Series: Package 1: Basic Grammar and Punctuation

Verb Tense

03/03/2013

~ lcurrington

I love it but the video could be at least 3 minutes if I'm paying 3 minutes for it. I love the scenery - the beach. My students can learn from that.

Excellent!

09/02/2012

~ lsanger

An excellent teacher takes concepts that many people find difficult and makes them simple. Marie does that here in spades. Excellent production approach, too.

very disappointed!

03/21/2012

~ Tonya12

Marie uses her Buddah as an example in this video and worksheet. As a Christian who wants to teach my children Biblical truth, I have decided not to use this program any longer.

Poor

02/03/2012

~ Margi

Again the lesson covers a lot of information with very little material for the student to practice. This is not a true basic grammar program and would be better suited for review since it moves so fast.

BASIC GRAMMAR 1

11/22/2010

~ Abdus

It's really easy even for my 7 year old daughter!

Lesson vdieo did not run from beginning to end.

01/30/2010

~ Merle

The video lesson only plays to where Marie shows and says the driftwood word because which is about one third of the video lesson.

HOW?

12/09/2009

~ Andrew9

How could you do such a thing it made mny child evil so very EVILL!!!

A Good Start

12/07/2009

~ Theresa1

This video was a great way to start off learning prepositions. However, I would not recomend it for detailed learning.

Below are the descriptions for each of the lessons included in the series:

• Basic English Grammar Course Introduction

  Meet retired English teacher, Marie Rackham, as she introduces The Basic Cozy Grammar Course, and explains the importance of having good grammar.

  As Marie waters the plants thriving outside her front door, she explains why it's so important to have an understanding of basic grammar for composing resumes, business letters, and e-mails, and for being interviewed, speaking in public, or dealing with people in formal settings. "Grammar is the technique of writing, just as understanding different plants is the technique of gardening...it is difficult to be creative at anything if you do not have the technique first." She goes on to explain that at the end of each lesson she will refer the viewer to the workbook so that they can complete the companion exercises, and then check their work with the answer key.

  Featured Music:
  Rackham - Tuba Whimsy (Introduces each of the lessons.)

  This introduction is excerpted from the Basic Cozy Grammar course. The full course was created by, and is available from, Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic English Grammar Lesson 1: Kinds of Sentences

  This basic English grammar lesson will outline kinds of sentences used in the English language.
  
  A sentence is a group of related words expressing a complete thought.

  There are four kinds of sentences: interrogative, imperative, assertive, exclamatory.

  "Won't you come into the house? Come into the house. We are in the house. What a cozy house! These are examples of the four kinds of sentences."

  Retired English teacher, Marie, invites us to join her inside her plant filled, music-infused, fire-warmed cottage with its spectacular A-framed view of the famous Discovery Passage. As she makes tea, munches on freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and sits back in her favorite overstuffed chair, she explains why the above examples represent the four kinds of sentences: interrogative, imperative, assertive and exclamatory.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Burgmuller - Ave Maria 
  Bach - Prelude No.1, 
  Handel - Little Fugue

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by, and is available from, Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 2: Subject and Predicate

  The Basic Cozy English Grammar Course

  Lesson 2: Subject & Predicate 

  Marie is out by the wood pile chopping and splitting wood with an axe. "Just as this piece of firewood was divided into two parts, so a sentence is divided into two parts - the subject and the predicate." The subject tells what the sentence is about and the predicate tells something about the subject.

  As she gathers up an armful of kindling she defines what constitutes a subject and a predicate, then makes her way from the woodpile into the house where she slips off her shoes and slides into her slippers, stocks up the wood bin on the hearth, feeds the hungry fire and settles into her rocking chair, all the while providing us with examples of subjects and predicates culled from sample sentences.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Beethoven - Fur Elise

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar Course. The full course was created by, and is available from, Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 3: Main Subject & Predicate

  The main subject is the one word that tells us what the sentence is about. The main predicate is the one word that tells us what the subject does.

