How I teach
grammar and
punctuation
Susan Ertel
Associate Professor
Dixie State University
Fall 2013
Carefully…
 Easy
on the terms
 Heavy on the practice and repetition
 Bloom’s Taxonomy (application/synthesis)
Graphics and Mnemonics
 FANBOYS
 FISH
ID
 HOT HOT CATS
 Tic Tac Toe Sentence Chart
FANBOYS
seven coordinating
conjunctions
 For
 And
 Nor
 But
 Or
 Yet
 So
FISH ID
six basic comma rules
 FANBOYS
 Introductory
elements
 Series
 He
said/She said (direct quote)
 Interrupter/Insertion
 Dates
and everyday material
HOT HOT CATS
(transitional words/conjunctive
adverbs)










However
On the other hand
Therefore
Hence
Otherwise
Thus
Consequently
Additionally
Then
Still
Tic Tac Toe Sentence Chart
Subject–Verb Test
Complete Idea
Test
Phrase
To the theater.
No subject or verb Does not stand
alone
Dependent
Clause
When he went to
the theater.
Subject and verb
Does not stand
alone
Independent
clause/Simple
Sentence
He went to the
theater.
Subject and verb
Stands alone
Formulas/Patterns
 IC,
FANBOYS IC.
 IC; IC.
 IC; transitional, IC.
 DC,
IC.
 IC DC.
Sentence Diagramming
 Simple
diagramming, particularly when
teaching modifiers so students can SEE
misplaced or dangling modifiers and why
they do not fit.
I
am going to write a paper about sex
with Melissa.
 The waiter brought pancakes to our table
drenched in blueberry syrup.
Cloze Notes
 Create
handouts where most of the
information or structure is present, and
then lecture or discuss so that students
can add in the pertinent information
without having to struggle to write down
everything at once.
The essay in Cloze note format
 The
bookends represent the _________and
___________paragraphs. The ____________
paragraphs are the “books” of
information and evidence which support
the thesis. A longer essay would require
more “books” or ___________paragraphs.
 Another image is a hamburger. The buns
are the _______________and ____________
paragraphs….
Pronouns in Cloze note format
Subject
Object
Possessive
1st
I
me
my, mine
2nd
you
you
your, yours
3rd
he, she, it
him, her, it
his, her, hers,
its
The chart would be empty,
and the students would fill it
in as we discuss. A separate
chart would show plural
forms.
Questions?