PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Cornelia Paraskevas is Professor of Linguistics and Writing at Western Oregon University.
Exploring Grammar Through Texts is the book I have been waiting for. It is perfect for my English Structure undergraduate course. Paraskevas uses a blend of terminology from the fields of linguistics and traditional grammar, staying true to the descriptive mission of linguistics. She makes a point of separating out a part of speech's form from its function, and she offers strategies (tests) for readers to confirm their own linguistic intuitions about the parts of language. Paraskevas' motivation is clear: more overt, metalinguistic knowledge leads to a wider array of rhetorical choices. That is, it makes us better writers (and readers, I would add). Paraskevas rightly goes beyond sentence-level examples to embed grammar in real-world examples of discourse. The samples, from across genres, affirm the ways knowledge about grammar is not just for English or linguistics majors. Paraskevas finds an approach that is accessible to undergraduates from any writing-heavy discipline. Susan J. Behrens, Director of the Center for Teaching Innovation and Excellence, Marymount Manhattan College, and Author of Grammar: A Pocket Guide
