Samples of free writing by third and fifth graders were compared to determine if the clausal options used differed in terms of grammatical function, position in sentence, and introductory connective. The writings were so similar that no significant differences were found. Conclusions and implications are explained. (MT)

This preliminary investigation grew out of the Project English study of written composition at the University of Georgia from 1963 through 1968. Toward the end of that project, attention was given to possible relationships between the quality of written composition and certain syntactic measures in student writing produced in schools using the…

Six pupils were selected at random from each of grades one through eight in a single school and were asked to write a rough draft of any length on any topic of interest to them. The 48 resulting essays were analyzed for errors in punctuation and sentence structure. Results indicated that elementary school children have difficulty in placing…

Grammar can have meaning and be of use to the learner depending upon the methods of instruction that are being used. The eight traditional parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverbs, prepositional phrase, conjunction, pronouns, and interjection) can be made useful for learners by giving concrete, semi-concrete, and abstract examples when…

Theory and research indicated that sentence-combining exercises (SCE's) might be effective for improving the writing of learning disabled (LD) pupils. Seven college seniors in special education were trained to implement SCE's naturalistically in tutoring 13 LD pupils in grades 1-6 over a 10 week period, with a control group of 8 seniors tutoring…

Written for the third- and fourth-grade levels, this workbook gives students practice in using context clues and reading comprehension to apply punctuation rules, as well as in carefully reading and following directions. Noting that the activities are based on the idea that punctuation is necessary to make written communication clear, the…

Although research studies have found young children to be aware of patterns in language, this innate power is not being encouraged in them during their elementary school years. If they are to gain control of structure in their writing and to utilize vocabulary gained through reading experiences, then a carefully planned program for syntax study in…

This workbook is designed as an introduction to the "Editor in Chief" series, which reinforces the rules of written English. In this workbook, student first review the rules of grammar and mechanics using multiple-choice questions; then the students learn to apply these rules in context by editing stories in a variety of formats. This "Beginning"…

The primary purpose of this booklet is to provide useful class and small group discussion tools for allowing students to inductively discover certain fundamental characteristics of language structure and to directly relate the study of sentence structure to the development of writing skills. A series of experiments is provided to serve as models…

Finds that the proportion of sentence fragments remained fairly consistent across grade levels, with older students making more errors with more complex syntactic structures as they began to elaborate on ideas and use more subordinate elements. (RL)

Presents a writing mini-lesson for primary and intermediate elementary school students that encourages them to spend more time on verbs and less time on details in order to improve their overall writing. A sidebar provides a list of useful children's books. (SM)

Intended for use by students at any level above grade 3, this practice book helps students use the parts of speech correctly in speaking and writing. The book reviews (1) the kinds of sentences; (2) the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives in sentences; (3) capitalization and punctuation; and (4) proofreading. The book is…

The word "grammar" can be defined in at least four different ways: "intuitive grammar," our intuitive sense of sentence structure; "effective grammar," a command of the syntactic resources of the language; "'good' grammar," the use of socially prestigious grammar; and "formal grammar," the systematic study of the structure of the language. Formal…