How+do+we+effectively+break+the+rules+of+writing?+(Ehrenworth,+Vinton,+Chap+4)

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=**Prompt**:= =How do grammar and punctuation effect voice and style?=

**Discussion Question** What does it mean to effectively break the rules of writing? How do we find meaning in breaking rules of grammar within writing? With already busy schedules, how do we implement lessons such as this one into the classroom? How do we get students to understand the concepts behind grammar? Should grammar be taught on more of a cause and effect model which allows the students a choice in how they use grammar?





Activities:
 * 1) Follow along as I read the original "justice" piece and place commas, periods, dashes, or whatever punctuation wherever you feel necessary based on my reading, noting pauses and inflection changes.
 * 2) Share your edited version with the person next to you and be ready to justify why you put the punctuation where you did.
 * 3) Discuss as a whole class.
 * 4) Compare your edited piece to the piece from //The Power of Grammar// and discuss with person next to you.
 * 5) Do you agree with the changes? Discuss as a whole class.

**Annotated Bibliography** 1. Pennington, Mark "Teaching Essay Style: 15 Tricks of the Trade". Pennington Publishing Blog

Pennington addresses the issue of College professors' worry over students non-willingness to break the rules of writing and develop their own style away from that which was taught alongside the five paragraph essay.

2. Grow, Gerald "The 'Do it Wrong' Approach' to Teaching Writing". 1987

Grow talks about how teaching from bad writing can encourage good writing skills. By learning from bad writing, the student knows what bad writing is, learns the rules of writing, and can distinguish breaking the rules from simply writing poorly.

3. Thurman, Susan. //The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need//. Adams Media, 2003. An almost pocket sized book that addresses not only grammar and syntax, but style. Thurman uses many linguistic terms but explains them in an easy-to-understand way. The book can be thought of as a quick reference guide to many of the concepts in grammar.

4. Strunk, William, Jr. and White, E.B. //The Elements of Style, 4th Edition//. Allyn and Bacon, 2000. This is the classic style guide that has stood the test of time. It is pocket sized and packed with useful information on writing style. It is organized in more of a prose style than other grammar and style books, and it is that style that helps drive home some of the points made in the book. Pay careful attention though, as the book often goes against what it says in its own pages--but does it so effectively that it enhances the point trying to be made.

5. Zinsser, William. //On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 30th Anniversary Edition.// Collins, 2008. This book is more of a guide to writing in different genres of nonfiction. Part I, however, does give many valuable theories and ideas of how to write tight and with style. It is not the quick reference guide that many style and grammar books are and may be best used as guide to deciding how you want to, or if you can in certain cases, break the rules of grammar.

6. Sabin, William. //The Gregg Reference Manual. Tenth Edition.// McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2005. Not quite the pocket guide, but a valuable desk reference for all those questions and doubts we have as writers. It is very well organized and the sections are easy to find. It deals all aspects of punctuation, grammar, spelling and formatting. It is a go to book if the other pocket books are not giving you what you are looking for.

7. Truss, Lynne. //Eats, Shoots & Leaves.// Gotham Books, 2003. If you find the other books a little too liberal, or loose, in their views of grammar then this book will be your saving grace. Truss takes a fairly strict line on grammar and deals less with style than the other books mentioned here. It is not organized in an easy to find reference book style, but it is still easy to find what you are looking.

8. Cook, Claire Kehrwald. //Line By Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing.// Modern Language Association, 1985. This book deals more with clarity, agreement, parallelism and cleanliness in writing, but by doing addresses grammar in a more practical way. It provides justification for the use of punctuation and why writing correctly helps get your message across better. It, however, is not so rule heavy and strict that it eliminates a writer's style. In the end it is a good book have when revising and editing your own writing--just like the title says.

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