Course Outline for English As A Second Language 16A
Advanced ESL Grammar: Mastery of Verbs

Effective: Fall 2021
SLO Rev: 10/30/2018
Catalog Description:

ESL 16A - Advanced ESL Grammar: Mastery of Verbs

3.00 Units

Advanced grammar and editing instruction in English verbs and related structures. Students perfect their understanding and usage of all verb tenses and forms. Grammar is applied to academic reading, writing and editing tasks. Designed for students who are taking ESL 15A/B bridge sequence, but open to all students who meet the prerequisite. ESL 16A and 16B are non-sequential and can be taken in any order.
Prerequisite: ESL 110C or eligibility for ESL 15A
4930.84 - English as a Second Language - Writing
Pass/No Pass
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. demonstrate mastery of the English verb tense/form, including
    all past, present, future verb forms in simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive aspects, including modal verbs and passive/active construction;
  2. demonstrate comprehension and production of reported speech with verb shifts;
  3. demonstrate comprehension and accurate production of academic verbs from the Academic Word List;
  4. demonstrate mastery of modal auxiliaries to express degree of certainty, logical conclusions, possibility, suggestions, and obligations;
  5. demonstrate comprehension and production of adverbs of degree and manner in order to write with more precision and clarity;
  6. demonstrate comprehension and production of conditional sentences;
  7. demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze in reading material the grammatical structures taught in the course, using standard grammar terminology;
  8. apply these grammatical structures in writing;
  9. identify and correct errors in the use of these grammatical structures.
Course Content:
  1. Comparison of verb meaning and form, including modals
    1. in all tenses
    2. in active and passive voice
  2. Verbs from the Academic Word List
    1. Meaning
    2. Grammatical usage 
  3. Modal auxiliaries 
    1. degree of certainty
    2. logical conclusions
    3. possibility
    4. suggestion
    5. obligation
  4. Reported speech 
    1. including verb tense shifts
  5. Verb parallelism 
    1. in compound sentences 
    2. in complex sentences
  6. Meaning and grammatical usage of true and untrue conditions 
    1. in present time
    2. in future time
    3. in past time
  7. Usage of adverbs to write with greater precision and clarity
    1. adverbs of degree 
    2. adverbs of manner
  8. Analysis and discussion of reading materials 
    1. containing the grammatical structures taught in the course 
    2. using standard grammar terminology
  9. Editing strategies
  10. Writing and editing all grammatical structures taught in this course
    1. in sentences
    2. in short compositions
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Lecture/Discussion
  2. Group Activities
  3. Hands-on Activities
  4. One-on-one coaching
  5. Distance Education
  6. Short written assignments
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. The following sentences are taken from student writing. You are their editor. Rewrite the sentences by correcting verb errors, using more meaningful verbs and adding adverbs to help the writers express their ideas more effectively.
  2. Describe the important information shown in these graphs using descriptive verbs and adverbs.
  3. Read the passage that your classmate found in a magazine, newspaper, or book. Underline the main verbs and identify the verb tense. Explain why the author made these choices. Would other verb tenses make sense in the same context? Why or why not?
  1. Class Participation
  2. Exams/Tests
  3. Final Examination
  4. Homework
  5. Midterm Examination
  6. Quizzes
  7. Class Work
  8. Written assignments
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Correctly interpret the meaning of the grammatical structures taught in this course and previous ESL courses.
  2. Correctly use these grammatical structures in their writing.
  3. Identify and correct by themselves at least 70% of the errors in their own writing and that of others.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Freeman, D. L. (2007). Grammar Dimensions 4 (4). Cengage.
  2. Steer, J., et al. (1998). The Advanced Grammar Book (2). Cengage.
  3. Cake, C. D. (2008). Grammar Connection 5 (1). Cengage.
  4. Azar, B. S. (2017). Understanding and Using English Grammar with Essential Online Resources (5th). Pearson.
  5. Maurer, J. (2016). Focus on Grammar 5 (5th). Pearson.
  • None
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Advanced grammar and editing instruction in English verbs and related structures.
Prerequisite: ESL 110C or eligibility for ESL 15A
Discipline:
English as a Second Language (ESL)*