"The Logic of Everyday Language"

Introduction
Despite thirty years of research — and more than a century of teaching "school grammar" — we have yet to find proof that the explicit or isolated study of grammar makes an individual a "better" writer, or even a "more correct" writer. The connection just isn't there. So why study this thing called "grammar"? That's a good question . . . and I'm not sure this class will answer it for you.

While there are no guarantees that studying language will result in "better" writing, studying English grammar(s) systematically will enable students to be more careful, thoughtful, logical users of language. By the end of this course, students should have a working knowledge of how English grammar(s) work at the word, phrase, and sentence level. Likewise, students will have practiced various types of linguistic and grammatical analyses, as well as a variety of sentence composing/combining exercises to improve the variety (and perhaps quality) of their written prose. In fact, I would argue that while the explicit study of grammar(s) may not make you a better writer, necessarily, it may make you a better reader. In past semester, when teaching this course, I've noticed a improvement in students' reading and comprehension abilities; after all, knowing the varoius grammatical structures that writers use gives readers an ability to parse difficult sentences and paragraphs in the reading they do in college and beyond

I do want to be clear on one thing: this course is NOT a space where we will pass judgment on people's spoken language. There's no judgment here! Rather, we will spend some degree of time honoring and exploring the linguistic-grammatical choices that speakers make and how their choices, far from being wrong, are instead significant experiments in language evolution. Happy grammarians relish the fascinating uses of language that surround them everyday. My hope is that you'll become happy grammarians.

Goals of English 2730
Students in English 2730 will use a variety of analytical techniques to make their tacit knowledge of English grammar(s) explicit. By the end of this course, students should be able to

• recognize sentence parts and explain the English language at the word, phrase, and sentence levels;
• differentiate between form and function in English grammatical sentences;
• use a variety of grammatical structures in writing and revising their own texts;
• understand the ways in which grammatical choices affect audience/purpose/voice in written communication;
• understand the ways in which language prejudice functions in U. S. culture through reductive beliefs about "grammar."

To meet these goals, you will write and read extensively, both formally and informally, often for every class meeting. You must be prepared to share your writing with your peers and professor on a regular basis.

Texts

• Klammer, Thomas P., Muriel R. Schulz, and Angela Della Volpe. Analying English Grammar, 5th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007. ISBN: 0321426185
• Internet-based websites/articles as listed on the course schedule
• Handbook of Your Choice (or use the online handbooks available at "Relevant Links")

Instructor Expectations
I expect students to work with me, to be in class and on time each class meeting, to devote a minimum of six (6) hours per week outside of class to course-related work (reading, writing, completing practice exercises) and not to wait until the end of the semester to try to complete all of their work. I expect students NOT to complain about writing and research/reading, but to try to have fun and enjoy the projects we will work on this semester. And I expect students to feel that they can talk to me about their work, their concerns about their writing, and their goals for this course. I do NOT expect students in this course to be experts in the formal rules of grammar, for if they were, they wouldn't need this course.

Course Assignments
English 2730 will involve intensive reading and homework exercises, as well as writing assignments and tests over grammatical concepts. What follows is a brief explanation of the different assignments students will be expected to complete as part of this course:

• Reading • Readings will be assigned from our class text books, as well as a few online articles. Students should complete all reading prior to class and be prepared with questions about those parts of the readings they do not understand.
• Homework Exercises • Within course readings from the text books, students will find many different exercises that are useful as practice for the grammatical/writing concepts discussed in the texts. Students should do all the exercises from their readings, and class time will be spent going over many of these exercises. Each class, a select number of students will be assigned to be "exercise leaders" of particular text book exercises. Those students should come to class having completed the exercises independently and should be prepared to lead class discussion of those exercises. Some exercises will be turned in for grade-credit.
• Quizzes • Periodically, students will have short (usually five question) quizzes over readings. Some of these quizzes will involve boldfaced terms from the textbook; other times, they will be "review" exercises of grammatical concepts discussed during the previous class. Quizzes are NOT announced in advance.
• Tests • Every two - three weeks, we will start class with a short test over the grammatical concepts discussed and practiced during the previous week. These tests will be 30 - 45 minutes long and will be followed by writing activities to build on grammatical knowledge. Students who miss a test may "make up" that ommission by turning in a short, four-to-five page research paper on a grammatical concept discussed during the previous week. I do not give make-up exams for any reason.
• Final Exam • The "final" for this course has two parts. At the end of the semester, students will sit for Final Exam Part 1, which will cover most (or all) of the grammatical concepts explored during the semester and will take a full class period to complete; as a "take-home" component, students will complete Final Exam, Part 2, which will involve application of the grammatical concepts to pieces of their own writing. Final Exam, Part 2 will be emailed to the instructor.
• Writing/Revision Activities • Throughout the semester, students will complete a few short writing exercises modeled on examples from classwork. Likewise, students will use two writings from a previous course, and select professionally written texts, at different times in order to have texts to "revise" using techniques discussed in class.

This mixture of "objective" and "subjective" assessment activities allows students to receive grades for different sorts of activities, which should help all students to work in their best milieu.

Grade Percentages

Attendance
Students should attend every class session; there are no "excused absences" in this course. Either you were here or were not. I do not have time to concern myself with ticking off your attendance and subtracting points. Because quizzes and other activities are unannounced and cannot be "made-up," you should have sufficient reason to attend class. However, students who miss NO days of class during the semester will receive a three (3) point bonus on their final grade.  It is your responsibility to sign-in to class each day.  ** If you were in class and forgot to sign-in, then you were absent. **

Late Work
Because there are so many different in-class and out-of-class assignments, students may not turn in any work late. Late work will receive a zero (0); however, students who know they will miss class for some reason may turn in work early. Obviously, work done during class may not be "made up" either before or after class.

Conferences
Students who continue to have trouble with particular concepts from class should see me immediately for out-of-class assistance. Because we will be building our storehouse of grammatical knowldge extremely quickly, students do not have time to wait, as each concept relies of previous concepts to be understood. Time, of course, is limited during the summer, so students must schedule conferences with me and must attend those scheduled conferences. Missed conferences count as a class absence.

Academic Integrity
Although this course involves very little "original" writing by students, relying primarily on exercises and student revisions of previously written work, I do expect students to demonstrate integrity regarding their work. Both plagiarizing and turning in work written/completed partially or completely by someone else are forms of academic dishonesty and carry serious penalties, the least serious of which is a grade of zero on the particular assignment, but could also result in failure of the class and even expulsion from the university. Students who keep up with their work and consult with their peers and their professor have no reason or need to "cheat."

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must be registered with the Department for Disability Services, located in Slay 138. The telephone number is 252-737-1016 (Voice/TTY).