Welcome to the Grammar Skills Course at SA Writers College - for writers who have English as their second language.

The Grammar Skills Course is for anyone who needs to gain confidence in their English writing - by going back to the basics.

This course will teach you how to construct sentences in the right way, pinpoint typical errors in your writing, use perfect grammar and punctuation and produce effective letters, reports and essays. Perfect for those with English as a second language.

“This was a very worthwhile course to do. I would like to recommend it to anyone who is interested in taking an English Language correspondence course. My lecturer was really patient and very competent. Her feedback was very thorough and explained in an easy-to-understand way for improvement of my writing. Her advice was very helpful.”

Minako Tokita, Grammar Skills (English 2nd Language)

• Modules: 10 Modules over 140 pages
• Duration: Course can be completed at own pace within 5 months
• Start date: At any time; applications all year round

• 10 Theoretical modules
• 80 Practical writing exercises that students submit for assessment and feedback

• Basic writing skills are essential
• Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
• No previous tertiary qualification required

Module 1 - Highlighting Verbs – the Heart of the Sentence

• What is a verb?
• Action Verbs
• Being verbs
• Having verbs

Module 2 - Understanding Tenses

• Talking about NOW
• Talking about YESTERDAY
• Talking about TOMORROW

Module 3 - Starting From Scratch - The Simple Sentence

• Three components of the simple sentence
• Subjects rule
• Hard-working verbs
• Obsolete objects

Module 4 - The Mechanics of a Sentence in Action

• Little nouns that were
• Pronouns and amateurs
• What adjectives tell
• What adverbs help you do
• Perfect Prepositions
• Fix it with conjunctions
• Interjections

Module 5 - Subjects and Verbs Unite

• How verbs and subjects change each other
• The 12 rules of engagement

Module 6- Perfect Punctuation

• Where what goes and why
• Full stops, commas, semicolons and colons
• Brackets, dashes and hyphens
• Exclamation marks and Question marks
• Apostrophes and abbreviations
• Inverted commas

Module 7- Complex Sentences

• Confounding compounds
• Flex your complex
• Ruling Subordinate clauses
• Phrases
• Types of subordinate clauses
• Common mistakes

Module 8 - Producing Paragraphs That Work

• How to write a paragraph
• Organizing ideas
• Expressing opinions
• More tips for good writing

Module 9 - Putting Grammar to Work

• How to punctuate e-mail letters
• How to punctuate lists

Module 10 - Wrapping it up

• 20 Most common writing errors

“If I have to describe it in one word it would be WOW! I had high expectations of the course, but as I worked my way through the modules, they went above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I learned more than I ever could have expected. So I have to say thank you. Ah! Alex, what a lecturer. She approached everything I did with so much positive feedback. It’s been an absolute pleasure to study under her. Also having somebody who has written books guide me through the process meant so much more to me, especially because I'm going to write books too. You have a brilliant College. I've really been astounded by what your College has to offer. It's been truly amazing for me. I'm absolutely looking forward to my next course with you”

Omri Pieterse, Grammar Skills (English 2nd Language)

How does the course work?

Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students, or students can download modules directly from the Student Centre online.

At the end of each module, students will be required to complete several writing exercises. Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete.

Conditions of Certification:

Students will receive an SA Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:

• Students must have completed all module assignments
• The course must have been completed within five months of registration.
• Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course

Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:

• Reading time: 15 hours
• Writing time: up to 25 hours

We would love to chat to you if you have any questions about our writing courses.

If you need some advice about the best course or writing field for you, drop us a line or give Koos a call at 021 813 9224. We can tell you about going rates in the field, chance of publishing success and general writing career options both in South Africa and internationally.

• If you have questions about how we work, we have information in our FAQ section and How We Train section.
• If you want to pay off your course fee, please read the information here.
• For information on our refund policy, please read our policies here.
• To register for the course, please click here: