Four different sets of grammar topics are examined in this grammar homework. GRAMMAR HOMEWORK is not graded; however, you are responsible for reviewing it. I’ve selected specific class days to handle questions, so bring your questions to class that day. You will see its content on the exams. You will be responsible for applying these homework concepts correctly in your writing assignments, midterm exam, and final. Just as with programming, math, skiing, etc., you cannot learn by watching someone else.
You must, must, must practice yourself. It is unlikely that you will learn the material if you only glance at the answer key.
1) Click on the link under Topics for a review of the
topic. Review and understand.
2) Click the corresponding link in the Practice
Homework column and either print out and practice by hand, or copy into Word and practice on-line, but do not let Word help you with the answers.
3)
Check your work by examining the Answer Key.
If you have questions, ask me during break, during class time if you feel others will benefit from the discussion, or at my office hours. Alternatively, you can ask the consultants in the Writing Center to help you.
Topics: Links to Explantion and Examples |
Practice Homework |
Answer Key |
| Punctuation & Transitions | ||
Faulty Modifiers, Subordination, and Gender Bias Read "The Pronoun Problem" & "Guide to Non-Sexist
Language" |
||
| Passive Voice, Expletives, Nomializations, Parallelism | ||
| Numbers, Word Usage, Cliches, Acronyms, Abbreviations, Noun Stacks, Etc. |
You can see how using "quotation marks" around words causes more confusion than clarification, by browsing this blog:
The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks
You can learn how to use semicolons correctly, by reading "How to use a semicolon: The most feared punctuation on earth" by The Oatmeal.
You can practice your punctuation with an on-line test courtesy of Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss (c) 2004.
If you want to learn more about punctuation, the highly, enjoyable Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynee Truss ((c) 2004 Gotham Books) provides a historical view of punctuation rules. Her book shares strange and witty stories on which punctuation depends to help the reader learn English punctuation rules. The book's title comes from the following story...
A panda walks into a bar. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why? Why are you behaving in this strange, un-panda-like fashion?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda walks towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder."I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.
You can check out other highly readable grammar books. Imagine learning while reading a funny and entertaining book?
Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon.
The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed. Also by Karen Elizabeth Gordon.
Grammar Snobs are great big meanies: A guide to language for fun and spite by June Casagrande.