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Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects
For courses in first-year composition and rhetoric.
Grammar as a valuable tool for the writer Rhetorical Grammar encourages writers to recognize and use the grammatical and stylistic choices available to them, and to understand the rhetorical effects of those choices on their readers. Kolin and Gray ask students to regard sentence structure as a toolkit - and its application an artful way to elicit a desired emotion or reaction - rather than a list of tedious rules to remember. In this way, grammar is defined as an intellectual exercise that opens students' minds to the versatility, beauty, and possibilities of language. The Eighth Edition offers a more intuitive content organization, updated passage selections, and current exercises and examples. It maintains its hallmark revision strategies and systematic discussions about reader expectations, sentence rhythm and cohesion, subordination and coordination, punctuation, modification, diction, and many other essential principles. Also available with Pearson Writer Pearson Writer is a revolutionary digital tool for writers at all levels. Built for mobile devices, it streamlines the tedious and time-consuming aspects of writing, so that students can focus on developing their ideas. Pearson Writer makes it easy to stay organized, track tasks, and stay on top of writing projects. Students can set milestones prior to the due date, manage their sources, organize their notes visually in the Notebook, and even get automatic feedback on their prose. Pearson Writer is now available with Noteclipper, which allows students to save online sources quickly and easily.
Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; Pearson Writer does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with Pearson Writer, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
If you would like to purchase both the physical text and Pearson Writer, search for: 0134140214 / 9780134140216 Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects Plus Pearson Writer -- Access Card Package, 8/e Package consists of: 0134080378 / 9780134140216 Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects 032197235X / 9780321972354 Writer -- ValuePack Access Card
Grammar as a valuable tool for the writer Rhetorical Grammar encourages writers to recognize and use the grammatical and stylistic choices available to them, and to understand the rhetorical effects of those choices on their readers. Kolin and Gray ask students to regard sentence structure as a toolkit - and its application an artful way to elicit a desired emotion or reaction - rather than a list of tedious rules to remember. In this way, grammar is defined as an intellectual exercise that opens students' minds to the versatility, beauty, and possibilities of language. The Eighth Edition offers a more intuitive content organization, updated passage selections, and current exercises and examples. It maintains its hallmark revision strategies and systematic discussions about reader expectations, sentence rhythm and cohesion, subordination and coordination, punctuation, modification, diction, and many other essential principles. Also available with Pearson Writer Pearson Writer is a revolutionary digital tool for writers at all levels. Built for mobile devices, it streamlines the tedious and time-consuming aspects of writing, so that students can focus on developing their ideas. Pearson Writer makes it easy to stay organized, track tasks, and stay on top of writing projects. Students can set milestones prior to the due date, manage their sources, organize their notes visually in the Notebook, and even get automatic feedback on their prose. Pearson Writer is now available with Noteclipper, which allows students to save online sources quickly and easily.
Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; Pearson Writer does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with Pearson Writer, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
If you would like to purchase both the physical text and Pearson Writer, search for: 0134140214 / 9780134140216 Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects Plus Pearson Writer -- Access Card Package, 8/e Package consists of: 0134080378 / 9780134140216 Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects 032197235X / 9780321972354 Writer -- ValuePack Access Card
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
30 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 10, 2008
One needn't go far into this entry to discover I am not a grammatical wizard. It shames me to confess that I am one of those people who, as a young student, escaped from school without having really learned grammar; and that when I compose I proceed as if I were blind: dependent on my clumsier faculties, stumbling from word to word, sentence to sentence, with no real guide to make my way. A book that offers grammatical instruction, therefore, is one whose lessons I am in desperate need. And it is because of that need I took up Kolln's book Rhetorical Grammar.
In a clever moment of thought the reader might speculate that the most insightful review of Kolln might be not what it is that I say, but rather how it is that I say it. A mizspelling hear or an grammatical error there--these will tell the story better than I. But this standard would return too harsh a verdict; and in any case my writing would be the farthest measure of Kolln's book, as if you could estimate the worth of Plato by judging his worst student. But that won't do and neither will I. Let me then submit some comments that are more direct.
Kolln's book is a medley of successes and failures but she does get one big thing right: she avoids the extremes of either becoming too sophisticated in the discussion or too simplistic; rather she keeps her instruction understandable and useful. Whereas other presentations of grammar ascend towards impossibly complex rules that are too numerous to remember or descend into the elementary with comments that are fitted only for the abecedarian, Kolln does neither. Her discussion is straightforward and concise; chapter topics cover important material; emphasis within chapters is well distributed; she gives examples often, but they do not distract; she reinforces her lessons with problem sets and discussion questions for readers who learns by doing, but all the while does not degenerate into a textbook-like narrative of dull rehearsals. More than all of these things, for me what was most rewarding was those few occasions when I discovered a topic that I had not appreciated beforehand but realized in hind site was a large source of irritation in my composition. A good portion of the book will cover things already known, but there is strewn throughout little revelations that charmingly repay the reader's time.
