This material may be used by parents including home schoolers or tutors, but it also may be used by anyone desiring more information on English grammar and composition. Those learning English as a second language might also find some useful information on spelling and pronunciation in Phonics, Handwriting, and Spelling. To see some good ESL links go to Little World Directory: ESL.

Grammar deals with parts of speech, word usage, and syntax. Composition in writing is the art of organizing ideas in a clear, effective way to make an argument, describe something, explain something, tell a story, or give a report. The basic units of composition are sentences and paragraphs.

You may teach this material systematically, and/or you may use the material to do "spot" teaching when a problem arises in the learner's writing. Some of this material is a bit advanced, so you should only teach that which is appropriate. A school may start teaching a little grammar in the third grade.

We must respect a person's dialect, grammar, and vocabulary. If he says, "he done it," it is not "bad" English; the meaning is crystal clear. It is simply not Standard English. The learner must understand, however, that he will be discriminated against in some quarters if he does not use Standard English.

I am not an authority on grammar and composition. I took on this project to see if I could figure out useful alternative ways to present the material to make it easier for the learner. For a second opinion on any of the points, you can go to the University of Illinois site, Grammar Handbook, or you can go to this comprehensive Index to Guide to Grammar and Writing and Principles of Composition.

For for some good online exercises on grammar and punctuation go to The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.

For an entertaining and useful book on usage it is hard to beat Woe Is I by Patricia T. O'Conner, and the price is right.

For a classic book on composition take a look at The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., published in 1918. Fortunately, it was expanded by E. B. White, who is no slouch at writing. The fourth edition was published in 1999, and this valuable book on composition sells for a pittance.

The above mentioned Patricia T. O'Conner also has another entertaining book on composition entitled Words Fail Me.

For loads of links on grammar and writing go to Begin Writing.

A tutor can teach this material by reading the following scripts to or with the learner, who does the exercises, and by discussing the points made:

Grammar Script

Composition Script

Back to the Beginning

Your feedback will be welcome. Please send an e-mail message to me, Bob Parvin: bandcparvinXhotmail.com (Substitute @ for X. I'm trying to hide my address from spammers.)

Copyright (c) 2001 Robert G. Parvin. You may download, copy, rearrange, and revise this material for your own teaching or learning purposes.

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