Cole, T. (2009). Grammar-writing connections: Mastering structure for improved writing. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. 208 pp., paperback.

For writing to be considered successful in its overall purpose, the writing must follow “the conventions of English syntax and usage, which is known as grammar” (Frodesen & Holten, 2003, p. 141). However, as Canagarajah (2002) pointed out, “grammar instruction has become a neglected area of writing development” (p. 46). Most textbooks provide little in the way of specific tips on how to make students’ writing come alive when it comes to teaching higher-level grammar items and idiomatic expressions, which add a more literate and natural sound to student writing. Many writing books designed for intermediate ESL writers include the writing process, such as an introduction to rhetorical styles, the generation of ideas, explanations of coherence and cohesion, and techniques for rewriting. Yet, explicit and systematic grammar instruction in the writing process can help ESL writers “access the grammar rules that they know and use their intuitions about the English language judiciously” (Frodesen & Holten, 2003, p. 144). Unlike most other writing textbooks, Grammar-Writing Connections goes beyond teaching the writing process. It reviews common writing and grammar mistakes and teaches writing-related vocabulary and structures. With this aim, Grammar-Writing Connections provides instruction on the grammatical tools and advanced vocabulary necessary to produce good writing.

Comprising seven chapters, Grammar-Writing Connections covers the following topics: presenting facts, describing people, and narrating daily life (chapters 1 and 2), describing places (chapter 3), narrating past events (chapters 4 and 5), exemplifying and expressing opinions (chapter 6), and comparing and contrasting and expressing cause and effect (chapter 7). In each chapter, the organization falls into four main categories: grammar review, common writing mistakes, grammar and writing-related vocabulary, and grammar and writing-related structures.

In chapter 1, the author gives the reader a brief grammar review of regular present tense with verbs other than be and irregular present tense verbs other than be. The author shows the grammar tools that parallel the task of description including count and noncount nouns, and the conventions of listing adjectives in pairs or strings of three or more before and after nouns. In addition to grammar items, the author introduces new vocabulary. For example, particularly normally goes before adjectives, and a great deal of and a great number of can be used to replace the basic and less-sophisticated-sounding a lot of. In chapter 2, the focus is forming negatives with verbs in the present tense. Also included in chapter 2 is a practical chart that students can use to appropriately construct punctuated and natural-sounding phrases. The author discusses how to order the adjectives to construct meaningful sentences.

Focusing on describing places, chapter 3 gives the reader a review of prepositions, articles, possessive adjectives, and demonstratives with singular count nouns. Instead of introducing collocations with limited application, the author presents vocabulary that can be put to use more, often resulting in language that is much more expressive and natural sounding.

In chapters 4 and 5, the focus is on narrating past events. In addition to grammar review (e.g., forming the past tense of regular/irregular verbs, forming negatives in the past tense, distinguishing the difference between using present perfect and past perfect, and using passive constructions to express opinions or facts about people and things), the author introduces the reader to more advanced material (e.g., writing a question form when beginning a clause with a negative adverb, such as not only or never). It is worth mentioning that chapter 5’s treatment of the passive voice does include a section on adverbs. Chapter 5 is particularly challenging because it includes some difficult writing assignments, such as writing about the first time you did or experienced something and writing about a person from history.

In chapter 6, the author details ways to exemplify and express opinion, focusing on using adverbs to enumerate, using granted or admittedly to express concession, and using indeed to intensify. Toward the end of this chapter, the author includes an opinion essay titled “Corn” using the structures covered in this chapter. The reader can review the grammar and can take note of more vocabulary, in addition to learning the fundamentals of the five-paragraph essay.

The last chapter of the book, chapter 7, reviews the grammar items necessary for comparing and contrasting and expressing cause and effect. At the end of chapter 7, using a cause-and-effect essay titled “The Beneficial Effects of Aerobic Conditioning,” the author draws the reader’s attention to the construction of a five-paragraph essay, focusing on the organization including introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Grammar-Writing Connections is accompanied by a CD-ROM called ESL Baseball and Other Games. The CD is particularly interesting because it provides additional practice directly related to, but not repetitive of, the text. The tests reinforce students’ memory regarding the grammar items they learned.

Grammar-Writing Connections does a terrific job helping students improve their writing by providing them with the new vocabulary and structures they need to take their writing to a more fluent level. For students who wish to improve their writing by learning more advanced vocabulary and structures at home and for writing teachers who wish to incorporate grammar into a writing class, Grammar-Writing Connections is an excellent textbook.

REFERENCES

Canagarajah, S. (2002). Critical academic writing and multilingual students. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

Frodesen, J., & Holten, C. (2003). Grammar and the ESL writing class. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Exploring the dynamics of second language writing. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Dr. Yin-Ling Cheung, yinling.cheung@nie.edu.sg, has taught applied linguistics in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Nicaragua. Her research interest is ESL writing.