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No assignments were in this website,
but this 2007 edition will include them all.
Free marking / feedback for AP members,
OTHERS pay with contributions to FOOD BANKS please
or other local charity.
Answer-sheets are being prepared.
It is an open reference for self-teaching purposes,
LEARNING FROM EXAMPLES.
While readers are welcome to explore topics in any order
Click for the sequence of levels for Course credits.
Their order has built-in review, and by providing the background
helps ensure success at higher levels of complexity.
MASTER MENU
See when/where in eight weeks, to find topics
(Expanded now.)
Meanwhile, if you have not yet, See
Gramm-Guru
Decline From Literacy to the Oral Tradition
to read why this is important.
.Clawing
Back Literacy
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And by special request, through Grefs 1, .
GRAMMAR CLINIC
if English is new or hard.
Help each other to get up to speed!
ALSO FOR MORE ADVANCED STUDENTS,
Click n for individual
assistance
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The content here is outdated, but works as an overview.
Links on weeks (below) are clicked from here
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A1
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"Why and when" paragraphs, punctuating |
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B1
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The comma, uses and misuses |
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C1
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The hyphen, dash, ellipsis, colon, semicolon |
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D1
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Three uses of the apostrophe |
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E1
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Nouns and verbs "It is what it does" |
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Go
to week1 |
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Note, the links on indidual ltems are to the five separate parts
of week1.
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A2
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Using, punctuating direct and indirect quotations, How and why change one to the other |
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B2
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Using the apostrophe |
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C2
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Pronouns, subject, object, possessive,
I, me, my, mine / (archaic: thou, thee, thy, thine) |
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D2
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Singular and plural, regular, irregular, Greek, Latin |
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E2
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Introducing Sentence form, Assertive,
noun subject / verb predicate. . . + Modifiers |
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Go to week2
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A3
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General paragraphing, Form, square or Indented
Paragraphing, punctuating conversation |
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B3
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Sentence structure, using adjectives, adverbs
regular, irregular, Syntax: meaning by placement |
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C3
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The Phrase in free verse structure, punctuating |
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D3
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Twins: homophone confusion when they sound alike, how to cope (website and dictionary) |
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E3
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Analysing commands and questions |
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Go to week3
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A4
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Commas in long sentences, Punctuating sentence fragments in conversation, omissions "understood" |
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B4
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Paragraphing with sentence fragments in fast
conversation. Phrases and subordinate clauses |
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C4
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Sentence structure with modifying phrases
Proofreading for common errors |
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D4
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Verbs: the "disappearing Subjunctive" remnants
The active world of verbs and verb phrases |
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E4
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Graphic Analysis of Sentences: what makes commands and questions with verb phrases |
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Go to week4
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A5
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Punctuating Indented paragraphs, fragments,
recognizing, punctuating questions |
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B5
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Editing, paragraphing, punctuating |
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C5
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Proofreading to correct common errors,
Using dictionary, Agreement with antecedents |
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D5
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Irregular verbs in verb tenses and verb phrases |
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E5.
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Graphic Sentence Analysis in real life Ads, the
Indirect Object, Adjective, Adverb Noun Clauses |
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Go to week5
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A6
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Using the dash and ellipsis in selection to write dialogue and action, The Link, a Bridge |
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B6
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Plotting practice, (one of two choices)
Editing, punctuating, paragraphing |
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C6
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Comparison of adjectives and adverbs
Using them correctly in sentences. |
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D6
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More irregular verbs in verb tenses and verb phrases. Negative sentences. |
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E6
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Graphic analysis of compound and complex sentences, positive and negative |
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Go to week6
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A7
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Do one of three choices: a, b, or c. Use of dash. . .
a) Write an essay, any topic (Social issue?)
b) Original Discussion / Debate, or a script
c) Write a prose-poem or sortasonnet Then / Now |
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B7
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Do one of two choices: a, b (Punctuate etc)
a)Spoken characterization, with quirks, mannerisms
b)Running with your Plotting plan from last week |
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C7
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Choosing Subject and Object pronouns (subject of verb, object of verb, object of preposition.
