English 320: English Grammar

Syllabus, Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. Gerald Stacy

408 C Language and Literature Building
Office Hours: 10:00-12:00 Tuesday and Thursday
Also by appointment
Phone: 963-1533, E-Mail: stacyg@cwu.edu

Texts: Dodds, Jack. The Ready Reference Handbook. 2nd Ed. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Logsdon and Perkins. Adult Literacy in Writing. Stillwater:

New Forums Press, 2003.

Stacy, Gerald. English Grammar: History and Review.

Coursepack, CWU, 2004.

Overview: A review of the concepts, terminology, and historical development

of traditional grammar, the parts of speech, and their functions in
sentences. The elements of the sentence and its various patterns
will also be studied. Students will also review various
grammatical and mechanical errors as exemplified in college
freshmen essays.

Outcomes: 1. Students will master the basic terminology necessary to discuss

and/or teach language, linguistic change, and traditional grammar.
2. Students will learn to recognize and employ effectively the
various conventions of grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
3. Students will achieve a basic understanding of how the English
language has developed from Old English through Modern
English.
4. Students will master the grading symbols necessary to edit
written work effectively.

Grades: The final grade will be averaged from four examinations and a
final examination.

Exams: There will be four hour long exams during the quarter: October 7,
October 20, November 1, and November 17. The two hour final
examination (December 7) will count double.

Participation: You will be expected to attend and participate in every class.

From time to time you will be sent to the board to analyze
sentences for points of grammar. At other times I will be calling
on you at random in class to do grammatical exercises. Continued

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 failure to respond correctly during these opportunities could result
in your losing up to five points off your final grade.

Attendance: You will be permitted to take four absences without penalty. I will
deduct four points from your final grade point total for every class
you miss over four. I take attendance as soon as class begins. If
you come in after I take attendance, you may be marked absent.

Readings and Lectures

Sept. 22 Prolegomena

Sept. 23 Introduction to Old English

Coursepack: History of English
Chapters 1, 2, and 5

Sept. 24 Old English

Coursepack: Essentials of Old English
Chapters 1 and 2

Sept. 27 Introduction to Middle English

Coursepack: History of English
Chapters 3 and 6

Sept. 29 Middle English Continued

Sept. 30 Middle English to Modern English

Coursepack: History of English
Chapters 4 and 7

Oct. 1 Parts of Speech

Phrases, Clauses, and Sentence Types
Handbook: Chapters 8-10, pp. 65-82

Oct. 4 Sentence Fragments

Handbook: Chapter 11, pp. 82-87
Adult Literacy: Ex. 1 and 2, pp. 4-9

Oct. 6 Sentence Fragments

Adult Literacy: Ex. 3-5, pp. 13-21.

Oct. 7 Exam #1
History of English and Sentence Fragments

Oct. 8 Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

Handbook: Chapter 12, pp. 87-93

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 Adult Literacy: Ex. 1, p. 29

Oct. 11 Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

Adult Literacy: Ex. 2, p. 34 and Ex 3, p. 38

Oct. 13 Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

Adult Literacy: Ex. 4, p. 42 and Ex. 5, p. 46

Oct. 14 Standard Verb Forms

Handbook: Chapters 13 and 14, pp. 94-111

Oct. 15 Standard Verb Forms

Exercises

Oct. 18 Student Essay

Coursepack: Student Essay #1
“The Appeal of Alcohol”

Oct. 20 Exam #2
Fragments, Fused Sentences, Verb Forms

Oct. 21 Pronoun Usage

Handbook: Chapters 15 and 16, pp. 112-118

Oct. 22 Pronoun Usage

Handbook: Chapter 17, pp. 119-124

Oct. 25 Adjectives and Adverbs

Handbook: Chapters 18 and 19, pp. 125-132

Oct. 27 Coordination and Subordination

Handbook: Chapters 20 and 21, pp. 133-143

Oct. 28 Faulty Modification

Handbook: Chapters 22, 23 and 24, pp. 143-152

Oct. 29 Coursepack: Student Essay #7

“Women vs Themselves”

Nov. 1 Exam #3
Pronoun Usage, Adjectives and Adverbs, Coordination and
Subordination, Faulty Modification

Nov. 3 Wordy Constructions

Handbook: Chapter 28, pp. 171-175

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Nov. 4 Troublesome Words and Phrases
Handbook: Chapter 29, pp. 175-184
Adult Literacy: Ex. 1 and 2, pp. 169-180

Nov. 5 Troublesome Words and Phases

Adult Literacy: Ex 3 and 4, pp. 181-188
Last Day to Withdraw from Course

Nov. 8 Punctuation: End Punctuation and Comma

Handbook: Chapters 33 and 34, pp. 210-222
Adult Literacy: Ex. 4, pp. 67 and 68

Nov. 10 Comma Punctuation

Adult Literacy: Ex. 5, pp. 71 and 72

Nov. 11 Veterans Day Holiday

Nov. 12 Adult Literacy: Ex. 8 and 9, pp. 85-90.

Nov. 15 Coursepack: Student Essay #8

The Iliad as Film

Nov. 17 Exam #4
Pronoun Usage, Adjectives and Adverbs, Coordination and
Subordination, Faulty Modification, Troublesome Words, End and
Comma Punctuation

Nov. 18 Semicolon Punctuation

Handbook: Chapter 35, pp. 222-225
Adult Literacy: Ex 4, pp. 104 and 105; Ex 6, pp. 116-118

Nov. 19 Colon Punctuation

Handbook: Chapter 36, pp. 225-227
Adult Literacy: Ex 2, pp. 136-138

Nov. 22 The Apostrophe

Handbook: Chapter 37, pp. 228-231
Adult Literacy: Ex 2, pp. 150-151.

Nov. 24 Quotation Marks

Handbook: Chapter 38, pp. 231-236.

Nov. 25/26 Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 29 Review of all Punctuation

Adult Literacy: Ex 1 and 2, pp. 162-167

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Dec. 1 Capitalization
Handbook: Chapter 40, pp. 243-249

Dec. 2 Coursepack, Student Essay #9

“American Versus Egyptian Religion”

Dec. 3 Coursepack, Student Essay #11

“Off Road Vehicles on Public Land”

Dec. 7 Final Examination

8:00—10:00 AM