I've got to get down to it

I am trying to write a 5,000 word essay which compares and contrasts two grammar books. I have put in many hours and have produced about 4,700 words and a few colour graphs but am still some way from something intelligent enough to hand in. Its such a massive topic that I keep getting side-tracked onto issues I did not intend to include. I need to steer a course between being too superficial and including so much detail that there is no clear argument. I really need to focus!!

Another problem is that last time they told me I could not cite lecture notes and had to find a reference from an academic source such as a text book. I have on-line access to the library catalogue but not to the books themselves. And I can't very well order a book every time I think a couple of lines might be useful. They have not thought this through for distance learners.

Next week is the face-to-face day for the next module. Another outfit to plan. I've already had my hair done - Old Faithful did really well with it last time, so I hope this one looks as good by next weekend.

This course is so much harder than I dreamed possible. And I've understood and enjoyed all the material in the grammar module!!

Everyone will think I'm mad

They have published the assignment options for the English Grammar module. The one I really want to do is to compare and contrast two grammar text books. The more I think about it, the more exciting it seems. You see, there are lots of theories about grammar and how it works and none of them are comprehensive. So all the different text books emphasise different things, and sometimes leave out whole aspects, which do not quite fit in with their viewpoint. Many of the older ones don't even touch on the grammar of speech. But speech was here first, and written English is trying, with grammar, to convey all the the nuances of face-to-face language, with intonation and gestures. This blog is not written in Standard English, because it is informal and its digital. So its somewhere between spoken and written English, with grammar to match. (Note: I can write formal standard English when its appropriate)

One of the books I compare will be the standard course text book, which I already have a copy of. I haven't chosen the other one, but I have emailed a suggestion to the tutor for his approval. I am so looking forward to writing this one!!