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Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 15 hours
  • Course by University of Michigan
  • Offered by

About

This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become an effective architect of information, both with your sentences and with your paragraphs. You'll learn that the traditional advice to "Show, don't tell" is incomplete and that skilled writers actually switch back and forth between showing and telling. You'll also learn more about the menu of time management techniques introduced in the first course of the series, including "deep work," "studio time," and "the Animal Farm Principle." And as with the other three courses in this series, you will get access to a wide range of books and other resources you can use even after you finish the course. These include: (1) the readings and exercises provided to the students who have taken the in-person version of this course at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago; (2) two digital libraries of excellent writing from a diverse collection of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs; and (3) a monthly "Good Sentences" email.

Modules

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 4 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction

4 Readings

  • Teaching Style + Resources
  • Meet Professor Barry
  • Syllabus
  • University of Michigan Survey

Sentence Flow

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 4 Plugin
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

3 Videos

  • Sentence Flow
  • Architects of Information
  • Architects of Time

1 Readings

  • Good with Words Chapter 8 ("Clarity and Coherence")

Bored and Confused

    • 4 Plugin
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

The Curse of Knowledge

    • 2 Plugin
Show info about module content

Old Friends

    • 3 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Old Friends

3 Readings

  • Introduction to the Gamut Workbook Tool
  • Gamut Workbook FAQ: Locked Exercises
  • Gamut Workbook FAQ: Error 403

Spotting Sentences

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Spotting Sentences (Percentages)

1 Readings

  • Spotting Sentences

Edit Our Edits

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Edit Our Edits

Good Writing, Good Teacher

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Good Writing, Good Teacher

1 Readings

  • Good Writing, Good Teacher

Punctuation and Professionalism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance

1 Discussions

  • Positive Deviance

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Deviations from Coordinating Conjunction Rules

1 Readings

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Introduction and Review

Notes on Nuance

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: "If" and "If Not"
  • Nuance Review: "If Not" and "Almost"

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "If"

2 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: Introduction and Review
  • Notes on Nuance: "If" and "If Not"

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (Finance)

Takeaways

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Takeaways

3 Videos

  • Takeaways
  • Student Takeaway: Old Friends
  • Student Takeaway: Architects of Time

Previously On

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Previously On

3 Videos

  • Previously On
  • Previously On: Venn Diagram
  • Previously On: Architects of Information

1 Readings

  • Previously On: Introduction and Review

Parallel Structure

    • 1 Readings
    • 4 Plugin
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Good with Words Chapter 7 ("Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Forms")

Agreement

    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 2 Plugin
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice
  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Agreement

Omit

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Omit

Nifty Not

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Nifty Not

1 Discussions

  • Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?

1 Readings

  • Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?

Rhetorical Repetition

    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice (Awkward Repetition)
  • Low-Stakes Practice (Rhetorical Repetition)

1 Discussions

  • Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite?

2 Readings

  • (Optional) Rhetorical Repetition
  • Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite?

Resource Request

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Resource Request (Structure and Organization)

1 Readings

  • Resource Request (Structure and Organization)

Punctuation and Professionalism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance Part II

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism—Coordinating Conjunctions (Deviation Part II)

Notes on Nuance

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: "As"

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "As"

1 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: "As"

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (War)

Takeaways

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Takeaways

3 Videos

  • Takeaways
  • Student Takeaway: Nifty Not
  • Student Takeaway: Agreement

Previously On

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Previously On: Reflection

2 Videos

  • Previously On
  • Previously On: Symmetry is What You See at a Glance

Show and Tell

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Summary and Scene (Optional)

1 Videos

  • Show and Tell

1 Readings

  • Show and Tell

Reverse Outline

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Reverse Outline (Optional)

Student-->Teacher

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Student-->Teacher

1 Readings

  • Student-->Teacher (Optional)

Word Choice, Word Confusion

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice (Who vs. Whom)

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Who vs. Whom

1 Readings

  • (Optional) Word Choice, Word Confusion

Punctuation and Professionalism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions

Notes on Nuance

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: Jane Austen

1 Videos

  • Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen

2 Readings

  • Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen
  • The Jane Austen Centre (Quizzes and Movies)

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Good Sentences (Intellectual Property)

Takeaways

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Takeaways

2 Videos

  • Takeaways
  • Student Takeaway: Summary and Scene

Previously On

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Previously On: Reflection

2 Videos

  • Previously On
  • Previously On: Old Information to New Information

Paragraphing

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—The Rhythm of Roth (Optional)

1 Discussions

  • Post a Paragraph

1 Readings

  • Paragraphing

Raindrops vs. Waterfalls

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Raindrops vs. Waterfalls

1 Readings

  • Raindrops vs. Waterfalls: What is the Structure of Your Text Messages?

Punctuation and Professionalism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Starting a Sentence with "And" or "But"

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Nonrules ("And" and "But")

Notes on Nuance

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice ("At Once")

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "At Once"

1 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: "At Once"

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Good Sentences (Medicine)

Takeaways

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 3 ExternalTool
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

3 External Tool

  • Exercise—Takeaways
  • Exercise—Thank You Letter (Optional)
  • Course Discussion

1 Discussions

  • Book Recommendations (Travel)

3 Videos

  • Takeaways
  • Student Takeaway: Paragraphing
  • Next Course

1 Readings

  • Book Recommendations (Travel)

Course Wrap-up

    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Readings

  • Course Feedback
  • Keep Learning with Prof. Barry and Michigan Online

Auto Summary

Enhance your writing skills with "Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization," a personal development course by Coursera. Led by expert instructors, this foundational course focuses on crafting effective sentences and paragraphs, blending "showing" and "telling," and mastering time management techniques like "deep work." Access diverse resources, including readings, exercises, and digital libraries, over 900 minutes. Ideal for learners seeking structured improvement, available through Starter, Professional, and Paid subscriptions.

Patrick Barry
Instructor

Patrick Barry