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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order by University of Michigan

4.7
stars
1,633 ratings

About the Course

This course will teach you how to use your written words to become more persuasive. You’ll learn creative ways to use syntax, effective techniques for telling stories, and a clever method for arranging a complex series of information. You’ll also get a chance to both professionalize your use of punctuation and add a bit of style and sophistication to how you craft everything from sentences to slogans. In addition, you’ll 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. Social media has only accelerated the ways in which we all must learn to use our writing to connect, compete, and create—sometimes all at once. So join us for this first course in a four-part series and experience the many benefits, both personal and professional, of becoming “good with words.”...

Top reviews

PD

Dec 7, 2021

It is an excellent course that offers deep insights into the importance of words, it's usage in professional writing, and the impact it makes. I've learnt a lot from the course. Thank you Coursera.

SS

Jul 1, 2020

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Excellent teaching and excellent material. Everyone can improve their professionalism by taking Professor Barry's writing on course, it's not just for lawyers.

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26 - 50 of 402 Reviews for Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order

By K. S

Oct 1, 2020

I appreciate writing on a higher level and recommend this course to all who love to write. The professor, Patrick Barry, is a most energetic and engaging authority on the subject of Writing at a professional level.

By Evangel R E

Oct 15, 2020

I did not regret joining this course. It has opened a lot errors in grammar and improved my writing to its potential. Thank you professor Patrick Barry for being our mentor throughout the whole 4 weeks.

By Panchatapa D

Dec 8, 2021

It is an excellent course that offers deep insights into the importance of words, it's usage in professional writing, and the impact it makes. I've learnt a lot from the course. Thank you Coursera.

By Deborah O N

Nov 7, 2020

I definitely recommend this course to you - whether you are a professional or a high school student - who wants to feel more confident about your writing and your writing style.

By Chia-Yin L

Jul 13, 2021

It was a great course that made me get better at writing. All of the materials were useful, and helpful.

By Thomas N

Feb 2, 2023

The format was a little confusing. There is a lot of content to cover here. This is my 16th course through Coursera, and this was one of the most challenging in terms of amount of content. I challenge anyone with a day job to get through this in 4 weeks - can't be done - unrealistic. I've been a lawyer for 42 years. When I saw that this course was designed for law school students, primarily, I thought surely, I already knew all of this. As a lawyer I have specialized in writing, but I learned a lot. Thanks, Dr. Barry!

By Mynor Z

Jul 7, 2020

It is a good course and the resources given are very interesting and amusing. The only problem I found is that the course itself tells you that it is aimed to a wide audience, so there is no need for a writing background. But several quizzes require a previous knowledge of literature, so you will need to google some quotes to be able to tell the author and works that the quiz is asking for.

By Sarah M

Jun 27, 2021

A solid course with reasonable workload and lots of excellent additional resources and readings. The only downside was the repetitive nature of the lecture videos/class clips/readings - the same material was recycled multiple times - helpful if you didn't get it the first time, but needless where easily understood.

By Sonia S K

Jul 9, 2020

This course introduced me to some new ideas and made me aware that what I have been using all this time have been some efficient writing techniques. I loved the sessions 'notes on nuance' and 'punctuation and professionalism'.

By Farras M R

May 26, 2021

If only the content hadn't been this great, I wouldn't have gave it a 3 star because the structure of the course is so confusing for starters. You'll get the dynamics as you progress tho overall really nice and worth the purchase

By Jon S

Dec 12, 2020

There is alot of extra information that you can read and it makes for an interesting class. But the assignments are useless. There could be better assignments where you actually get graded on a rubric not just class discussions.

By Jo L

Dec 22, 2020

Overall, I liked the pacing and how the concepts were taught and illustrated. Some of the questions in the quizzes weren't relevant to the concept taught, but overall, I liked the content of this course.

By Hang

Sep 27, 2020

it was a good one.

By ENA S

Feb 22, 2021

I only signed up to audit this course. Why am I being charged and there is no number to call? I hope this reaches you.

By Sharon E

Sep 6, 2021

Just posts several resources. Not teaching.

