Grammar!!

Our next project for this class will focus on grammar errors. Each student will be responsible for teaching the class a short lesson on correcting common grammar errors. See more specifics on the assignment at the end of this post.

To help you begin to research this topic, here is a link to information on the 20 Most Common Grammar Errors that occur in writing in English from The Everyday Writer:

	1. Missing Comma after Introductory Element
	2. Vague pronoun reference
	3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
	4. Wrong word
	5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element
	6. Wrong or missing verb ending
	7. Wrong or missing preposition
	8. Comma splice
	9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe
	10. Unnecessary shift in tense
	11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun
	12. Sentence fragment
	13. Wrong tense or verb form
	14. Lack of subject-verb agreement
	15. Missing comma in a series
	16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent
	17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element
	18. Fused sentence
	19. Misplaced or dangling modifier
	20. Its/It's confusion

Visit this site for more information.

Here is a similar list, with 12 Common Errors, taken from The Writer's Handbook:

Twelve Common Errors

Use this checklist as a list of reminders when editing your writing.

1. Sentence fragments
2. Sentence sprawl
3. Misplaced and dangling modifiers
4. Faulty parallelism
5. Unclear pronoun reference
6. Incorrect pronoun case
7. Omitted commas
8. Superfluous commas
9. Comma splices
10. Apostrophe errors
11. Words easily confused
12. Misspellings
    
    
     Visit this site for more information on those 12 errors.
    
    
    Finally, this site provides the 10 Most Common Errors that students who are learning English make:
     http://www.scribendi.com/advice/the_10_most_common_esl_mistakes.en.html
    
    
    Choose any one (or two related) grammar problems from any of these lists for your project. You will need to show the problem, explain why it is wrong, show the solution, and provide some practice for the class. You should also have a handout to go along with your presentation. The presentation part should take about 5 minutes with 10 minutes then reserved for practicing the skill and bringing the lesson to a close. Any other videos, visuals, or activities are optional but may make your lesson more engaging.

Writing Workshop on 10/13

1. Come into class, sit with your group (see below**), and open up the Course Blog on your iPads. In the first five minutes, I will take attendance and explain the directions for the conferencing workshop to be completed in class.

2. Each group will spend ten minutes in each station. Look at 1-2 paragraphs from each group member and give feedback on that paragraph. Take notes and/or make corrections as you get feedback. If you finish before ten minutes is up, note any grammar errors or confusing sentences you saw in each other's paragraphs.

3. Station 1 looks at the Introduction. Give suggestions on 1) making the "hook" catchier and 2) making the thesis stronger, more argumentative, and more specific.

4. Station 2 looks at one or two paragraphs that tell the story. Give suggestions on 1) adding more details and 2) using more descriptive language to make the details more vivid.

5. Station 3 looks at one or two paragraphs that contain the analysis. Give suggestions on 1) adding more analysis and 2) pushing the analysis to go more in-depth.

6. Station 4 looks at the Conclusion. Check that the Conclusion sums up AND leaves something to think about. Give suggestions on how the writer can apply the lessons learned in the significant moment to future life plans.

7. In the last five minutes of class, we will recap today's workshop and review what to work on for tomorrow's workshop.

**Each group will rotate around  to each station in a circle. If you start at Station 1, you will then go to 2, then 3, and end at 4. However, if you start at Station 4, you will then go to 1, then 2, and end at 3.

The starting stations groups are:

Station 1: Amanda, Jennifer, Philipp
Station 2: Leo, Sophia
Station 3: Sera, Zen, Nancy
Station 4: Cherrie, Gordon, Nina