Sunday, March 5, 2017

Grammar for Writers

Before I begin fully into this grammatical series, I want to give some acknowledgements and some references.  I am not the first writer to consider this topic, and I will certainly not be the last.

However, I would like to list a few references that have influenced my grammatical perspectives (no, grammar isn't all black and white):

Grammar Girl--This website is a fantastic resource for all things grammar, authored by Mignon Fogarty.  I began listening to her podcasts almost ten years ago, but her marketing genius expanded her works to include so much more: books, blogs, and TV presentations.  She presents grammar in a wonderfully accessible way.

Understanding English Grammar--This textbook develops sentence structure and basic parts of speech to build sentence diagramming techniques.  For those of us that geek out on that kind of thing, this book really forms a solid foundation.  Additionally, this book has introductory sections on transformational grammar and rhetorical grammar.  Marvelous.

The Language Instinct--I've referred to this book by Steven Pinker before.  This witty, readable book introduces some basic theories of linguistics.  If ever you have been curious about how babies learn language, about how difficult it is to acquire a second language, about how and why humans developed language, and about some of the brain injuries that affect language, this book dips into these theories.  And in an accessible, humorous way.

Azar Grammar--As an ESL (English Second Language) teacher, I learned more about grammar than I ever dreamed.  Of course, any time you need to explain a concept to someone, you learn it better--especially when the students do not fully understand the material.  These classroom materials (especially the advanced) taught me more about basics of English that I have taken for granted as an English speaker.  Understanding topics like gerunds, phrases, clauses, and conjunctions help me to use them more effectively (I hope).

This is a partial list.  On to the specific issues next time....


1 comment:

  1. Heather, you have had such rewarding experiences! Just know that I continue to learn from you in the workshop, on the blog, and over tea!

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