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Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 20 hours
  • Course by University of Michigan
  • Offered by

About

This course will teach you how to use your written words to become more persuasive. You'll learn creative ways to use syntax, effective techniques for telling stories, and a clever method for arranging a complex series of information. You'll also get a chance to both professionalize your use of punctuation and add a bit of style and sophistication to how you craft everything from sentences to slogans. In addition, you'll 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. Social media has only accelerated the ways in which we all must learn to use our writing to connect, compete, and create"sometimes all at once. So join us for this first course in a four-part series and experience the many benefits, both personal and professional, of becoming "good with words."

Modules

Introduction: Making You More Persuasive

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 Discussions

  • Best/Worst Writing Advice

2 Videos

  • Good with Words
  • Making You More Persuasive

4 Readings

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

Teachers vs. Readers

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Teachers vs. Readers

1 Readings

  • Teachers vs. Readers

Errors and Insights

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Errors and Insights

1 Discussions

  • Pet Peeves

2 Videos

  • Errors and Insights
  • Mechanics and Strategy

4 Readings

  • Introduction to the Gamut Workbook Tool
  • Gamut Workbook FAQ: Locked Exercises
  • Gamut Workbook FAQ: Error 403
  • Performing Under Pressure and Expressive Writing

Writing as Mapping

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 9 Plugin
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice
  • Low-Stakes Practice
  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 Discussions

  • The Words Under the Words

2 Videos

  • Map to a Decision
  • Saints vs. Jerks

2 Readings

  • The Words Under the Words (Concept)
  • The Words Under the Words (Examples)

Better at Getting Better

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

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—S.M.A.R.T. Goals Self-Assessment

2 Videos

  • Better at Getting Better
  • S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Stretch Goals

1 Readings

  • "A Note About Me"

Résumé Review

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Résumé Review

2 Videos

  • Résumé Review
  • 6-60-6

The Optimal Amount of Advocacy

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 Readings

  • The Optimal Amount of Advocacy

Edit Our Edits

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Edit Our Edits

Punctuation and Professionalism

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

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Comma Splices

1 Discussions

  • "Thank you, your order has been placed"

3 Videos

  • Technical and Tactical
  • Punctuation and Professionalism
  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Comma Splices

Notes on Nuance

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

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: "Un-"

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "Un-"

1 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: "Un-"

Good Sentences

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

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (Education)

1 Discussions

  • Garbage In, Garbage Out

1 Videos

  • Good Sentences

1 Readings

  • Garbage In, Garbage Out

Reflection is a Team Sport

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

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

1 External Tool

  • Takeaways (Week 1: The Words Under the Words)

6 Videos

  • Reflection is a Team Sport
  • Student Takeaway: Words Under the Words
  • Student Takeaway: Better at Getting Better
  • Student Takeaway: T-Shaped
  • Student Takeaway: 6-60-6
  • Student Takeaway: Writing as Mapping

Previously On

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Previously On

4 Videos

  • Previously On
  • Previously On: The Words Under the Words
  • Previously On: Deliberate Practice
  • Previously On: Mechanics and Strategy

The Infinite Power of Grammar

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Interrupting Elements

2 Videos

  • Writing as Redecorating
  • The Infinite Power of Grammar

2 Readings

  • The Infinite Power of Grammar (Concept)
  • The Infinite Power of Grammar (Examples)

Passive on Purpose

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice ("Passive on Purpose")

1 Readings

  • Passive on Purpose

Positive No

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Positive No

1 Readings

  • Positive No

The Animal Farm Principle

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • The Animal Farm Principle

1 Videos

  • The Animal Farm Principle

Punctuation and Professionalism

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

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: "However"

1 Discussions

  • Starting a Sentence with "However"

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: "However"

Notes on Nuance

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

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: "Almost" and "Even"

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "Almost" and "Even"

1 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: "Almost" and "Even"

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (Entrepreneurship)

Resource Request

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Resource Request

1 Readings

  • Resource Request

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: Passive on Purpose
  • Student Takeaways: Positive No

Previously On

    • 3 Videos
    • 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: Syntax
  • Previously On: The Animal Farm Principle

The Rule of Three

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 Discussions

  • The Rule of Three

1 Videos

  • The Rule of Three

2 Readings

  • The Rule of Three (Concept)
  • The Rule of Three (Examples)

Alliteration, Restraint, and a Mind at Work

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

1 Assignment

  • Alliteration

2 Discussions

  • Alliteration: Effective or Annoying?
  • Alliteration: Fan Favorite?

