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ENGL 290-01 Principles of Editing*

Dr. Teresa M. Redd Associate Professor Locke Hall, Room 112 (202) 806-6770/6730 tredd@howard.edu Office Hours: MWF 10-11, 3-4 (other hours by appointment) CRN 10589 3 credits MWF 11:10-12 Locke Hall, Room 118 Spring 2003 Issued 1/8/03 http://blackboard.howard.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION An advanced writing course, Principles of Editing will introduce you to stylistic principles from linguistics, rhetoric, and literature. Drawing upon linguistic theory and research, you will practice strategies for achieving greater clarity, conciseness, and coherence. At the same time, to achieve greater elegance and emphasis, you will experiment with techniques from the rhetorical and literary arts--including those of African Americans. Guided by these principles and equipped with professional copyediting tools, you will enhance your own drafts or the work of others, whether the writing is academic or creative. Note: This course is an elective for English majors and minors. Prerequisite All students must have passed Freshman English 003. However, the Department strongly recommends that students also complete College Grammar 114 or Language Foundation 110 before enrolling in this course. Course Goals 1. To develop an understanding of style from linguistic, rhetorical, and literary perspectives. 2. To empower students to achieve correctness, clarity, conciseness, coherence, and control in their writing. 3. To cultivate an appreciation for elegance and emphasis in the African American and Western rhetorical traditions. 4. To equip students with professional tools for editing writing. Course Objectives By the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following: 1. Reconstruct sentences according to psycholinguistic principles so that the language is not only correct but clear, coherent, and concise. 2. Dissect and imitate figures of speech from both Western and African American traditions.
* subject to change

3. Apply rules of transformational grammar to control and emphasize elements of a sentence. 4. Identify and imitate the stylistic strategies of skilled writers. 5. Employ common tools of the editors trade: copyediting symbols, the Microsoft Spelling-Grammar Checker, the Microsoft Word Reviewing Toolbar, and Blackboards groupware. Instructional Methods To fulfill the objectives of the course, you will engage in stylistic analysis, imitation, and experimentation. You will learn by participating in a wide range of activities, including those listed below: 1. Portfolio: Editing four documents that you submitted at the beginning of the term. 2. Style Journal: Copying, imitating, and presenting to the class the Figure of Speech of the Day. 3. Oral Report: Presenting a stylistic analysis of your favorite passage from a published work. 4. Erasmus Exercises: Generating multiple versions of a sentence to exercise your stylistic options and to assess the rhetorical effects. 5. Editing Exercises: Rewriting sentences and paragraphs to eliminate a designated problem. 6. Team-Editing Competitions: Collaborating with teammates to produce the best revision of a document. TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES Required Darlings Grammar. 5 January 2003 http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar>. Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Sylvia A. Holladay. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. 6th ed. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2002. Redd, Teresa. ENGL 290-01 Principles of Editing. 22 December 2002. 5 January 2003 < http://blackboard.howard.edu>.

3 Williams, Joseph. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2003. Supplementary Donnelly, Colleen. Linguistics for Writers. Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1994. Gibson, W. Tough, Sweet, and Stuffy: An Essay on Modern American Prose Styles. Bloomington & London: Indiana UP, 1966. Kolln, Martha. Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects. New York: Macmillan 1991. Lanham, Richard A. Revising Prose. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1992. Rice, Scott. Right Words, Right Places. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1993. Richardson, Peter. Style: A Pragmatic Approach. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1998. Rickford, John R., and Russell J. Rickford. Spoken Soul: The Story of Black English. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000. Smith, H. Wendell. Readable Writing: Revising for Style. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1985. Smitherman, Geneva. Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rpt. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 1985. Strunk, William, Jr., and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1979. Waddell, Marie, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker. The Art of Styling Sentences: 20 Patterns for Success. 2nd ed. Woodbury, NY: Barrons Educational Series, 1983. Weaver, Richard M. Some Rhetorical Aspects of Grammatical Categories. The Ethics of Rhetoric. Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1953. 115-142.

4 COURSE OUTLINE
Note: We will study a new figure of speech (see Elegance below) at the beginning of each class period. We will also use one or more copyediting tools in each unit (see Tools of the Trade below). See the Course Schedule (pp. 8 -15) for unit objectives and daily assignments. Tools of the Trade Copyediting Symbols MS Word Editing Tools Blackboard Groupware

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

I.

II.

