Course Overview
A subject and verb disagree. A modifier dangles. A semicolon sits where a comma belongs. Each is small, and an editor sees all of them.
“Advanced Grammar” is a staple for anyone interested in copy editing, delivered as a self-paced online course. It builds a detailed understanding of word categories, punctuation, and sentence construction. The course guides learners through the eight parts of speech and their subclasses, simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, ten punctuation marks, and the rules for capitalization. Through real-world exercises, learners will categorize words and phrases, build different types of sentences, and correct common syntax and punctuation errors.
What an Editor Knows
Anyone can sense that a sentence is wrong. An editor can say why: a pronoun has no clear antecedent, a clause is joined without a conjunction, a modifier sits next to the wrong noun. Naming the error is what makes it easy to fix and easy to explain to the writer.
The course teaches the names and gives the practice behind them. By the end, you can identify the form and function of the eight parts of speech, recognize and correct common syntactic errors, and say what a style guide is for.
Who Should Take This Course?
You edit other people’s writing, or you hope to. The course also suits writers who want to know their own mistakes by name.
Use Cases
The Pronoun Nobody Can Place. Your colleague’s paragraph has a sentence in which “it” could refer to three different things. You see the problem and need the term and the fix.
The Sentence That Will Not Behave. A long sentence needs to be joined correctly. The course shows how clauses are joined and how to build compound, complex, and compound-complex structures.
The Punctuation Dispute. Two people in your office disagree about a semicolon. A style guide settles it, and the course defines what a style guide is and how to use one.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the form and function of the eight parts of speech.
- Sort words and phrases into the eight parts of speech in sentences and paragraphs.
- Define and identify subclasses within the eight parts of speech.
- Correct common mistakes in using the eight parts of speech.
- Recognize and correct common syntactic errors, such as subject-verb agreement, ambiguous pronoun references, and dangling modifiers.
- Define and identify different types of phrases, clauses, and sentences.
- Identify how clauses can be joined.
- Generate simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentence structures.
- Explain and correctly use semicolons, colons, commas, dashes, slashes, ellipses, square brackets, and apostrophes.
- Define a style guide and its use.
Course Details
Estimated time to complete: 5 hours
Access time: 90 days
Price: $119 per learner
Credits
- 5 ATD CI Credits.
- 0.50 IACET CEU Credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the course cover?
The eight parts of speech and their subclasses, phrases, clauses, and sentence types, ten punctuation marks, and the rules for capitalization.
How is it different from *“Mastering Grammar Basics”*?
This course goes deeper, with subclasses of the parts of speech, sentence types, syntax errors, and a wider set of punctuation marks. “Mastering Grammar Basics” is a refresher on the foundations.
Does the course include practice?
Yes. Learners will complete real-world exercises that categorize words and phrases, build sentences, and correct errors.
Who is this online advanced grammar course for?
People interested in copy editing, and writers who want a detailed understanding of grammar and punctuation.
What professional credit does this online course offer?
The course offers credit from ATD CI and IACET. The amounts appear under Credits.
Will I receive a certificate?
After logging in, learners can download and print a PDF certificate of completion from their course records page. The certificate remains available after access to the course ends.
Does the course include an assessment?
The course includes an assessment.
What do I need to take the course?
A current browser with cookies and JavaScript enabled, and a broadband connection. Some ad blockers keep course videos from appearing, so turn yours off if a video does not load.