English Grammar Boot Camp

By: Anne Curzan, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Anne Curzan

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Grammar! For many of us, the word triggers memories of finger-wagging schoolteachers, and of wrestling with the ambiguous and complicated rules of using formal language. But what is grammar? In fact, it's the integral basis of how we speak and write.

As such, a refined awareness of grammar opens a world of possibilities for both your pleasure in the English language and your skill in using it, in both speech and the written word. As a foundation for writing, a detailed grounding in grammar and usage will hugely expand your resources for meaningful verbal expression, for navigating the subtleties of the language, and for achieving clarity of communication and stylistic power.

In English Grammar Boot Camp, linguist and popular Great Courses instructor Professor Curzan takes you on an enjoyable exploration of the essential aspects of English grammar. These 24 spirited and accessible lectures offer you a comprehensive core training - a linguistic "boot camp," by which we mean a thorough immersion in all of the key elements of English grammar and usage, in their most immediate, practical application.

Here you get a breadth of perspective and context you won't find elsewhere, leaving you with a more choices and rich verbal resources for your own use of the language. In discussing the different parts of speech, Professor Curzan directs your attention to how the element at hand evolved. Highlighting reflections from 18th- and 19th-century usage guides as well as from multiple modern commentators, she guides you in examining real-world language use in a variety of contexts, helping you develop a sophisticated frame of reference and a deep awareness of the idiosyncrasies of English.

This delightful and superbly insightful course offers you a unique opportunity to explore the linguistic riches of the English language, and to significantly deepen your mastery of grammar, usage, and style.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLC

Excellent!

This isn’t just about those niggling grammar details that bother us or we can’t keep straight. This is about the cutting edge of our language, how it changes, why it changes, what we can expect in future. Fascinating. Even months after reading this, I find myself referring in conversation to “as I learned in English Grammar Boot Camp...”. Professor Curzon is also a great and enthusiastic narrator.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

This is a fine grammar reference book!!

I like the fact the must of the chapters were not very long an avarage of half an hour more or less and the narrator did a good job making the material up to date, interesting and plesantly fun. I gave it four stars on story because I found it a little annoying every time she indicated that she was part of the selective few that are engaged in approving and dissaproving grammar usages of the English grammar, but I have to admit she was a great instructor

Not suitable for studying English as a second language.

There are a lot of arguments but no real information you can use to help advance your level in English as a second language.

Grammatically entertaining

Pleasantly surprised with the delivery and style.. Well worth my time. Plus, i was vindicated in some of my opinions and pleasantly re-educate on other grammatical items that I had become outdated (on). Outdated. On. Still having trouble with accepting that dangling bugger...

A wealth of information

Grammar used to seen like alchemy. Well, now I know alchemy.I have the power to comma splice, to judiciously split infinitives, and consistently apply the Oxford comma; and those are only three among many.

Don't be an "h" dropper. (Personal Preference)

Would you listen to English Grammar Boot Camp again? Why?

Sure. Could always use a refresher.

What other book might you compare English Grammar Boot Camp to and why?

I have not listened to a similar book.

Have you listened to any of Professor Anne Curzan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. I don't know if she has done any other courses. I will say that she has a pleasant voice to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It's gonna be yuge!

Any additional comments?

Be aware that this is not necessarily the basics of English grammar. I feel like it focuses more on the many different nuances in the English language.

I learned a little bit

I recently listened to one of the Great Courses. T'was the English Grammar Boot Camp taught by Anne Curzan.

I know. I do. You are thinking he threw 't'was' right into the second sentence of a review regarding an English grammar boot camp! Didn't he learn anything?

Let me start this off by saying that I don't claim to be a master of the English language. In point of fact, if the English language was a martial art I would be wearing one of the lower valued belts.

Before you go full gammarmando, a word construction used by the teacher of the course that combines the words grammar and commando, I willing admit my English-fu is weak. I did find certain parts of this course complex. In fact, I'm not wholly certain I grasped all her points.

Certain parts of the course could, however, be understood by a casual Joe like me. She discussed descriptive and prescriptive grammar, differences in the spoken language vs formal writing, using 'they' in the singular as a solution to non-binary choices, and more.

Conclusion: I don't feel I got the full value out of this course because certain parts of it felt like it went over my head. I did, however, derive a lot of value from it and feel my English-fu has improved, at least a little bit, from listening to this course.

An excellent alternative method for my children

This audible book is an excellent method to attract my children to learn grammar. It comes with rich history and open minded lessons.

Learned Some New Things

I enjoyed this audio book. The instructor was good and had a good sense of humor, which I appreciated. I was very interested to see that some of the things that I had questions on (i.e., usage of who, whom, or that/who when referring to a person) were issues shared by many others. I was surprised to learn that there was so much division between what is/is not considered acceptable in formal writing, even among the experts. Many times, the advice was to do what looks/feels right to you, or the more lawyerly advice of "it depends." She also explained how some usage came into existence, as well as described how language usage shifts over the years. Many of the things that we consider to be hard and fast grammar rules actually derive from one person's preference that happened to be published at a certain time. One thing I found fascinating was when she talked about the influence of the Microsoft grammar checker, and how if that software marks something as wrong [even if it is not wrong], it can have an impact on our language. When she was describing some of the definitions of some parts of speech, or rules that apply in some situations but not others, I realized that I never actually learned a lot of this formally, but rather, absorbed it through reading and conversations. I can definitely see why English can be difficult to learn as a second language, with all of the nuances.

Interesting but too noncommittal

I love anything dealing with grammar and was, of course, captivated by the title English Grammar Boot Camp. Although the reading is animated and engaging, far too many topics take an "either this or that" stance on the rules. I have always considered grammar an analytical field of study, and it is difficult to explain to students that the answer is determined by whatever sounds right to some people. For example, how can a predicate nominative be in either the nominative or objective case? It is pointless to teach grammar in elementary school if the course embraces such wavering rules. I would prefer a stronger stand on the rules with far fewer exceptions.