The issue of "grammatical correctness" is a complex one,
laden with problems of power, prestige and prejudice. Linguists point out that
an emphasis on achieving "correct" Standard English has a gate-keeping effect,
making it more difficult for those whose home dialect is not "Standard" to enter
the American mainstream. Many scholars point out that linguistically speaking,
"all dialects are created equal," and than none is more "correct" than another,
just as French is no "better" than English or British English is no better than
American English. In the U.S., Standard American English has become the expected
means of communicating in most professional spheres, both nationally and
internationally; however, the person who can "code switch" between different
dialects or, better still, different languages, will be the more successful
communicator in global and local communities.
The complexity regarding "correctness" and American English is compounded by
the large number of handbooks or style sheets containing "rules" for achieving
correctness in editing, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Typically, academic
writing situations and assignments rely on a handbook geared toward academic
writing such as Andrea Lunsford's Easy Writer. On the other hand, many
newspapers and magazines use the AP Style Manual or the Chicago Manual of Style;
others, such as the New York Times, have their own style sheets. Students should
know that no one style sheet or handbook will apply to every writing situation.
Regarding the Concentration, some courses (particularly journalism courses)
may require students to use the AP Style Manual while others will rely on Andrea
Lunsford's Easy Writer, the handbook of expository writing rules required in
Villanova's Core courses. The WebCT Grammar, Punctuation and Style exam will be
based on usage conventions delineated in Andrea Lunsford's Easy Writer,
since such grammar conventions underlie all style formats and all students at
Villanova should own Easy Writer.
Preparing for the Exam
Preparation for this exam will assure easy success.
Passing it will guarantee that you know the basics of punctuation and
grammar—the icing on the cake of good writing! You should obtain a copy of
Lunsford for study if you do not already have one. Look at the chart below for
the points covered on the exam and their corresponding sections in Lunsford.
Read the Lunsford sections and then for practice, do the online exercises on the
grammar points.
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| Read Concise sentences, pp. 94-96 |
Do Exercises 113 and 374 |
| Read Use Active Voice over passive in general p.96 |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Sentence Grammar" > Click on "Voice"
Do Exercises 308 and 231 |
| Read Use inclusive language, pp. 141-143 |
Do Exercises 278 and 588 |
| Read Cliches and misused metaphors, p. 150 |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Word Choice/Language" Click on "Exact Words"
Do Exercises 445 and 446 |
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Read Parallelism pp.96-98 |
Do Exercises 116 and 376 |
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Read Misplaced Modifiers pp. 10 |
Do Exercises 367 and 575 |
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Read Dangling Modifiers p. 76 |
Do Exercises 185 and 576 |
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Read Shifts: person, number and voice p. 5,6, 09 |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Sentence Style"
> Click on "Shifts"
Do Exercises 89 and 364 |
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Read Using more sentence variety |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Sentence Style"
> Click on "Sentence Variety"
Do Exercises 526, 529 and 537 |
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Read Pronoun reference, pp 80-81 |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Basic Grammar"
> Click on "Pronouns" >Then scroll down column
Do Exercises 86 and 235 |
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Read Pronoun case, pp 76-79 |
Click Here > Click on Exercises (top of page) > Look under "Basic Grammar"
> Click on "Pronouns" >Then scroll down column
Do Exercises 353 and 569 |
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Read Sentence fragments, pp. 84-86 |
Do Exercises 234 and 366 |
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Read Run-on sentences, pp. 82-85 |
Do Exercises 83 and 365 |
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Total Number of Exercises: 38 (But
don't worry. They are quick!)
For More GPS Exam Preparation
Visit the
Exercise Central web site where the online exercises
are located. Click on the appropriate section to see the menu of exercises.
Click on an exercise you wish to complete, log in and get to work. You may have
to register and choose a username and password. Enter Dr. Hollis' email address: karyn.hollis@villanova.edu.
To find out about your "grammar weak spots," you should consider taking a
practice
online grammar diagnostic exam. This quiz provides excellent practice
for the GPS exam because the format is very similar. After you complete the
diagnostic exam, be sure to print it out with your score. You will get excellent
feedback on which grammar points you need to study more. Just go back to the
diagnostic quiz page and click on any grammar point for more information and
exercises.
If you feel you need more practice in sharpening your grammar skills, you can
find additional online exercises in handbooks listed on the
Exercise Central
page. Click on a handbook title, log on as a student, find needed exercises and
enter karyn.hollis@villanova.edu as your instructor's email address. And finally
for still further online reinforcement, the
Guide to Grammar page has many
appropriate exercises. Just scroll down for the grammar points under "Word and
Sentence Level," and "Paragraph Level."
Registering for the Concentration WebCT Grammar and Punctuation and Style
Exam
When you feel you are ready for the "real thing," go to the
WebCT GPS quiz.
- Click on GPS quiz
- Next, click on Quiz 1 and take it. You must score 90% or better to pass. If you
don't pass Quiz 1 with 90%, try Quiz 2, etc., taking each quiz in turn until you
pass with 90%. You may take the quizzes as many times as you wish.
- Your score will be automatically registered on WebCT, but you must notify
Dr.
Hollis when you've passed the quiz.
- Students should take the quiz either before enrolling or during the first
semester they are enrolled in the Concentration.
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