Against Kolln I would charge that she often enters comments that don't strictly follow from her discussion, and that she often applies a more advanced understanding of what is happening in the sentence then can be gleaned from co-text in the discussion. Though I would prefer the author demand more rather than less of me, the unfortunate consequence of her style is a slow but discernible disconnect between some of her points and my understanding. A second charge against her is that she is always quick to tell you how a sentence should be arrayed, but is sometimes derelict about how a broken sentence can be fixed, which is a necessary element of the lesson. And finally I would add, though it is not an indictable offense, that her comments are mostly of the mundane variety, though many have subtle implications; and the result is that a reader looking for very obscure but interesting lessons in writing, like Orwell gives in his essay on Politics and the English Language, will not find them here.
In a clever moment of thought the reader might speculate that the most insightful review of Kolln might be not what it is that I say, but rather how it is that I say it. A mizspelling hear or an grammatical error there--these will tell the story better than I. But this standard would return too harsh a verdict; and in any case my writing would be the farthest measure of Kolln's book, as if you could estimate the worth of Plato by judging his worst student. But that won't do and neither will I. Let me then submit some comments that are more direct.
Kolln's book is a medley of successes and failures but she does get one big thing right: she avoids the extremes of either becoming too sophisticated in the discussion or too simplistic; rather she keeps her instruction understandable and useful. Whereas other presentations of grammar ascend towards impossibly complex rules that are too numerous to remember or descend into the elementary with comments that are fitted only for the abecedarian, Kolln does neither. Her discussion is straightforward and concise; chapter topics cover important material; emphasis within chapters is well distributed; she gives examples often, but they do not distract; she reinforces her lessons with problem sets and discussion questions for readers who learns by doing, but all the while does not degenerate into a textbook-like narrative of dull rehearsals. More than all of these things, for me what was most rewarding was those few occasions when I discovered a topic that I had not appreciated beforehand but realized in hind site was a large source of irritation in my composition. A good portion of the book will cover things already known, but there is strewn throughout little revelations that charmingly repay the reader's time.
Against Kolln I would charge that she often enters comments that don't strictly follow from her discussion, and that she often applies a more advanced understanding of what is happening in the sentence then can be gleaned from co-text in the discussion. Though I would prefer the author demand more rather than less of me, the unfortunate consequence of her style is a slow but discernible disconnect between some of her points and my understanding. A second charge against her is that she is always quick to tell you how a sentence should be arrayed, but is sometimes derelict about how a broken sentence can be fixed, which is a necessary element of the lesson. And finally I would add, though it is not an indictable offense, that her comments are mostly of the mundane variety, though many have subtle implications; and the result is that a reader looking for very obscure but interesting lessons in writing, like Orwell gives in his essay on Politics and the English Language, will not find them here.
November 26, 2022
For a non-native English speaker, this book helps a lot. It shows me how native English speakers perceive my English. If you have the same purpose as me, focus on the emphasized parts of different sentence structures, and ignore the grammar rules.
March 30, 2018
READ FOR ENGL 207
Not bad considering a lot of people find this aspect of English really boring. Course wise, the first half of this was very similar to Linguistics. Parsing sentences, figuring out verb types and sentence structures, etc. The book wasn't very helpful in this regard, though. It gives sentence examples but doesn't show you structurally how to break things down when diagramming a sentence. The second half is more directly helpful, since it talks about techniques to recognize at the sentence level more than at the word level, which helps with analyzing writing, whether your own or someone else's.
Not bad considering a lot of people find this aspect of English really boring. Course wise, the first half of this was very similar to Linguistics. Parsing sentences, figuring out verb types and sentence structures, etc. The book wasn't very helpful in this regard, though. It gives sentence examples but doesn't show you structurally how to break things down when diagramming a sentence. The second half is more directly helpful, since it talks about techniques to recognize at the sentence level more than at the word level, which helps with analyzing writing, whether your own or someone else's.
February 10, 2018
New version of a classic and a must-have on the shelf of any literacy teacher! I never had class with Martha at PSU, but her reputation was legendary, and this books demonstrates the depth of her knowledge and skill at applying grammatical concepts as writer’s choices.
December 10, 2019
An excellent resource for English majors or for anyone in general - Kolln's text is readerly and provides lots of examples of using different sentence patterns, how to write effective paragraphs, how to shape one's voice for any given rhetorical situation, and much more.
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January 28, 2020I’m pretty sure I groaned when I first opened this book. As the assigned textbook of a composition class I took in college, it was intimidating at first glance.
And it never became as entertaining to me as, say, a novel. But it taught me to love grammar. To understand it and all its uses!
And it never became as entertaining to me as, say, a novel. But it taught me to love grammar. To understand it and all its uses!
October 31, 2019
Grammar Nazis beware: this book makes context king, and removes much of the ground from which haughty eyes look down upon those who make "horrible errors."
May 12, 2021
Strong beginning, weaker ending. Second part is mainly an enumeration of word classes; helpful for the beginner but redundant for any student having already spent some time on the English language.
