Has anyone on the list used Thomas Klammer's Analyzing English Grammar?? I've been using it for about six years. One aspect of it I prefer over Kolln's is that it has examples of diagramming using both tree and Reed-Kellogg diagrams. And, Ed, I agree with you! It is so difficult to find actual grammar books. Most books seem to be either handbooks/refereence books or designed for developmental students. Christine Gray Robert Einarsson wrote: > > Ed Vavra writes: > > > As the members of the ATEG list know, I propose burning their > > grammar books. Well, not literally, but the things are useless. > Obviously, > > I want to invite the unknown guest to the KISS web site: > > http://curie.pct.edu/courses/evavra/KISS.htm She can tell her > district > > Language consultant that she has found an approach to teaching > grammar, > > based on theory and research, that does not require the > purchase of any > > books. Ed Vavra > > As I argued in a little conference paper, grammar books today are > more like reference works or technical dictionaries, and less like > actual teaching textbooks. > > The difference is that textbooks build the subject concept by > concept, and teach the reader. Reference books, on the other > hand, simply compile the information in an arbitrary and fragmented > way. For example, alphabetical order is not the best choice for > organizing an subject that you intend to teach (whereas it might be > a good order for a reference work intended for informed users). > > Almost all of the grammar books that I get in the mail are actually > reference books. They are potentially useful for me but not for my > students. In a _textbook,_ on the other hand, students ccould > start with no knowledge and have the whole subject explained to > them in an incremental way. > > It seems to me that the last great grammar textbook (in the true > sense of the word) was written by Martha Kolln: Understanding > English Grammar. > > Ed Vavra also presents grammar in a textbook form on the KISS > web site. > > Here is the link to my conference paper: > > http://www.artsci.gmcc.ab.ca/people/einarssonb/elac.html > > ----------------------------------------------------- > Sincerely, Robert Einarsson > please visit me at > http://www.artsci.gmcc.ab.ca/people/einarssonb > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/