Defining God, Love, and Grammar

Abstract

Based on textual research and general discussion in academia, a field-accepted definition of grammar for the purposes of first-year writing does not yet exist. In order to provide a working definition of grammar, forty-six participants completed a survey about grammar usage in the first year writing classroom. The participants were current first year writing instructors within the UNC school system. The results of the survey indicate that instructors use different definitions of grammar to provide to students; the definitions were mostly vague. Furthermore, it appears that most textbooks used in first-year writing do not provide definitions. This research suggests a definition of grammar that can be incorporated into a pedagogy centered on rhetorical grammar in the first year classroom.