Course Name

Writers at Work: A Review for Professionals - Part 2: Punctuation

Contact Hours: 10

Course Description

This is the second of four review courses that together provide an in-depth review of grammar, punctuation, mechanics, sentence structure and style. While it is preferable that students take the courses in sequence, they may also pick and choose the individual courses that suit their needs. Part II of the review covers punctuation, providing students with practical understanding of punctuation without forcing them to memorize countless rules. Weekly units teach the use of commas, semicolons,apostrophes, colons, quotation marks and parentheses. Exercises and tutoring help students ensure that they understand the concepts and can recognize and revise punctuation errors in their own writing. Required Book: The Classic Guide to Better Writing: Step-by-Step Techniques and Exercises to Write Simply, Clearly and Correctly. This course does not require a book. All material is delivered via web resources and through an instructor generated curriculum.

Outcome

Upon successfully completing the courses: The student will demonstrate the ability to identify and correctly use various kinds of punctuation. The student will demonstrate an ability to use commas correctly and to recognize and revise comma errors. The student will demonstrate an ability to correctly use semicolons and colons. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the use of apostrophes, parentheses, and quotation marks.

Assessment

Students will be assessed through self-test exercises and a mastery test taken at end of the class. The final test is graded by the instructor.

Outline

Week 1: The student will be given an overview of various types of punctuation and then focus on comma usage. Students will work on becoming proficient in using commas with introductory elements, compound clauses, parenthetical modifers and end of sentence modification, in series, and to avoid confusion. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. Week 2: Students learn the correct usage of semicolons vs periods. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. Week 3: Students will learn about apostrophes and colons and common errors when using them. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. Week 4: Students will learn to use parentheses and quotation marks correctly. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions.