An intermediate ELT grammar reference and practice book which includes examples and explanations of form and usage, units that contrast different structures, revision units, and a 32-page test section.

Available either with or without an answer key (for classrooom use or self-study), this grammar book deals with problems encountered by ELT students at elementary level. It draws on everyday situations, real people and the student's own experiences to provide help in understanding the language. Reference and practice sections are graded in difficulty, to make the book suitable for students from beginner to upper-elementary level. Grammar points are introduced in the order in which students will meet them in most coursebooks, and the book has an American English appendix.

Important, yet playful, grammar -- Sensible sentences and categories of clauses -- Naming nouns and pronouns -- Vivid verbs -- Admirable adjectives and adverbs -- Among prepositions and conjunctions and interjections. Wow! -- Putting it all together -- Final thoughts: a spoonful of sugar -- Appendix A. Grades at which grammatical concepts commonly are taught -- Appendix B. Test yourself -- Appendix C. A collection of collective nouns -- Appendix D. Jean's suggested music for Rachmaninoff to reggae to rap -- Appendix E. Additional resources for classroom use -- Appendix F. Reproducibles -- Works cited

"To improve his students' writing, the author returns to neglected research in sentence instruction to explicitly teach the possibilities of sentences: how various moves affect sentences and how sentences build on each other"--

Chantal and Elisa show us the teaching and learning of conventions as part of a personal and collective striving toward proficiency, power, and independence. They help us conceive the daily work of learning language as part of more mythic work, which is that of becoming greater than we were. - Mary Ehrenworth Author of The Power of Grammar Are Chantal Francois and Elisa Zonana's students like yours? Economically, linguistically, and culturally diverse; excited to write; yet underprepared for the kinds of writing demanded in middle school and beyond? Don't be daunted. Francois and Zonana found a solution, and in Catching Up on Conventions they share lessons that help kids quickly master Standard English grammar. Catching Up on Conventions will make a difference in your writing workshop and in your middle schoolers' lives. With Catching Up on Conventions and its annotated lesson plans, you'll: make key grammatical rules explicit and scaffold learning through highly structured, tightly focused lessons strengthen students' narrative and expository writing give students specific tools for editing and revising support code-switching between the language students use outside the classroom and Standard English. Francois and Zonana designed Catching Up on Conventions to be easy for you to implement and highly effective. It raises students' awareness of Standard English grammar with: targeted lessons that slide into even the most packed curriculum. teaching based on widely recognized best practices that are proven to work. suggestions for instructional language and assessment practices that empower linguistic choice rather than "correct" or devalue the language skills students bring to school. For success in school, Standard English grammar isn't optional - it's an option every student must have. But it's not too late for underprepared students to find the power of choice and take their passion for writing to a whole new level. Not when they're Catching Up on Conventions.

In this book, the author looks at what's wrong with the way grammar has been taught traditionally, and outlines current theories, research, and principles underlying grammar instruction for writing, advocating that grammar instruction be incorporated throughout the writing process, not broken out into isolated units. She offers teaching ideas and lesson plans for primary and secondary students, and gathers practicing teachers to describe their methods for responding to student errors, helping English language learners, and supporting code switching among speakers of African American English. Exercises for students and examples of student work at all levels are included.