Mynyel Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I am at a total loss and feeling oh so inadequate. Math I can figure out if I don't know it. Grammar? I want to run away and hide. I have been *trying* to use Analytical Grammar with dd14 but to no avail. Both of us are :confused::confused: over a lot of the material and frankly the expliantions (or lack thereof)... suck (for lack of a better way of explaining it right now). Did I mention we are only in unit 2? I need a baby step (very baby step) grammar program. Tried MCT, *I* liked it, dd.. not so much. Tried Easy Grammar, had the same problem as with AG, the explinations were not thorough enough. I was left :confused:. I have tried LLATL, which was OK but didn't seem to be teaching to much grammar at all. So what am I left with? I *NEED* explanations. Detailed explanations! With pictures! ;) Seriously though, I need details. Don't just say these are indefinite pronouns and give a list. *WHY* are they indefinite pronouns? Does *anyone* have any suggestions? Do I need JAG, the level before AG? Do I need a totally different program? :banghead: Help a girl out here! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Easy Grammar. An "indefinite" pronoun would be one that isn't specific. He or she--definite. You know it's a male or female, and it often refers to a specific person. An indefinite pronoun isn't specific--someone, anyone, anything. Indefinite. See? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) Easy Grammar. An "indefinite" pronoun would be one that isn't specific. He or she--definite. You know it's a male or female, and it often refers to a specific person. An indefinite pronoun isn't specific--someone, anyone, anything. Indefinite. See? See I tried easy grammar and didn't find the explanations very good. Was I missing something? Let me search for the book I had and will post a link. I don't have it any more. Ah yes, I remember it being pink :) http://www.easygrammar.com/eg5.html Edited January 13, 2012 by Mynyel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemykids Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Have you looked at Cozy Grammar? Or what about Shurley Grammar? Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Have you thought about just using a grammar dictionary\glossary online or purchasing a reference book? I used R&S for awhile (switching to Hake now) which is considered one of the more thorough in it's explanations and I still sometimes had to look to a reference for clarification and additional explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 See I tried easy grammar and didn't find the explanations very good. Was I missing something? Let me search for the book I had and will post a link. I don't have it any more. Ah yes, I remember it being pink :) http://www.easygrammar.com/eg5.html Pink?? Girl, that's the baby book! Y'all need the red book.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I am at a total loss and feeling oh so inadequate...Don't just say these are indefinite pronouns and give a list. *WHY* are they indefinite pronouns? Why do you need to know terminology like "indefinite pronouns", especially if it's only unit 2? I'd rather focus on how sentences are put together to make sense than learn a lot of jargon. Have you considered KISS Grammar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Check out English Grammar for students by the Singapore Math people. Since English is a foreign language for them, they come at grammar explanations in a slightly different way from your typical English grammar book. I looked up Indefinite Pronouns, and this is what it says: The words anyone, someone, everyone, and no-one are called indefinite pronouns. You use indefinite pronouns when you are not referring to any particular person. You can also use the forms anybody, somebody, everybody, and nobody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Why do you need to know terminology like "indefinite pronouns", especially if it's only unit 2? I'd rather focus on how sentences are put together to make sense than learn a lot of jargon. Have you considered KISS Grammar? Even if you don't remember the term "indefinite pronouns," you need to know them when you meet them so that your sentences make sense. It does make a difference. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomemom Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I would check out Rod and Staff. It's great! I am a huge Easy Grammar fan, but if EG isn't working for you I'd try R&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I would check out Rod and Staff. It's great! I am a huge Easy Grammar fan, but if EG isn't working for you I'd try R&S. I just had a long grammar discussion with a lady at our homeschool store, and I walked out with Rod and Staff. I think it is just what I was looking for. Explanations are given, and then the student does the exercises. I like the way the book is organized -- it makes sense to me. I didn't like the way the Easy Grammar books were laid out, but I liked other things about the program, like how it teaches prepositional phrases first. I almost bought it, but in the end, Rod and Staff won out. I did buy the Daily Grams to go along with it, however. My son is in 6th grade, and I did the grade 5 daily grams and the Grade 4 Rod and Staff. He has not had much formal grammar instruction (he's more intuitive about language), so I felt this would be a good place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I would check out Rod and Staff. It's great! I am a huge Easy Grammar fan, but if EG isn't working for you I'd try R&S. ITA, but I think the problem is that the EG she's talking about is this one: which is a 3rd grade-level book, and is really Daily Grams. No wonder she's not getting anything out of it. She needs to be doing this one: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 ITA, but I think the problem is that the EG she's talking about is this one: which is a 3rd grade-level book, and is really Daily Grams. No wonder she's not getting anything out of it. She needs to be doing this one: No... it was the 5th grade one we tried :) I thought it was pink... or pinkish? Bah I don't remember.. it was in the link I posted. I am looking into it again, I am going to see if I can find a well used one to look at or if someone has one I can look at. I will say the AG people are on it. I emailed them (through the contact form on the website) about the issues I was having and they called me within an hour or so! I didn't answer :tongue_smilie: didn't recognize the number. They then emailed to say they called! So I am also going to talk to them. If I can get what I already spent money on the work then I am all for it! :) However I am going to keep EG in the wings, just in case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Oh, ok...I didn't look past the first "pink" book, lol. Here: Turns out that it is also pink. Who knew? :D Have you contacted the Easy Grammar people? