Grammar 1: The Basics
Grammar 1: The Basics is an Intensive, meaning it happens in a short time span (1 day in NYC, or 2 days on Zoom). It’s open to writers of any level. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.
If you feel you’re solid with the basics of grammar, you may go straight to Grammar 2. If you’re in doubt about this, start with Grammar 1; it will be valuable even if some of it is review.
For companies interested in our Grammar program, see our Grammar brochure or visit our Corporate Classes page.
We teach grammar in a way that is intuitive and fun, rather than relying on terminology and rigid rules.
Do you panic when you punctuate? Does grammar make you say, “grrr!”
Grammar 1 teaches the basics of grammar, just enough so you won’t make errors that show you in a bad light. You’ll be amazed at how quick quickly your competence and confidence will grow.
Do you aspire to be a grammar aficionado? The one everyone turns to for grammatical advice?
Grammar 2 teaches the picky (but important) details of grammar, and will show you how to manipulate your sentences and punctuation not just correctly, but artfully.
Both courses come with an invaluable reference guide created exclusively for Gotham students.
FYI...AI does not think or feel and is not a suitable alternative to learning grammar.
Great refresher course.
Safeea Ali
communications specialist
Notes
This is not an English-as-second-language course. It’s fine if English is not your first language, but you must speak and write it fluently.
Upcoming Classes
NYC classes are being scheduled. Please check back soon.
Price
Registration fee $25, paid once per term
2-Day
-
Zoom
Real-time videoconference
Tuition: $185
-
One-on-One
Tuition:
Mini - $395, Private - $775
Available on Zoom
Syllabus
This course gives an overview of the basics of good grammar. Course components:
Brief lectures
Writing exercises
Topics:
Nouns, Pronouns, and Verbs
- Nouns
- Pronouns
- Pronoun Agreement
- Verbs
- Sentences
- Subject/Verb Agreement
Parts of Speech
- Parts of Speech
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Modifier Problems
- Prepositions
- Conjunctions
- Interjections
- Subject and Predicate
- Objects
Punctuation!
- End Punctuation—period, exclamation, question mark
- Pause Punctuation—comma, semicolon
- More Pause Punctuation—parenthesis, dash, ellipsis
- Apostrophes—possessives, contractions
- Colons
- Hyphens
- Quotation Marks
Trouble Spots and Tricky Devils
- Commonly Confused Words
- Abbreviation, Capitalization
- Titles, Numbers
Teachers
Lara Ewen
Lara Ewen has published articles and essays in the New York Times, Business Insider, the Kansas City Star, Newsday, NYC&G, NPR, PBS, Retail Dive, Slate, and Zagat, and American Libraries Magazine, and she is the author of The Girlshop Guide to NYC Shopping (Shecky’s Media). She is formerly the senior editor of Fashion Dive, and worked as the U.S. market report columnist for Rapaport Magazine, editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Sportswear International magazine, a freelance digital editorial consultant for Rolling Stone, and a consulting editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She is also the former talent booker for the Free Music Fridays series at the American Folk Art Museum, and has taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She holds a BA from Boston University.
Read more
Stacy Pershall
Stacy Pershall is the author of the memoir Loud in the House of Myself (W.W. Norton), selected for the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Program, and her work is included in the anthologies Lost and Found (W.W. Norton) and Spent (Seal Press). She has taught at Writopia, Pratt Manhattan, City College of New York, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She holds a BA from the University of Arkansas and an MFA in Performance Art from the University of Cincinnati.
Read morehas published articles and essays in the New York Times, Business Insider, the Kansas City Star, Newsday, NYC&G, NPR, PBS, Retail Dive, Slate, and Zagat, and American Libraries Magazine, and she is the author of The Girlshop Guide to NYC Shopping (Shecky’s Media). She is formerly the senior editor of Fashion Dive, and worked as the U.S. market report columnist for Rapaport Magazine, editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Sportswear International magazine, a freelance digital editorial consultant for Rolling Stone, and a consulting editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She is also the former talent booker for the Free Music Fridays series at the American Folk Art Museum, and has taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She holds a BA from Boston University.
is the author of the memoir Loud in the House of Myself (W.W. Norton), selected for the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Program, and her work is included in the anthologies Lost and Found (W.W. Norton) and Spent (Seal Press). She has taught at Writopia, Pratt Manhattan, City College of New York, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She holds a BA from the University of Arkansas and an MFA in Performance Art from the University of Cincinnati.
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