Do I have to learn all these grammar terms?

 

Imagine that someone takes a car to a garage to be repaired. The mechanic there doesn't seem to know the names of the parts of the car. He keeps referring to "the round things" or "the part that makes the car go." We probably would think the mechanic didn't know his job well.

Just as we expect experts to know the names of things, when we become writers, we should know the names of things. For example, it helps to know the terms we use to talk about language. Knowing these words allows us to communicate efficiently about language. Of course, it is not necessary to know these words to speak a language, just as it isn't necessary to know the names of car parts in order to fix them. We all learn our first languages without learning what a verb and noun are. However, when we speak about grammar, especially when we discuss writing, it helps if we can refer to language using precise vocabulary.

There are many sources on the internet and in books that explain grammar terms. Not all of them will use exactly the same words for the same grammatical points (I know, it's frustrating!). However, if you get into the habit of learning to identify parts of grammar, you will move forward in your understanding of written English.

Here are three sites and three books you can use to look up grammatical terms.

(Links open in new windows, so you do not lose your place in the course. If you can't find this page after going to a link, be sure you look behind other open windows.)

Websites

Books

  • Oxford Learner's Grammar: Grammar Finder , by John Eastwood, Oxford University Press, 2005.
  • Grammar for Writing, by Joyce Cain, Pearson Publishers, 2012. Three levels are available.
  • Rhetorical Grammar, by Martha Kolln and Loretta Gray, Longman Publishers, 2012.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Conversation 1

Express something you like it 1. It/something appeals to me because instead of I like it because 2. I get a lot of pleasure out of doing something instead of I like to do something 3. I am keen to do something 4. I am keen on doing something 5. I am not keen on doing something 6. I am a keen something 7. I am fond of something 8. I am fond of doing something 9. To grow fond of something/ I've grown fond of something Ask for clarification 10. Sorry, I didn't quite catch that 11. Could you say that again? 12. Could you what you mean by something? Provide clarification 13. To put it another way 14. What I am trying to say is 15. What I mean is If you are not sure what to say 16. That's a difficult question 17. That's a good question 18. I never thought about it before, but I guess Agreeing with something 19. I couldn't agree more 20. I totally agree 21. Absolutely 22. Definitely 23. Precisely 24. I tend to agree with that 2
Read more

Good grammar and good writing

Someone reads your work and says, "You use the passive voice too often."   Or, another reader says,   "You have several errors in gerunds and infinitives."   Do you know what these things mean? If you do, congratulations! But, if you don't, it will help for you to spend some time working towards understanding. Using the passive voice too often, for example, can make your writing dull, and too dependent on the word "be," which is a weak, boring verb. (Yes, verbs can be weak and boring!) Look at the difference between these two statements: The ball was kicked by Leila. (passive) Leila kicked the ball. (active) In the second example, we have an actor--Leila-- doing  something. In the first example, we have an object--the ball--and something done to it. There are reasons for choosing one over the other, but the second example emphasizes the action.  Another way to look at actives and passives is to see them as an answer to a question.  What happened to the
Read more