Grammar Matters

PHILOSOPHY: Learn key general-usage grammar points on the Web in three two-hour sessions of homework. The modular, stand-alone Web exercises provide answers and analysis. A quiz is provided. A companion handbook, "The Journalism QuickGuide" (online and bulk discounts), has innovative direct explanations. An instructor or newsroom trainer may focus on personal mentoring, instead of lecturing.

Packet 1. [1.5 hours] Do just these exercises at "Writer's Workshop" in this order:

the number

a number

This list will stay in this window. Return here using the taskbar at the very bottom.
Go to Writer's Workshop (Ball State University). [Enlarge the window if necessary.]

Review. [15 minutes] Try the "Test of the Emergency Grammar System."

The first eight questions should be familiar. But the last two have surprising twists.

Go to "Test of the Emergency Grammar System" (University of Oregon,
which you'll see is the home of the Ducks). Return here using the bottom taskbar.

Packet 2. [2.5 hours] Do just these exercises at "Guide to Grammar" in this order:

[Quiz numbers may change.]

83. Comma Usage [This exercise doesn't eat serial commas.]
85. Punctuation [This exercise uses semi-colons to repair comma splices. Journalists
often separate related sentences into two sentences with a period and capital letter.]

94. Compound Nouns [Move to the next response with "tab."] [ compound modifiers]
[Journalism deviates from this exercise's answers for these two items:
vice president and a coal-black sky. "Rat race" is a noun phrase.]

78. Modifier Placement [ placement First click on the quiz number for details.]
118. Parallel Structures [ series First click on the quiz number for details.]

Go to the quiz list at Guide to Grammar and Writing (Capital Community College,
Hartford, Conn.). Return here using the bottom taskbar.

Try other quizzes, such as 93. Basic Mechanics and 118. Parallelism III.

Quiz. [half-hour] Go to J-Skills: Grammar quiz (Northern Illinois University).

New... [The plural apostrophe does not exist: Maria Veridad, the Veridads (pl.).]
[No apostrophe for ABCs. Pronunciation apostrophe for single letter A’s.]
[Macy’s (store). Walgreens (singular possessive apostrophe dropped by the company.)]
[Lands' End grammatically should be Land's End (the end of the land), a boating term.]

Bonus. [half-hour] Try an interactive general grammar package.

princess'

princess's

Go to general grammar package (University of Queensland).

NewsPlace: Reference for more grammar links, stylebooks and writing tips.: To copy just a part of a web page, see surfing tips.

J-Skills [newswriting & PR writing exercises]

NewsPlace.org [N.E.W.S., Sources, Tools, WhiteHouse '04]

Professor Avi Bass (abass@niu.edu), Northern Illinois University.: J-Skills: Grammar exercises ©azb 2000, 2004 NewsPlace.org/grammar.html

A set of interactive exercises covering  parentheticals  that/which  who/whom  compound modifiers  it's/its  placement  series  conjunctions  colons  agreement

Grammar Matters

Packet 1. [1.5 hours] Do just these exercises at "Writer's Workshop" in this order:

This list will stay in this window. Return here using the taskbar at the very bottom. Go to Writer's Workshop (Ball State University). [Enlarge the window if necessary.]

Review. [15 minutes] Try the "Test of the Emergency Grammar System."

Go to "Test of the Emergency Grammar System" (University of Oregon, which you'll see is the home of the Ducks). Return here using the bottom taskbar.