Punctuation can often seem intimidating. Everywhere we look, there appear to be different and contradictory rules about how we’re supposed to use all these dots, lines, and squiggles in our writing. But as Marie explains, punctuation is simply a tool to clarify meaning and prevent misunderstanding.

Marie celebrates the natural world and the power of imagination. Here’s an example of how Marie uses nature to walk students through the writing of an expository essay. In this month’s first free excerpt, Marie uses the basic essay format she teaches in the Basic Cozy Essay Course to write an essay about the beach in front of her Cozy Beach Cottage.

In the Basic Cozy Essay Course, Marie distinguishes between the format of an essay and the purpose of an essay. The format of an essay is the technique of the essay, the simple building blocks with which it is made. The purpose, on the other hand, is the reason why any particular essay is being written. This reason might be to make a point, tell a story, or review a book, for instance.

Nothing is more meaningful to us than to have Marie’s courses find their way to the people and places where they can make a real difference. Part of the secret of Marie’s approach is how freely she offers herself as she is. Her courses are as unique as she is, inspiring her students to embrace their own uniqueness.

This month we wanted to take another look at the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Marie gives us a special memory trick that no one else that I know of has used. We also have an exciting announcement about some new features and an upcoming release. Take a peek at this month’s free videos!

This month we wanted to talk about the hidden gift of the present tense and make a special announcement about our new PDF workbooks. Take a peek at her lesson on the present tense, then I’ll explain what I mean by the hidden gift of the present tense.

Just as it may seem strange at first to talk about grammar and gratitude, it may also seem strange to talk about grammar and beauty. But as Marie and Thomas explain in Lesson 14 of The Basic Cozy Grammar Course, beauty and grammar go together.

What could be more surprising and helpful than talking about grammar and gratitude? We tend to think of grammar as dry and even lifeless, but properly taught, grammar can be an extraordinary and powerful tool for increasing awareness, unleashing creativity, and fostering true success. Take a peek at this month’s free videos to learn more!

Despite their humble appearance, pronouns are one of a writer’s most useful tools and can even unleash great comedy. To show you what I mean—and to prepare you for a fun activity with language—take a peek at this month’s free excerpts. Just so you know, you may find yourself laughing!

As we embrace the new year, we wanted to share a helpful rule from Marie about colloquial language and good grammar. Although it makes a simple and easy-to-follow point, her rule also speaks to the love that lies behind all of Marie’s courses. We’d like to share it with you.

As the year draws to a close, we wanted to offer two video excerpts on adjectives. How to describe the delights of the season vividly and memorably? That’s what both of our videos address. We also have a creative writing exercise and a holiday gift to share. Read on to learn more!

This month we wanted to offer two video excerpts on adverbs and a writing activity. The topic of adverbs can sometimes seem confusing, but as Marie points out, adverbs are simply words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. And of these uses, the most important by far is describing verbs. You can see it in the word itself: ad-VERB!

As the leaves start to turn our thoughts often turn to the coziness of a fire and the warmth of our homes. It’s a great time for getting back to basics. This month we wanted to share how getting back to grammatical basics and understanding main subjects and main predicates can help us in our storytelling.