  It's a cold, clear, west coast autumn night. The frost is sparkling on the bushes. The waves are lapping against the dark shore. The last remaining cricket of the season seems to have a bit of a shiver in his chirp. Through the picture window we can see that the inside of the cottage is submerged in deep blue shadows except for the dancing orange light of a friendly fire where Marie rocks gently in her chair and uses examples from sample sentences to teach us how to reduce the subject and the predicate down to the main subject and the main predicate.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by, and is available from, Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 4: Order in Sentences

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 4: Order In Sentences

  "Have you ever wondered what makes some writing more interesting than other writing? Good writers vary the order in sentences."

  Marie walks us from her living room deck and across the lawn to the edge of her yard, overlooking the beach, so that we have a good vantage point for watching the seagulls. Using a sample sentence about the seagulls flying through the air, she illustrates how the sentence could be expressed in three different ways using natural order, inverted order or split order, simply by changing the position of the subject within the sentence.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by, and is available from, Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic English Grammar Lesson 5: Nouns

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 5: Nouns

  "Nouns are naming words." Marie is shaking out a white linen table cloth and smoothing it over her dining table in preparation for a dinner party. "Setting the table is a great time to talk about nouns." Using place cards, napkins, china plates, sterling silver knives, forks and spoons, cut crystal stem ware and vases, fresh flowers, coffee cups and saucers, Marie uses the process of setting the table for dinner to provide us with a way of recognizing the people, places, things and qualities that nouns name, then goes on to explain the difference between proper nouns and common nouns, and singular nouns and plural nouns.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Mozart - Sonata in C
  Mozart - Sonata in G

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic English Grammar Lesson 6: Pronouns

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 6: Pronouns

  A candle-lit dinner party with dear friends and her cats Schuster and Chaim provides an opportunity for Marie to enlighten us about pronouns. "Jacque, Sherry, Bob and I are here for dinner. Now I can shorten that sentence by using one pronoun as the subject. We are here for dinner." As she serves her guests wine, salads, steaks, condiments, coffee and dessert, Marie provides sample sentences and examples to illustrate the seven kinds of pronouns: subjective pronouns, objective pronouns, possessive pronouns, compound personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns and indefinite pronouns.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Rackham - I Come From A River
  Rackham - Twinkle Variations
  Rackham - Twilight Medley
  Rackham - Syncopated Medley
  Giordani - Caro Mio Ben

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic English Grammar Lesson 7: Verbs

  Basic English Grammar: Verbs

  "The beach is a great place to talk about verbs. There's so much to do on the beach. And that's what verbs are, they're doing words." A heavy fog doesn't stop Marie from leading us down onto the beach to learn about verbs. While the disembodied moan of the foghorn periodically finds its way through the ghostly coastal mist, Marie provides us with a simple way of recognizing a verb, and uses sample sentences and demonstrations to demystify us about the three qualities that a verb may express: action, possession, or existence.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Schubert - Ecossaise in G

  This lesson covers verbs and is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 8: Verb Phrases

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 8: Verb Phrases

  "The wind is blowing. Is blowing is a verb of more than one word. A verb of more than one word is called a verb phrase." Braving a howling west coast wind Marie struggles to walk along the high tide line-the surf pounding the rocky shore in the distance behind her- as she breaks down the components of a verb phrase. After the wind has died down she uses a stick to point out examples that teach us about principal verbs and auxiliary verbs, then surprises us with a list of auxiliary verbs written in the sand. Finally she leads us out to the Eagle Rock pond and refines our understanding of verb phrases via a flashback to a recent mishap she suffered while beachcombing for shells.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 9: Verb Agreement

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 9: Agreement Of Verbs

  "This log is interesting. This log is also interesting. Both logs are interesting. When I talked about one log, I used the verb is. When I talked about both logs, I used the verb are. This is called agreement of verbs." Standing in the center of a triangle of logs washed up by a recent storm, Marie teaches us about agreement of verbs.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Folk Song - The Sailor's Hornpipe

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 10: Verb Tense

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 10: Tense Of Verbs

  "Tense is the change in the form of verbs to show whether the time is past, present, or future."

