Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
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Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
This course is part of Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization
Instructor: Patrick Barry
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What you'll learn
Learn how structure can be used to generate content
Place corresponding ideas in corresponding forms
Add nuance to your writing by using anadiplosis
Identify and assess when to use sentences with varying lengths
Details to know
27 assignments
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There are 4 modules in this course
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.
In this first week, you will be introduced to instructor Patrick Barry and begin to learn about sentence flow and structure. In-video questions will direct you to content previously covered in the first course of this specialization.
What's included
9 videos14 readings7 assignments4 app items2 discussion prompts10 plugins
9 videos•Total 14 minutes
- Introduction•1 minute
- Sentence Flow•1 minute
- Architects of Information•2 minutes
- Architects of Time•3 minutes
- Punctuation and Professionalism: Deviations from Coordinating Conjunction Rules•2 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "If"•2 minutes
- Takeaways•1 minute
- Student Takeaway: Old Friends•1 minute
- Student Takeaway: Architects of Time•1 minute
14 readings•Total 108 minutes
- Teaching Style + Resources•3 minutes
- Meet Professor Barry •2 minutes
- Syllabus•10 minutes
- University of Michigan Survey•10 minutes
- Good with Words Chapter 8 ("Clarity and Coherence")•20 minutes
- Introduction to the Gamut Workbook Tool•10 minutes
- Gamut Workbook FAQ: Locked Exercises•3 minutes
- Gamut Workbook FAQ: Error 403•10 minutes
- Spotting Sentences•3 minutes
- Edit Our Edits•2 minutes
- Good Writing, Good Teacher•5 minutes
- Punctuation and Professionalism: Introduction and Review•10 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: Introduction and Review•10 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "If" and "If Not"•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 55 minutes
- Weekly Review (Graded)•20 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•10 minutes
- Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance•5 minutes
- Nuance Practice: "If" and "If Not"•5 minutes
- Nuance Review: "If Not" and "Almost"•5 minutes
4 app items•Total 75 minutes
- Exercise—Old Friends•30 minutes
- Exercise—Spotting Sentences (Percentages)•20 minutes
- Exercise—Good Sentences (Finance)•20 minutes
- Exercise—Takeaways•5 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Good Writing, Good Teacher•10 minutes
- Positive Deviance•10 minutes
10 plugins•Total 17 minutes
- Sentence Flow: Sentences → Ideas → Persuasion•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: Make Your Reader Feel Smart•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: Benjamin Franklin•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: For Want of a Nail•2 minutes
- Sentence Flow: Mix of Old and New•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: Bored and Confused•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: Too Ignorant to Talk to•3 minutes
- Sentence Flow: Principle 1, Principle 2•1 minute
- Sentence Flow: Audience and Function•2 minutes
- Sentence Flow: The Curse of Knowledge•4 minutes
This week's content will focus on how structure can be used to generate content.
