CO-PUBLISHED BY ROUTLEDGE AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH Grammar to Get Things Done offers a fresh lens on grammar and grammar instruction, designed for middle and secondary pre-service and in-service English teachers. It shows how form, function, and use can help teachers move away from decontextualized grammar instruction (such as worksheets and exercises emphasizing rule-following and memorizing conventional definitions) and begin considering grammar in applied contexts of everyday use. Modules (organized by units) succinctly explain common grammatical concepts. These modules help English teachers gain confidence in their own understanding while positioning grammar instruction as an opportunity to discuss, analyze, and produce language for real purposes in the world. An important feature of the text is attention to both the history of and current attitudes about grammar through a sociocultural lens, with ideas for teachers to bring discussions of language-as-power into their own classrooms.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One: Introduction Defining Grammar Grammar Usage Mechanics A Very Short History of Grammar and Usage in the English Language A Very Short History of Modern Grammar Instruction Approaches to Grammar: Prescriptive, Descriptive, and Rhetorical Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammars Rhetorical Grammar How We Address Grammar(s) in This Book Why Definitions? Form, Function, and Use Parts of Speech or Lexical Categories? The Goal For All: Metalinguistic Awareness References Chapter Two: Grammar and Power What is Standard English? Moralizing Language Grammar(s) and Power, Society, and Identity Power Society Identity Critical Awareness and Grammar Instruction Further Reading References Chapter Three: Teaching Grammar Intentionally Grammar as an Integrated Element of Broader Design Authority, Control, and Punishment (Sample Integrated Unit #1) Specific Grammar Concepts for This Unit Passive (and Active) Voice Sentence Modifiers: Absolute Phrases What Counts as Intelligence (Sample Integrated Unit #2) Specific Grammar Concepts for This Unit "To Be" Verbs and Sentence Forms Complex Sentence Structures How to Plan for Specific Grammar Integration Correction and Grammar Instruction: Using Student Work Diagnostically General Issues and What They Mean Passage- and Paragraph-Level Patterns and What They Mean Choppy Awkward or Disorganized Vague or Underdeveloped Context Unclear Redundant Wordy Sentence-Level Patterns and What They Mean Run-Ons, Splices, and Fragments Agreement Issues Word Choice Punctuation Issues Conclusion References Chapter Four: Grammatical Concepts Introduction: What It Is, and What It Ain't Structure of Chapter Four Limitations of Chapter Four Unit One: Sentences and Sentence Types The Sentence Overview Form and Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with the Sentence Scenario 1: Food Fight Scenario 2: Gotta Get That Money Scenario 3: Different Kinds of Bosses Non-Sentences and Their Uses Overview Form Fragments and Function Single Words Phrases and Other Phenomena Clauses Fragments in Use Run-ons and Function Run-ons in Use Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Non-Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Fragments and Run-Ons Scenario 1: Ghost Stories Scenario 2: Thirty Seconds of Face Time Scenario 3: Advertising Your Town Scenario 4: Remixing the Mocking Run-On Simple Sentences Overview Form Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Simple Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Simple Sentences Scenario 1: Testify Scenario 2: Honest and Direct Scenario 3: A Real Apology Scenario 4: Ending a Relationship Compound Sentences and Conjunctions Overview Form Function Yet, For, and Nor Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Compound Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Compound Sentences Scenario 1: Justice For All Scenario 2: Science Fiction Point-Counterpoint Scenario 3: Making a Deal Scenario 4: The Ironic "Yet" Scenario 5: The Memorable Well-Balanced Line Scenario 6: The Dramatic Reason or Consequence Complex Sentences Overview Form Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Complex Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Complex Sentences Scenario 1: Friday Night Plans Scenario 2: Carlee’s Concoctions Scenario 3: Spirit Friday Scenario 4a: Storybook Summarizer Scenario 4b: Album Blurbs Compound-Complex Sentences Overview Form Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Compound-Complex Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Compound-Complex Sentences Scenario 1: Junk Food in School Scenario 2: Whiffleball Guidelines Scenario 3: Youth Court Judge Scenario 4: Who’s the Winner Active and Passive Voice Overview Form Verb Form Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Active Voice is Useful in Actual Communication Focusing on Use: How Passive Voice is Useful in Actual Communication Avoiding blame or guilt Emphasizing a different subject for a particular reason News reporting Distancing the doer intentionally for political reasons Experimenting with Passive Voice Scenario 1: Grandpa’s (Formerly) Fine Ride Scenario 2: Party Post-Mortem Scenario 3: Fixing Headlines Scenario 4: Apology or Non-Apology? Unit Two: Clauses Dependent Clauses Overview Form Function Adverbial Clauses Dependent Clause Relationships Punctuating Adverbial Clauses Adjectival Clauses Punctuating Adjectival Clauses Nominal Clauses Subjects Objects of the Preposition **A Quick Refresher: Definitions of Direct Objects and Subject Complements** Subject Complements Direct Objects Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Dependent Clauses are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Dependent Clauses Specific Function: Concession Scenario 1a: Lucas Needs Help Scenario 1b: Pleading For Leniency Specific Function: Contrast Scenario 2a: You’re Wearing That?! Scenario 2b: Adopting a Role Specific Function: Reason Scenario 3: Let’s Make a Deal Specific Function: Condition Scenario 4: No More Bankrolling Unit Three: Phrases Appositive Phrases Overview Form and Function Punctuation and Appositives Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Appositive Phrases are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Appositive Phrases Scenario 1: Exposing the Truth Scenario 2: Condensing the Details Scenario 3: Piling on the Description