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Language Primer Certificate

$75.00 $29.95

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Language Primer Certificate

One of Poynter’s all-time most popular courses, the Language Primer has helped thousands of writers gain proficiency in the fundamentals of grammar, punctuation and word use in the English language.

Overview

  • Learn more about the fundamentals of the English language, including grammar, punctuation and word use
  • Take this course at your own pace and continue practicing until you are proficient
  • Join the thousands of writers who gained more confidence in their abilities after completing Poynter’s Language Primer
  • Earn a certificate to prove your proficiency
Sale!

$75.00 $29.95

SKU: NUSDT01-14 Category: Tag:

Learning Outcomes

This course covers the rules and principles of grammar, punctuation and word use in the English language. It specifically addresses the following topics:

  • Dangling and misplaced modifiers
  • The case of personal pronouns such as “I” and “me”
  • Sentence structure concepts, including active and passive voice, sentence fragments and subject-verb agreement
  • Apostrophe usage with contractions, possessive pronouns and plural words
  • Comma usage
  • Essential and non-essential clauses
  • General word usage and common spelling mistakes
  • Special focus on “to/too/two” and “they’re/their/there”
Sale!

$75.00 $29.95

Overview

  • Learn more about the fundamentals of the English language, including grammar, punctuation and word use
  • Take this course at your own pace and continue practicing until you are proficient
  • Join the thousands of writers who gained more confidence in their abilities after completing Poynter’s Language Primer
  • Earn a certificate to prove your proficiency

Training five or more people?
Check out our custom training.

Do you or your students struggle with the basics of composition and writing? Poynter’s popular Language Primer focuses on the fundamentals, giving you unlimited access to essays, randomized practice drills and feedback. Once you successfully complete the course, you will receive a certificate you can use to prove your proficiency for a class or a job.

Details

This self-paced course is broken into three sections: grammar, punctuation and word use.

Each section includes essays that explore why the fundamentals matter and what you need to know to succeed as a writer. In addition, each section features a variety of practice quizzes. You’ll not only see what you get right or wrong, you’ll also learn why.

Whether you’re stumped by the difference between active and passive voice, unsure about which spelling of “they’re” or “there” to use or need a refresher on dangling modifiers, this course will help you write with greater confidence.

This course was most recently audited and updated in 2020.  

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

Start this course anytime and finish on your own schedule. All the modules are self-directed.

Who should enroll

This course is for anyone who struggles with the basics of English grammar, word usage and punctuation. It also can be used as a review of the fundamentals or to diagnose and correct specific problems.

Cost

Tuition for one of Poynter’s all-time most popular courses — now featuring a certificate — is $29.95. It includes unlimited access to reading material, randomized practice drills and assessments.

Instructors

  • Roy Peter Clark
    Senior Scholar, Poynter
    Roy Peter Clark is a writer, editor and teacher of writing who has become a writing coach to an international community of students, journalists and...
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  • Pamela Hogle
    Freelance writer and editor
    Pamela Hogle is a freelance writer and editor. She holds master’s degrees in journalism and canine studies. Pam has taught editing at USFSP and worked...
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  • Merrill Perlman
    Instructor
    Merrill Perlman is a consultant who works with news organizations, private companies and students, specializing in helping people communicate better through more effective writing and...
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Course Contributors

  • Mark Allen
    Mark Allen has been a journalist for more than 20 years, reporting, copy editing and leading special projects and a 180,000-circulation Sunday edition. He now...
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  • Andy Bechtel
    Assistant professor, University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication
    Andy Bechtel is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he teaches editing and newswriting. He...
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  • Sue Burzynski Bullard
    Sue Burzynski Bullard teaches editing, reporting and multimedia at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty in August 2008 after a year...
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