Important Information About Our Self-Paced Courses
Self-paced courses are undertaken by the student at their own pace. No instructor feedback is given, although models are provided in the lessons. All self-paced courses include at least one live Q&A session, held via Zoom. You will have 365 days to access the course material. To extend access beyond the initial access end date, email education@the-efa.org. More information about our courses and webinars is available here.
After you place your order, your course will be added to your personal course library on our education site. That site has different login information from the main EFA site. Please check your email for information on how to access the course.
Access to course materials begins immediately and lasts for 365 days.
Should it be "Morrison's novel Sula" or "Morrison's novel, Sula"? When do you say "Jane and I" instead of "Jane and me"? If you find yourself approaching these and other grammar questions by instinct, this self-paced, video-based course on grammar fundamentals will help you understand your editorial choices, verify that they're correct, and explain them to your editing clients.
Students will learn how to identify and fix grammar errors, as well as how to revise sentences for smoothness and clarity. Proofreaders, copyeditors, and line editors will all benefit from this return to the foundational skills of editorial work. Developmental editors, though focused on a manuscript's big picture, may also take the course to gain a thorough understanding of the writing process.
Grammar fundamentals include parts of speech, syntax, and punctuation. The course also considers common spelling errors and introduces students to the role of style guides in editing work. It can work as a first formal grammar course or as a refresher.
Course modules:
- Parts of Speech
- Basic Phrases
- Sentences and Clauses
- Verb Forms
- Verbals
- Complete Sentences and Parallel Elements
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Pronoun Problems
- Verb and Modification Problems
- Commas
- Apostrophes
- Semicolons, Colons, and Em Dashes
- Quotation Marks
- Hyphens, En Dashes, Parentheses, Brackets, and Slashes
- Common Spelling Problems
- Introduction to Style Guides
The course does not cover citations or style guidelines.
Required text: The McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar and Usage, 3rd ed., Mark Lester and Larry Beason
Prerequisites
This course is open to students at all levels.
Kirk Perry (he/him) has an MFA in poetry from UMass Amherst, where he taught Business Communication at the Isenberg School of Management. Currently he teaches writing at Portland Community College and works as a freelance copyeditor. His clients include the University of New Mexico Press and the Huntington Library Quarterly.
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