. . . . . . . . . © Terry Gibson BA M.Ed

. Welcome to .GREFS ..Grammar REFerenceS 8-part Courses Be Grammar-Confident Leisurely Crash Course in Written English An oxymoron of course. ,,.,. . .,,.. ,..,.A WRITING REFERENCE TO READ,,.,. . .,,.,.., . . ,,.,. . .,,.. .,..,.OR to enroll and use as reference . ,

For several years we used a site called GURU, in which each level has five parts, A, B, C, D, and E, LEVEL NUMBERS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 are still important there. Freedom to choose any from all five was uncomplicated by trophies --there were none. If reading just for information, this introduces an overview. All links still should work, or you may scroll through. . . . . .

... . . . . . . .These OLD GREF files fed the AP courses since 2005 ..Punctuation, Grammar, Usage ... ..Basic and.Intermediate . . . .. . .. . . . .Trophy . . Writing, Grammar, Usage ..Intermediate, Advanced . . . .. . .. . . . .Trophy , , . . Introductory , , . ..Intermediate , . . . .Senior Grefs1 A to E Grefs 2 A to E Grefs 3 A to E Grefs 4 A to E Grefs 5 A to E Grefs 6 A to E Grefs 7A Grefs 7E .Grefs 8A .Grefs 8E . . .. . . . .. . . .They will remain available for use from INDEX files. . .. . . .. .. Course A displays the content of parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 . . . .. . For Course C- 3 open Grefs 3 and go to part C. . .. . . *Except for new material, then *go to the NEW Course below. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . ...And the NEW GREFS 2008: The 8 Grefs separate into 5 new courses. Tthe first ones to be ready to use are Course A-1, Course A-2, Course A-3, Course A-4, Course A-5, Course A-6, Course A-7, Course A-8. . . . . . . . Five courses to choose from, with 8 parts in each; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your best 5 for Trophy .. . ... . ... . .You are in a CONSTRUCTION ZONE: Expect Changes ... . .In the chart below, the colour coding tells when ready:                 CourseE1 .. NOW CourseD7 . LATER       . . . TTThese GENERAL INTEREST Courses can be clicked BELOW      Ready2.   .

. .All COURSE "A" Classes are Ready in AP for Student use NOW CourseA1 CourseA2 CourseA3 CourseA4 CourseA5 CourseA6 CourseA7 CourseA8 CourseB1 .CourseB2  CourseB3   CourseB4   CourseB5   CourseB6   CourseB7  .CourseB8 CourseC1 .CourseC2 .CourseC3 .CourseC4 .CourseC5 CourseC6 .CourseC7 .CourseC8 CourseD1 CourseD2 CourseD3 CourseD4  CourseD5  CourseD6 CourseD7 CourseD8 CourseE1 .Next * .CourseE2 .CourseE3 .CourseE4 .CourseE5 .CourseE6 CourseE7 .CourseE8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . Click for INDEX of topics . . .. .. . .. . to see each of the individual course-level contents in detail. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. .. ....... . .. . Click "back" to return here. . . The complete Glossary . . of Grammatical Terms . . is in GREFS Course . . C1a (open now) . . .Ready .The list of over 200 Homophones is in Course D3a (Open now above) Random Record for possible future plan to allow high-interest courses. (Unlikely) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GET the SELF TESTER

. A few notes before we move ahead: If you scroll ahead, there are a number of earlier items to enjoy. The self-tester and its answers are here, reached by clicking or scrolling. Elsewhere, are major items: All the eight levels of what evolved into five separate CLASSES, will emerge over time. Improved from the originals, thanks to really great suggestions from previous students. AS a result, all is taught by examples, not by rules, Colour (color in US) in the website helps draw attention to important points. Beyond the start of introductions actual writing is featured as "tricks of the writer's trade," to use and enjoy. The Short Story, Newspaper reporting: Publishable writing of all kinds. And a year ago, the big change: . . . . . AND FOR OUR POETS   This is not to replace the poetry and writing courses other teachers offer, not at all. Rather it provides a flying start in several areas of awareness-- Avoiding errors, especially recognizing homophones ( words that sound the same but have different spelling--) errors that are considered "illiterate," all the verb forms of irregular verbs-- hey, what verbs ARE! Poetic language, an easy way to get automatic metric lines which after done, have correct syllable counts. Generally they are fun. ONWARD! Scroll back to try the links, especially lNDEX. Enjoy! Terry . .. . . .

