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Understanding Grammar and Style

Learn the rules so you can break them with confidence.

Course is closed.
Understanding Grammar and Style

WHEN
Thursday, November 2
6:30-9:30 pm

WHERE
University Settlement
273 Bowery
(at Houston)
New York, NY 10002
212-475-5008

WHO
Anyone who wants to get a leg up on their grammar and writing skills

PRICE
$65 ($50 for )
more info

Course Details

Have you ever heard that your writing contains a dangling participle but then wondered what that really means? Do you spend minutes determining where to put a comma only to end up guessing? Do you use em-dashes and ellipsis and parentheses randomly, not knowing when or where to use them? Do you know what an en-dash is? Do you know what a comma splice is? Do you think the term parallel construction refers to construction sites?

Good writing is based on rules. To write well you must know the rules; once you know the rules, you are free to break them. In this seminar, we'll be looking meticulously at grammar and punctuation, paying close attention to the proverbial blind spots in writing. We'll have a lengthy discussion on the use of commas, focusing on restrictive/nonrestrictive sentences and appositives. We'll be discussing the use of semicolons, em-dashes, and parentheses. Compound adjectives and coordinate adjectives will be discussed as they pertain to hyphen and comma usage. We'll examine possessives, parallel construction, and antecedents. Then we'll talk about proper usage of whom/who, lie/lay, him/his, among others. By the end of the seminar, you'll have an understanding of all these terms; you will also have an awareness of how to use grammar/punctuation to support meaning in your writing.

In this seminar, you can expect to learn about:

  • Organization of a sentence
  • Syntax, hyphens, and editing techniques
  • Dangling participles and parallel construction
  • Using who vs. whom
  • Voice and tone consistency
  • Comma usage, em dashes, and parentheses
  • Use of possessives

 

Instructor Bio

Kevin P. Giordano's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Kevin P. Giordano
Kevin P. Giordano has been a freelance editor and writer since 1996. He began at the Charlotte Sun Herald in Florida. From 1997 to 1999 he was a regular freelancer at Vibe magazine. He was part of the staff at Dennis Publishing when the company first introduced Maxim, Stuff, and Blender magazines. He has also worked at Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Harper's Bazaar. He is currently a regular freelancer at GQ. His articles have appeared in Salon.com, The New York Times, The New York Post, and The New York Sun.

Testimonials


I thought the class [Copyediting 101] rocked! It definitely introduced me to techniques that I had previously been unaware of. The class also gave me an idea of what direction I want my career to go in. I can't wait for the six week version! -- Sherri Smith, Editorial Assistant, BlackPlanet.com

"Kevin's seminar [Copyediting 101] was excellent. I found the class very useful in helping me think more about how to begin and organize my professional experiences as a copy editor. Kevin presented the material in an enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable manner. The class was worth attending." -- Jason Alvarez, former student

"I thought Kevin Giordano was an excellent instructor; he was personable, had a clear agenda and got it across, and (note the serial comma pattern) still managed to be flexible in dealing with the onslaught of pesty questions from us." -- Ron Leir, reporter, The Jersey Journal

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