Participial Phrases Overview Form Function Punctuation and Participial Phrases Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Participials are Useful in Actual Communication Implication Specificity Causation Experimenting with Participial Phrases Scenario 1: Game Designer Scenario 2: Stage Director Scenario 3: The Impact of Experience Scenario 4a: Helping People Make the Connection, Part 1 Scenario 4b: Helping People Make the Connection, Part 2 Absolute Phrases Overview Form What to Remember Function Explaining a Cause or Condition Adding Detail or a Focal Point Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Absolute Phrases are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Absolute Phrases Scenario 1: Game Designer Scenario 2: Encounter with Fame (A Celebrity, Politician, or Athlete) Scenario 3: Moment of Growth Gerunds Overview Form Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Gerunds are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Gerunds Scenario 1: Xtreme Adventures Scenario 2: Viral Meme Creation Scenario 3: Helping the Noobs Infinitives Overview Form Dangling Infinitives Function Infinitives as Adjectives Infinitives as Adverbs Infinitives as Nouns Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Infinitives are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Infinitives Scenario 1: Sometimes Tentative is Good Scenario 2: The Villain’s Speech Scenario 3: The Artist Inside Prepositions Overview Form The Prepositional Phrase Common Prepositions Function Adverbially and Adjectivally Prepositions or Subordinating Conjunctions? Never End a Sentence With a Preposition… Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Prepositions are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Prepositions Scenario 1a: The Secret Party Scenario 1b: The Virtual Reality Challenge Scenario 2: How to Respond? Scenario 3: The Suggestive Title Unit Four: Lexical Categories Nouns Overview Form Function Subjects Objects of the Preposition Direct Objects Indirect Objects Object Complements Subject Complements Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Nouns are Useful in Actual Communication Nominalization Noun Versatility Adjectives Acting as Nouns Verbs Acting as Nouns Experimenting with Nouns Scenario 1: Titles That Pop Scenario 2: The Power of Summary Scenario 3: A Primer for Beginners Action Verbs Overview Form and Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Action Verbs are Useful in Actual Communication Verbs for Precision and Connotation Atypical Verbs and Their Possibilities Proper Nouns Used as Verbs Experimenting with Action Verbs Scenario 1: Communicating the Intangibles Scenario 2: Degrees of Exaggeration and Understatement Scenario 3: Meme Hunting Scenario 4: Energetic Film Titles Scenario 5a: Sports Writing Scenario 5b: Reporting on a Sporting Event Scenario 5c: Researching Sports Reporting Language Other Verbs Overview Form Active Verbs: Transitive and Intransitive Transitive Verbs and Direct Objects Transitive Verbs and Indirect Objects Intransitive Verbs Linking Verbs Modals (one type of Helping Verb) Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Verbs are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Other Verbs Scenario 1: Remixing Slogans Scenario 2: Careful with Advice Scenario 3: Softening the Criticism Adjectives Overview Form Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives (Gradable Adjectives) Funner, or More Fun? Function Subject Complements Object Complements Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Adjectives are Useful in Actual Communication Moving from Adjectives to Participles (Academic Language) Converting Adjectives to Action Verbs Getting More Precise Proper Nouns as Adjectives Experimenting with Adjectives Scenario 1: Wild Water Scenario 2: Family Style Scenario 3: Saucy Business Adverbs Overview Form and Function Adverbs of Manner Adverbs of Place Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Time Adverbs of Purpose Adverbs of Condition Modifying More Than Verbs Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Adverbs are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Adverbs Scenario 1: Science Lab with Chet Scenario 2: Refining Your Career Interests Scenario 3: Kebe is So Mysterious Scenario 4: It’s Over Pronouns Overview Form Personal Pronouns Its and It’s, Me and I Demonstrative Pronouns Reciprocal Pronouns Interrogative Pronouns Indefinite Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Relative Pronouns The Trouble with Whom Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Pronouns are Useful in Actual Communication Repetition, Tone, and Voice Determiners Experimenting with Pronouns Scenario 1: Bringing the People Together Scenario 2: Updating the Creed Scenario 3: Shaping the Scene Unit Five: Punctuation Colons Overview Form and Function Colon Function #1 Colon Function #2 Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Colons are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Colons Scenario 1: The Power of Lists Scenario 2: Defining a Term Scenario 3: The Final Reason Semicolons Overview Form and Function Semicolon Function #1 Semicolon Function #2 Semicolon Function #3 Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Semicolons are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Semicolons Scenario 1: Deep Dive Into Detail Scenario 2: Defending Your Honor Scenario 3: Elaborating on an Idea Scenario 4: Analyzing Political Posturing Dashes Overview Form Dashes and Parentheses Dashes and Dialogue Dashes vs Hyphens Function Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Dashes are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Dashes Scenario 1: Recreating the Moment Scenario 2: It’s All in the Details Scenario 3: Defending Donnie Hyphens Overview Form Function Modifying Nouns Connecting Numbers Describing Age Joining Words to Create a New Concept Adding Affixes Hyphen Caveats Typical Form Exercises Focusing on Use: How Hyphens are Useful in Actual Communication Experimenting with Hyphens Scenario 1: Harry Hates Hyphens Scenario 2: Destroying Some Stereotypes Scenario 3: Gaming Lingo Commas Overview Form and Function Specific Comma Functions References Appendix Innate Understandings Suffixes Grammar Rants Language and Power Language and Society/Language and Identity Grammar(s) of Their Worlds Open and Closed Word Classes Analyzing Grammar in Chunks Punctuation More Thematic Units References