To the Rescue: The Truly Amazing GrammarGURU You believe that? Not likely, but in a world that has forgotten more than it ever knew, all things are relative. Achieving the Age of Literacy For hundreds of years in human history the English language struggled to emerge from the Dark Ages where only the scribes and certain clergy.knew how to read and copy scriptures. Beowulf, author unknown, is the earliest written fiction, illegible today except by scholars. Translations do exist, but it was not until the 1200's that another piece of fiction came: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. In it we can decipher that human nature and motivations have not changed much over millennia. Considering archaic "Saxon" spelling and vocabulary of Chaucer's Middle English it is a magnificent achievement that by the 1500's, in 300 years, it.could coalesce into the beautifully articulate English of Shakespeare and Milton. So it continued, for more than four centuries, appreciated by multitudes and easily within the living.memory of this writer!.......... ....................................................................................... Return of the Oral Tradition It was quick but very subtle. At first the advent of Television fascinated the population. Years passed and no one noticed that more and more, we watched and listened instead.of reading for news and entertainment. Fifteen years, that's all it took here.where I live, for the school system to respond to demands to modernize.... .. Something had to be dropped from the curriculum to make room for new technology; where tape recorders replaced written record keeping, students wrote less. Cassettes, videotapes soon were all needed to be included in the new Computer literacy. That it added a new visual component to research when connected to a printer, copying the work of others.. During the almost two generations since.the 1960's when intensive.formal teaching of Grammar was dropped, we hardly noticed a quietly surreptitious slide to "anything-goes" acceptance of the oral tradition:."spelling doesn't matter if it sounds right."... .... It has reached a stage where to many, the correct form looks wrong. It is sad. A beautiful language that took hundreds of years to perfect will have been eroded in less than half a century to mere utility. chart ...

Be Grammar-Confident Leisurely Crash Course in Written English (oxymoron anyone?) Euphemistically called Updated Usage Both British and American Forms SEE what you knew, --- and possibly didn't. ......(Are you sure? Check it out, decide what your answers ......would be in a self-test in the box below, ..................and then click to find the answers! ......Note, this gives help before taking 'The Test' !. . TAKE the TEST If you get them all right, (or 12 or more.... ......please tell me! I may need a second assistant someday. ) ......Detailed answers and help follow the test.. .. History of Language: It is almost too late. ......WWhat happened to our language, Why, and How to help. . .Turbulent History of all www.mattaweb.ca websites ......WWhen it heals and sites become available, feel free to visit ......WKaleidoscope ( poetry ), Two novels, ( for and by kids ) ......Wand other more useful sites. About like who presumes to teach the rest of us? Please respect Copyright .

If links don't work, SCROLL DOWN Playing with our language: Exploring the writers' toolbox Can you spot the spelling mistakes that spell-check software cannot find because they are real words, just the wrong words? What is the difference: its and it's, your and you're, lean and lien? To, too, and two? Who's and whose? Could you use them correctly in sentences? Do you know how to avoid mistakes in these? Which are right: Give it to me and him. The flock of geese flies south. Everyone has their own way. Between you and I, he's right ? Do you know how to paragraph and punctuate conversation? Important if you'd like to learn how to write good stories. Do you believe plural's need apostrophe's? (Some local newspapers do!) Do you feel secure with verb tenses, regular and irregular, when to use "may" and "might" and know why it matters? Are you sure? TAKE the TEST Check it out, click answers! And for dessert, to be treated like puzzles: Can you analyze all sentences from whatever source and show what makes them tick? Jobs as publishers' editors need this. You will. .

Ta DAA! THE SELF-TEST Copy the whole thing to notepad, delete the wrong ones. Click to compare. It's time to give the dog its supper. Its time to give the dog it's supper. Your right if you're answers match these. You're right if your answers match these. . The dog lay all day on the floor. The dog will lie all day on the floor. Please lay the books on that table. He lied where he laid the documents. Chickens lay eggs which lie in the nest, truthfully. . Two boys went to play ball too. Too boys went two play ball to. Too many boys went to play ball. . Whose going to find who's coat was left? Who's going to find whose coat was left? . Give it to me and him. Give it to him and I. Between you and I, it is not true. He is smarter than you and me. . The flock of geese fly south. The flock of geese flies south. . Everyone has their own way. All have their own way. . She will not forgive my having to go. She will not forgive me having to go. . The difference between us Liberals and the others... The difference between we Liberals and the others... . If only he had arrived sooner, he may have saved her If only he had arrived sooner, he might have saved her

