"Grammar": a friendly approach is a light-hearted and engaging introduction to grammar. If you are struggling with grammar then you are not alone! This book clearly explains the essential aspects of grammar, language use and punctuation needed by students at university. There are exercises to encourage the reader to relate the issues to their own practice and experiences, as well as an extensive glossary and an informal running case study which tracks the progress of 3 students as they get to grips with university life and good grammar. This new edition is completely revised and updated and includes a new and improved structure, more coverage of plagiarism, apostrophes and quotations.
Table of Contents
A soap opera in a grammar book Questions about grammar How the book is structured How to annoy teachers and professors What students worry about Comments on Question Conclusion: general advice about grammar and language Bad language Trying to be posh Questions about language Idioms -- how words are usually used Easily confused words Going through a bad spell Singulars and plurals Formal doesn't have to mean pompous What are you trying to say? The author, one or I? It's, like, a figure of speech Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about word choice Standard Practice Why can't I use my own language? Questions about 'correct' English Standard English -- do we need it? Examples of uses that are not standard Spoken and written English Academic English Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about dialects and Standard English Who or what is the subject? A favourite subject -- 'I' Questions about subjects of sentences Simple and compound subjects When subjects move around Subject closed Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about sentences and subjects Where's the action? The verb Doing, being and happening Questions about verbs Mangling and dangling participles Getting tense with verbs My past, present and future Facts and possibilities Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about verbs The complete sentence Can students write in sentences? Questions about sentences The sentence as a unit of thought or grammatical structure The sentence and punctuation Sentences and paragraphs Breaking up is hard to do Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about sentences What goes wrong with sentences? Too much or too little Questions about sentence errors How to avoid running sentences together How to avoid chopping sentences in two Sentenced to death! Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about fixing sentences Speaking personally Having a voice Questions about personal expression Reasons for using the passive When passives get awkward When people get awkward Expressing an opinion without saying 'I' Bring me back -- reflective writing Reflections on what's going wrong Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about the passive voice More on complex sentences: relationships and relatives Talking about relatives Questions about relationships and clauses Words expressing relationship Revisiting the subordinates Relative clauses -- defining and describing a brother Every which way but that Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about relative clauses How to be offensive with punctuation Define without using commas Questions about punctuation The functions of punctuation marks Putting punctuation to work Punctuation within words A dodgy colon and a full stop Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about punctuation That pesky apostrophe Getting possessive and going missing Questions about apostrophes What's happening to the apostrophe? How to use an apostrophe to show possession Hold the apostrophe! That Lynne Truss has a lot to answer for! Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about apostrophes Checking the checker A house of correction Questions about grammar checkers Pitfalls with grammar checkers How to use a grammar checker knowledgeably What happens next? Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about grammar checkers Quote/unquote -- avoiding plagiarism Credit where it's due Questions about referencing Grammar and punctuation in referencing What goes in the quotation marks? Double or single quotes Different systems for referencing Oh what a giveaway In your own words Comments on questions Conclusion: advice about avoiding plagiarism The machine's out to get us Technology makes it possible Questions about technology and grammar Catching plagiarism -- or helping to avoid it Should computers mark essays? Friendly computing -- assistive technology The human touch Comments on questions Conclusion: comments on technology and grammar Finale
Author Biography
Christine Sinclair is a lecturer in the Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement at the University of Strathclyde.
