Master punctuation and grammar before going to college -- to
make sure you're completely ready to write college-level essays and papers!

Instructor Access (optional grading support) is available for Unlimited Access or Single Access.
See the sidebar to the left for signup information!

NOTICE: This is an older course recorded with Adobe Connect and/or Vimeo recordings.
We are currently working to replace the recordings with new Zoom recordings. 
Please don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with any questions.

How to Get the Most Out of the Writing Essentials 5: Punctuation and Grammar II course with Professor Erin M. Brown (AKA Erin Brown Conroy/E.B. Conroy):

• Read: Read all of the information here, and skim the course in its entirety before you begin.

• Recording: Always begin each lesson by watching the class recording. Click on "Recording" and watch the lecture for Class One.

• Note Taking: Prepare a notebook and take complete notes while watching the recording.

• Weekly Readings: After the video, check for any readings (documents/downloads or online readings). Always read the week's materials before starting the assignment.

• Assignments: Complete the homework in the order that it is listed on the page.  Give your assignment to your parent for grading.

• Grading: If you'd like personal help with this course, click and get the Instructor Access for one-on-one mentoring, feedback, and grading. The instructor will provide extra practice sheets for Instructor Access. Quizzes are self-grading.

• Review: If you are confused at any time, re-watch parts of the recording for clarity. The PowerPoint is also available for you.

• Continue: Repeat until all classes are complete.

• Time Frame: You may work at your own pace. Students are encouraged to complete a minimum of one lesson per week.

• Finishing: Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end of the course. Fill in the document for your records. You may also copy and paste the descriptive content of the course (located at the top section of the page). Make sure to record your grades; HSC does not provide record keeping.

Total Classes: 8

Prerequisite: HIGH SCHOOL WRITING ESSENTIALS 1: Essential Punctuation and Grammar I and HIGH SCHOOL SIMPLIFIED WRITING 1: All-Encompassing Foundational High School Writing Skills (Live classes or Unlimited Access)

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested Credit: 1/2 semester Writing or English
Instructor: Erin M Brown (AKA Erin Brown Conroy/E.B. Conroy), M.A, M.F.A.

Course Description:  This course continues your student’s understanding of punctuation and grammar with instruction and exercises taking your student to college-level understanding. Students will move beyond common understanding to mastering the skills. If you want your teen to never struggle with punctuation and grammar and be able to be skillful in upper-level, college-prep punctuation and grammar, this is the course for you.

Course Outline:

• Class 1: The power of punctuation; what punctuation does (and doesn’t do) for your writing, and how you can harness that power

• Class 2: Complete comma understanding and practice: identification of commas with multiple clause sentences (the sentence/non-sentence trick)

• Class 3: Complete comma understanding and practice: typical comma errors and editors’ choices with commas

• Class 4: Common, unusual, and rare comma placement in common, unusual, and rare places

• Class 5: Semicolons, colons, and commas used together correctly

• Class 6: End punctuation issues, quotation mark errors, and quotes within quotes issues

• Class 7: Citations, references, footnotes, and research-centric punctuation

• Class 8: Mastering punctuation in the SAT and ACT

Course Materials: Word 2007 or later version or the ability to convert documents to Word-compatible documents.  

Homework:  LIVE and Instructor Access students will have weekly writing assignments with grading and direct feedback from the instructor (parents will grade Recorded students’ work). Expect an estimated two (2) to four (4) hours per week for homework outside of class time, depending on the student’s ability; homework includes reading, writing, responding to feedback, and daily quizzes. Quizzes are graded automatically by the computer for instant feedback. Course includes skill-building sheets with corrections guide. Personalized question time will be offered in class to insure a strong understanding of concepts.

©2016-2024 Homeschool Connections and Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author Erin Brown Conroy/E. B. Conroy) All rights reserved.

This course is designed by Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA.  

• This material is only to be used for its intended purpose by active subscribers of Homeschool Connections. Any other use without explicit permission is in violation of the seventh commandment (yes, the 7th commandment) and in violation of US and International copyright laws.

• You may print or download to local hard disk extracts for your personal homeschool and non-commercial use only. This is not to be used for homeschool co-ops without express written permission from Homeschool Connections.

Technical Help: If you experience technical difficulty with watching the recorded classes or have a question about course content, please email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.

NOTE: To get the full experience when watching the recorded classes, make sure to click on the video icon at the top right to see the instructor.