Also referring to subject as subjective completion. |
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D7.
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Still more irregular verbs, in verb tenses and verb phrases, to show past, present, future,
conditional,
progressive, and combinations of them. "ing"verbs |
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E7
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Graphic analysis of sentences with complex verbs
and subordinate adverb and adjective clauses |
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Go to week7
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A8
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Applying what you have learned: HUMOR, a or b
a) A Hysterical Essay b) Blended Fairy Tale |
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B8
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Do [a or b] a) Using sample, Duncan's Dog:
a) Oral characterization, plus providing a Bridge,
b) Continue to own next anecdote from last week |
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C8
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GERUNDS, and Agreement with antecedent
Subject, Object, Possessive pronouns (subject of verb, object of verb, object of preposition. Also referring to
subject as subjective completion. |
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D8
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The Passive verb form, Gerund, Participle (...ing)
"It is what it does." Use of "may" cf "might" for
permission, conditional, possibility. |
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E8
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A general summary, graphic analysis using a
paragraph, sentence by sentence. |
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Go to week8
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What the New Organization of Courses Means to
Us.
One, freedom of choice. As Teacher with M.Ed
in Curriculum
it means autonomy for teachers to set up the best possible
course the medium allows.
This website is the teacher, replacing the
spoken word with
ability to read. Helped by a recent dictionary, (preferably the
Oxford Dictionary of Current English
which draws attention
to both UK and US usage, it is especially useful for those with
English as a "second language." )
Two, freedom of access. Gone are the due-dates,
the closures,
even the restriction on numbers in a class. If it means having
an assistant to keep up with marking, there already is precedent
for that. Students can start when they are able. They may take
as long as they need to complete assignments, and can take
them in any order they want.
Some guidance is given to their sequence at the bottom of this
page. The initial rating of difficulty is subjective, arbitrary now,
but soon, dependent on past learning, based on success and
students' level of struggle. Feedback welcome.
Three, Registration is done directly now by
students (at latest
discussion, probably at no cost in points but also without 250
when completed.)
An icon on home pages will be presented at the end of at least
eight assignments, at least one from each "week." Extras are
encouraged and welcome at any time. In AP, they used to get
my personal bonus points awarded at 5 points each beyond 8.
I think that is all for now . . . almost.
One school has expressed interest in using these pages as an
optional Language course, another possibly so, if the "price is
right." At this introductory time, while revisions are still being
made, the cost is simple: for each user, a contribution to a
local food bank or similar charity to aid people in need.
Neither has been finalized, but it is a possibility.
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| ............Three Acceptable Approaches: |
........ ...............Cherry Pickers, SERIOUS STUDENTS,.....................
.................................and SERIOUS Cherry Pickers |
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..............................8 assignments a session, one from each "week"
.. ..................... .to get a "complete" and an icon
on your home page.
. . . . . .Personal points awarded for all courses above minimum 8.
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......The over-all changes in these courses
gave us freedom to reorganize work in
......different ways. Because
of sheer quantity of material in this course, it became
......a natural thing to rearrange
it as a 3-part curriculum (loosely stated). |
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.. ..................... ... .....................
.Cherry Pickers,
While it still permits what could be called "cherry-picking" as before, random
choices A to E, working from easy to more complex through the weeks as before. Two students have completed every
assignment so far, with A average.
[The problem with random choices is in attempting to do someting much later
on a higher level of difficulty without having learned what came before.
Several students discovered that in sessions one and two, and had to go back.]
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.. ..................... .... ............SERIOUS Cherry Pickers,
It is in the choices, selecting to have a complete set of (majoring in) assignments
( in for instance vocabulary building, finding work in every week) and choosing randomly
among items of interest. Other such topics might be the sentence and
its analysis (important in editorial work) Poetry applications is another,
Saleable writing skills --the newspaper article, a weekly column, And the
mighty verb, yet another. It is easy to take existing items and make them fit a purpose. |
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.. ..................... ... .................SERIOUS STUDENTS,..
