This document discusses approaches for teaching grammar to students. It recommends a two-pronged approach: 1) Teach grammar systematically by explaining the sentence structure and parts of speech. 2) Integrate grammar lessons with writing by having students identify errors in their own work and providing explanations. Some engaging techniques include using food to demonstrate punctuation marks, dressing up as punctuation, and celebrating grammar-related holidays. The goal is for students to learn grammar as a coherent system and apply it to improve their writing.

1. C A N B E ( A L M O S T ) P A I N L E S S
C A N D A C E P E R K I N S B O W E N
2 0 1 5 J E A A D V I S E R S I N S T I T U T E
GRAMMAR

2. What’s your grammar background?
 Take the Kent State School of Journalism and Mass
Communication diagnostic
 So….?

3. Top 10 grammar demons
1. Thinking you don’t have to know grammar to write well
2. Subjects and verbs that don’t agree
3. Nouns and pronouns that don’t agree
4. Lack of parallelism
5. Confusing who and whom
6. Confusing that and which
7. Confusing possessives and contractions
8. Dangling and misplaced modifiers
9. Misused commas
10. The dreaded passive voice
When Words Collide, by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald

4. An approach that works
 It doesn’t matter what you call the parts, but
students need to learn structure.
 Traditional grammar terms (noun, gerund, clause, etc.)
 “New” grammar terms: Main parts, lead-in parts, in-between
parts, add-on parts (Steve Peha,
president of Teaching that Makes Sense)
 Transitional grammar terms
 Explain as you use whatever term (this –ing word, a
gerund, is used as a noun. What do nouns do?)
 Teach the structure as a system and also in the
context of their writing.

5. Two-pronged approach
 Prong One: First teach grammar
systematically
because it IS a system.
 The sentence
 Parts of speech
 Agreement
 Punctuation
 Clarity & conciseness
 Style
 PART TWO: Speedy grammar and word use guide

6. Prong two: Integrate it with writing
 Check sheets for returned papers

7. More integrating
 Sentences from their papers, the cheesier the better,
sometimes with sound. (other ppt)

8. And even more integrating
 Focus on one problem area with sentence pairs.
 Choose a problem, say, commas.
 Have them find five comma errors on past papers.
 Write them as they did originally (incorrectly).
 Then write the sentence with the comma error corrected and
tell why.
 After the teens went to the dance they drove back to McDonald’s.
 After the teens went to the dance, they drove back to McDonald’s.
 Use that idea for a grammar final or other test.

9. Some bits of fun
 For class, have students
 Make cookies (or other food) in the shape of punctuation
marks and then have students describe how the mark is used
while others are eating. (Yes, I know…some places, that’s a no-
no)
 Dress up as punctuation and do same.
 Celebrate National Grammar Day – always March 4th.
Sometimes online grammar sites have special contests or
activities.
 Celebrate National Punctuation Day – always Sept. 24
 Digital options: Grammar Bytes (ChompChomp)

10. Some other bits of fun
 The Glamour of Grammar,”
by Roy Peter Clark
of the Poynter Institute
 Grammar Girl podcasts
and “Quick and Dirty tips,”
podcasts and Facebook
 Poynter NewsU – especially
“Clean Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More”