What's included
8 videos7 readings9 assignments6 app items3 discussion prompts6 plugins
8 videos•Total 11 minutes
- Previously On•1 minute
- Previously On: Venn Diagram•3 minutes
- Previously On: Architects of Information•1 minute
- Punctuation and Professionalism—Coordinating Conjunctions (Deviation Part II)•3 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "As"•2 minutes
- Takeaways•1 minute
- Student Takeaway: Nifty Not•0 minutes
- Student Takeaway: Agreement•0 minutes
7 readings•Total 55 minutes
- Previously On: Introduction and Review•5 minutes
- Good with Words Chapter 7 ("Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Forms")•20 minutes
- Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?•2 minutes
- (Optional) Rhetorical Repetition•10 minutes
- Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite? •3 minutes
- Resource Request (Structure and Organization)•5 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "As"•10 minutes
9 assignments•Total 57 minutes
- Weekly Review (Graded)•15 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice •7 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice (Awkward Repetition)•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice (Rhetorical Repetition)•5 minutes
- Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance Part II •5 minutes
- Nuance Practice: "As"•5 minutes
6 app items•Total 85 minutes
- Exercise—Previously On•10 minutes
- Exercise—Agreement•15 minutes
- Exercise—Omit•20 minutes
- Exercise—Nifty Not•20 minutes
- Exercise—Good Sentences (War)•10 minutes
- Exercise—Takeaways•10 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
- Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?•10 minutes
- Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite?•10 minutes
- Resource Request (Structure and Organization)•10 minutes
6 plugins•Total 15 minutes
- Parallel Structure: Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Forms•2 minutes
- Parallel Structure: Dickinson, Frost, and Pope•1 minute
- Parallel Structure: Name That Tune•3 minutes
- Parallel Structure: Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and the Apple Store•2 minutes
- Parallel Structure: Better at Words•5 minutes
- Parallel Structure: Better Writer → Better Lawyer•2 minutes
What's included
7 videos5 readings6 assignments6 app items1 discussion prompt
7 videos•Total 11 minutes
- Previously On•1 minute
- Previously On: Symmetry is What You See at a Glance•1 minute
- Show and Tell•1 minute
- Punctuation and Professionalism: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions•3 minutes
- Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen•3 minutes
- Takeaways•1 minute
- Student Takeaway: Summary and Scene•1 minute
5 readings•Total 60 minutes
- Show and Tell•10 minutes
- Student-->Teacher (Optional)•20 minutes
- (Optional) Word Choice, Word Confusion•10 minutes
- Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen•10 minutes
- The Jane Austen Centre (Quizzes and Movies)•10 minutes
6 assignments•Total 40 minutes
- Weekly Review (Graded)•15 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice (Who vs. Whom) •5 minutes
- Punctuation Practice: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions•5 minutes
- Nuance Practice: Jane Austen•5 minutes
6 app items•Total 70 minutes
- Exercise—Previously On: Reflection•10 minutes
- Exercise—Summary and Scene (Optional)•20 minutes
- Exercise—Reverse Outline (Optional)•10 minutes
- Exercise—Who vs. Whom•5 minutes
- Good Sentences (Intellectual Property)•15 minutes
- Exercise—Takeaways•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Student-->Teacher•10 minutes
What's included
7 videos6 readings5 assignments6 app items3 discussion prompts
7 videos•Total 10 minutes
- Previously On•1 minute
- Previously On: Old Information to New Information•3 minutes
- Punctuation and Professionalism: Nonrules ("And" and "But")•3 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "At Once"•2 minutes
- Takeaways•0 minutes
- Student Takeaway: Paragraphing•0 minutes
- Next Course•1 minute
6 readings•Total 49 minutes
- Paragraphing•15 minutes
- Raindrops vs. Waterfalls: What is the Structure of Your Text Messages?•10 minutes
- Notes on Nuance: "At Once"•10 minutes
- Book Recommendations (Travel)•3 minutes
- Course Feedback•10 minutes
- Keep Learning with Prof. Barry and Michigan Online•1 minute
5 assignments•Total 35 minutes
- Weekly Review (Graded)•15 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Low-Stakes Practice•5 minutes
- Punctuation Practice: Starting a Sentence with "And" or "But"•5 minutes
- Nuance Practice ("At Once")•5 minutes
6 app items•Total 63 minutes
- Exercise—Previously On: Reflection•10 minutes
- Exercise—The Rhythm of Roth (Optional)•15 minutes
- Good Sentences (Medicine)•15 minutes
- Exercise—Takeaways•10 minutes
- Exercise—Thank You Letter (Optional)•3 minutes
- Course Discussion•10 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 25 minutes
- Post a Paragraph•10 minutes
- Raindrops vs. Waterfalls•5 minutes
- Book Recommendations (Travel)•10 minutes
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Reviewed on Nov 21, 2020
Great course! There's plenty of materials and opportunities for practice. There's a sense of continuation from one topic to the next; coherence is impeccable.
Reviewed on Dec 20, 2020
Excellent class. Very clear and interesting instruction that is supported by videos and additional reading material.
Reviewed on Aug 30, 2021
Excellent in excellence!I highly recommend this course for those who aspire to be a writer or an excellent professional in their niches.
Frequently asked questions
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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