  Marie climbs up into the higher reaches of an enormous, weather-beaten, storm- tossed stump in order to point out features of her beloved beach landscape that lend themselves to helping us learn about tense of verbs.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar 11: Transitive-Intransitive-Copula

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 11: Transitive, Intransitive & Copula Verbs

  Intransitive verbs answer the questions 'how', 'where', 'when', and 'why'. Transitive verbs always answer the question 'what.'

  "Transitive, intransitive and copula verbs. Now I know that sounds intimidating but it's not really." With these reassuring words Marie embarks with us on a late afternoon walk along the edge of the seashore, inches from the wash of the breaking waves. It's one of those heavy, grey pacific northwest days where the sky waffles as to whether it feels like raining or not. Using the surf, seaweed, logs, stumps, ferry boats, and the remains of a first growth tree to inspire her examples, she imparts her lesson on subjects, objects, transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, copula verbs and complements, providing a list of the commonly used copula verbs, and a definition and examples of a complement.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson. 

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 12: Adjectives

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 12: Adjectives

  An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

  With the use of her colorful and soulful props, Marie demonstrates examples of the different forms of adjectives: proper adjectives, pronominal adjectives, qualitative or descriptive adjectives, quantitative adjectives, predicate adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, interrogative adjectives, singular possessive adjectives, plural possessive adjectives, and articles. "Adjectives are the beautiful paints with which we describe the canvas of our words."

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Debussy - Golliwog's Cakewalk

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar 13: Adjective Comparison 1/2

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 13: Comparison Of Adjectives #1

  "Many adjectives change their forms to show a difference in the ideas being expressed." With the help of three blue metal sculptured figures based on ancient cave paintings, Marie teaches us about the three degrees of adjectives: positive, comparative and superlative.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Debussy - Little Shepherd

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar 14: Adjective Comparison 2/2

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 14: Comparison Of Adjectives #2

  "Adjectives are compared in three ways." Using the waves, flowering house plants, and original works of painted art to illustrate her points, Marie enlightens us about the three forms of adjective comparison: regular, phrasal, and irregular.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Schumann - Arabesque

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic English Grammar Lesson 15: Adverbs

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 15: Adverbs

  "An adverb is a word that describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb."

  Utilizing the stairs that lead up to the loft in her cottage, Marie acts out demonstrations that help us to recognize and understand the definition and applications of adverbs.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Mendelssohn - Spring Song

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 16: Kinds of Adverbs

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 16: Kinds Of Adverbs

  "Now, let's talk about kinds of adverbs." Marie makes up sample sentences that teach us how to differentiate between the eight kinds of adverbs: adverbs of time, adverbs of place, adverbs of manner, adverbs of degree, adverbs of cause or reason, adverbs of negation, adverbs of affirmation, and adverbs of emphasis.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Mozart - Sonata in A

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 17: Comparison of Adverbs

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 17: Comparison Of Adverbs

  "Like adjectives, many adverbs change their form to show a difference in the ideas being expressed." It is a crisp autumn afternoon and Marie is singing as she does some yard work, all the while teaching us about the three degrees of adverbs: positive, comparative and superlative; and the three forms of comparison: regular, phrasal, and irregular. She also explains why some adverbs, by reason of their meaning, cannot be compared, and provides a list of examples.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music: 
  Folk Song - English Country Garden

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 18: Phrases and Prepositions

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 18: Phrases And Prepositions

  "A phrase is a group of words that does the work of a single word or part of speech." Marie defines phrases then explains that there are verb phrases, adjective phrases and adverb phrases.

