EDIT230

Grammar: A Quick Review of Common Puzzles in Today's English

One of the best tools for increasing your confidence as a writer or editor is a good command of grammar. Strong grammar skills allow you to express your ideas clearly and experiment with style.

Topics in this course include parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, common errors, and techniques for editing sentences.

Section Sessions Dates Time Campus Instructor(s) Hours Cost Registration
EDIT230-VA11271 4 - Thu
Sep 20–Oct 11, 2012
6:30–9:30 pm
Van Frances Peck
12 $415 Register
EDIT230-VA11272 6 - Thu Oct 18–Nov 22, 2012
6:30–8:30 pm Van Maureen Phillips
12 $415 Register

This course is part of the following program(s):

What will I learn?

By the end of the course, you will be able to do the following:

  • Define and identify the parts of speech
  • Identify phrases, clauses, appositives, and restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers
  • Recognize common sentence patterns
  • Use correct pronoun cases
  • Parse sentences
  • Identify and correct common errors, including dangling, squinting, and misplaced modifiers; faulty parallelism; subject-verb disagreement; noun-pronoun disagreement; comma splices; and other punctuation problems.

How will I learn?

  • Lectures
  • Class discussions
  • In-class exercises
  • Extra reading

How will I be evaluated?

Your grade will be based on a final exam.

Textbooks and learning materials

Osborn, Patricia; How Grammar Works: A Self-Teaching Guide; 2nd ed: 1999; Wiley. ISBN 978-047-124388-5

This textbook will be available at the SFU Bookstore. You may also purchase it elsewhere.