The textbook provides an intensive introduction to recent work in syntactic theory within the minimalist framework. The approach taken is to presuppose no background knowledge of syntactic theory or historical linguistics. Rather than compare English with other languages, illustrations are drawn from varieties of English from around the world.…

This document contains the full texts of six papers that were presented at the Southwest workshop on optimality theory. Papers include the following: "Shuswap Diminutive Reduplication" (Sean Hendricks); "On Multiple Sympathy Candidates in Optimality Theory" (Hidehito Hoshi); "A Perceptually Grounded OT Analysis of…

This paper addresses the question of how grammar checkers may help or hinder students by analyzing the performance of the Microsoft Word 97's Grammar Checker at flagging and explaining errors frequently made by college students. Thousands of sentences were fed into the program. Results indicate that it caught some of the errors reliably (e.g.…

This reference grammar is written for speakers of English who are learning Swahili. Because many language learners are not familiar with the grammatical terminology, this book explains the basic terminology and concepts of English grammar that are necessary for understanding the grammar of Swahili. It assumes no formal knowledge of English grammar…

Grammar study needs to be functional. Learners need to have a sense of how knowledge of grammar can help them communicate more effectively, both orally and in writing. The focus of grammar instruction is shifting from repetition and rote drills, memorizing parts of speech, and diagramming to develop an awareness of language in general and how it…

Spelling, punctuation, grammar, and AP (Associated Press) style errors are among the factors that are hurting media credibility in the eyes of the public. Some have said that journalism schools share the blame for sloppy grammar because they do not prepare students. A survey of 100 randomly selected journalism schools and examination of their…

This paper presents model reading and writing standards that express what each student in Colorado should know and be able to do in order to become fluent readers, writers and speakers; be able to communicate effectively; recognize the power of language; and be at ease communicating in an increasingly technological world. The six standards in the…

This booklet presents parents with 10 tips for helping their children expand their vocabulary. The 10 tips in the booklet are: read and use context; look for synonyms and antonyms; rhyming and homophones; compound words; look for related words; prefixes and suffixes; word maps; see how words are formed; mine the wealth of other languages; and use…

In this article, the author of several PM Story Books (used in schools with 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds who are learning to read) discusses components of those books which she believes makes them successful. It attributes the success of these books to the following 4 ingredients: (1) traditional story structure having the elements of a central…

This study expands on previous National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) work that has undertaken the articulation of the academic language construct for broad educational purposes. The primary goal was to describe the language of textbook selections in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and organization of…

This textbook is designed to guide children to an intelligent appreciation and enjoyment of good English, to help them speak and write correctly, and to introduce them to the study of grammar. The book is divided into three Parts, intended for use in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Years of school respectively. This edition has been carefully revised…

This textbook aims to set forth the elements of English grammar in their relation to thought and the expression of thought. This object has been the guiding principle in the selection and arrangement of material, in the treatment of forms and constructions, and in the fashioning of the very numerous illustrative exercises. The Introduction…

This textbook is an elementary-school English grammar course. Since this book is designed for the pupil rather than for the teacher, all suggestions as to the teaching of English grammar have been conveyed rather by implication than by specific recommendation. The text itself is, however, designed to indicate a general method of presentation,…

Suggests the substitution of nonsense words for various parts of speech as a way of enabling children to understand the structural way parts of speech operate. (TO)