Fiction Writer, Poet, Playwright, Educator, Memoir Writer and Literary Critic

Although some students do not like learning grammar, I feel strongly that they will have better control and confidence as writers if they know some basic grammar and grammatical terms.  Teachers and professors cannot explain fragments and run-on sentences to classes if students do not know what subjects and verbs are.  If it is OK to teach students mathematical and scientific terminology, why is it a sin to teach students grammar terminology?  I had public school teachers who insisted that their classes learn grammar well, and that helped me a lot when I learned Spanish and linguistics.  As a college professor and writer who has published six books, I rely on my knowledge of grammar every day of my life. (more…)