Correctness A. Standard vs. Nonstandard English B. Descriptive vs. Prescriptive Grammatical Rules C. Common Misspellings and Easily Confused Words D. Nonsexist Usage Clarity A. Nominalizations B. Expressive Verbs C. BE Patterns D. THERE and IT Openers E. Concrete and Specific Nouns F. Active Voice G. Ambiguous Pronouns Coherence A. Topics B. Passive Voice C. Inversion D. Adverbial Clauses E. Free Modifiers Emphasis A. Light vs. Heavy Words B. THERE Transformations C. WHAT and IT Shifts Conciseness A. Meaningless Words B. Prepositional Phrases C. Redundancy D. Ellipsis Control E. Long Introductions and Subjects F. Subject-Verb Interruptions G. Cumulative Sentences H. Excessive Subordination I. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers J. Faulty Coordination Elegance K. Word Play L. Metaphor M. Word and Sound Repetition N. Length and Rhythm O. Coordination

COURSE REQUIREMENTS To succeed in this course, strive to meet the following benchmarks: 1. Submit a portfolio of your work for diagnosis at the beginning of the term and edit it at the end of the term to eliminate at least 80% of the problems listed on your diagnostic profile. Note: The portfolio is your final examination. 2. Maintain an up-to-date journal that accurately imitates at least 80% of the assigned figures of speech. (See the attached sample.) 3. Present a 10-minute oral report analyzing the style of your favorite passage of published prose. (See the attached evaluation form.) 4. Complete homework assignments on time, earning an S average (see below). 5. Achieve 80% or more for four quizzes on clarity, coherence, conciseness, and control. 6. Participate in classroom and online activities, including five team competitions, earning an S average (see below). Manuscript Conventions Classwork and Homework. Always bring 8 x 11 white, lined, LOOSELEAF paper and a BLACK or BLUE pen to class; you may not know when you will need them for classwork. As for homework, you will post some of those assignments electronically via Blackboard. However, if I request a hard copy of a Blackboard assignment, you must submit a printout for credit. When I request offline homework, you may write by hand if I provide a worksheet. Otherwise, TYPE the assignment, remembering to DOUBLESPACE. Use 12 point type and leave 1 margins on all sides. If you quote, paraphrase, or summarize other sources, document them according to the MLA guidelines (see The Bedford Guide). Journal. Always bring your Style Journal to class. Buy a three-ringed binder that can hold 40 sheets of 8 x 11 looseleaf paper. Copy my definition and example of each figure of speech on a SEPARATE sheet with the name (e.g., polysyndeton) and date on the first line. Then write your imitation below the example. (See the attached sample.)

COURSE POLICIES Computation of Final Course Grade Journal.1/8 Oral Report.1/8 Class/Homework1/4 Quizzes1/4 Final Portfolio..1/4 Grading Criteria The quizzes, oral report, and portfolio will be graded on a scale of A = 90-100, B = 8089, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = below 60. All class/homework and journal entries will be graded pass/fail: Satisfactory = 1 point, Unsatisfactory = no credit. (A passing grade is equivalent to a C or better.) I will evaluate all writing according to how well it fulfills a particular assignment and achieves the clarity and grace that this course seeks to develop. Moreover, since proofreading is an essential editing skill, I will deduct points for grammatical, spelling, diction, and typographical errors. I will also assign grammar exercises to students who need practice. Class Participation I assign frequent and unannounced classwork to guide group activities, monitor students learning, obtain feedback on my teaching, and reward thoughtful and consistent class participation. Therefore, since students cannot make up exams or classwork (see below), students who are absent or tardy will miss not only valuable instruction but also credit. Extra Credit I will offer extra credit only during the term and only to the class as a whole (especially through team competitions). Therefore, you cannot improve your grades at the last minute by requesting additional work. Also, if you earn a borderline course average (i.e., 59, 69, 79, 89), you will not receive an additional point to capture the higher grade unless you earn that grade (or higher) on your final portfolio. Example: If a student with a 79 course average earns a B or better on the final portfolio, that student will qualify for a B on the report card. Please note, though, that this policy applies only to course averages ending with 9. Incomplete Grades and Withdrawals A grade of Incomplete (I) is given only if an emergency prevents you from submitting the final portfolio. Such an emergency must be documented by your dean or advisor. However, if you wish to withdraw from the course, please see me before the Registrars deadline.

