Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

Do you feel that your writing lets you down? Are you concerned about how to punctuate properly? Do you have problems turning your thoughts into writing? Do you need some help with referencing?

If so, then this book will help you to address your concerns and feel more confident about your writing skills!

This book introduces grammar in a gentle way by illustrating the kinds of issues students may come across by setting them in context using a soap opera style script. Through a combination of the stories of the students and carefully constructed chapters, the book provides details on the essential aspects of grammar, language use and punctuation needed by all university students. There are also exercises to encourage the reader to relate the issues to their own practice and experiences, as well as an extensive glossary which defines the terms that are used throughout the book.

This new edition is completely revised and updated with a new structure covering:

Academic language Standard English Sentence construction and punctuation Reflective writing When and where to place an apostrophe Using grammar checkers Avoiding plagiarism, Grammar: A Friendly Approach is an irreverent look at the rules of grammar that has become well-loved by students at college and university. It is also recommended by teachers and tutors who see rapid and noticeable improvements in the written work of those who employ the author's tactics.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• List of figures(p. xi)
• Introduction to the second edition(p. xii)
• 1 Introduction(p. 1)
• 1.1 A Soap opera in a grammar book(p. 2)
• 1.2 Questions about grammar(p. 2)
• 1.3 How the book is structured(p. 2)
• 1.4 How to annoy teachers and professors(p. 3)
• 1.5 What students worry about(p. 4)
• 1.6 Comments on questions(p. 6)
• 1.7 Conclusion: general advice about grammar and language(p. 7)
• 2 Bad language(p. 8)
• 2.1 Trying to be posh(p. 8)
• 2.2 Questions about language(p. 11)
• 2.3 Idioms: how words are usually used(p. 11)
• 2.4 Easily confused words(p. 11)
• 2.5 Going through a bad spell(p. 12)
• 2.6 Singulars and plurals(p. 14)
• 2.7 Formal doesn't have to mean pompous(p. 14)
• 2.8 What are you trying to say?(p. 15)
• 2.9 The author, one or I?(p. 16)
• 2.10 It's, like, a figure of speech(p. 17)
• 2.11 Comments on questions(p. 18)
• 2.12 Conclusion: advice about word choice(p. 19)
• 3 Standard practice(p. 21)
• 3.1 Why can't I use my own language?(p. 21)
• 3.2 Questions about 'correct' English(p. 22)
• 3.3 Standard English: do we need it?(p. 23)
• 3.4 Examples of uses that are not standard(p. 23)
• 3.5 Spoken and written English(p. 24)
• 3.6 Academic English(p. 25)
• 3.7 Comments on questions(p. 26)
• 3.8 Conclusion: advice about dialects and Standard English(p. 27)
• 4 Who or what is the subject?(p. 29)
• 4.1 A favourite subject-'I'(p. 30)
• 4.2 Questions about subjects of sentences(p. 31)
• 4.3 Simple and compound subjects(p. 32)
• 4.4 When subjects move around(p. 33)
• 4.5 Subject closed(p. 34)
• 4.6 Comments on questions(p. 35)
• 4.7 Conclusion: advice about sentences and subjects(p. 36)
• 5 Where's the action? The verb(p. 37)
• 5.1 Doing, being and happening(p. 37)
• 5.2 Questions about verbs(p. 39)
• 5.3 Mangling and dangling participles(p. 39)
• 5.4 Getting tense with verbs(p. 41)
• 5.5 My past, present and future(p. 44)
• 5.6 Facts and possibilities(p. 48)
• 5.7 Comments on questions(p. 49)
• 5.8 Conclusion: advice about verbs(p. 51)
• 6 The Complete sentence(p. 53)
• 6.1 Can students write in sentences?(p. 53)
• 6.2 Questions about sentences(p. 55)
• 6.3 The sentence as a unit of thought or grammatical structure(p. 56)
• 6.4 The sentence and punctuation(p. 62)
• 6.5 Sentence and paragraphs(p. 63)
• 6.6 Breaking up is hard to do(p. 65)
