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ENGL 313 Grammar of Current English: General Description
ENGL 313 Grammar of Current English: General Description
Instructor
General Description
I can't remember exactly when I became interested in grammar,
but I know that I was good enough at it to work as a copy
editor at a couple of newspapers in Indiana. That was back in
my journalism days. I later went to graduate school at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I earned a
PhD in English, majoring in early American literature and the
English language. Now that I am an English professor at the
University of North Carolina at Pembroke, I still get to draw on
my background and interest in grammar and other aspects of
the English language. In addition to teaching English Grammar
and Aspects of the English Language, I use my knowledge of
language to explore the works of Benjamin Franklin, Emily
Dickinson, and other authors.
You may be relieved to learn that I also have a life outside
grammar. I like to spend time with my wonderful wife, Lisa,
and our two children, Esprit and Will. I also enjoy exercising,
traveling, and reading.
Objectives
General Description
same time, you will begin to master the rules that underlie
Standard English and thus polish your usage.
Required
Textbooks
You may purchase these texts from Friday Center Books &
Gifts using the order form in this manual, or you can order
them online at https://s4.its.unc.edu/HigherGrounds.
Optional Resources
General Description
Web resources
Course
Components
If grammar is the subject of this course, then you are the verb.
In this online course, just as you would in any of my traditional
classes, you will be practicing active learning. In short, what
you get out of this course depends on what you put into it.
Of course, I am here to help you get the most out of your
abilities. Since we will not meet in a classroom, I will provide
assistance largely through lessons, where you will find reading
assignments, lesson objectives and terms, lists of resources, a
discussion of material covered in the lesson, and exercises to
help you review and apply the material.
General Description
Lessons
General Description
exercises there. Jot notes in your book when you come across
terms or concepts mentioned in the lesson plan. After you have
finished reading the chapter, read the Lesson Notes, again
noting important terms and concepts. Try your hand at the
exercises at the end of the lesson. Finally, read the objectives
and terms again. If you have met those objectives and learned
those terms, you are ready to move on to the next lesson. If not,
review the material and share your questions or concerns with
me either by calling me at 910-521-6431 or by e-mailing me at
mark.canada@uncp.edu.
Assignments
General Description
formation it demonstrates (blending, compounding,
acronym, eponym, and so on), labels for the
morphemes in the word (free/bound, base/affix,
derivational affix/inflectional affix), a sentence or two
about the words part of speech, and at least one sample
sentence. (Length: 250300 words. Sources: 2. Value:
10 points.)
General Description
from a specific section in this course manual. (Length:
10 minutes. Value: 10 points.)
Evaluations
Unit 2: This exam will cover material from the first and
second units of the course. When you call me for your
exam, I will ask you questions about words and
sentences from a specific section in this course manual.
(Length: 10 minutes. Value: 10 points.)
Grades
Clarity
General Description
should be functional and attractive, conforming to all
appropriate professional standards.
After evaluating your work, I will decide which of the letter
grades below best represents your mastery of the material.
A (90100 percent)
A student who earns an A has excelled in both skills and
knowledge. In content, clarity, readability, and format, the
students work fully or almost fully meets my criteria. In short,
the student has mastered the material and is likely to succeed in
future challenges.
B (8089 percent)
A student who earns a B has demonstrated many of the same
qualities shown by the student who earns an A, but is deficient
in a few minor areas. The student has generally mastered the
material and is likely to succeed in future challenges.
C (7079 percent)
A student who earns a C has demonstrated some of the same
qualities shown by the student who earns an A or a B.
Although the work is adequate, it suffers from several minor
deficiencies. Nevertheless, the work suggests that the student
is competent and is ready to take on future challenges, though
he or she may need to shore up some of these deficiencies to
succeed.
D (6069 percent)
A student who earns a D is deficient in at least one major area
or many minor areas, but has demonstrated adequate
knowledge and skills to merit a passing grade. The student
who earns a D probably will struggle when confronting future
challenges.
F (below 60 percent)
A student will earn an F for one of the following reasons:
The students work contains a glaring example of
plagiarism.
The students work does not meet the requirements of the
assignment, such as number of sources.
The students work contains glaring deficiencies, indicating
that the student is unprepared to meet future challenges.
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General Description
General Description
Honor Code You are expected to adhere to the University of North Carolinas
Honor Code in all of your work. If you turn in someone else's
work, use a sources exact words without placing these words in
quotation marks, or use a unique interpretation you found in a
source without giving credit to the source, you are guilty of
plagiarism, a serious academic offense that can result in a number
of different penalties, including a score of 0 on the assignment,
failure of the class, and a report to the universitys
administration. You must mail me photocopies of your sources if
I request them.
List of Lessons
Unit 1: Words
Lesson 1: Foundations
Lesson 2: Morphemes
Lesson 3: Form Classes
Lesson 4: Structure Classes and Pronouns
Unit 2: Basic Sentence Elements
Lesson 5: Syntax
Lesson 6: Verbs
Lesson 7: Nominals
Lesson 8: Transformations
Unit 3: Modification and Transformation
Lesson 9: Adverbials
Lesson 10: Adjectivals
Lesson 11: Sentence Modifiers
Lesson 12: Coordination
Lesson 13: Punctuation and Rhetorical Grammar
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