A new organization I call "The Serious Student" has sequential work by streams,
as they would be in a college course in a foreign language other than English,
doing all of A first, then all B and C (level 2) and finishes with a more demanding D and E. It is more focused
by skills through website access to the same fifty or more resource pages that take students gently from beginnings
to college-level possibilities, self-teaching through examples. Each level builds on what came before. Its
suggested organization appears directly below. |
levels
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| Sequence of Levels |
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..There are about fifty assignments.
More if needed.
AP course users would be wise to work sequentially.
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 (Some contain choices within.)
are all related to punctuation and paragraphing, building skills.
Some work with poetry writing included. It leads to advanced
work for special purposes.
8 assignments are an essential "pass."
B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8 (Some contain choices within.)
introduce more advanced punctuation, and using adjectives,
adverbs, phrases, and clauses, editing, plotting, paragraphing,
spoken charactization, using bridges and (plot) links.
8 assignments are a "pass." at a higher level.
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8 (Some contain choices within.)
start with a review of punctuation, adding new ones, and a
"must-do" section on pronouns; correcting many errors.
Using phrases in free verse, proofreading for common errors.
Comparison in adjectives and adverbs, subjective completion.
"--ing" verbs used as adjectives and nouns (participle, gerund)
8 assignments are a "pass." at a higher level, requisite for D.
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 (most contain choices within.)
Three uses of the apostrophe, (caution lights) regular and
irregular plurals,
homophone (words sounding alike) confusion,
The subjunctive, active voice of verbs, irregular verbs in
verb tenses and phrases, negative sentences, Future,
progressive and conditional compound tenses, Passive voice,
correcting "when" error in use of "may" and "might"
8 assignments are a "pass." at advanced level, requisite for E.
E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8 (Most contain choices within.)
Only two students have done well at this TOP level.
Could you be another? Bonus points!
Review of tricky nouns and verbs (It is what it does.) Analysing
subject, predicate, and modifiers, analysing commands and
questions, Graphic Analysis with verb phrases, Indirect objects,
use of adjective and adverb CLAUSES, uses of noun clauses,
Graphic Analysis of compound and complex sentences, positive
and negative, analysing with complex verbs and subordinate
adverb and adjective clauses, practical application of this
knowledge in a real situation, --as an Editor for a publisher?
For now, I am looking for another capable assistant!
With open enrollment, maybe two! -- TerryG
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Under revision...everywhere
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.....The first self-teaching
website is called Grefs1 which,
.....through examples
and discussion, makes a great reference.
....Each of the Grammar references has internal links to all the
.....other Grefs, forward
and back, and within, links to the five topics
.....each week contains
so reading may show a bigger picture.
.....Grefs2 to 8 follow.
...............They
will all be rather like Grefs7 and Grefs8.
.....Master Menu, ABOVE
leads to Detailed content
of all
.....weeks. .If you click here, it will take
you to a listing of the topics
.....in each, linked
directly to self-teaching material in this website.
(All Grefs will continue being improved.)
Please respect copyright
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help
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. . . . . I have received another
IM from a member of AP who really needs personal help in the basic skills of writing, skills as important as reading.
. . . . . We need your help. In
exchange I help you, and others who have
the kinds of problems: English, not your mother language, injury to the
brain, simply even, nobody taught
it when you were younger. That
includes half the general population!
. . . . . HOW? Give permission
to use your private IM without identifying
where it came from, (to avoid embarrassment.) This first one was sent openly to the Punctuating/Grammar course
the board, asking for help, and I am happy to show how it is done with EDITING, giving follow-up explanations.
. . . . . Teaching by example.
. . . . . (It is what I do "in
real life," as a retired teacher. I have edited books, even a Ph D thesis, which was rather more demanding
than this!) There were four requests, just recently. This is a mutual help
circle, set up just for you.
You study the changes in your own, (and IM to ask if it is not clear why the change was made.) Then you read what
others sent, and learn from theirs too.
. . . . The first message is not
a serious problem because it is easy to read and understand. However, there are good reasons for asking for help.
