Grammar and Editing Essentials Course

Module 1: Why Grammar Matters

• Understand the role of grammar in professional credibility and clear communication
• Identify risks associated with poor grammar and miscommunication
• Improve clarity and reader engagement through correct usage

Module 2: Agreement Matters

• Apply subject-verb agreement rules with singular and plural subjects
• Handle tricky agreement cases with compound subjects and indefinite pronouns
• Understand collective noun usage and agreement in complex structures

Module 3: Energetic Writing

• Use active voice to enhance clarity and conciseness
• Identify and eliminate hidden verbs and redundancy
• Revise bloated or passive writing for energy and impact

Module 4: Using Pronouns

• Identify pronoun types and their grammatical roles
• Ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement and clarity
• Avoid vague or ambiguous pronoun references

Module 5: Modifiers

• Correct misplaced and dangling modifiers
• Apply the rule of parallel structure in lists and series
• Ensure clarity and consistency in sentence modification

Module 6: Creating Conversational Flow

• Use conjunctions and transitions to combine sentences smoothly
• Eliminate shifts in person and tense for consistency
• Write with a conversational tone appropriate for professional contexts

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

• Master common comma rules and punctuation usage
• Apply rules for apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semicolons
• Follow GPO Style Guide conventions for government writing

Module 8: Plain Writing: It’s the Law

• Understand the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and its application
• Use plain language principles to improve readability
• Access plainlanguage.gov and use its resources effectively

Module 9: Editing for Impact

• Apply a two-step editing process (revising and refining)
• Use the Seven Traits of Writing to guide editing
• Balance manual and software tools for optimal editing results

Module 10: Revising

• Revise for focus, organization, and voice
• Use improvement tools to add, cut, reorder, and rewrite content
• Structure documents using an open-middle-close format

Module 11: Refining

• Fine-tune documents for plain language, sentence fluency, and grammar correctness
• Enhance formatting, white space, and visual clarity
• Polish and finalize writing for professional presentation

Module 12: Putting it All Together

• Define the role and responsibilities of an editor
• Differentiate between necessary and arbitrary edits
• Practice applying all editing concepts using the Seven Traits Checklist