  "Now, I want to introduce you to prepositions. A preposition is a word that begins an adjective phrase or an adverb phrase. A phrase begins with a preposition, and ends with a noun." She marches across the yard singing a ditty featuring seven different phrases, then provides examples of sample phrases that she breaks down for us to help ensure our understanding. To cap things off, she surprises us with a bush covered in paper flowers, each flower inscribed with a commonly used preposition.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Rackham - The Phrase Ditty

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 19: Adjective Phrases

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 19: Adjective Phrases

  "An adjective phrase is a group of words that does the work of an adjective." Marie explains the composition of an adjective phrase. Then, combining art appreciation with grammar she uses the rock pool, the snow capped mountains, and the eagle perched upon Eagle Rock depicted in the painting to inspire sample sentences that help teach us the finer points about adjective phrases.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Bach - Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 20: Adverb Phrases

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 20: Adverb Phrases

  "An adverb phrase is a group of words that does the work of an adverb."

  Marie explains what constitutes an adverb phrase, then demonstrates with examples inspired by the chimes of an antique clock and simple actions she performs around her cottage.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.
  
  Featured Music:
  Debussy - Arabesque No.1

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 21: Misplaced Phrases

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 21: Misplaced Phrases

  "I just read a misplaced phrase. A phrase should be placed as closely as possible to the word it modifies or describes." Marie explains what a misplaced phrase or modifier is, then gives us an example by sharing and correcting the misplaced phrase that she discovered in her book, involving a salty sea captain, a seagull, and a red hat.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Chopin - Prelude No.4

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 22: Coordinate Conjunctions

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 22: Co-ordinate Conjunctions

  "A co-ordinate conjunction is a word or group of words that joins parts of speech used in the same way." 

  Marie imparts the definition of a co-ordinate conjunction, its applications, and a list of the co-ordinate conjunctions most frequently used.

  When the in-coming tide threatens to leave her stranded, she suggests we move over to a large rock pool. "Let's explore the rock pool for examples." The rock pool hosts oysters, mussels, abalone, barnacles, scallops, clams, limpets, seaweed, rock crabs, spider crabs, hermit crabs, bullheads, starfish, jellyfish, sea anemones and sea urchins, all of which Marie incorporates into her sample sentences demonstrating the uses of co-ordinate conjunctions.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Gram 23: Principal Clause, Compound Sentence

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 23: Principal Clauses And Compound Sentences

  "A clause is a group of words that forms part of a sentence and has a subject and predicate. A principal clause makes a statement. It can stand alone like a simple sentence. A compound sentence contains two or more principal clauses usually joined by a co-ordinate conjunction." It is one of those late November, west coast days when the mood of the sky seems to change unpredictably - light and hopeful one moment, dark and brooding the next. Marie has decided to feed some stale bread to the seagulls. This is one of her favorite activities, and her giggly, singing enthusiasm is contagious as she seizes this opportunity to teach us about principal clauses and compound sentences. Sample sentences and examples are provided amidst the fluttering frenzy of her hungry feathered friends.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Rackham - Lovely Little Seagulls

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 24: Subordinate Clauses

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 24: Subordinate Clauses And Complex Sentences

  "A subordinate clause does the work of a single word or phrase. It has a subject and predicate but does not stand alone. A complex sentence contains one principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Subordinate clauses are joined to the rest of the sentence by subordinate conjunctions."

  It is recycling day, and as Marie sorts her paper, plastics, and bottles, washes out her tins in the birdbath, and carries her recycling bin out to the end of the driveway for pick-up, she creates sample sentences and examples that help us to grasp the concept of subordinate clauses and complex sentences. As a special treat she shows us a tree hung with interesting pieces of driftwood, each one painted with a commonly used subordinate conjunction.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Rackham - The Blue Green Island

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 25: Interjections

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 25: Interjections

  "An interjection is a word or sound that we use to express or vent a strong feeling." As Marie roasts hotdogs and toasts marshmallows over the fire, she explains what interjections are, provides examples, and teaches us the two different ways they can be punctuated.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 26: Conjugation of Verbs

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 26: Conjugation Of Verbs

  "Conjugation of verbs. Isn't that a funny word? Conjugation. It just means the verb changes its form or spelling to agree with the pronoun used as the subject."