Lateness I cannot accept late journal entries or homework. However, if you cannot submit the work on time because of an emergency, you should submit a memo in which you document the emergency and ask to be excused from the assignment. (For instance, submit a doctors note with your memo.) If you experience computer-related problems, you should request a note from a technical assistant or, if Blackboard is not working, you must IMMEDIATELY e-mail bbsupport@howard.edu and cc tredd@howard.edu to document your problem. Missed Exams or Classwork There will be no make-up quizzes or make-up classwork. However, if you miss a quiz or other classwork because of an emergency, you should submit a documented excuse as explained above. Academic Integrity Please read the Academic Code of Conduct, which is published in the H-Book or Directory of Classes. If you are suspected of cheating, you must submit your sources and/or make up the assignment in my office. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a 0 for the assignment. SUPPORT SERVICES American Disabilities Act (ADA) Howard University is committed to providing an educational environment that is accessible to all students. In accordance with this policy, students who need accommodations because of a disability should contact Dr. Barbara Williams, Dean for Special Student Services (202-238-2420), as soon as possible after admission to the University or at the beginning of each semester. If you need a special accommodation required by the American Disabilities Act, please document and discuss your disability with me during the FIRST TWO WEEKS of classes. Writing Center For additional assistance with your writing, visit HEC 1024 (M TH 9-5) or Locke 100 (see the posted hours). Tutors from the Department of English can provide one-on-one or computer-assisted instruction. Blackboard FAQs for Students See http://www.cetla.howard.edu if you need help navigating Blackboard.

8 COURSE SCHEDULE Important Due Dates January 13 January 31 February 14 February 26 March 14 April 2 April 7 April 18 April 23 April 25 (as assigned) Diagnostic Portfolio Team Competition Quiz 1 Team Competition Quiz 2 Team Competition Quiz 3 Team Competition Quiz 4 Final Portfolio Oral Report

Note: Unless noted otherwise, all chapter, page, and exercise numbers refer to your textbook Style (7th ed.). Always bring your book to class.

UNIT I Correctness: Applying and Defying the Rules Diagnose your stylistic strengths and weaknesses. Define correctness from the Prescriptivists and Descriptivists perspectives. Correct the most commonly misspelled words. Use the most commonly confused words in the appropriate context. Recognize and avoid sexist word usage. Interpret and employ copyediting symbols. Evaluate feedback from Microsoft Words grammar/spell-checker. Dissect and imitate tropes involving word play.

Wednesday, January 8 Lesson: Introductions Overview of the Course Introduction to Blackboard Homework: Using the handout, log into our Blackboard course site (http://blackboard.howard.edu ). Once you have logged in, update your email address (if necessary) on the TOOLS menu under PERSONAL INFORMATION. If you encounter technical difficulties, e-mail bbsupport@howard.edu for help and cc tredd@howard.edu to document the difficulty. Also, begin assembling a portfolio of your work so that I can diagnose your stylistic strengths and weaknesses. Photocopy four pages of your writing, each page from a different document. At least three of the documents should be graded academic papers; however, if you wish, you may include

9 one example of your creative writing. Portfolio due: Monday, January 13. Friday, January 10 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Equivoque Standard vs. Nonstandard English (AAE vs. SWE, surveys) Descriptive vs. Prescriptive Grammatical Rules (students examples) Homework: Read Lesson 2 (Correctness) in Style. Then take all three diagnostic tests on our Blackboard course sites. Be sure to read my feedback when you view your scores. Warning: Once you begin a test, you must complete it, so allot 20 minutes for each test. Remember to submit your Diagnostic Portfolio at the beginning of Mondays class. Monday, January 13 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Anatanaclasis Common Misspellings (students examples) Easily Confused Words (students examples) Homework: Study Commonly Misspelled Words (http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/misspelled_words.htm ) and Notorious Confusables (http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/notorious.htm ) on Darlings Grammar site or see the External Links on Blackboard. Then complete Notorious Confusables Quizzes I through V and Spelling Quizzes I and II (http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm). Submit the pages showing your scores. Wednesday, January 15 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Paranomasia Nonsexist Usage (class exercise) Copyediting Symbols Homework: Read NCTEs Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use of Language at http://www.ncte.org/positions/gender.shtml or see the External Links on Blackboard. Then complete the Gender Neutral Language quiz on Darlings quiz site (http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm) and print out your responses. Also, study the copyediting handout in preparation for an inclass competition. Friday, January 16 Lesson: Team Competition MS Word Grammar-Spell Checker Homework: Read Lesson 1 (Understanding Style) and Lesson 3 (Actions). Monday, January 20 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY

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Note:

From now on, click ASSIGNMENTS to retrieve your assignments via Blackboard. If you print out a unit assignment sheet, remember to check ANNOUNCEMENTS regularly to see whether I have revised it.

