-9)
Hacker, Chapter 32: Comma (7th ed. pp. 292-308);
Hacker, Chapter 33: Misused Comma; Handout (website) “The Humble Comma”;
Hacker, Chapter 20: Revise Run-on or fused Sentences (pp. 188-95)
Hacker, Chapters 11b and 11c: Misused Constructions (pp.125-6)
Hacker: Chapter 14: Emphasize Key Ideas
Do Hacker online exercises E-ex 14-1-14-3, 20-1 through 20-3
Read Hackert (Ch. 33-35: pp. 308-313; 314-321): Commas, Colons, Semi-colons
Interactive slides in class:
FANBOYS: Joining Independent Clauses; Chapter 48e: Subordination
Usage: Among, amount, number vs. between each, every (p.568) Consult Online Handout on Connectors (course website)
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
(1st hour)
Review exercises for JOINING INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
(2nd hour)
Topic: JOINING SUBJECTS AND VERBS for Coherence
Week 4 Sentence Strengthening: Recognizing Subject and Verb Agreement
September 23 Repairing Run-On Sentences
Joining Clauses for Complex Sentences
Connectors: Coordinating Conjunctive Adverbs and Adjectives
Subordinating Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns
Semi-colons and Colons
Sentence Control & Clarity: Subordinating and emphasizing elements
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Hacker: Chapters 21-23: Make Subjects and Verbs Agree
Pronouns and Antecedents Agree; Make Pronoun Reference Clear
Hacker: Chapters 34: The Semi-Colon; Chapter 33: The Colon
“Between you and me” (objective after preposition)
Read Hacker (Usage: 574-577;7th 123-5;196-212)
Do online exercises E-ex 11-1 & 11-2, E-ex 21-1 through 21-3
Read: “A Ten Minute Tour of Complex Sentences” (University of Chicago Writing Program) located at the online website:
HYPERLINK "http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/resources/complex-sentences.htm" http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/resources/complex-sentences.htm
Handout/slides in class
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
(1st hour)
Review exercises for JOINING SUBJECTS AND VERBS
(2nd hour)
NOUN AND PRONOUN CASE: PRONOUN AGREEMENT and REFERENCE; INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (slides)
Week 5 Overview of Agreement and Balance: Parallelism
September 30 Pronoun Case and Pronoun Agreement (Hacker, Chapter 24)
Making Pronouns and Antecedents Agree (Hacker, Chapters 25; 22-24)
Avoid Gender Bias in Pronouns; Indefinite Pronouns & Agreement
When to Use the Subjective, Objective, and Possessive Cases
Distinguishing Who and Whom (slides/handouts)
“It’s” & “Its”; “Lay” & “Laid”; “Compliment” & “Complement”
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Hacker, Chapter 12: Repair Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Hacker, Chapter 26: Choose Adjectives and Adverbs with Care
Hacker, Chapter 36: The Apostrophe and plurals
Avoid double negatives, comparatives, and superlatives
Handout excerpts: Borzoi (Chapters 20-23) and CARC Workshop
Consult: Henry Churchyard’s website alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxgender.html on “they, their, them” (gender neutral)
Hacker (7th Chapter 27b-c: pp. 236-240)
Short writing Exercise (handout website)
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
(1st hour)
Review exercises for NOUN AND PRONOUN CASE; PRONOUN AGREEMENT AND REFERENCE
(2nd hour)
Review for Midterm I: Restrictive, Non-Restrictive Cases
Dangling Modifiers, Sentence Openers, Parentheses
Commas and Semi-colon Review, Interruptive & Appositive Clauses
AGREEMENT: Syntax Coordination and Parallel Structures; comparatives
Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Elements: Relation to Commas
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Review: Modifiers, Parallelism, Rigorous Cases
Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Elements (Hacker, pp. 298-308
“dying, dyeing,” “reason, is because,” “your, you’re”
“fewer, less” “imply, infer”
Review Hacker 7th (539; 7th 282-283; Chap. 33 Unnecessary Commas pp.308-14)
Chapter 12: Repair Misplaced Modifiers (pp.127-134); review chapter 32
Hacker online: E-ex 12.1 through 12.4 & E-ex 26.1 and E-ex 32.1-33.1
Slides: Restrictive and Non-Restrictive (chapter 33)
PRACTICE MIDTERM (sent by email)
Week 6 IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
October 7 More Modifiers and Commas; Coordinate and Cumulative Adjectives
Commas: Review requirements and omissions
