This course will focus on English grammar, literature, and composition and will include a small vocabulary component. The students will learn
how to completely parse and diagram sentences, how to avoid common usage errors, and will review the rules of capitalization and punctuation. Persuaasive writing will be taught using The Lost Tools of Writing and selected literature. The students will learn to choose an issue, gather evidence from the text, organize that evidence, and present it in an organized and compelling manner. This "B" course is perfect for older middle schoolers, students who have completed the "A" class or something similar, or who already have a partial grasp on parsing sentences and writing essays. Although, the same grammar text will be used as the "A" class, the pace will be faster, and the whole text will be covered. Similarly, the same writing process will be used for both the "A" and "B" classes, but different novels will be chosen for each. Students in this class will read nine novel and complete nine essays, adding new components to each one.