Grammar and Editing Essentials Course
IDENGL7010

Module 1: Why Grammar Matters

• Explore the importance of clear and correct writing in achieving effective, efficient communication and establishing or maintaining a professional, polished image.
• Explore the risks associated with miscommunication due to unclear or poorly written documents.

Module 2: Agreement Matters

• Define singular and plural verbs and subjects.
• Define the rule of subject-verb agreement in English grammar.
• Explain how to ensure subject-verb agreement.

Module 3: Energetic Writing

• Define tools for making writing energetic, concise, and transparent: active voice and hidden verbs.
• Define active and passive voice.
• Identify sentences written in both active and passive voice.
• Describe hidden verbs and how they make sentences sluggish.
• Identify and correct hidden verbs.

Module 4: Using Pronouns

• Explain the grammatical role of pronouns.
• Identify common types of pronouns, including personal, demonstrative, relative, and indefinite pronouns.
• Analyze the concept of the pronoun-antecedent relationship.
• Avoid vague pronoun references.

Module 5: Modifiers

• Define modifiers and examine their role in sentences.
• Identify misplaced modifiers and recognize them in sentences.
• Identify dangling modifiers and recognize them in sentences.
• Examine and correct documents with incorrect use of modifiers.
• Define and practice the rule of parallel structure.

Module 6: Creating Conversational Flow

• Explore techniques for creating conversational flow by combining sentences with conjunctions.
• List correlative conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs.
• Eliminate shifts in person and tense.

Module 7: All About the Comma (and a Few Other Punctuation Marks)

• Identify the specific roles and functions of key punctuation marks.
• Study common comma rules.
• Review rules for correct apostrophe, quotation mark, semicolon, and colon usage.
• Use capital letters correctly.
• Use GPO Style Guide to identify unique capital letter and punctuation usage for government writers.

Module 8: Plain Writing: it’s the Law

• Define the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
• Highlight the PLAIN website and learn how to navigate and use this resource.
• Review the Federal Plain Language Guidelines.

Module 9: Editing for Impact

• Explain the value of a two-step editing process.
• Review Seven Traits of Writing – useful tool for editing.
• Identify other editing resources.

Module 10: Revising

• List tasks to accomplish while revising—connect them to Seven Traits of Writing.
• Revise for focus, organization, and voice.

Module 11: Refining

• List tasks to accomplish while refining—connect them to Seven Traits of Writing.
• Refine for words, sentences, correctness, and design.

Module 12: Putting it All Together

• Describe the voice and role of an editor.
• Differentiate between arbitrary and necessary edits.
• Practice editing.