November 6, 2016
I'm torn between a 3.5 and a 4; it probably deserves the 4. Some days I'm torn between thinking this is a godsend and other days the devil. I will say that at first, the writing actually scared me. I felt the same panic that I had my first day of college, which (I'm a junior now) is horrifying given my standing at the college. After a while, though, the book began to make much more sense. Now my biggest peeve with this book is how long some of the chapters are (seriously, some of these chapters are super long; how am I supposed to read them all AND read like a 100 pages per class times 6 class?).
Ultimately, when I look at the content, I feel like this book has been money well spent.
Conclusion
Need some grammar help/ stylistic help? Read this book. Or actually, better yet, just buy an older addition of it. You don't need to cry as you drop 70 something or 80 something on this textbook; the older editions work just fine.
Ultimately, when I look at the content, I feel like this book has been money well spent.
Conclusion
Need some grammar help/ stylistic help? Read this book. Or actually, better yet, just buy an older addition of it. You don't need to cry as you drop 70 something or 80 something on this textbook; the older editions work just fine.
January 4, 2012
I love this book! I think almost anyone could enjoy this! Rather than teaching grammar as a set of tools, the authors teach grammar as a set of tools to be selectively and skillfully employed based upon situation, audience, and purpose. This book is a great resource for educators, writers, and anyone interested in the English language. I especially appreciated it as a writer--it made me think of new and different writing structures I can use for various effects :) The book also includes helpful practice exercises.
July 30, 2016
I love this grammar text. Finally, a grammar book shows students not just the elements of grammar, but how grammar makes texts sing. One of my favorite aspects of the text is that the authors have taken care to use the techniques in their own writing: Sentences actually explain the concepts using the grammatical structures the authors are teaching. Astute readers are in on the playful syntax. It is perfect for high school students in an AP English course or a college freshman grammar course.
January 18, 2008
This is the best grammar book I have ever read! A must for any writer, student, reader, etc. Kolln includes amazing paratext that is extremely helpful to the reader. Explanations are exceptional. Not only does Kolln explore grammar and steadfast rules, but she aids the reader in finding ways to use those rules to make a paper more appealing to one's audience.
July 24, 2010
Every writer needs this book. Not only does it include the basics but it also helps you understand how and when it's acceptable to break the rules. I will have a stronger voice and a better understanding of the effects word choices and arrangements have on the reader as a result of reading this book.
November 5, 2012
I like that this book explores grammar not as a set of rules to be upheld but rather as a means for making rhetorical choices in writing. I am currently using it in my comp class. It's pretty dull, though, and not a fun read, by any means. I especially like the chapter on cohesion, though, and it's helped my students quite a bit.
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January 16, 2011My husband thinks I'm crazy to be buying and reading textbooks, but this one is a pedagogy subject I've been interested in since grad school and really want to find more ways to implement in my courses. So far it's not as great as I hoped, but it is useful.
April 16, 2009
A very useful grammar book. However, parts would be confusing if you haven't already read Understanding English Grammar, written by the same author. The author contends they can be read independently, but I think they need to read in succession.
August 1, 2010
This book explores grammar not as a set of rules to be upheld but rather as a means for making rhetorical choices in writing. Included are discussion questions that would make this book a terrific professional and/or group read.
June 15, 2012
This is a great book that makes the connection between grammar/usage and writing. We want to use this at school but it's out of print and the price is 53 dollars. Does anyone know of an alternative with the same approach?
March 20, 2013
A very informative book in regards to grammatical choices and rhetorical effects in writing. Each time I open this book, I learn something new. I highly recommend this book to anybody in search of a powerful way to come across to the reader.
November 10, 2013
After first reading this book round 2008, I was so enthralled I rushed out and bought the new edition in 2010. This is a great book for anyone interested in the mystery and mechanics of controlling the effects of writing—a veritable playground for grammar geeks.
February 18, 2014
A truly great resource for writers of both narrative and informational/research texts. I recommend this to everyone who wants to learn how the choices we make directly influence how our audience perceives our writing.
July 27, 2008
If you hate grammar as I do, this book actually makes it interesting.
August 11, 2009
Very useful read but got confusing at times--I think that's just the nature of English grammar in general.
August 18, 2011
Wonderful book for anyone needing to write!
July 4, 2013
Excellent grammatical guide. Very informative, one I keep around in case of confusions or forgetfulness.
October 12, 2011
This book is great. Kolln breaks down all of those concepts that I find hard to teach and describes them brilliantly.
May 25, 2015
This instructional grammar book was well-written and had many clear examples and exercises to help anyone learn grammar. I read this for a modern grammar class and benefited greatly from it.
May 25, 2013
This book does an amazing job of explaining concepts. If I didn't have to return this book for cash now that my class is over, I would never write again without it.
July 11, 2013
Martha Kolln is extremely wordy in her examples. I really enjoyed the worksheets, but the examples and explanations were so long-winded.
November 22, 2013
Very informative and easy to follow along with.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews