The Power SLAM Grammar Book

"The Power Slam Grammar Book (p. ii-iii)

The sequel to the highly successful Power Drill Grammar Book for intermediate students, The Power Slam Grammar Book addresses the needs of senior grade school students (age 11 and higher). Every lesson in this book begins with the premise that, contrary to prevailing prejudices, language instruction can be the most profitable, pleasurable and exciting period in a student's day. The lessons vary from individual to group work, from written to oral work, and from serious reflection to ""wild and crazy"" fun — although every lesson is productive and valuable. Why should your classroom have a copy of this book? It's fun — many of the lessons are in the form of games, and the practice sentences reflect everybody's interest in movies, computers, video games, dating, sports, and all the popular social activities of the early 21st Century.

It's practical — the exercises focus on students' primary needs: error correction of their writing and speech, and expansion of their range of expression, without requiring the memorizing of grammar terminology. The six units focus on parts of speech, sentence construction (statements, negations, questions, answers, and commands), usage problems, and a range of verb tenses (present, past, future).

Instruction for each verb tense is also accompanied by an excellent pictorial representation of that tense — helping to simplify the complexities of tense, mood and aspect. Furthermore, every unit concludes with a detailed composition exercise that builds on and reinforces the foregoing grammar lessons. Finally, The Power Slam Grammar Book is an excellent, high-energy complement to instructional material for the analysis of literature and popular media. Teachers or students can use it as either a required text or an aid in any English, ESL or EFL classroom.

A Message to Students

Hello! My name is Alison. I am 22 years old and the co-author of this book. When I was in school I hated it. Most of the work seemed repetitive, boring and pointless. I couldn’t understand why I was being forced against my will to attend class and do homework. School didn’t seem to have any application in the “real world.” I had the impression that whatever I did inside school would not have an impact on my life after graduation.

I was wrong. Although I had felt powerless, I realized after I graduated high school that I had been making powerful choices all the time. Although students are lawfully forced to attend school, they cannot be forced to understand or remember information. You can refuse to do homework. You can refuse to listen. You can refuse to think. But in the end, these decisions will harm you and hurt your chances for a successful life.

As my father and I wrote this book, we tried to make the lessons as interesting and as fun as possible. We also wanted them to be something more for you than exercises that you can take or leave. The thing is, just doing the exercises isn't enough — you also need to think about them. Learning is a choice. So, why should you bother to learn grammar rules? What’s the point? The point is communication."