• 6.7 Comments on questions(p. 66)
• 6.8 Conclusion: advice about sentences(p. 67)
• 7 What goes wrong with sentences?(p. 70)
• 7.1 Too much or too little(p. 70)
• 7.2 Questions about sentence errors(p. 71)
• 7.3 How to avoid running sentences together(p. 72)
• 7.4 How to avoid chopping sentences in two(p. 74)
• 7.5 Sentenced to death!(p. 76)
• 7.6 Comments on questions(p. 77)
• 7.7 Conclusion: advice about fixing sentences(p. 78)
• 8 Speaking personally(p. 79)
• 8.1 Having a voice(p. 79)
• 8.2 Questions about personal expression(p. 80)
• 8.3 Reasons for using the passive(p. 81)
• 8.4 When passives get awkward(p. 82)
• 8.5 When people get awkward(p. 83)
• 8.6 Expressing an opinion without saying 'I'(p. 84)
• 8.7 Bring me back: reflective writing(p. 84)
• 8.8 Reflections on what's going wrong(p. 85)
• 8.9 Comments on questions(p. 86)
• 8.10 Conclusion: advice about personal writing(p. 88)
• 9 More on complex sentences: relationships and relatives(p. 89)
• 9.1 Talking about relatives(p. 90)
• 9.2 Questions about relationships and clauses(p. 91)
• 9.3 Words expressing relationship(p. 92)
• 9.4 Revisiting the subordinates(p. 94)
• 9.5 Relative clauses: defining and describing a brother(p. 96)
• 9.6 Every which way but that(p. 98)
• 9.7 Comments on questions(p. 100)
• 9.8 Conclusion: advice about relative clauses(p. 101)
• 10 How to be offensive with punctuation(p. 102)
• 10.1 Define without using commas(p. 102)
• 10.2 Questions about punctuation(p. 103)
• 10.3 The functions of punctuation marks(p. 104)
• 10.4 Putting punctuation to work(p. 111)
• 10.5 Punctuation within words(p. 112)
• 10.6 A dodgy colon and a full stop(p. 114)
• 10.7 Comments on questions(p. 116)
• 10.8 Conclusion: advice about punctuation(p. 119)
• 11 That pesky apostrophe(p. 120)
• 11.1 Getting possessive and going missing(p. 120)
• 11.2 Questions about apostrophes(p. 122)
• 11.3 What's happening to the apostrophe?(p. 123)
• 11.4 How to use an apostrophe to show possession(p. 124)
• 11.5 How to use an apostrophe to show omission(p. 126)
• 11.6 Hold the apostrophe!(p. 126)
• 11.7 That Lynne Truss has a lot to answer for!(p. 128)
• 11.8 Comments on questions(p. 130)
• 11.9 Conclusion: advice about apostrophes(p. 131)
• 12 Checking the checker(p. 133)
• 12.1 A house of correction(p. 133)
• 12.2 Questions about grammar checkers(p. 135)
• 12.3 Pitfalls with grammar checkers(p. 135)
• 12.4 How to use a grammar checker knowledgeably(p. 138)
• 12.5 What happens next?(p. 139)
• 12.6 Comments on questions(p. 140)
• 12.7 Conclusion: advice about grammar checkers(p. 141)
• 13 Quote/unquote-avoiding plagiarism(p. 142)
• 13.1 Credit where it's due(p. 142)
• 13.2 Questions about referencing(p. 144)
• 13.3 Grammar and punctuation in referencing(p. 144)
• 13.4 What goes in the quotation marks?(p. 145)
• 13.5 Double or single quotes(p. 148)
• 13.6 Different systems for referencing(p. 148)
• 13.7 Oh what a giveaway(p. 150)
• 13.8 In your own words(p. 151)
• 13.9 Comments on questions(p. 153)
• 13.10 Conclusion: advice about avoiding plagiarism(p. 155)
• 14 The machine's out to get us(p. 156)
• 14.1 Technology makes it possible(p. 156)
• 14.2 Questions about technology in grammar and language(p. 157)
• 14.3 Catching plagiarism - or helping to avoid it(p. 158)
• 14.4 Should computers mark essays?(p. 159)
• 14.5 Friendly computing: assistive technology(p. 159)
• 14.6 The human touch(p. 160)
• 14.7 Comments on questions(p. 161)
• 14.8 Conclusion: Comments on technology and grammar(p. 162)
• 15 Finale(p. 163)
• 16 Glossary(p. 167)
• Bibliography(p. 180)
• Index(p. 183)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Christine Sinclair is a lecturer in the Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement at the University of Strathclyde, UK. She is also author of Understanding University (Open University Press, 2006).