Grammar Lion Review: Is This Online Grammar Course Worth It?

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If you want to improve your grammar skills, you may have encountered an online course called Grammar Lion. As a trained proofreader who has taken this class, I can help you determine if this program is worth it based on your needs.

Grammar Lion: A Grammar Refresher is well worth the investment. It’s a comprehensive, engaging, and well-structured online course in English grammar. This class is suitable for beginners wanting to build a strong foundation in grammar and advanced learners who need a refresher.  

Let’s explore the pros and cons of this grammar refresher, who it’s for, and how it compares to other online grammar courses.

I’ll give you at-a-glance details of this program and an overview of its content and organization.

What Is Grammar Lion: A Grammar Refresher?

Grammar Lion is a thorough online refresher for learning or relearning English grammar.

The course isn’t just a brief refresh of the most critical aspects of grammar. It guides you step-by-step in building a solid understanding of the subject—from simple to complex concepts.

After completing the program, you’ll be a more confident and effective communicator in speaking and writing. You’ll also be able to view a document—yours or someone else’s—with a critical eye so you can make astute edits to enhance the writing.

As the course instructor says,

“Good grammar doesn’t make good writing, but good writing demands good grammar.”                            

– Ellen Feld, creator and instructor of Grammar Lion

Grammar Lion Review: Pros, Cons, and Key Takeaway

Pros

• one-to-one instructor support (get answers to questions within one business day)
• teacher excels at simplifying the complex with clear explanations and examples
• 23 quizzes and a variety of fun ways to practice your skills
• comprehensive list of valuable grammar resources for further learning
• user-friendly learning platform with a visual progress tracker

Cons

• not ideal for auditory learners (text-based content)
• course access limited to 12 weeks  
• unsuitable for ESL learners with below an eighth-grade reading level

Key Takeaway

Grammar Lion is a comprehensive, interactive, and award-winning English grammar course ideal for anyone wanting to improve their communication skills. Its content is particularly well-suited to visual learners, and it’s the only class you’ll need to build a strong foundation in grammar.

Try the Grammar Lion Pretest to see how good your grammar skills are now.

Who Is This Grammar Refresher Course For?

This program is suitable for those new to learning grammar and people who are well-versed in this subject but need a refresher to fill any gaps in their knowledge.

Specifically, it’s for people who want to become better communicators.

Later we’ll see why communication skills are essential in the working world.

We already know how important they are in interpersonal relationships.

Case in point—an internet meme that asks you to contemplate the difference between these two sentences:

1) I’m sorry I love you. (Ouch!)

2) I’m sorry, I love you. (Aw!)

Of course, this program is well-suited to anyone working in the publishing world, including proofreaders, editors, and writers.

It’s also ideal for anyone in the education industry, where good grammar is necessary.

Even if you don’t work in publishing or education, solid grammatical skills will help you be a better proofreader, and proofreading is an important skill in many jobs.

Although I have experience as a proofreader, I benefited from this class. I wish I had taken it when I was in the process of becoming a proofreader.

It would have made it much easier to understand The Chicago Manual of Style—a commonly used style guide for proofreaders.

Now that we know who can profit from this refresher, let’s hit the highlights of the course.

Key Details of the Class

Provider: Grammar Lion

Course Level: All levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced)

Who’s It For? Anyone wanting to improve their grammar and communication skills

Requirements: Ability to read at an eighth-grade level

Price: $87.00         

Rating: Not currently rated but well respected in the industry

# of Students to Date: 45,000+ (includes students from Ellen’s flagship ed2goGrammar Refresher course)

Certificate: Available upon request

Duration: Self-paced; class takes roughly 18 hours to complete

Access: 12 weeks

Materials: 150 lessons spread across 12 chapters, 23 quizzes, assignments, valuable resources, and a course discussion forum for interacting with the teacher and peers

Primary Focus: English grammar

Other Content: Punctuation, capitalization, and how to write clearly, concisely, and correctly

Instructor: Ellen Feld / Ellen has a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. She’s an author who has worked in several editorial roles.

Refund Policy: You can request a refund during your first week of enrollment.

Instructor Feedback: Yes! You can email Ellen with grammar-related questions. She answers questions within one business day, usually faster.

5 Reasons Why Grammar Lion Is Worth It

Let’s uncover why this is a legitimate class that’s well worth taking.

1) Grammar Lion Is an Award-Winning Writing Class

The course won a spot on Intelligent’s 2023 list of the 10 best online creative writing classes. It was categorized as “The Best for Grammar Review.”

They praised the program for the ease of interacting with the teacher, the discussion forum that allows for peer interaction, and the fact that it’s ESL-friendly. Their only gripe was the limited 12-week access to the course.

