A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 7 Video Summary “Have you ever wondered what makes some writing more interesting than other writing? Good writers vary the order in sentences.” In this video from Lesson 4 of the Basic Cozy Grammar Course, Marie takes us across her yard to the edge of her property[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 6 Video Summary In this video from the Study Notes for Lesson 2 of the Basic Cozy Grammar Course, Thomas shares a helpful trick for distinguishing between subjects and predicates in a sentence. To find the subject, ask this question: Who or what is doing the action[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 5 Video Summary In this video from Lesson 2 of the Basic Cozy Grammar Course, Marie is out by the wood pile, chopping and splitting wood with an axe. “Just as this piece of firewood was divided into two parts, so a sentence is divided into two[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 4 Video Summary “Won’t you come into the house? Come into the house. We are in the house. What a cozy house! These are examples of the four kinds of sentences.” In this video from Lesson 1 of the Basic Cozy Grammar Course, Marie invites us to[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 3 Video Summary Before we return to Marie, Thomas offers a writing and life tip from the Study Notes for the Introduction to the Basic Cozy Grammar Course. Here he explores the distinction Marie makes between formal and colloquial language. “As you make your way through the[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 2 Video Summary In this video from the Preface to the Basic Cozy Grammar Course, Thomas explores how grammar enhances creativity. “If I had to boil it down to its essence,” he says, “here’s what I would say: Grammar teaches us the secret architecture of phrases and[…]

A Cozy Introduction to Grammar and Creativity Lesson 1 Welcome to our Free Cozy Introduction!   In order to give you a taste of what we offer students and families in our Complete Curriculum, we’ve hand-selected material from the Preface, Introduction, and Lessons 1, 2, and 4 of the Basic Cozy Grammar Course. In each[…]

Welcome to the first video! Click anywhere on the video to begin. After you’ve watched it, scroll down the page to find the Study Notes and Exercises.

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Conclusion Video Summary Marie is sweeping off her front walk. “We have come to the end of this basic grammar course.” She explains that she has now provided us with a basic grammar technique and reminds us that there are also intermediate and advanced levels of grammar for those who[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 27: Common Errors Video Summary Marie is watching a televised hockey game. When one of the players scores a goal the announcer says, “He played good today!” Marie grimaces and clicks off the television. “Peeyew! We often hear bad grammar on television and in everyday life.” Marie uses the[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 26: Conjugation of Verbs Video Summary “Conjugation of verbs. Isn’t that a funny word? Conjugation. It just means the verb changes its form or spelling to agree with the pronoun used as the subject.” Karen, her young daughter Devon, and her toddler son Alexander have come to help Marie[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 25: Interjections Video Summary The moon is full, the stars are out, the crickets are singing, and the campfire is crackling. It’s a perfect late autumn evening for a wiener (or hotdog, or frankfurter, depending on where you live) cookout. “An interjection is a word or sound that we[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 24: Subordinate Clauses and Complex Sentences Video Summary “A subordinate clause does the work of a single word or phrase. It has a subject and predicate but does not stand alone because it is not complete.” It is recycling day, and as Marie sorts her paper, plastics, and bottles,[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 23: Principal Clauses and Compound Sentences Video Summary “A clause is a group of words that forms part of a sentence and has a subject and predicate. There are two main kinds of clauses: principal clauses and subordinate clauses. In this lesson we will discuss principal clauses.” It is[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 22: Co-ordinate Conjunctions Video Summary “A co-ordinate conjunction joins words or groups of words used in the same way.” Perched on top of her favorite Eagle Rock, Marie imparts the definition of a co-ordinate conjunction and provides us with a list of the co-ordinate conjunctions most frequently used in[…]

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Lesson 21: Misplaced Phrases Video Summary “I just read a misplaced phrase.” Marie is relaxing with a book in her cozy reading nook. Her comfy nest is feathered with a variety of colorful throw pillows, and she has a homemade knitted afghan draped over her legs. She is laughing at[…]