The Relationship of Grammar,

Diction, Writing to Distinguishable

Language and Prose
 Introduction
•This Quest should help you to organize your words into sentences that are
grammatically accurate; it should also help you develop a brief essay. Please
bear in mind that:
-Distinguishable syntax is essential to comprehension.

-Awkwardly constructed sentences distort your meaning.

-Incoherently constructed sentences may confuse your reader or listener.

-You may unintentionally relay inaccurate information unless you avoid grammatical errors.

-As you proceed through these lessons in grammar and expository, you will
improve your ability to be understood by others.
 This quest challenges you to investigate
and develop more accurate grammar and
expository skills.
 What is grammar and expository?
 How is the English language a powerful
tool to assist you in writing?
 Why would you need to develop these
skills?
 What techniques can you use to prevent
you from unintentionally providing
inaccurate information to others?
 What can do not fall victim to other
individuals misunderstanding you?
 Task Review
 Learning in the 21st century presents
lots of opportunities and challenges.
 Will the vast knowledge on the Internet
change the quality of your life?
 How will you use the Internet resources
to assist you in your writing patterns?
 Can the Internet help you to distinguish
between grammar and expository?
 Task Review (continued)

•Do you believe that everyone always understands you? Do you wonder about accurate wording?

•Are you familiar with the tools that elucidate meaning?

•Do all of your dependent clauses modify their subjects? Do you hesitate to write more
because you do not hope to be misleading?
•Please proceed with your pencil and notebook. You will want to note at least 12 grammatical
terms or expressions and the results of your quizzes as you prepare and review for a final essay.

•You will examine, compare, and contrast the aspects of writing, diction, and distinguishable
literature that will help you to organize your words into sentences that are grammatically correct.
Syntactic Characteristics INTRODUCTION (cont’d)
(Weaver, 1996)
Active, Passive Clauses
Voices
Absolute Phrases
Appositives

Comma Splices, Compounds, Coordinating Correlative

Run-ons Rhetoric of Conjunctions

require review Conjunctions

Free Modifiers Predication

Expletive Patterns Parallelism

Sentence Series, Sentence Transitional

Development Fragments
Open; Adverbs
Series, Closed
Sentence Focus Sentence Patterns

(Sidney, Geoffrey, Randolph, & Jan,

of basic grammar 1973)
 Process
•Step 1: Students may need to review a plethora of grammatical rules before
beginning the Essay Quest. Challenge yourself to:
 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/powerpoint.htm

 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ (Darling, Sandorff, 1999)

 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/parallelism.htm

 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/search/query_X.asp
•Step 2: Relax! Consider this poem about the Rosetta Stone which is included as
a Worksheet. The Key of Grammatical Terms and Expressions is also
recommended.
 Process (continued)

•Step 3: You may proceed to further review these quizzes:

 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu:80/grammar/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm
 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/niu/niu14.htm

•Step 4: You may now consider essential writing guides:

 http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/handouts/setiii/prints/SETIII3P.html

 http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/handouts/setiii/prints/SETIII4P.html

•Step 5: If you would like to be challenged, identify the correct idioms:

 http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/esl/setvi/prints/SETVI7EP.html
 Preparing University-Bound Students
for Success
Goals, Instructional Design must prepare for those set forth by the
University

A responsive non-profit Educational Testing Service (ETS)

strives to align College Preparatory English with standards
set forth by the University Regents and Academic Senate.

Other Literary Literary terminology Rhetoric identified

Classics: identified through Cal through Cal LACS
American Classics Nathaniel Hawthorne, LACS and the and the National
Shakespeare, James National Council of
Joyce, e.g. Council of English
English

University Regents, Academic Senate, and Language Arts Content

Standards (LACS) strive to align Instructional Designs of High School
College Preparatory English with those set forth by the University

Instructional Plan Template | Slide 3b | Introduction

 Process (continued)

•Step 6: You may note the contents of the succeeding references:

 http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/composition.htm
 http://www.stanford.edu/group/howiwrite/conversationtranscripts.html
 http://www.nelliemuller.com

•Step 7: Goodness! The genuine Rosetta Stone. We welcome your

essay regarding this photo and the poem included on the Worksheet.
Worksheet
•Step 8: Note 10-12 of these terms; use the Worksheet to indicate
examples of their usage—they are each linked to a glossary for
your convenience and optional reference.
(Daniels & Daniels, 1999)
•Absolute phrase •Antecedents
•Abstract nouns •Appositives
•Active voice •Articles
•Adjective clauses •Auxiliary verbs
•Adjectives •Basic verb forms
•Adverb clauses •Cardinal Numbers
•Adverbs •Case
•Agreement •Clauses
•Collective nouns •Compound noun
•Comma splice •Compound prepositions