By Nirmala M

Jan 2, 2022

I got on to this course to improve my writing. This first course totally met my expectations; the structure of the course in which the weekly core topic together with other segments such as Punctuation and Professional, Nuances, Good Sentences, delivered me to the next level of writing better through the great teaching by Prof Barry. The various teach media used - the teach videos, Prof Barry's reference books and many useful links for readings, the polls and quizzes was just right and effective. The sharing of writings by great writers all along the course exposed me to what great writing is. Thank you, Prof. Barry.

By Barbara B

May 2, 2021

I really enjoyed this course. I liked the pace and the material. The teacher was very interesting, thought-provoking, and entertaining in a good way, which kept the course flowing at a good pace. The only issue I had was at the beginning when I didn't know how the structure of the course worked. So nothing to do with content, but course structure. This is kind of stupid on my part, but I listened to all of the videos in Week 1. It was a lot of material and I couldn't figure out how the course was organized. This took me hours. So perhaps I could suggest a short tutorial on how to take the course.

By DANIELLE D

Feb 11, 2021

I really enjoyed the Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order, by Patrick Barry.

I really enjoyed the reading materials, discussion boards and video lectures that he used to help drive specific writing points, communicate grammar efficiently, and to use our creativity to "write sentences that nobody else could write".

These skills can apply to any career to help when driving a point, or expressing a view, and sharing our opinions in a streamlined and authentic way. I also enjoyed cover letter suggestions for diversity and standout statements that can help reel in any suiters.

By Jenny J

Sep 7, 2021

I really want to appreciate and thank Professor Barry for his wonderful lessons. His lessons help me understand how to use words effectively in order to create attractive sentences. I greatly enjoyed the videos of him lecturing in his classes. I am also grateful for getting access to a wide range of books and other resources which are very valuable. By effectively studying Professor Barry’s lessons, I am starting to gain confidence in writing. I have learned a lot from Course 1 and now I am so excited to continue Course 2 of Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization.

By Jeff G

Sep 16, 2021

After five decades of writing one would have thought that there might have been a few things in this course that I had already learned, or didn't need to know. But, that wasn't true even an iota. I relished every moment of every lesson, from contemplating the provocative question, "What value am I bringing to the reader?" to exploring the value of the particular in great writing. One total surprise...I learned to love learning grammar. How did that happen?!?

By Veronika J

Jan 22, 2021

Amazing course with lots of useful information! It is simple, well structured, and easy to follow. Professor Barry was born to be a teacher. His patient teaching and his clear explanations are a true inspiration not just for students but for other teachers as well. I liked that he kept the videos short, yet detailed enough to catch my attention. I even used some of the techniques presented in this course for one of my recent lectures.

By Elsa I O

Jan 28, 2023

It was such a valuable course. I’ve been working to improve my English writing skills, I’ve learnt about:

- What questions should I before I start writing.

- How to structure my texts.

- How to use text connectors to improve my writings.

- What are the most common grammatical errors in English.

- What are the most common punctuation errors.

I am very grateful to my tutors for this interesting experience.

Elsa Inés Orsi. Balcarce, Argentina.

By MUHAMMAD I R

Aug 23, 2022

The Uni of Michigan is such an amazing university. Professor Barry is one of the best teachers on my list from now onward. His way of teaching is very unique. He is very experienced and a good nature teacher. He knows well how to engage students even far away hundreds of kilometers. Eventually, Thanks Coursera to give me this opportunity. Strongly recommend this course to non-native English writers, especially Asian people.

By Fatiha R

Dec 10, 2020

Great class on writing with helpful observations on different fields of writing and general good habits. There were also great sections on grammar where I learned new things that will be very useful to crafting better sentences and prose.

Another note, I really loved the diversity and range of the examples the instructor, Patrick Barry, uses. If you pay attention you might learn some insights about life too!

By Eduardo J K

Nov 29, 2020

O curso é incrível. Conteúdo interessante, apresentado de forma didática e leve. O professor é didático e engajado. Apesar de ser dedicado a alunos do curso de Direito da Universidade de Michigan, pode ser aplicado a qualquer área do conhecimento. As dicas sobre o uso da língua inglesa são muito boas e proveitosas. Recomendo este curso para todos(as) que desejam escrever de forma persuasiva.