Furthermore . . . Do you know how to avoid mistakes in their choice? Which (ones) are right? Find out why, click answers! 12 right? I do need an assistant! (Seriously) --Terry And, as a writer, Do you know how to paragraph and punctuate conversation? In the assignments, using examples, dialogue becomes easy. (dialog in US ) Not included: Do you believe plural's need apostrophe's? Some newspapers do! There are very few words that do. Wait to find which in Part Later: Do you feel secure with verb tenses, regular and irregular, News CTV, "...if only he had arrived sooner, he may have saved her" Wrong. 'may' means a future possibility; 'might' is the past of 'may' and obviously since he could not save her, it is already in the past. "...a ticket to a Leaf 's game" Michael Moore in his Newsletter Typo? Maple Leafs is a team name and does not need an apostrophe. (No one is safe anymore, so we are in good company.) Hearty thanks if you can spot some good examples! (Please send and identify speaker and source) Scroll down for answers ded Find out why, click answers! OR Scroll down for answers. And in case you didn't see it: .All COURSE "A" Classes are Ready in AP for Student use NOW. ded

Challenge-answers and more information What is the difference: its and it's, your and you're, lay and lie? Using them in sentences, they are: It's time to give the dog its supper. It's means 'it is' You're right if your answers match these. You're means 'you are' Chickens lay eggs which lie in the nest, truthfully. Who's going to find whose coat was left? Who's means 'who is' Two boys went to play ball too. too means also *Too many boys went to play ball. Correct, adverb telling how 'many' *With thanks to the sharp eyes of Epistomolus Do you know how to avoid mistakes in their choice? Which (ones) are right: Give it to me and him. Right, but perhaps more polite as to him and me. (to me) BUT "he has more money than you and I." Right. "more than you have, more than I have. The flock of geese flies south. Right. The flock flies. Of geese tells us the kind of flock. (not sheep) Everyone has their own way. Swan accepts this as correct informally but in formal writing it should be 'Everyone has his own way. (one is singular) (her) Avoid it with 'All have their own way.' BUT "she will not forgive my having to go." Heard on CBC. Rlght. in this one, "having" is a gerund (verb) that acts as a noun, and like any noun, my hand, my work, my having to go. Between you and I, he's right. Wrong. 'Between you and me, he's right.' "...the difference between we Liberals and the Conservatives..." said by Paul Martin on CPAC Likewise 'between us Liberals and the Conservatives.' Swan agrees after between, it is 'us' because WE would be a subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . Did you Click for INDEX of topics ? . . .to see each of the individual course-level contents in detail. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. .. Click "back" to return here.

. NEED MORE DETAILS? Challenge-answers and more information It's time to give the dog its supper. (It's means it is. . . . .Pronoun possessives have no apostrophe. . . . .Remember, in "He found his wallet," there is no apostrophe in "his" either.) You're right if your answers match these. (means you are. . . . ."your" is a possessive pronoun). The dog lay all day on the floor. (Yesterday it lay there. Past of verb "lie." ) The dog will lie all day on the floor. ( Future of verb "lie.") Please lay the books on that table. . . . .( The present form (now) of verb "lay" must have an object.). . . . . . . . He lied where he laid the documents. . . . .( Past of "to lie", tell untruths, Past of verb "to lay") Chickens lay eggs which lie in the nest, truthfully. . . . .( "lay" must have an object, eggs, to lie is to rest.. . . . . Two boys went to play ball too (Two, number, to play, infinitive of verb, . . . .to is also a preposition when used with a noun, . . . ."too" means also, remember it has "too many o's"). Who's going to find whose coat was left? ( Who's means who is.) . . . .whose Pronoun possessive He got a ticket to a Leafs game.( This is the name of a hockey team, . . . .and does not take an apostrophe). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Give it to me and him. ( It means to me and to him. ) . . . .More polite, Give it to him. and me. The flock of geese flies south.( The flock flies. of geese tells us that sheep have not sprouted wings.. . . All have their own way. ( A plural subject needs a plural possessive, . . . .One is singular and takes his, her.). She will not forgive my having to go. . . . .( "having" is a gerund and acts as a noun, and needs possessive my ) The difference between us Liberals and the others... . . . .( between us and the others ) If only he had arrived sooner, he might have saved her . . . .( May is present, might is past-- . . . .because he did not get there in time, the past is needed,) ,

. About the Author Terry Gibson, BA, M.Ed, is a long-retired teacher living in Ontario, Canada. Author, poet, very concerned scholar, worried about the decline, a sad level of loss in both written and spoken English.   Author . . . ? . TABITHA'S SECRET Caution, if viewed with Firefox, all paragraphs and formatting may disappear. Use Windows only. (Tabby Disease) Series of three short books for Pre-Teens 34 chapters http://www.mattaweb.ca/archive0/tabmenu.htm G . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . The Old Poetry Group: Kaleidoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .http://www.mattaweb.ca/archive5/kaleimenu.htm plus 200 + in AP and SP--some duplicates . , , , , © Wallpaper and contents, Terry Gibson, Updated Jan 2008

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