•Common nouns •Compound sentence

•Comparative form •Compound subject

•Complement •Compound-complex sentence

•Complete subjects •Concrete nouns

•Complex sentence •Conditional verb
•Compound Adjective •Conjunctions
•Conjunction adverb •Definite article
•Contraction •Demonstrative pronouns

•Coordinative adjective •Dependent clauses

•Coordinating conjunctions
•Direct object
•Correlative conjunctions •Double negative
•Count nouns •Exclamatory sentences

•Dangling participial phrase •Feminine gender

•Declarative sentence •Finite verb
•Fused sentence •Indicative mood
•Future tense •Indirect objects
•Gender •Infinitive
•Gerunds •Intensive Pronoun
•Imperative mood •Interjection
•Indefinite articles •Interrogative pronouns

•Indefinite pronouns •Interrogative sentence

•Independent clauses •Intransitive verb

•Irregular verb •Negatives
•Linking verb •Neuter
•Main verb •Nonrestrictive clause

•Masculine gender •Noun clause

•Mass nouns •Noun phrase
•Modal Auxiliaries •Nouns
•Modifiers •Number
•Mood •Object case
•Object complements •Perfect tense
•Objects of prepositions •Person
•Ordinal numbers •Personal pronoun
•Parallel •Phrases
•Parts of speech •Possessive case
•Passive voice •Predicate
•Past participles •Predicate adjective

•Past tense •Prepositional phrase

•Prepositions •Reciprocals
•Present participles •Reflexive pronouns

•Present tense •Regular verbs

•Principal parts •Relative clause
•Progressive •Relative pronoun
•Pronouns •Restrictive clause
•Proper adjective •Run-on sentence
•Sentence, fragment
•Proper nouns
•Sequence of tenses •Subordinare clauses

•Simple sentence •Subordinating conjunctions

•Simple subject •Superlative form

•Split infinitive •Tenses
•Subject •Transitive verbs
•Subject case •Verbs, verb phrases
•Subject complement •Verbals
•Subjunctive mood •Voice
 Evaluation
Student’s Name: _________________________________Date: ____________

Category 5 4 3 2 1

Completing Webquests 100% Webquests 90% Webquests 80% Webquests 70% Webquests 60%
complete complete complete complete complete
WebQuest

Simple Essay 100% 90% 80% 70% 60%

Defining
Grammatical complete, complete, complete, complete, complete
Terms accurate accurate accurate accurate

Essay, Thesis Well Supported Relatively Relatively Relatively Virtually no

Thesis, Logically
of Literature Structured Supported Thesis , Supported Thesis, Supported Thesis, Supported Thesis,
Conclusion conclusion poor conclusion no conclusion no conclusion

Follows With 100% With 90% With 80% With 70% With 60%
Instructions accuracy
accuracy accuracy accuracy accuracy
 Conclusion
 You are finished; you have posted and proofed your project! Now answer
the following questions:
 Has this activity influenced your view on better writing skills? How? Now
that you have completed the project, what new considerations can you
offer someone’s writing? How can written documents of others affect you?
 What is grammar and expository? How will new opportunities of the 21st
century challenge your writing?
 What makes your project an effective writing example? .
 Teacher Resources
http://www.cityu.edu.hk:80/elc/iowa/quiz/
http://library.thinkquest.org/10241/
http://questgarden.com/46/50/2/070224121051/
http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/esl/setvi/prints/SETVI7EP.html
http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/esl/esl.html

Handouts that will benefit students: www.chompchomp.com

One would express gratitude to Professor Elene Sandorff and the late Charles Darling, PhD, for
permitting our use of their web through Capital Community College; Hartford, Connecticut.
 References
Daniels, B., & Daniels, D. (1991). English Grammar College Outline. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers.

Darling, C., PhD, & Sandorff, E.PhD (1999, November). Grammar Review
(Capital Community College; Hartford, Connecticut). Retrieved January
21, 2008, from http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Sidney, G., Geoffrey, L., Randolph, Q., & Jan, S. (. (1973). A Comprehensive
Grammar of the English Language. New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich.

Weaver, C. (1996). Grammar for Teachers: Perspectives and Definitions

(National Council of Teachers of English). Portsmouth, NH:
Boynton/Cook, also Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.