Presents a humorous technique for teaching students about apostrophes. (FL)

Describes ERIC as an up-to-date database that has relatively few items that center on conventions and mechanics, and yet there are hundreds of citations including ERIC descriptors such as spelling, grammar, and syntax. Presents a seven-item annotated bibliography of journal articles and books (published in ERIC between 1991 and 1993). (PA)

This handbook for writers is designed to be a practical guide to the conventions of the English language in its written form. The handbook also offers information and advice on composition and grammar and on a selection of other editing- and publishing-related topics. Chapters in the book are: (1) Punctuation; (2) Capitals, Italics, and Quotation…

The 33 activities in this book reinforce the rules of written English by providing students with practice in editing a variety of formats. The activities help students develop a basic understanding of the rules of grammar and mechanics (generally taught in grades 8 and up) in context and exercise their critical thinking abilities by identifying…

The purpose of this book is to teach technical writing to social scientists. The authors argue that too few social scientists take enough care with words that are outside the technical vocabulary of the social sciences. Chapters discuss such topics as: the need for better social science writing, planning what is to be written, writing sentences…

Guidelines to aid the Extension Agent in writing articles for newspapers are presented. The manual is divided into the following sections: Why Use Newspapers?; Newspaper Public Relations; Before You Begin to Write; What Is News?; The Right Words; Feature Stories; Writing Columns; Newspaper Editorials; Editing; and Photography. In addition, a…

Emphasizes the need for proofreading instruction in a college technical writing class. Provides the locations of frequently undetected proofreading errors and a strategy for when and how to proofread. (RL)

This grammar handbook emphasizes formal written usage, offering clues to help with comprehension. The seven sections discuss: (1) "Nouns" (e.g., most nouns can follow "the," and possessives can show more than possession); (2) "Pronouns" (e.g., pronouns come in small groups, and some pronouns defy logic); (3) "Verbs" (e.g., some plural subjects…

Providing grades 4-6 students with practice and reinforcement in editing for capitalization, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, usage, and content, this computer software program contains over 30 written accounts that have been sequenced from easier to more difficult. The program has 3 levels of play: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At each…

The 21 books reviewed were published in 1968, 1969, or 1970; excluded are remedial texts," those on extremely narrow topics," and those on rhetoric alone." (Author/RD)

Provides details of a mini-course, developed in cooperation with the school's study skills center, that is the essential feature of a program designed to help students in the business communication curriculum improve their writing skills. (RL)

Suggests that part of the problem with instruction in mechanics has to do with the intuitively unappealing nature of most of the "rules" that have remained unchanged for a century. Discusses problems with current rules on the use of the apostrophe. Presents a one-page reproducible handout that summarizes a technique to teach usage of the…

Looks at correctness in writing as a sociolinguistic phenomena that conveys information about the author in terms of his or her capacity to write as a college student and in a form commensurate with academic standards. Concludes that correctness has a sociolinguistic role crucial to the field of basic writing. (TB)

Offers a step-by-step guide to teaching elementary school children conventions such as punctuation, spelling, and grammar and includes a sample minilesson and 10 tips for teachers. An interview with author Donald Graves answers questions about teaching writing. (SM)

An approach to teaching grammar through the use of speaking and listening activities is presented in this brief article. AUTHOR'S COMMENT (excerpt): Why practice the language simply by completing worksheets or exercises in the grammar book? There are various ways to teach language through speaking and listening exercises. These are several…