Clinical Assistant Professor of Law
Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
What You'll Learn
- Learn how structure can be used to generate content
- Place corresponding ideas in corresponding forms
- Add nuance to your writing by using anadiplosis
- Identify and assess when to use sentences with varying lengths
4 Modules
16 Hours
4 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become an effective architect of information, both with your sentences and with your paragraphs. You’ll learn that the traditional advice to “Show, don’t tell” is incomplete and that skilled writers actually switch back and forth between showing and telling.
You’ll also learn more about the menu of time management techniques introduced in the first course of the series, including “deep work,” “studio time,” and “the Animal Farm Principle.” And as with the other three courses in this series, you will get access to a wide range of books and other resources you can use even after you finish the course. These include: (1) the readings and exercises provided to the students who have taken the in-person version of this course at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago; (2) two digital libraries of excellent writing from a diverse collection of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs; and (3) a monthly “Good Sentences” email.
Skills You'll Gain
- Basic Writing
- Creativity
- Editing
- Paragraphs
- Proofreading
- Structured Writing
- Time Management
- Writing Outlines
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion:
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization, the second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing specialization. This course focuses on sentence-level clarity and paragraph-level organization, helping you shape ideas so readers can easily follow your thinking. You will learn techniques for sentence flow, parallel structure, emphasis, and paragraphing to improve coherence, precision, and professionalism in your writing.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Sentence Flow
- Reading: Teaching Style + Resources
- Reading: Syllabus
- Video: Introduction
- Reading: University of Michigan Survey
- Video: Sentence Flow
- Video: Architects of Information
- Video: Architects of Time
- Reading: Good with Words Chapter 8 ("Clarity and Coherence")
- Reading: Class Clips
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Class Clips
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Class Clips
- Reading: Exercise—Old Friends
- Reading: Spotting Sentences
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Exercise—Spotting Sentences (Percentages)
- Discussion Prompt: Spotting Sentences (Percentages)
- Reading: Edit Our Edits
- Reading: Good Writing, Good Teacher
- Discussion Prompt: Good Writing, Good Teacher
- Reading: Punctuation and Professionalism: Introduction and Review
- Video: Punctuation and Professionalism: Deviations from Coordinating Conjunction Rules
- Graded Assignment: Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance
- Discussion Prompt: Positive Deviance
- Reading: Notes on Nuance: Introduction and Review
- Video: Notes on Nuance: "If"
- Reading: Notes on Nuance: "If" and "If Not"
- Graded Assignment: Nuance Practice: "If" and "If Not"
- Graded Assignment: Nuance Review: "If Not" and "Almost"
- Reading: Exercise—Good Sentences (Finance)
- Discussion Prompt: Good Sentences (Finance)
- Video: Takeaways
- Reading: Exercise—Takeaways
- Video: Student Takeaway: Old Friends
- Video: Student Takeaway: Architects of Time
Module 2: Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Form
- Reading: Previously On: Introduction and Review
- Video: Previously On
- Reading: Exercise—Previously On
- Video: Previously On: Venn Diagram
- Video: Previously On: Architects of Information
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Good with Words Chapter 7 ("Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Forms")
- Reading: Class Clips
- Reading: Exercise—Agreement
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Class Clips
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Exercise—Omit
- Reading: Exercise—Nifty Not
- Reading: Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?
- Discussion Prompt: Nifty Not: Fan Favorite?
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: (Optional) Rhetorical Repetition
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice (Awkward Repetition)
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice (Rhetorical Repetition)
- Reading: Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite?
- Discussion Prompt: Rhetorical Repetition: Fan Favorite?
- Reading: Resource Request (Structure and Organization)
- Discussion Prompt: Resource Request (Structure and Organization)
- Video: Punctuation and Professionalism—Coordinating Conjunctions (Deviation Part II)
- Graded Assignment: Punctuation Practice: Positive Deviance Part II
- Video: Notes on Nuance: "As"
- Reading: Notes on Nuance: "As"
- Graded Assignment: Nuance Practice: "As"
- Reading: Exercise—Good Sentences (War)
- Discussion Prompt: Good Sentences (War)
- Video: Takeaways
- Reading: Exercise—Takeaways
- Video: Student Takeaway: Nifty Not
- Video: Student Takeaway: Agreement
- Graded: Weekly Review (Graded)
Module 3: Show and Tell
- Video: Previously On
- Reading: Exercise—Previously On: Reflection
- Video: Previously On: Symmetry is What You See at a Glance
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Video: Show and Tell
- Reading: Show and Tell
- Reading: Exercise—Summary and Scene (Optional)
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Exercise—Reverse Outline (Optional)
- Reading: Student-->Teacher (Optional)
- Discussion Prompt: Student-->Teacher
- Reading: (Optional) Word Choice, Word Confusion
- Reading: Exercise—Who vs. Whom
- Practice Quiz: Low-Stakes Practice (Who vs. Whom)
- Video: Punctuation and Professionalism: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions
- Graded Assignment: Punctuation Practice: Conjunctions Affect Other Conjunctions
- Video: Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen
- Reading: Nuance Spotlight: Jane Austen
- Practice Quiz: Nuance Practice: Jane Austen
- Reading: The Jane Austen Centre (Quizzes and Movies)
- Reading: Good Sentences (Intellectual Property)
- Discussion Prompt: Good Sentences (Intellectual Property)
- Video: Takeaways
- Video: Student Takeaway: Summary and Scene
- Reading: Exercise—Takeaways
- Graded: Weekly Review (Graded)
Module 4: Paragraphing
- Video: Previously On
- Reading: Exercise—Previously On: Reflection
- Video: Previously On: Old Information to New Information
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Reading: Paragraphing
- Reading: Exercise—The Rhythm of Roth (Optional)
- Graded Assignment: Low-Stakes Practice
- Discussion Prompt: Post a Paragraph
- Reading: Raindrops vs. Waterfalls: What is the Structure of Your Text Messages?
- Discussion Prompt: Raindrops vs. Waterfalls
- Video: Punctuation and Professionalism: Nonrules ("And" and "But")
- Graded Assignment: Punctuation Practice: Starting a Sentence with "And" or "But"
- Video: Notes on Nuance: "At Once"
- Reading: Notes on Nuance: "At Once"
- Graded Assignment: Nuance Practice ("At Once")
- Reading: Good Sentences (Medicine)
- Discussion Prompt: Good Sentences (Medicine)
- Video: Takeaways
- Reading: Exercise—Takeaways Reflection
- Video: Student Takeaway: Paragraphing
- Video: Next Course
- Reading: Book Recommendations (Travel)
- Discussion Prompt: Book Recommendations (Travel)
- Reading: Exercise—Thank You Letter (Optional)
- Reading: Course Feedback
- Reading: "Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting" and Michigan Online
- Graded: Weekly Review (Graded)
Grading Policy
Assessment is based on weekly quizzes that reinforce concepts related to sentence structure, organization, and clarity. Low-stakes practice activities and discussions are optional and ungraded. There are four module quizzes, each worth 25% of your final grade. To pass the course, learners must earn an overall course grade of 80% or higher.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Beginner Level
Requires a basic understanding of writing and the English language.
Course Video
What Learners Are Saying
Writing is rarely easy. But there are ways to make it a little less hard–and potentially a lot more fun.
Patrick Barry, JD/PhD Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, U-M Law School