UNIT II Clarity: Telling Stories Identify unnecessary nominalizations and convert them into action verbs. Replace vague or static verbs with expressive ones. Turn lifeless BE, THERE, and IT patterns into action-verb patterns. Shift characters into the subject slot and actions into the verb slot to explain Who did what? or What did what? Substitute concrete or specific nouns for uninformative nouns or ambiguous pronouns. Turn passive constructions into active ones when appropriate. Employ Microsoft Words FIND command, thesaurus, and style checker judiciously. Dissect and imitate tropes of imagery and sound. Analyze the style of your favorite author, applying at least three principles from our lessons to explain the effectiveness of a passage.

Wednesday, January 22 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Metaphor Actions as Verbs Nominalizations Homework: Read Metaphor in Lesson 9. Also, complete Exercise 3.6 (EVEN numbers only). Friday, January 24 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Simile Nominalizations Homework: Complete Ex. 3.7 (EVEN numbers only). Monday, January 27 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Onomatopoeia Expressive Verbs Sample Oral Report Homework: Read about the rhetoric of verbs in the Rice handout. Then complete the assigned exercises. Wednesday, January 29 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Personification BE Patterns THERE and IT Openers

11 Homework: Rewrite the assigned sentences in the Richardson handout. Bring your dictionary, thesaurus, and list of copyediting symbols for a team competition.

Friday, January 31 Lesson: Team Competition Homework: Read Lesson 4 (Characters). Monday, February 3 Lesson: Characters as Subjects Concrete and Specific Nouns Sample Oral Report Homework: Complete Ex. 4.1 (EVEN numbers only). Also, read about the rhetoric of nouns in the Rice handout. Then complete the assigned exercises. Wednesday, February 5 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Hyperbole Active vs. Passive Voice Homework: Complete Ex. 4.4 (EVEN numbers only). Prepare to defend your choices in a class debate. Friday, February 7 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Oxymoron Active vs. Passive (debate) Homework: T BA Monday, February 10 Lesson: MS Word Tools: Thesaurus, FIND, Style Checker Homework: TBA Wednesday, February 12 Lesson: Oral Reports Review (practice quiz) Homework: Prepare for a quiz on clarity. Friday, February 14 Lesson: QUIZ #1 Homework: Read Lesson 5 (Cohesion and Coherence). UNIT III Coherence and Emphasis: Beginning and Ending Well Track the flow of old and new information within and between sentences. Use the passive voice, inversion, adverbial clauses, and free modifiers to increase cohesion.

12 Distinguish the topic of a sentence from the subject when the topic is not in the subject slot. Identify the point of view expressed by repeated topics in a paragraph. Distinguish light from heavy words. Use THERE transformations and WHAT/IT shifts to emphasize words. Dissect and imitate schemes that repeat words or sounds.

Monday, February 17 PRESIDENTS DAY Wednesday, February 19 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Diacope Cohesion: Old-New Flow Homework: Boldface the old information in Ex. 5.1 (#2). Friday, February 21 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Anaphora Cohesion: Passive Voice, Inversion Homework: Rewrite Ex. 5.1 (#2) so that it is more cohesive. Monday, February 24 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Antistrophe Cohesion: Adverbial Clauses, Free Modifiers Blackboard Discussion Board Homework: Complete the Erasmus exercise on our Blackboard Discussion Board: Without changing the meaning or the topic, begin ONE of the assigned sentences in a way that other students have not tried. Bring your dictionary and handbook for a team competition. Wednesday, February 26 Lesson: Team Competition Homework: TBA Friday, February 28 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Rhyme Coherence: Related Topics (Ex. 5.3) Homework: Boldface the topics in Ex. 5.2 (#2). Monday, March 3 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Polyptoton Coherence: Topics and Point of View (Ex. 5.4) Homework: Rewrite Ex. 5.2 (#2) to make it more coherent. Also, read about word and sound repetition in AAE rhetoric. Wednesday, March 5 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Homoioteleuton

13 Emphasis: Light vs. Heavy Words (Ex. 6.2) Homework: Read Lesson 6 (Emphasis) and Climactic Emphasis in Lesson 9. Friday, March 7 CONVOCATION (10 a.m. 1 p.m.) Homework: Complete Ex. 6.1 (EVEN numbers only). Monday, March 10 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Alliteration Emphasis: THERE Transformations, WHAT and IT Shifts Homework: Complete the assigned exercises. Wednesday, March 12 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Assonance Oral Reports Review Homework: Prepare for a quiz on cohesion, coherence, and emphasis. Friday, March 14 Lesson: QUIZ #2 Homework: Read Lesson 7 (Concision). UNIT IV Conciseness: Making Every Word Count Weed out redundant words. Simplify wordy prepositional phrases. Employ ellipsis to eliminate unnecessary repetition. Interpret Microsoft Words readability statistics. Use Microsoft Words reviewing toolbar to edit text and identify someone elses changes. Dissect and imitate economical figures of speech.