Review key handouts and Chapters 19-21; 24-26; 32-36
Repair Sentence Fragments (pp.180-185)
REVIEW: MODIFIERS: Comparative, adverb, adj., superlatives
RESTRICTIVE and NON-RESTRICTIVE ELEMENTS: In-class slide exercises (Chapter 33)
Making Pronouns and Antecedents Agree (Hacker, Chapter 22)
Modifiers as Verbal Clauses (review Hacker Chapter 64/dangling 12e)
Parentheses, Brackets, Dashes, Periods, Apostrophe, Question and Quotation Marks
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Hacker, Chapters 38-39: Punctuation; review Chapters 36-37; 46
IN CLASS: REVIEW PRACTICE MIDTERM
Week 7 Review Questions
October 14 Midterm Exam I (tentatively scheduled)
Week 8 Key Lessons in Grammar: Modifiers, Restrictive, Non-Res., Interruptive
October 21 Parallelism, Ellipsis, Brackets, Omissions, Parentheses and Dashes
Superlatives, Coordinate Adjective, Appositive: Review
Harvard’s Writing with Sources online
Hacker: Chapter 58
Ethical Writing and Plagiarism
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
REVIEW MIDTERM I
(1st hour and 2nd Hour)
Review exercises and Challenging Grammar Review
Week 9 QUOTATION, CITATION, ATTRIBUTION WORKSHOP
October 28 Attribution handout: Properly Cited
Hacker Chapters 38 and 39
HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED FOR TODAY:
Begin Editing and Writing
Usage: “Advice, advice”, “prophecy, prophesy” Review
Hacker online: E-ex 9-1 through 10-2, E-ex 16.1 through 16-3 & E-ex 37-1
Avoiding Wordiness and use Parallel Structures with Proper Agreement
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
Review CARC Workshop: Comprehensive
Week 10 Apostrophe, Parentheses, Dashes, Citation, Plagiarism, Quotation Marks
November 4 Review Handouts (multiple sources & postings to website)
One sheet of writing (Cover letter, memo, proposal, 1 page)
Hacker, Chapters 36-39d: Review pp. 298-314; 7thpp. 314-325
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
Review Key topics and their Relationship to Writing & Editing
SEMICOLONS, COLONS, PLURALS, AND POSSESSIVES (24-6)
Modifiers, Dashes and Parentheses: Exercises: 28.1, 28.2, 28.5
Hacker review of Colon and Semi-colons: Chapters 34-35
Quotation vs. Indirect Discourse (pp. 326-332)
Subjective case of pronouns (7th 223-228)
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS:
***PRACTICE EXAM II
Practice sentences and editing
Subordinate clauses: Adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses
Appositive Phrases and Interruptive elements; proper usage
Hacker (7th Chapters 46-49): In-class Practice Exercises
Week 11
November 11 REVIEW PRACTICE EXAM II
Week 12
November 18 Review Questions
EXAM II—in class
Week 13
November 25 Thanksgiving Holiday!
Week 14
December 2 REVIEW SECOND EXAM QUESTIONS
Controlling the Mood: Conditional and Subjunctive (introduction)
Idiomatic expressions and articles (writing and speech)
Hacker, Chapters 27-31 (7th review: pp. 230-290)
Efficient Language; Figurative Language; Metaphors & Similes; Applying Grammar to Effective Writing, Speeches, and Powerpoint
Writing: CHARACTERS AND ACTIONS Discussion and Examples
PASSIVE versus ACTIVE VOICE; Simile and Metaphor: Vivid images
Advanced use of Verbs: Forms, Tense, Mood, and Voice (controlling subjunctives)
Slides: Chapter 31 (exercises 31.1-6; Chapters 11: 11.5; 24.1-24.5)
REVIEW FUNDAMENTALS OF GRAMMAR: Questions and Practice Exercises
Complete Chapter Review of Key Rigorous Topics
LINKING GRAMMAR and WRITING Achieving Clarity, Grace, and Style for Power Prose
Brief Discussion: Ethics of Writing and Character Development
Professional Resume-building and Cover letters
Grant Proposals and Scholarship or Graduate Essays
Research and Conventions of American Punctuation
Revision and Editing (handouts); CARC powerpoint in-class
Grammar in Speech: Professional Exchanges and Presentations
Week 15
December 9 Review Practice Final Questions in Class
Review of All Key Topics in the Course
Writing and Editing Effectively: Style, Precision, Clarity, and Grace
(Extra review sessions during the week and weekend)
Review Subjunctive and Mood Tenses; Comprehensive final review
Week 16 Final Exam
December 16 The Final Exam will cover material from the entire semester.
We will build knowledge and confidence in the fundamentals of grammar for achieving precise communication over a lifetime!
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Course Summary:
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