| Abstract | This thesis argues that rhetorical grammar, when taught in the context of writing and with an emphasis on rhetorical considerations, can help ease the transition to college-level writing by preparing students for argumentation. To support this position, I synthesize grammar instruction scholarship published from the 1960s to the present, propose a vision of rhetorical grammar that includes a sequence of instruction for ninth through twelfth grade, place the vision in conversation with the national and state guidelines for English Language Arts (ELA), and provide activities for teaching rhetorical grammar within the current secondary English curriculum. This thesis promotes a paradigm shift in our approach to grammar. As I reconceptualize grammar to illuminate its heuristic value, we are able to see grammar as an essential part of the writing process. Thus, rhetorical grammar not only provides a way to analyze various forms of communication but also encourages a way of thinking about the writing process, about language use, and about the world around us. |
