Please help!

[AngryBircher17]

I'm currently a Junior at an all-male Catholic high school. I attended public school K-9, and transferred into the Catholic school after 9th grade. I'm pretty strong in all subjects. Teachers tell me I'm very smart and mature for my age. The biggest issue I have is grammar. I have not been taught the skills of Rhetoric. My grammar and spelling skills are weak. In an essay, I know what I want to say, but I don't know how to say it. I REALLY need help. I need to get my Rhetoric/Writing skills up to par fast.( I only have 1 year of high school left) What books would you guys recommend?( I need books that teach me classical writing, grammar, and rhetoric)

[Julie in MN]

To me, there is a big difference between grammar and writing.  They are connected, but you would spend your time in different ways for each of them.

 

Is it possible for you to borrow the books used in your school from previous years?  You could skim through them to locate gaps in your knowledge, and read those sections carefully.

 

Also, are you taking a foreign language?  Grammar skills are often strengthened by learning the grammar of another language.  If you are picking up the parts of speech and such through your foreign language studies, perhaps your English is simply lacking in punctuation skills or other fairly narrow areas?

 

To me, it's best to spend your time on the specific areas you need, rather than something so broad as grammar and writing.

 

 

[charlotteb]

My son used this program in high school: http://iew.com/shop/products/classical-rhetoric-through-structure-and-style  It is a writing program based on Rhetoric! Sounds perfect for what you're asking! He is in college now and gets excellent writing grades and many compliments from his teachers.