Rhetoric, Composition, and Language Courses Spring 2026

ENGL 359: English Grammar

Instructors: Wen Xin
55805 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Wescoe 4075

For many people, the word “grammar” can be intimidating because it conjures up painful memories of trying to master so many rules and unpleasant impressions of being considered wrong when any of the rules are broken. However, grammar can also be an effective way of understanding how language is used, a framework for describing the variation and creative potentials of the English language. In other words, grammar is a language we can use to talk about how language works. This course will not only introduce you to different grammatical elements at both word and clause levels, but it will also explore the variations of those elements across different contexts (spoken vs. written; news vs. academic writing vs. fiction). At the end of the course, I hope you will be able to use appropriate terms, concepts, and tools to analyze language in any context and to understand that language users, including yourself, use different “grammars” depending on the communicative contexts.