Welcome to the Grammar Skills Course at NZ Writers' College.
The Grammar Skills Course is for anyone who needs to gain confidence in their English writing - by going back to the basics.
This course will teach you how to construct sentences in the right way, pinpoint typical errors in your writing, use perfect grammar and punctuation and produce effective letters, reports and essays. Perfect for those with English as a second language.
Course Details:
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Modules: 10 Modules
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Duration: Course can be completed at own pace: between six and twelve months
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Start date: At any time; applications all year round via our website
Student must complete:
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10 Theoretical modules
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80 Practical writing exercises that students submit for assessment and feedback
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Final exam to assess writing skills
Admission Requirements:
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Basic writing skills are essential
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Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
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No previous tertiary qualification required
Tutor for this course : Alex Smith
Course Curriculum
Module 1 - Highlighting Verbs – the Heart of the Sentence
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What is a verb?
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Action Verbs
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Being verbs
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Having verbs
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Module 2 - Understanding Tenses
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Talking about NOW
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Talking about YESTERDAY
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Talking about TOMORROW
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Module 3 - Starting From Scratch - The Simple Sentence
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Three components of the simple sentence
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Subjects rule
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Hard-working verbs
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Obsolete objects
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Module 4 - The Mechanics of a Sentence in Action
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Little nouns that were
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Pronouns and amateurs
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What adjectives tell
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What adverbs help you do
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Perfect Prepositions
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Fix it with conjunctions
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Module 5 - Subjects and Verbs Unite
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How verbs and subjects change each other
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The 12 rules of engagement
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Module 6- Perfect Punctuation
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Where what goes and why
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Full stops, commas, semicolons and colons
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Brackets, dashes and hyphens
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Exclamation marks and Question marks
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Apostrophes and abbreviations
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Module 7- Producing Paragraphs That Work
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Confounding compounds
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Flex your complex
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Ruling Subordinate clauses
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Module 8 - Producing Paragraphs That Work
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How to write a paragraph
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Organizing ideas
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Expressing opinions
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Giving reasons
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Module 9 - How to write…
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Memorable memos
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Leisurely letters
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Readable reports
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Module 10 - Wrapping it up
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20 Writing Tips to keep in mind
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Mistakes to look out for when you write
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Sending you on your way with words
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How does the course work?
Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students, or students can download modules directly from the Student Centre online.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete several writing exercises. Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
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Students must have completed all module assignments
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Students must have attained a minimum of 50% for an exam following completion of the modules
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The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration.
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Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
It is difficult to predict an exact amount of time, but the minimum time commitment to benefit from the course will be:
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Reading time: 15 hours
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Writing time: up to 25 hours