2 Readings

  • Alliteration, Restraint, and a Mind at Work
  • Alliteration: Fan Favorite?

Student-->Teacher

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Student-->Teacher

1 Readings

  • Student-->Teacher (Optional)

Punctuation and Professionalism

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

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice: Adverbial Conjunctions

1 Discussions

  • Mistakes Were Made

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism: Adverbial Conjunctions

Notes on Nuance

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

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: "To"

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: "To"

1 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance : "To"

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (Criminal Law)

Takeaways

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

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Takeaways

1 Discussions

  • Takeaways (Week 3: The Rule of Three)

2 Videos

  • Takeaways
  • Student Takeaway: Rule of Three

Previously On

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Previously On

3 Videos

  • Previously On: Interleaving and "To"
  • Previously On: "Interleaving"
  • Previously On: "To"

The Power of the Particular

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

2 External Tool

  • Exercise—Strive for Five
  • Exercise—"The Pleasures of Hating"

1 Discussions

  • "My Favorite Things"

1 Videos

  • The Power of the Particular

2 Readings

  • The Power of the Particular (Concept)
  • The Power of the Particular (Examples)

Word Choice, Word Confusion

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

3 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice
  • Low-Stakes Practice
  • Low-Stakes Practice

3 External Tool

  • Exercise—Word Choice, Word Confusion
  • Exercise—Which vs. That
  • Exercise—Me, Myself, and I

1 Readings

  • The Phenomenology of Error

What Makes a Word "Real"?

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

1 Discussions

  • Slang School

1 Videos

  • What Makes a Word "Real"?

2 Readings

  • What Makes a Word "Real"?
  • Slang School

Sentences Nobody Else Can Write

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

1 Assignment

  • Low-Stakes Practice

2 Videos

  • Sentences Nobody Else Can Write
  • Sentences Nobody Else WOULD Write

S-H-A-P-E

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • S-H-A-P-E
  • Class Clip: The S-H-A-P-E Framework

1 Readings

  • The S-H-A-P-E Framework Cheat Sheet

What Happens If You Win?

    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • (Optional) Exercise—What Happens If You Win?

1 Discussions

  • What Happens If You Win? (Headline)

Punctuation and Professionalism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Punctuation Practice (Coordinating Conjunctions)

1 Videos

  • Punctuation and Professionalism (Coordinating Conjunctions)

Notes on Nuance

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

1 Assignment

  • Nuance Practice: Chiasmus

1 Discussions

  • Chiasmus: Fan Favorite?

1 Videos

  • Notes on Nuance: Chiasmus

2 Readings

  • Notes on Nuance: Chiasmus
  • Chiasmus: Fan Favorite?

Good Sentences

    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Exercise—Good Sentences (Food)

Takeaways

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

1 Assignment

  • Weekly Review (Graded)

2 External Tool

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

2 Discussions

  • Takeaways (Week 4: The Power of the Particular)
  • Book Recommendations

3 Videos

  • Student Takeaway: Earn Your Generalizations
  • Student Takeaway: Sincerity Takes a Few Drafts
  • Next Course: Writing is a Superpower

1 Readings

  • Book Recommendations

Course Wrap-up

    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Readings

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

Auto Summary

Unlock the power of persuasive writing with "Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order." This foundational course in Personal Development, taught by experts from the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago, offers creative techniques in syntax, storytelling, and information structuring. Enhance your punctuation and style, access diverse literary resources, and receive monthly writing tips. Ideal for anyone looking to improve their written communication, the course spans 1200 minutes and offers various subscription plans, including Starter, Professional, and Paid options. Join now to elevate your writing skills!

Patrick Barry
Instructor

Patrick Barry