Grammar Geek (The)

Can learning grammar be instructive and entertaining? To anyone who has encountered the Grammar Geek, the answer is a resounding well, of course it can! Denis Lacroix is a student from Quebec who is working for the summer as a waiter at the Banff Springs Hotel in the Rocky Mountains. Paul Syme is an English linguistics professor who engages Denis in a conversation about language while relaxing in the hotel's lounge one afternoon. Through a series of daily lessons, Denis learns from Mr. Syme, a.k.a. the Grammar Geek, how to become more accurate in the following areas:The past, present, future, and perfect verb formsThe modals can, could, may, might, must, etc.Adjectives, adverbs and word orderNouns and pronounsThe GenitiveDeterminersPrepositions and phrasal verbsConditionalsActive and passive voiceSentence structureRather than present grammar in a dull and flavorless way, the Geek shows Denis the path to grammatical wisdom with meaningful examples and relevant comparisons to

Ryan Fisher holds a Master's degree in Linguistics from Laval University and has taught ESL at the Cégep and university level. He co-authored the Grammar Guru and the Return of the Grammar Guru and also contributed to the Looking Ahead series of ESL textbooks. The Grammar Geek was inspired by his own teaching experience as well as his adventures as a student working in the Rocky Mountains in the 1990s. He currently teaches at Cégep Garneau in Quebec City and resides in Lévis, Quebec with his family.

Can learning grammar be instructive and entertaining? To anyone who has encountered the Grammar Geek, the answer is a resounding well, of course it can! Denis Lacroix is a student from Quebec who is working for the summer as a waiter at the Banff Springs Hotel in the Rocky Mountains. Paul Syme is an English linguistics professor who engages Denis in a conversation about language while relaxing in the hotel's lounge one afternoon. Through a series of daily lessons, Denis learns from Mr. Syme, a.k.a. the Grammar Geek, how to become more accurate in the following areas:The past, present, future, and perfect verb formsThe modals can, could, may, might, must, etc.Adjectives, adverbs and word orderNouns and pronounsThe GenitiveDeterminersPrepositions and phrasal verbsConditionalsActive and passive voiceSentence structureRather than present grammar in a dull and flavorless way, the Geek shows Denis the path to grammatical wisdom with meaningful examples and relevant comparisons to French. Through their conversations, Denis is exposed to the mistakes that Francophones tend to make and the reasons underlying these mistakes. He also realizes that when grammar is taught in an understandable and humorous manner, learning it can be rewarding and actually fun – yes … fun! Included in the book is a variety of practice exercises including gap-fill, multiple choice, translation and contextualization.