English Grammar Boot Camp

Overview

Course No. 2222

Grammar often triggers memories of complicated rules and strict schoolteachers. But most “rules” aren’t absolute – they’re evolving conventions of our living language. In English Grammar Boot Camp, award-winning linguist Professor Anne Curzan provides a thorough yet accessible immersion in English grammar and usage.

These 24 engaging lectures will help you:

• Distinguish between prescriptive (formal) and descriptive (actual usage) grammar

• Master tricky elements like pronouns, verb tenses, and passive voice

• Navigate common controversies (e.g., “who” vs. “whom,” dangling modifiers)

• Understand how grammar reflects culture and education

• Gain confidence in both speaking and writing

Whether you’re a professional, student, or language enthusiast, this course will transform how you think about and use English.

Video Lessons

1. Why Do We Care about Grammar? (33 min)

Explore how we define “acceptable” English and why grammar carries cultural significance.

2. Prescriptivism: Grammar Shoulds and Shouldn’ts (31 min)

Trace the history of formal grammar rules and usage guides.

3. Descriptivism: How Grammar Really Works (32 min)

Discover the intuitive grammatical knowledge you already possess.

• Re-Phrasing (29 min)

Categorize words into parts of speech and examine phrases vs. clauses.

• Fewer Octopuses or Less Octopi? (31 min)

Master countable/uncountable nouns and irregular plurals.

6. Between You and Your Pronouns (33 min)

Navigate personal pronouns and the “who/whom” dilemma.

• Which Hunting (29 min)

Clarify when to use “that” vs. “which” as relative pronouns.

8. A(n) Historical Issue (30 min)

Explore determiners and the history of capitalization.

• Funnest Lecture Ever (30 min)

Turn adjectives into comparatives/superlatives and examine double comparatives.

10. Going, Going, Went (32 min)

Untangle verb tenses and the notorious "lie/lay" distinction.  

11. Object Lessons (29 min)

Categorize transitive/intransitive verbs and examine "bad/badly" usage.  

12. Shall We? (35 min)

Master auxiliary verbs like "can/may" and the controversial "ain't."  

• Passive Voice Was Corrected (32 min)

Discover legitimate uses of the often-maligned passive voice.  

14. Only Adverbs (33 min)

See how adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and entire sentences.  

15. No Ifs, Ands, or Buts (33 min)

Debate starting sentences with conjunctions and examine new coordinators like "slash."  

• However to Use However (27 min)

Employ conjunctive adverbs to improve formal writing flow.  

17. Squirrels and Prepositions (31 min)

Solve "different from/than" and other preposition puzzles.  

• Stranded Prepositions (27 min)

Re-examine the "rule" against ending sentences with prepositions.  

19. The Dangers of Danglers (31 min)

Identify and fix dangling modifiers in your writing.  

20. Navigating the Choppy Paragraph (32 min)

Apply the known-new contract to make prose flow smoothly.  

21. What Part of Speech is Um? (34 min)

Analyze conversational grammar and discourse markers like "so" and "well."  

22. Duck, Duck, Comma, and Duck (33 min)

Master commas, semicolons, and how punctuation differs in texting.  

• Its/It’s Confusing (31 min)

Clarify apostrophe use in contractions and possessives.  

24. Trending Language (34 min)

Examine emerging grammatical expressions and language evolution.