The effect of grammar teaching (sentence combining) in English on 5 to 16 year olds' accuracy and quality in written composition.

Abstract

For over a century, there has been debate as to whether the teaching of grammar helps young people to learn to write well. The results have been inconclusive, partly because some parties in the debate have refused to acknowledge research evidence that suggests that the teaching of formal grammar (syntax, parts of speech) in a top-down approach is ineffective; partly because some of the research has been difficult to access and partly because previous studies and reviews have not been sufficiently comprehensive to answer the question of effectiveness conclusively. It is against this background that two in-depth reviews have been undertaken: one on the teaching of formal grammar (syntax), already published as Andrews et al. (2004) and the present review on the teaching of sentence combining.