Monday, March 24 Lesson: Figure of Speech Conciseness Redundancy Homework: TBA Wednesday, March 26 Lesson: Figure of Speech Wordy Phrases Homework: Rewrite Ex. 7.1 (EVEN numbers only). Friday, March 28 Lesson: Figure of Speech Ellipsis

14 Homework: Complete the ellipsis exercise (under ASSIGNMENTS) on Blackboard.

Monday, March 31 Lesson: MS Word Readability Statistics MS Word Reviewing Toolbar (Ex. 7.1) Homework: Practice using the MS Word Reviewing Toolbar in preparation for a team competition. Wednesday, April 2 Lesson: Team Competition (using the MS Reviewing Toolbar) Go to the i-Lab! Homework: If you did not complete your team exercise in class, finish it with your teammates. Submit your diskette and printout at the beginning of Fridays class. Friday, April 4 Lesson: Oral Reports Homework: Prepare for a quiz on conciseness. Monday, April 7 Lesson: QUIZ #3 Homework: Read Lesson 8 (Shape). UNIT V Control: Managing Sprawl Shift clauses or phrases to avoid long introductions within sentences. Simplify long subjects. Rearrange words to avoid interrupting the subject and its verb or the verb and its object. Reduce clauses in long, convoluted sentences to resumptive, summative, or free modifiers. Detect and correct misplaced, dangling, and squinting modifiers. Dissect and imitate coordinating figures of speech. Apply what you have learned in this course to revise your diagnostic portfolio.

Wednesday, April 9 Lesson: Long Introductions Cumulative and Periodic Sentences Homework: Complete Ex. 8.1 (2 and 4 ONLY). Friday, April 11 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Chiasmus Long Subjects Subject-Verb-Object Interruptions

15 Homework: Complete Ex. 8.1 (6, 8, 10, and 12 ONLY). Also, read Extravagant Elegance in Lesson 9.

Monday, April 14 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Antithesis Resumptive, Summative, and Free Modifiers Misplaced, Dangling, and Squinting Modifiers Homework: Complete Ex. 8.2 (EVEN ONLY). Then read Balance and Symmetry in Lesson 9. Wednesday, April 16 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Polysyndeton Coordination Homework: Complete the assigned exercise. Bring your dictionary, thesaurus, and list of copyediting symbols for a team competition. Friday, April 18 Lesson: Figure of Speech: Asyndeton Team Competition Homework: Work on your portfolio. (See the details on the next page.) Monday, April 21 Lesson: Oral Reports Teaching/Learning Questionnaire Homework: Prepare for a quiz on controlling sprawl. Bring your dictionary, thesaurus, and list of copyediting symbols. Wednesday, April 23 Lesson: QUIZ #4 Consent Forms Homework: Submit the following items in your portfolio: My diagnostic checklist Your original four pages A revision that highlights your changes (via Track Changes in MS Word) A final copy that incorporates your changes (via Accept Changes in MS Word)

Staple together all three versions of each document so that the final copy is first; the revision, second; and the original, last. Then submit the portfolio with my checklist still stapled to the inside cover. PORTFOLIO DUE: 12 noon on Friday, April 25. LATE PENALTY: -10 points per day. Note: If I am not in my office, slip the portfolio under my door.

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Sample Student Journal Entry

Chiasmus (4/11/03) Definition: Model: Inversion of two parallel clauses or phrases. We didnt land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us. ---- Malcolm X My Imitation: She didnt create her stage name; the name created her.

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Oral Report Evaluation

ENGL 290-01 Principles of Editing Students Name ______________________________________________________ Passage _____________________________________________________________ Date of Presentation ___________________________________________________ Submitted an annotated photocopy of the excerpt with an MLA citation.

Selected an appropriate passage for stylistic analysis.

Applied at least three principles from our lessons to explain the effectiveness of the passage.

Provided sufficient evidence.

Identified linguistic items accurately.

Communicated clearly.

Grade _____