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Have you tried online sites for explanations and examples? Here are a couple of good sites with explanations. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ http://chompchomp.com/exercises.htm I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Oh, ok...I didn't look past the first "pink" book, lol. Here: Turns out that it is also pink. Who knew? :D Have you contacted the Easy Grammar people? :) Not yet but I will :) I am waiting to see what the AG people tell me first. Have you tried online sites for explanations and examples? Here are a couple of good sites with explanations. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ http://chompchomp.com/exercises.htm I hope this helps! I did look up a couple things on the net, but what is the point of having a grammar curriculum if I have to go to the net for all the explinations? What did I pay for? :) I am a one stop shop (for the most part, I do supplement my shopping now and again!) kind of gal.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Even if you don't remember the term "indefinite pronouns," you need to know them when you meet them so that your sentences make sense. It does make a difference. :) Well, that depends on what you mean by "need to know them." You definitely need to be able to see how the word is working in the sentence, to be able to recognize whether it is a subject or the object of a preposition or a direct object or whatever. But my big complaint about the grammar programs I've tried is that they give you a huge pile of jargon to memorize, with only the simplest of sentences to analyze -- sentences that are made just for the exercise and that therefore fit the rules they have decided to teach. KISS Grammar is different because it teaches students to analyze real sentences. So, for instance, a middle school student like my daughter may never have heard the terms "definite pronoun" or "indefinite pronoun", but she can identify all the nested subordinate clauses in a sentence like this and explain exactly what role each clause is playing in the sentence. [Quoting from the introduction to Level 3 of KISS Grammar, which is approximately the 3rd year of study. The red lines are part of the marking that the student does in analyzing the sentence: vertical lines mark the end of a main clause, while square brackets surround the subordinate clauses.] ... But consider the following sentence from the children's book Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic , by Betty MacDonald: Mrs. Jones looked at him suspiciously | but he widened his large blue eyes | and -- [ as he was only eight years old, a little small for his age and seemed even smaller in ten-year-old Jan's pajamas, [ which he had swiped the night before [ because he had forgotten [ that he had stuffed his own in the window seat [ when he was cleaning up his half of the room ]]]]] -- Mrs. Jones convinced herself [ that he wasn't fooling ] and let him go out to play. | That sentence contains three main clauses and six subordinate clauses. And note the five closing brackets after "room." Those subordinate clauses are stacked five deep. And by the time they have mastered KISS Level 3.1.3, students should be able to identify every one of them! ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I would love to see if anyone could chime in on how the videos for AG are as far as instruction. I would hate to see you buy a whole new curriculum, when you have a couple of good ones, and just need to figure out how to make them work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) Well, I was pretty much starting from scratch with learning formal grammar terms with my son last year and I chose Hake. I think the explanations are very thorough. The explanations are followed by examples and practice problems. There is a lot of practice built into the lessons. Another feature I like is that the corresponding lesson number is written next to each problem in the lesson, so if you've forgotten something, you can go back and quickly review. Lisa Edited January 14, 2012 by LisaTheresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 You could always do Junior Analytical Grammar first! That is my plan since no one ever taught me grammar and I am a little indimidated as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 See I tried easy grammar and didn't find the explanations very good. Was I missing something? Let me search for the book I had and will post a link. I don't have it any more. Were you using the Teacher's Guide, or just the Workbook? The TG has detailed explanations (sometimes 2-3 pages per concept), whereas the Workbook just has "do this" and maybe a sentence of explanation on top of the page of exercises, which are meant to be done after the teaching - those are just instructions for the worksheet, not explanations of the grammatical concepts. I wouldn't use EG without the TG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 No one has mentioned Hake. From what I understand, Hake grammar is not only very detailed, but it provides CONSTANT review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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