  Karen, her young daughter Devon, and her toddler son Alexander have come to help Marie do some planting in her whimsical beach garden. As Karen helps the children sort out the shells, sand dollars, coral, driftwood, stones and feathers they collected in their beachcombing buckets, Marie puts on some beach music and explains the concept of conjugating verbs. Then, with the help of Karen and the kids, she demonstrates how to conjugate the verb 'to plant ' in the first person, second person, third person, singular and plural, present, past and future tenses.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Beethoven - Ode To Joy
  Debussy - Reverie
  Mendelssohn - On Wings Of Song
  Chopin - Prelude No.7
  Chopin - Prelude No.6
  Ravel - Pavan For A Dead Infanta

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Lesson 27: Common Errors

  Basic English Grammar Lesson 27: Common Errors

  Marie is watching a televised hockey game. When one of the players scores a goal the announcer says, "He played good today!" Marie grimaces and clicks off the television. "Peeyew! We often hear bad grammar on television and in every day life." Marie uses the hockey announcer and a mail box encounter with her neighbor, Elmer, to provide examples and ways of correcting three common grammatical errors: confusing good and well, using 'I seen' and 'I done', and double negatives.

  Workbook exercises and answer key are provided with this lesson.

  Featured Music:
  Beethoven - Pathetique Sonata 
  Rackham - Rusty Circles

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Grammar Conclusion

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Cozy English Grammar course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Introduction to Basic Punctuation

  The Basic Cozy Punctuation Course®

  Introduction

  History and Purpose of Punctuation Marks

  Setting: Beach House

  "Now, I'm sure you've wondered what all these dots, lines, and squiggles mean; and, if not what they mean, then at least how or when to use them correctly. Using correct punctuation can seem a bit daunting - even experts and publishers don't always agree - but don't worry because in this course I am presenting the most basic and cozy ways to use punctuation marks."

  As Marie heads into the beach house to prepare for the day's learning adventures, she explains that the purpose of punctuation is clarity of meaning; and, that punctuation was invented to imitate the pauses and vocal inflections in speech. She demonstrates how difficult writing would be to interpret without punctuation marks. She says that punctuation marks are used in two ways: at the end of sentences, and within sentences; and, that it's the punctuation within sentences that most confuses people.

  As she stows her fishing rod, library books, and blackberry bucket in the back of her vintage El Camino she says, "I've tried to simplify punctuation for you by equating punctuation marks to traffic signs. Think of punctuation marks as the traffic signs of writing. Just as traffic signs guide drivers, so punctuation marks guide readers and writers. As an added learning aid I will be sharing short poems about each punctuation mark. Now, I have a number of things to do today so let's hop into my trusty Camino and talk about punctuation as we go." As she buckles up she explains that at the end of each lesson she will refer the viewer to the workbook so they can complete the companion exercises, and check their work with the answer key. "Here we go!"

  Featured Music
  Andante and Variations in E flat (Mozart)
  Goldberg Variation 5 (Bach)

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 1: End of Sentence Punctuation

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 2: How and When to use Periods

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 3: How and When to use Commas

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 4: How to Use Exclamation Marks

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 5: How to Use Quotation Marks

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 6: How to Use Apostrophes

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 7: How & When to Use Colons

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 8: How & When to Use Semicolons

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 9: How & When to Use Hyphens

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 10: How & When to Use Dashes

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 11: How to Use Parentheses

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 12: How & When to Use Brackets

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 13: How & When to Use Slashes

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 14: Interrobang

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

• Basic Punctuation 15: Common Confusions

  This lesson is excerpted from the Basic Punctuation course. The full course was created by and is available from Splashes from the River. You can check out this and other courses from Splashes at www.splashesfromtheriver.com.