It is not as "correct" or as easy as we wish it could be.
Example 1, unchanged.
Are you sure it can be beaten I have been struggling since I was 17 and
now i am 42. It hard to have hope. I think grammer is a forgin lanuage to frustrate me to h-e-l-l- tooth picks.
Voch Rech said it cannot be relearn and it a waste of my time and theirs. I know enough to barely get by. I a aweful
feeling to see younger people know far more that I. What can I do to feel better about writing . I need to write
and I need to be good as I can be.
Any help at any time would be great.
We will leave it as a block paragraph. (Not indented as mine
were.) Both are right.
EDITED VERSION
Are you sure it can be beaten? I have been struggling since I was 17
and now I
am 42. It hard to have hope. I think grammar is a foreign language to frustrate me to h-e-l-l- tooth picks. Voch Rech said it cannot be relearned and it is a waste of my time and theirs. I know
enough to barely get by. I get an
aweful feeling to see
younger people who
know far more than
I. What can I do to feel better about writing? . I need to write and I need to be good as I can be.
Any help at any time would be great.
? It is a question, and should
stand alone. All sentences are followed by two blank spaces.
I The "personal pronoun" (grammar name for a word that refers to myself) is
always written with a capital (except in chat rooms.)
42. forty-two, also seventeen,
but only in FORMAL writing. Accepted
now, everywhere else. (Formal? For publication. . . )
grammar is a foreign language spelling. The
whole sentence is very true for anyone with brain damage, becuse it involves perception. It is very hard to spot things you cannot see.
The solution has two parts: first
to find a willing helper to do what we are doing here, finding and correcting.
The second is to keep working
at it, not to give up. I have found that if it is very carefully said, its
sound will help you spell, except where there are silent letters.
(Nathanael, my tutored student, invents what we call "memory hooks." (Examples,
'friend to the END', 'Listen to the Teacher' 'school'
ha ha ha and the grunt words:
I 'thought' it was (ugh) went
through the door, bread is baked
from dough.
(Rough proof that English is
a very strange language.) And the kids used to call him "retard," just because the tumor (tumour in Canada,
UK) took out much of his hippocampus, the brain's memory center. (centre in Canada, UK)
It also helps to read something several times, and to keep a list ...
it cannot be relearned
I learn now, I relearned it in the past.
and it is a waste
could also be "it's
a waste" I think he just did not want to take the time.
"to barely get by" used to be an error called "split infinitive."
("to get" is an infinitve of the verb. We deal with verbs in the Grefs.) Now it sounds stuffy to avoid
it with "barely to get by."
"I a aweful feeling" is " I get an awful feeling" left out the verb.
"an awful" a e i o u are vowels.
It sounds smoother not to have two vowels together... besides being an
error.
aweful would be filled with awe. It is not what you mean. awful is right for "bad".
people who know far more than I.
Congratulations! Using I instead of 'me' is RIGHT ! "know more than I DO."
than I. The t was a typo.
What can I do... about writing? I can
takes a period. Can I
needs a question mark.
Congratulations! No error in the
last two sentences.
To answer your question, what can you do? Just what you did!!
Learn from these errors so they will be less likely to happen again.
Method: Write freely with confidence that the stuff above will help next
time.
Then before you send, check against this page and see if you can catch similar
mistakes.
Post it where this came from, (no longer than this This one took almost two hours to do.) As the errors are reduced,
length of paragraph can grow. --but please not yet. I work deep into the night as it is.
And other patient visitors here, you are welcome to use the Board this way
too. In e-mail, if you prefer, privacy is retained.
All my best,
Terry
The CLINIC from Grefs5, for
individual assistance with plots
and novel writing. n IM for address.
Tell it is from the CLINIC and ask if a vacancy exists.
This one has now been functional for some time and the use of colour
in rich text works! Swift progress has been seen, outgrowing the need.
How much does this service cost?
An arm and a leg?
No, limited to two students at a time, short-term,
no cost, but contributions to your local food banks
and help for the poor will be very much appreciated.
Terry G, M.Ed
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