The word "grammar" can be defined in at least four different ways: "intuitive grammar," our intuitive sense of sentence structure; "effective grammar," a command of the syntactic resources of the language; "'good' grammar," the use of socially prestigious grammar; and "formal grammar," the systematic study of the structure of the language. Formal grammar is often advocated on the assumption that it will lead to the use of "good" grammar and perhaps improve students' ability to write. However, the results of research do not generally support either of these assumptions. Of the four "types" of grammar, it is intuitive grammar and effective grammar that are most basic to the language arts curriculum. Recognition and appreciation of children's intuitive understanding of sentence structure and their ability to apply this understanding as they read can be gained through the use of miscue analysis and cloze procedures. A variety of sentence-combining activities can be used to help children become even more proficient in comprehending and using the syntactic resources of their language and ultimately become more effective writers. (Author/DS)