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Getting to grips with English grammar

As a way of prepping yourself for the Grammar question in the PEG 2022 Accreditation Test or simply of testing your mettle when it comes to identifying good and bad grammar or writing style, why not join this webinar-with-a-difference.

There will also be an opportunity for the participants to win a prize or three …

Focus: The aim is to enable the participants to engage with some grammar and writing style chestnuts as evidenced in a century of sentences – courtesy a range of real-life authors from around the globe.

Date: Saturday, 17 September 2022

Time: 10:00 to 13:00

Place: Online (Zoom meeting)

Facilitators: Myf Steynberg and John Linnegar

Pre-webinar exercises: To be emailed upon registration.

CPD hours: Members who attend this webinar will earn 3 CPD hours; those who listen to the recording only will garner 1 CPD hour.

About our facilitators

Long-standing PEG Member >Myf Steynberg is originally from Zimbabwe but has lived and worked in South Africa for more than 30 years. She has a BA Honours degree and Post-Graduate Certificate of Education. She has more than 30 years’ teaching experience and was Head of English at one of the top schools in the northern suburbs. She was a Matric marker and, later, moderator for the language paper for ten years. Since her retirement from teaching, she has lectured part-time at CPUT, helping the students on the extended programme with their language skills. In addition, she has contributed to textbooks for Oxford University Press, including material for the Oxford English grammar (advanced guide) (OUP, 2015). Myf is also the author of PEG’s Guide to grammar and punctuation (PEG, 2019).

John Linnegar began his career as a teacher of English, History and Mathematics. He has been an avid ‘improver of authors’ words’ for four decades now, and remains dedicated to making their texts read as clearly as possible (and in the process saving a reputation or two!). Apart from co-authoring three of the PEG guides, John is author of several texts dealing with matters grammatical and stylistic, including Engleish, our Engleish: Common errors in South African English and how to resolve them (Pharos, 2013), Oxford English grammar: The advanced guide (OUP, 2015) and, most recently, with Ken McGillivray, grammar, punctuation and all that jazz . . . (MLA Publishers, 2019). He currently offers a personalised ‘online’ Grammar for Editors course aimed at those who need to brush up their English grammar and use of punctuation. Since 2000, he has been training copy editors and proofreaders for South Africa’s book publishing industry and championing the professionalisation of our craft and its practitioners. To this end, he co-authored Text Editing: A handbook for students and practitioners (UPA, Brussels, 2012).

About the webinar

Before this webinar, you’ll be presented with about 100 sentences, each containing one or more grammar, punctuation and/or writing style errors. A fex may contain no errors at all – in which case, simply comment: ‘No error’ or ‘STET!’ Myf and John will accompany you through the sentences, guiding you, where necessary, towards the errors. But, essentially, the ball will be in your court to share the errors you’ve detected with the group during the webinar, making the event appropriately interactive!

In addition, you are encouraged either to email your grammar questions or gremlins to Sharon beforehand (by 15 September) or to raise them during the session. In which case, Myf and John will attempt to provide sound grammatical explanations.

In some instances, we hope that exchanges of views on points of grammar and writing style might ensue, which could be really productive and instructive for all present! The webinar will end with a prize draw and virtual networking.

Cost

Affiliation Early-bird registration fee
(before or on 12 September 2021)
Registration fee
(from 13 September, by or on 15 September)
PEG members R275 R350
LAMP members* R475 R550
Non-affiliated members R750 R750

*LAMP members: Association of Southern African Indexers and Bibliographers (ASAIB), ProJourn, Southern African Freelancers’ Association (SAFREA), South African Science Journalists’ Association (SASJA) and the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI).

Please register by completing and emailing the registration form to Sharon Rose no later than 12 noon on Thursday, 15 September.

Cancellation policy

If members are unable to attend this webinar after having registered and paid for it, a full refund is possible if cancellations are received by Sharon Rose by 12 noon on Friday, 9 September.. Once the final number of attendees has been confirmed on the morning of the webinar, no refunds are possible.

In addition, should you be prevented from participating in full or in part on the day of the webinar owing to Eskom loadshedding, you will be entitled to take either the same webinar or another on the 2022 webinar programme. When this occurs, the onus will be on you to inform the webinar coordinator of your disqualification on this ground and to specify which alternative webinar you would like to transfer your registration to.

Remember, though, that as a would-be or part-participant on the day, you will in any event receive the audio recording of the entire event plus PDFs of the PPT slides.

Use the early-bird special: save money and secure your spot at this webinar by registering early!

17 September, 2022 @ 10:00 - 13:00 Africa/Johannesburg | Webinar Zoom

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