The Modern Scholar

A Way With Words Part III: Grammar for Adults

By: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

Narrated by: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Who eats shoots and leaves? A panda? Or a gunman at a restaurant? The answer to this all depends on - you guessed it - grammar. In the third part of his extraordinary Way with Words series, Professor Drout continues to explore humanity's intimate association with language, here delving into the finer points of English grammar. Since others judge you by the way you speak, the intricacies of grammar, in fact, should not be relegated to the realm of fussy "guardians of the language," but are rather essential clues all can employ to communicate more exactly. In such a light, this course forms an invaluable guide for everyone from all fields of interest.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2008 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2008 Recorded Books

Drout is always a pleasure

I've had several audio books from Drout, I always enjoy his humour. He takes a light touch to the material whilst still being informative and helpful. Will download the other books from him for this series! I have always had a struggle understanding grammar but I did find his way of looking at things helpful. He made it more like a story than a formula, which works for me. I recommend it!

Useful and entertaining

Any additional comments?

Drout describes in a very interesting way the elements of the speech and most (if not all) the rules you need to get a good handle on the english language. His narrative is so engaging that I dare to say it is almost hypnotic. Among the things he talks about are the elements of speech, language history, transformational grammar and more, everything seasoned with his delightful humor and geeky bits of medieval history. His reading of Bewolf is amazing.

I highly recommend this book.

Entertaining book for learning grammar

Would you consider the audio edition of The Modern Scholar to be better than the print version?

I was looking for a book to brush up my grammar and came across this one. I have found most of the grammar books to be boring. But based upon the reviews, I thought I will give this book a chance. I finished this book on my drives to work in about 3 weeks and really enjoyed listening.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way Professor Drout has made Grammar really interesting to listen to. Chapters 5 to 13 are just fabulous!

What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The fact that the lectures are narrated by Professor Drout made me feel that I was actually attending his lectures in school.

Well worth the listen. Not tedious.

Great insights as to why, and how English evolved and continues to evolve into the way it is. Author has passion for this subject and that propels the reader/listener forward.

Professor Drout explains it all for you

What made the experience of listening to The Modern Scholar the most enjoyable?

Prof. Drout has a very engaging style and makes any subject he talks about easy to understand and enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful supplementary material for English students or anyone who wants to understand language.

Cure for Grammar Anxiety

This audio course is for anyone who has ever suffered from grammar anxiety. Prof. Drout gives special dispensation to place prepositions at the end of sentences, to use split infinitives, and conjunctions at the beginning of sentences. He also gives you a solid defense against those grammar sticklers that make others fret over syntax: keep your imported Latin grammar rules to yourself!

Thanks to Prof. Drout I now understand how to correctly use "I" and "me," "that" and "which," "who" and "whom." With generous references to the history of our exquisite language and a delightful sense of humor, Prof. Drout makes all the grammar worries go away. You'll understand why parts of our language are strange and confusing, and gain a new appreciation for those trying to learn English as a second language.

Prof. Drout reads excerpts from Beowulf and Chaucer, so you'll hear the musical roots of our wonderful language. He explains that the evolution of English is more about conquerors, and less about scholarly progression. He discusses past scholars who have declared Latin the perfect language and, therefore, tried to force English to conform to Latin grammar. This has resulted is some of the most frustrating aspects of English.

He explains that English grammar is an art, not a science. For this reason, he rails against grammar checkers, "let those Seattle trolls keep their green squiggly lines to themselves."

I highly recommend this course. You'll actually understand what a participle is and why it shouldn't dangle. You'll comprehend gerunds, infinitives, and modals. Not only will you gain a solid command of English, but it happens in just 7 hours; that's amazing!

I know love grammar!

If you could sum up The Modern Scholar in three words, what would they be?

S ; S

What other book might you compare The Modern Scholar to and why?

I really don't think I can compare it to any other book, other than Professor Drout's "Writing Rhetoric and the Art of Persuasion." It is like attending a very enjoyable class, where you like the professor; therefore you pay attention more.

Which scene was your favorite?

n/a

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, well I did smile in places, but I think if I cried I would be worried about myself.

Any additional comments?

The book brings the dreaded grammar into a logical light. Rather than blinding memorizing a series of rules, you are able to understand why you are memorizing a series of rules :-)
It is overall fun, and I've listened to it twice, and plan to listen to it again.

INFORMATIVE

Any additional comments?

the content was terrific - when you actually got to the content. There were a few too many tangents and asides, especially in the opening lectures. Also, a lot of repetition, not of the course material, of the tangents.
Overall the lectures did teach me quite a bit about English grammar and how it has been built up from previous languages. I could have used a second lecture on punctuation and less on politics (and the inter-departmental squabbles re: grammar and linguistics). But, in the end, I came away knowing more than when I started.

Enjoyable & Informative

I really loved listening to this course about grammar. I have always read quite a bit so I had an ok framework for being grammatical, but grammar courses never really engaged me before this one. With this course I finally understand the reasons why grammar and spelling are the way they are.

The parts of interest about the history of English were fascinating and they were presented in a clearer mode than I have encountered before. I really loved the sections on spelling and transformational grammar. I had never known about transformational generative grammar before this course, and it was very cool to see a clearer mode of taking apart and analyzing sentences. Overall, I think the "Drout Approach" to grammar is very calm, a little laid-back, yet still precise. I enjoyed that. In fact, I listened to this course two times already, and have decided to try some further reading about grammar to increase my facility. The course increased my interest in its subject matter, which is what I view to be a hallmark of a good course in any venue.

Prof. Drout has a nice speaking voice (not dry or boring) that is varied and interesting to listen to. The narration did not put me to sleep, but engaged me in stories that were amusing and easy to remember. This narrative quality, along with the helpful and interesting facts found throughout the course made this an enjoyable and informative listen.

I know I’m weird

I’m weird, I know, but I love to study the mechanics of language, how words are used, and where they come from. And I silently correct everyone’s grammar, I just can’t help it. I found a kindred spirit in Dr. Drout, and loved hearing the things he has to say in this book. I’m glad he has written other books because I can’t wait to read them.