I also included this as a con; however, you can access the instructor during that period, which is a generous feature.

Unless you run into unforeseen circumstances, it’s more than enough time to complete the class at the recommended pace of roughly two chapters per week.

2) A Grammar Expert Teaches the Course

In my post about what to look for in an online course, I ask two specific questions concerning the instructor:

1) Does the teacher have experience in the subject they’ll be teaching?

2) Can they convey information in a way that’s easy to understand?

The answer to these two questions is yes. Here’s why:

Instructor Ellen Feld’s Credentials

Let’s discover some of Ellen’s credentials that make it clear she’s a subject-matter expert:

• obtained a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University
• experienced developmental editor, writing coach, and personal essayist
• worked as a newspaper reporter and copy chief
• author of Comma Sense: Your Guide to Grammar Victory
• author of Paragon and Jubilee (a children’s book)

Ellen Is an Effective Teacher

Ellen’s ability to convey content in an easy-to-understand fashion is what stood out to me the most.

Grammar is not simple and straightforward—it’s nuanced and complicated. But Grammar Lion simplifies it without shying away from the subject’s intricacies. 

Thanks to a thoughtfully crafted class that presents content in a strategic way, you can understand grammar without having to pray! 😉

You’ll also build your grammar lexicon (vocabulary) and be given clever tips to help you remember concepts.

Ellen wants her students to succeed.

Her timely and detailed responses to students’ questions show her dedication to teaching.

I contacted Ellen via email, and she responded promptly to my questions.

3) The Class Teaches You Valuable, Sought-After Skills

Grammar Lion helps you hone one of the skills employers value most: communication skills.

Indeed published a listacle about the skills employers seek in job applicants. Communication skills are number one on their list.

And here’s what The Balance Careers had to say about communication skills in their article about the top skills and attributes employers look for:

“The ability to communicate effectively—both verbally and in writing—is both essential and rare. Those with strong communication skills are in high demand, regardless of the job or industry.”

– The Balance Careers

4) It Provides Plenty of Practice

Grammar Lion doesn’t fall short on providing practice.

My Favorite Part of the Course

The practice quizzes before and after each chapter were what I enjoyed most.

They allowed me to assess my knowledge, check my comprehension of the material presented, and put any new skills into practice.

In addition to the end-of-chapter quizzes, you’ll find a section called “Strengthen Your Skills.” These sections allow you to hone your skills in fun ways, including games, quizzes, exercises, and even a crossword puzzle.  

If you run into any problems during the skill drills, Ellen or your peers will help you out.

The Helpful Resources Let You Expand Your Skills

You’ll see a “Helpful Resources” tab after every chapter. Here you’ll find links to the following types of sources to reinforce and further your learning:

• multiple-choice exercises
• quizzes
• useful lists (e.g., homophones, overused words)
• articles with explanations and examples
• searchable alphabetized guides
• videos
• .edu websites
• sentence diagrams
• CliffsNotes®

A collected list of all these resources is available as a downloadable PDF—super convenient!

Finally, you can find an FAQ section at the end of each chapter.

5) It’s an In-Depth Grammar Refresher

This grammar refresher doesn’t just scratch the surface of grammar—it delves into nitty-gritty grammar concepts by presenting the rules and exceptions to the rules.

By the time you finish the course, you’ll have a tight grasp of grammar, including the finer points.

Let’s see all the ground this class covers. 

Grammar Lion Course Content and Organization

The Grammar Lion class is organized into 12 chapters. It’s best to work through them sequentially since the concepts build on each other.

The chapters contain 150 mini lessons with easy-to-understand explanations and plenty of relevant examples.

I found these bite-size lessons easy to digest. Breaking down the material in this way helped me to not feel overwhelmed. I was able to take it one bite at a time.

Speaking of bites and digestion, food is the theme that’s woven throughout the instruction. And it’s a great theme. Who can’t relate to food? 😊

Grammar Lion Content

The course starts with a welcome to students and a presentation of a few learning strategies. Then you’ll see the following:

Index of Terms: a list of important terms (A–Z) and the chapters and lessons where they’re taught

Chapter 1: Parts of Speech

• verbs, nouns, and pronouns
• adjectives and adverbs
• conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections

Chapter 2: Mixed-up Words

• homophones
• contractions vs. possessive pronouns
• almost-homophones

Chapter 3: Contractions and Possessives

• common contractions
• regular possessives
• irregular and unusual possessives

Chapter 4: Subjects and Predicates

• subjects and predicates
• action and linking verbs
• tricky subjects and predicates

Chapter 5: Sentence Fragments

• missing predicates and subjects
• independent and dependent clauses
• fragment indicators and when fragments are okay

