Which or That -- Grammar Made Fun |
Why would a group of people willingly get up early on a Saturday morning to probe the intricacies of grammar? Because with the right presenter, the topic is much more interesting than one might think. And Dr. Kristin R. Woolever was just the person to prove that true. Dr. Woolever, director of the Technical Writing Programs at Northeastern University and Past President of the Boston Chapter, presented the "Intensive Grammar Review" workshop at the Ramada Inn in Woburn on Saturday, April 4.
Dr. Woolever began the session by asking everyone what they did and why they were there. The answers ranged from technical writers and editors, to teachers and students, to career changers who were new to technical communication. Despite the range of occupations, the reasons for attending were surprisingly similar. Most attendees felt they knew instinctively when something was written correctly, but they could not explain how they knew; they were looking for rules to bolster their instincts. Other reasons for attending included the desire to brush up on the more obscure grammatical rules and the need to supplement inadequate knowledge acquired in school. A few people also wondered if grammar is changing if there are any new rules.
Dr. Woolever's lively, informal presentation style encouraged questions and answers from the audience. She provided a substantial handout filled with exercises which the group worked through together. Dr. Woolever began by reviewing the basics, such as the parts of speech, verb tenses, and subject and verb agreement. She then moved on to more difficult topics, such as pronoun-antecedent agreement, verbals, misplaced modifiers, and restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.
Throughout, Dr. Woolever relied on humor to make her points. Examples like "Which might be grounds for divorce? (a) My husband likes golf better than I, or (b) My husband likes golf better than me," made discussion of pronouns much less dry than the usual grammar handbook. One of my favorite exercises involved finding the misplaced modifiers in a short story. The passage contained such gems as "They asked for our ID cards, returned them, and gave orders that no one leave the building with a sinister look," and "He had a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, which was tied in a loose knot, and his eyes were open."
At the close of the workshop, I don't think any of us believed we had become grammar experts, but I think we all felt better able to explain the "why" of our editing changes to our colleagues and students. And best of all, we actually had fun learning it.
Carol Peterson is Broadside staff editor.