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Last updated on
15 October, 2007

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Grammar for Writers and Editors
with Irene Davis

REGISTRATION:

COST, LENGTH, PREREQUISITES:

Regular course: $100 / 4 weeks. Click here to register

Extended course: $125 / 8 weeks. Click here to register

For questions about this COURSE, e-mail Irene Davis at

Writing is communication: whatever else writing does, however beautiful it is, if it does not communicate, it does nothing. To communicate, the words need a structure that enables the writer to convey his or her ideas to the reader in a way the reader can understand. Grammar provides that structure.The rules of grammar and usage, dull and nit-picking as they appear, provide a necessary order to the words we write. They forge the links that bind writer and reader together in a bond of understanding.

A communication stopper is a grammatical blunder that snaps that line between writer and reader. The reader is stonewalled, the thread of what was being read lost.

Of course, good writing needs more than good grammar. Think of all the perfectly formed, lifeless and boring sentences, paragraphs, essays and books - probably textbooks! - you've read. So good grammar does not a writer make. Nevertheless, good grammar is essential to good writing. If the reader has to do a doubletake because you've used grizzly when you should have used grisly, or dangled a participle, thereby interfering with the clarity of the sentence, the line of communication has been broken.

Some good writing does break the rules. But the writer knows those rules, and breaks them for a purpose. That sentence fragment that encapsulates a thought and grabs your attention, for example.

The trick is to remember that the prime purpose of writing is communication, and whatever breaks that line between writer and reader interferes with the rapport you are trying to set up. Examine your writing: Does each sentence say what you want it to say, or does a grammatical blunder get in the way? This course will examine some common communication stoppers. By the end of the course you will have learned to recognize and avoid them.

As the final assignment, the student is to write 500 words of clean, error-free copy, on a topic of his or her choice.

Each session will include discussion, responses to questions and review of assignments. Assignments will usually be based on material published in periodicals or online. In addition, assignments for the final session will include writing a 500 word error-free essay on a topic of the student's choice.

Session One:
The Neverending Sentence
neverending sentence explained and illustrated
how do we fix it?

Confusable Words
homonyms--those pesky words that sound the same but have different meanings
word pairs that are often confused--e.g.., fewer/less, affect/effect, imply/infer

Session Two:
The Comma and Semicolon
when not to use a comma
using a comma between the last two items in a series--journalistic practice is not to, but are there times when that usage interferes with the clarity of the sentence?

incorrect usage of the semicolon--e.g.., when the part before and after the semicolon are of different construction, as in a sentence, followed by a semicolon, then a sentence fragment

adding zip and sophistication to your writing by using--but not too often--a semicolon to connect two related sentences

Session Three:
The Dangling Participle
dangling participle explained and illustrated
how do we fix it?

The Misplaced Modifier
misplaced modifier explained and illustrated
how do we fix it?

Session Four:
Incorrect Constructions
incorrect constructions--e.g.., between you and I, for John and I, certain instances of myself
Suggested books and online resources
Course evaluation --what worked, what could be improved, overall rating

Davis' style is direct and informal; questions and comments are always welcome. For assignments, she uses examples from published materials or her own creations rather than workbook-type exercises, which she finds boring and useless.The student will correct and rewrite these passages as necessary.

Feedback is given for every aspect of the course, with errors pointed out and suggestions made. Davis will often ask the student to rewrite. She may also write correct solutions to the assignment question so the student can see the point.

Irene Davis is an award-winning freelance writer and editorial consultant living in Toronto, and a Professional Member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). Davis has published an eclectic assortment of articles, ranging from personal essays to a grandparenting column to interview/research based stories, in a variety of publications. Davis' publishing credits include, among others, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Performing Arts in Canada, Good Times, Metropolitan Toronto Business Journal and Maturity.

Davis also has a variety of teaching experience, including: Instructor, Grammar Review and Vocabulary Enrichment courses, the Learning Annex; Volunteer tutor for 16 years with an Adult Literacy program;staff member with the program for five years where she worked as a coordinator, training tutors and supervising and supporting tutor/learner pairs.