Supplementary Files:

• Once you purchase this series you will have access to these files:
• Lesson_1_Exercises_-_Kinds_of_Sentences.pdf
• Lesson_1_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_2_Exercises_-_Subject_and_Predicate.pdf
• Lesson_2_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_3_Exercises_-_Main_Subject__Main_Predicate.pdf
• Lesson_3_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_4_Exercises_-_Order_in_Sentences.pdf
• Test_1_-_Lessons_1-4.pdf
• Test_1_Answer_Key_-_Lessons_1-4.pdf
• Lesson_4_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_5_Exercises_-_Nouns.pdf
• Lesson_5_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_6_Exercises_-_Pronouns.pdf
• Lesson_6_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_7_Exercises_-_Verbs.pdf
• Lesson_7_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_8_Exercises_-_Verb_Phrases.pdf
• Lesson_8_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_9_Exercises_-_Agreement_of_Verbs.pdf
• Lesson_9_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_10_Exercises_-_Tense_of_Verbs.pdf
• Lesson_10_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_11_Exercises_-_Transitive__Intransitive__Copula_Verbs.pdf
• Test_2_-_Lessons_1-11.pdf
• Test_2_Answer_Key_-_Lessons_1-11.pdf
• Lesson_11_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_12_Exercises_-_Adjectives.pdf
• Lesson_12_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_13_Exercises_-_Comparison_of_Adjectives_1.pdf
• Lesson_13_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_14_Exercises_-_Comparison_of_Adjectives_2.pdf
• Lesson_14_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_15_Exercises_-_Adverbs.pdf
• Lesson_15_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_16_Exercises_-_Kinds_of_Adverbs.pdf
• Lesson_16_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_17_Exercises_-_Comparison_of_Adverbs.pdf
• Test_3_-_Lessons_1-17.pdf
• Test_3_Answer_Key_-_Lessons_1-17.pdf
• Lesson_17_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_18_Exercises_-_Phrases_and_Prepositions.pdf
• Lesson_18_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_19_Exercises_-_Adjective_Phrases.pdf
• Lesson_19_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_20_Exercises_-_Adverb_Phrases.pdf
• Lesson_20_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_21_Exercises_-_Misplaced_Phrases.pdf
• Lesson_21_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_22_Exercises_-_Co-ordinate_Conjunctions.pdf
• Lesson_22_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_23_Exercises_-_Principal_Clauses__Compound_Sentences.pdf
• Lesson_23_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_24_Exercises_-_Subordinate_Clauses_and_Complex_Sentences.pdf
• Sentence_Review_-_Lessons_23-4.pdf
• Sentence_Review_Answer_Key_-_Lessons_23-4.pdf
• Lesson_24_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_25_Exercises_-_Interjections.pdf
• Test_4_-_Lessons_1-25.pdf
• Test_4_Answer_Key_-_Lessons_1-25.pdf
• Lesson_25_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_26_Exercises_-_Conjugation_of_Verbs.pdf
• Lesson_26_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_27_Exercises_-_Common_Errors.pdf
• Lesson_27_Answer_Key_-_Basic_Grammar.pdf
• Lesson_1_-_Period__Question_Mark__Exclamation_Mark.pdf
• Lesson_1_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_2_-_Period.pdf
• Lesson_2_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_3_-_Comma.pdf
• Lesson_3_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_4_-_Exclamation_Mark.pdf
• Lesson_4_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_5_-_Quotation_Marks.pdf
• Lesson_5_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_6_-_Apostrophe.pdf
• Lesson_6_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_7_-_Colon.pdf
• Lesson_7_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_8_-_Semicolon.pdf
• Lesson_8_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_9_-_Hyphen.pdf
• Lesson_9_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_10_-_Dash.pdf
• Lesson_10_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_11_-_Parentheses.pdf
• Lesson_11_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_12_-_Bracket.pdf
• Lesson_12_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_13_-_Slash.pdf
• Lesson_13_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_14_-_Interrobang.pdf
• Lesson_14_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf
• Lesson_15_-_Common_Confusions___Conclusion.pdf
• Lesson_15_-_Answer_Key_-_Punctuation.pdf