APPLIED ENGLISH GRAMMAR 

Required Course Texts

Kolln and Funk. Understanding English Grammar, 5th ed. Macmillan, 1997.

Kolln and Funk. Exercises for Understanding English Grammar, 2nd ed. Macmillan, 1997.

Coursepack available at Copycat Copy Center, 303 Welch Ave., Campustown

Course Goals

In this class, our primary mission is to describe the grammar of English--to learn what makes English English, to discover how English words are structured into regular patterns to form meaningful units. So this is not a course in “correctness.” But we will talk to some extent about usage and describe some of the conventions of written English. Your primary goal will be to understand English grammar well enough to explain why you choose certain patterns when you write a paper, and to help you explain grammar to others in the the schools or in the workplace.

Course Methods

Though there will be some lecture, this course is mainly a discovery course, so our class work will center around discussion, exercises, and problems. You will be expected to read and understand course materials before coming to class, and you will be working on problems outside of class as well as in. Frequently in class you will be working with one other student or a small group. Students find that they learn a lot from the ideas of their classmates, and also have fun in the process. You will need to bring your textbook, your exercise book, and paper to class every day.

Attendance

Attendance is required in 220, and you will be signing an attendance sheet every day. I have this requirement not because I am a mean person but because time after time I have seen people whose attendance is poor do poorly in the course. Students always think they will be the exception to that general rule, but they almost never are.

You may have three absences (one whole week) with no questions asked, for any reason whatever. At the fourth absence your grade will start to go down, and missing a lot of classes will have a dramatic effect on your final course grade. If you must miss a lot of class because of an extended illness or family emergency, please contact me immediately so we can decide together if it is wise for you to remain in the course, or if it would be better to retake the course at a better time for you. When you must miss a class, please arrange to get class notes from one or more of your classmates. It is up to you to take the initiative to catch up.

On the other hand, if you come to class you will be rewarded. Those with no absences will have 30 points added to their final point total. Here's how your grade will be affected by your attendance:

Grading Procedures

I’ll evaluate your performance in this course by means of class participation, exercises, quizzes, tests, and one big assignment:

Your grade on the exercises is based on effort and completeness: if you do all the exercises, or class work, to the best of your ability you will get full credit for this portion of the course. Of course, if you aren't in class you won't get credit for doing the class work that day. The fourth test will be a comprehensive final taken at final exam time. You can figure out your grade at any time by dividing the total number of points you’ve gotten so far by the total possible points. If the percentage figure you get is 90% or higher, you have an A; if it is 80% or higher you have a B, and so on.

How To Succeed in this Course

1. Come to class every day.
2. Read the textbook slowly and carefully, making sure you understand each part before going on to the next. Do the exercises, at least a few of each, for each section you read.
3. Make a note of anything you don’t understand, and then ask about it.
4. If you still don’t understand, make an appointment to see me right away.
5. Be consistent about reading and studying--don’t try to do too much at once, and don't fall behind.
6. Do all your in and out-of-class work.