© 2010 Steve Campsall
englishbiz A-level grammar essentials |
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to textual analysis
Well, okay, maybe 'cool' is over-stepping the mark (and, you've guessed it - he's mad. But don't worry - he's not real)...
What we've aimed to achieve is create a guide to grammar that is accessible, useful and just enough for your course. It's been written by an experienced A-level English Language teacher, too. Remember that if you can analyse key sentences at even a basic level of grammar, you will be in a strong position to create a more subtle and sophisticated analysis; in fact, just the kind of analysis that gains high marks.
If it's subtlety and marks you're after - and who isn't? - then you'll find two further very useful analytical techniques here and here.
What
is
Grammar?
The so-called 'rules of grammar' ensure that writers and speakers form sentences that
create clear and sensible meaning. Grammar is not about
'rules' in the true sense (after all, there are no grammar police).
Grammar is actually a set of agreed
conventions that help language users choose the right form
and structure for words in sentences so that the meaning of the
sentence becomes clear.
We learn these 'rules' subconsciously as we learn to speak and write.
For the study of how children learn to speak and write (child language acquisition), a knowledge of grammar is vital. This unit is in the A2 year of most English Language A-level courses.
Our knowledge and use of grammar becomes further refined as we develop as speakers and writers.
A few of the more complex aspects of grammar need to be consciously learned.
Language users rarely need to consider their use of grammar except in a few formal situations.
As a student of language, when you analyse and consider how to comment on the grammar of a sentence, as with all other analytical techniques, your aim is to make worthwhile comments concerning the style of language chosen. This means considering how the grammar has been chosen in the light of four aspects: genre, context, audience and purpose.
Pages Updated 04.02.09