0106 - Grammar Refresher

Course Description

Course Details 
 
The key to effective writing and speaking is English grammar.  Whether you are just now learning the basics of grammar or if you need a refresher, this course will help you develop the foundational skills you need.  In this course, you’ll explore the eight parts of speech, punctuation and mechanics, foundational sentence construction, and we’ll even get into the details of phrases, clauses, problem words, common grammar mistakes, and much more! An instructor will guide you every step of the way as you learn grammar through hands-on, practical exercises.  You’ll also learn through short videos, examples, and even fun games.  Take your writing and speaking to the next level of excellence!  Benefits of Instructor-Led Courses:  Two lessons are released each week, so you never feel overwhelmed with your workload Access an expert instructor to reinforce your learning and get feedback Learn from your peers and engage in weekly discussion forums   
 
How It Works 
 
This course is fully online, you require internet access and an email account. The course duration is 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week period to complete the final exam (online, open book). Lessons are released on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, for a total of 12.   You are not required to be online at any specific time. In addition to the specific lesson content, there is a discussion board with each lesson and often there is an optional assignment to apply the learning. Following each lesson,   there is a short multiple choice quiz. Your score on these quizzes does not count towards the final mark but completing these helps solidify your learning as well as prepare you for the final exam. The final exam is an open-book, multiple choice exam   and you need to achieve a minimum of 65% on the final exam to pass the course. There is only one opportunity to pass the exam. A certificate of completion from WatSPEED is available within four weeks of successful completion of each course and can be accessed in your student portal. Many of the Ed2Go courses are eligible towards the various online certificates offered by WatSPEED. 
 
Requirements 
 
Note: This course teaches American English grammar. If you're an ESL student who isn't yet fluent in written and spoken English, please consider enrolling in Grammar for ESL Students with Sabri Bebawi. 

Syllabus

Lesson 1 - Using Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives. Today we'll explore three common parts of speech: The noun, pronoun, and adjective. We'll review some of the basic types of nouns and you'll learn how to tell the difference between them. Then, we'll explore pronouns. You'll learn how personal and possessive pronouns are used as well as how subject and object pronouns and used in sentences. Finally, we'll take a look at adjectives and articles. You'll explore how adjectives modify nouns and how to use them in your writing.

Lesson 2 - Using Verbs and Adverbs. Today we'll explore verbs and adjectives. You'll take a look at both action verbs and linking verbs. We will review the basic types of verb tenses and how to use them effectively in your writing. Finally, we'll explore adverbs, which modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. You'll learn how to use (and not overuse them) in your writing.

Lesson 3 - Using Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections. Today we'll look at the last three parts of speech: prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Prepositions show relationships between nouns and pronouns. Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence. Finally, interjections are used to show feeling and emotion. You'll see how these three parts of speech work in sentences and how to use them correctly in your writing.

Lesson 4 - Capitalization and Punctuation. In this lesson, you'll explore the most common types of punctuation (except the comma). You'll explore the needed capitalization rules and also take a look at the three types of end punctuation. You'll also explore the rules and usage for colons, semicolons, quotations, apostrophes, and parenthesis. By the end of this lesson you'll be able to use these punctuation marks correctly and effectively.

Lesson 5 - Commas. In this lesson, you'll explore the most common type of punctuation, the comma. You'll explore the various rules that govern comma usage in the English language while also learning how to use commas effectively in your writing. By the end of this lesson you'll know how to place commas correctly in a variety of sentences.

Lesson 6 - Sentences. In this lesson, you'll explore complete and incomplete sentences. You'll see what makes a sentence complete and how to avoid incomplete sentences. Then, we'll turn our attention to the kinds of sentences in the English language: Declarative (makes a statement), Interrogative (asks a question), Imperative (issues a command), and Exclamatory (shows strong emotion). Finally, you'll explore some common problems and pitfalls to avoid when writing sentences.

Lesson 7 - Plural and Possessive Words. In this lesson, you'll explore plural and possessive words. Plural words refer to more than one while, possessive words refer to nouns and pronouns and show ownership. There are several rules you must follow to form plural and possessive words and there are also exceptions to those rules. In this lesson, you'll explore the rules and have plenty of opportunities to practice your new grammar skills.

Lesson 8 - Difficult and Confusing Words. In this lesson, you'll explore some of the most difficult and confusing words in the English language. There are many words that spell or sound similar, yet have very different meanings. In this lesson, you'll explore those words, including homophones, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to practice your new skills. In your writing, you never want to use the wrong words and this lesson will help you avoid those common pitfalls.

Lesson 9 - Phrases. In this lesson, you'll learn about phrases in the English language. Phrases are groups of words that have distinct meanings and perform certain functions within a sentence. In this lesson, you'll explore the following types of phrases, including prepositional phrases, appositive phrases, gerund phrases, adverb phrases, adjective phrases, infinitive phrases, participle phrases, and absolute phrases. You'll have plenty of opportunities to explore examples and practice your skills with each type of phrase.

Lesson 10 - Agreement. In this lesson, you'll explore the issue of agreement. Within the English language, parts of a sentence must agree in different ways. We'll explore subject / verb agreement, as these two sentence parts must agree in number. We'll also take a look at pronoun / antecedent agreement, as these two parts must agree in number and gender. Finally, we'll also see how using the correct conjunctions can correctly connect words or sentence parts together. You'll have plenty of opportunities to practice these agreement issues and resolve common agreement problems.

Lesson 11 - Common Sentence Problems. In English, words come together to create sentences. A sentence is a unit of thought, and each sentence must contain a subject and a verb to be complete. However, there are three common sentence errors that writers often make. In this lesson, you'll explore those three common errors, the run-on, the comma splice, and the fragment. You'll learn how to avoid these errors in your writing and how to fix these common problems. You'll have plenty of opportunities to practice your skills in this lesson.

Lesson 12 - Becoming a Better Writer. The study of grammar doesn't stand on its own. The purpose of studying grammar is to improve your English speaking and writing skills. As we wrap up the course, we'll put your grammar skills to work and look at ten writing tips that can help you. You'll explore the ten tips and have opportunities to practice your writing skills in this lesson.