Chapter 6: Run-on Sentences

• punctuation fixes
• comma plus and semicolon plus rules
• rewrite to fix run-ons

Chapter 7: Standard Verb Forms

• person, number, tense, voice, and mood
• regular and irregular verbs
• simple and perfect tenses

Chapter 8: Pronouns

• personal pronouns
• compounds, partners, and possessive pronouns
• additional pronoun groups

Chapter 9: Agreement

• subject-verb agreement
• pronoun-verb agreement
• pronoun-antecedent agreement

Chapter 10: Shifts in Person, Tense, and Structure

• shifts in person and tense
• parallel structure
• more structural shifts

Chapter 11: Clarity, Concision, Diction, and Logic

• syntax and modifiers
• faulty reference
• wordiness, diction, and logic

Chapter 12: Capitalization and Punctuation

• capitalization rules
• end and internal punctuation
• more punctuation marks
• editing checklist
• final quiz to check comprehension of the course

Course Extras:

• collected helpful resources download
• inspiration for Grammar Lion
• recommended books list

How Does This Online Grammar Course Differ from Others?

What sets this program apart from other online grammar classes is the support you receive from instructor Ellen and the discussion forum where you can get answers from your peers.

Having an instructor who responds quickly to your questions (via private email or the discussion forum) is a huge advantage. Ellen even offers support as a grammar guide after the course is finished.

I looked through the questions in the discussion forum, and as far as I can tell, Ellen has answered every question that’s ever been asked.

She also encourages her students to be involved in conversations and ask questions.  

Most online instructors simply aren’t involved in their students’ learning.

As I went through the discussion forum, I was impressed with the detailed answers students were given.

Let’s see what students have to say about Grammar Lion.

Student Reviews of the Class

These reviews are taken from Grammar Lion’s course description page.

“I haven’t taken that many on-line classes (five), but this has been, by far, the most valuable course to me, both educationally and personally. Your lessons and the added guidance have helped me to feel more confident about the grammar I use when I talk and write. Everyone in education should take this course each time they renew their certificate. I hope you are being greatly rewarded for your dedication to your job. This student very much appreciates it! Thank you!”      

 – Sandy 

“One more thing I wanted to say before this forum closes: Thank you for your timely responses and down-to-earth, friendly tone in this discussion area. I suspect that you have several very large classes going on at once, and I really appreciate how you kept up with this forum. I always looked forward to reading your responses to my questions, not only because they were thoughtful and helpful, but also because they showed that you truly care about your students and their understanding of grammar. All the best to you, Ellen. I hope our paths cross again!”   

– Christine

“The Grammar Refresher class exceeded my expectations. The lessons were well written and explored the material in more depth than had I expected. As a result, I’m able to identify sentence structures like: run-ons and sentence fragments. The best part of the course was the discussion section. The teacher responded immediately to discussion questions with thoughtful, detailed answers. She was incredible! It was extremely helpful to be able to ask her to clarify troubling areas, or explain style differences.”

– JD

I also found a lot of praise for Ellen in the discussion forum.

Students expressed gratitude for a well-structured and enjoyable program.

One person mentioned that they had learned more about grammar in this program than in two years of college.  

That doesn’t surprise me because I did too.

What I’d Like to See Added to the Refresher

Considering roughly two in three people are visual learners, it makes sense that the class presents material visually. And as Ellen says, the best way to learn about grammar is by reading. That makes a lot of sense, and I agree.

But I think it would be ideal if a few more of the helpful resources included video content to bring auditory learners on board a bit more.

It would also be beneficial to have longer access to the course. However, knowing you have to finish the class in a fixed amount of time motivates you to avoid putting your learning on hold.

Why Ellen Created Grammar Lion

I was curious about why Ellen created this class, so I asked. Here’s what she told me:

“I created the course to fill a learning gap. People from all walks of life discover they’re lacking solid grammar skills. They find themselves in roles or aspiring to new positions or education that require them to use these skills, and they feel the pressure of falling short on meeting expectations from employers, coworkers, and professors. A Grammar Refresher provides the missing knowledge, strategies, and support for students to gain confidence in themselves as communicators. They also get ongoing support from me when their course time is done.”

– Ellen Feld

I hope this Grammar Lion review has given you valuable information about the course and helped you decide if it makes sense for you.

You can sign up for Grammar Lion here.

I wish you the best with your learning-related endeavors, whatever those may be.

If you’d like more to read, I penned a post about the differences between grammar and punctuation.

I also authored an article about how grammar differs from usage if that piques your curiosity.

Best wishes to you!

“You went out in search of gold far and wide, but all along you were gold on the inside.”

  – Rumi