The Secrets of Syntax
SUMM 561
SATURDAY, July 14 2012
9:00am–5:00pm
$225.00 CDN (includes course material)
Have you ever dismantled a sentence and then recombined it only to see a whole new emphasis, clarity, and rhythm emerge? Why does that happen? How can you more consciously manipulate word order, or syntax, to make a piece of writing more pleasurable and memorable? This workshop looks at syntax from various angles, including how to shape it for different documents and audiences. Topics include subordination and coordination, periodic versus cumulative sentences, proximity of subject and verb, echo words, and special techniques such as ellipsis and isolation.
The Secrets of Syntax will benefit writers and editors who want a more systematic understanding of how reshaping language can make it clearer and more powerful. This workshop is an excellent follow-up to Clear and Concise: Guidelines for Style (July 13). The workshop offers pointers in stylistic editing and rewriting that will be helpful to anyone attending the Book Editing Immersion Workshop (July 16-21) or Elements of Editing for Magazines (July 23-24)
FACULTY
Frances Peck is an editor and writer whose clients include government departments, agencies, and associations. She has taught editing and writing for two decades for the University of Ottawa, Douglas College, the Editors’ Association of Canada, SFU’s Writing and Communications Program, and many private clients. Peck is the author of Peck’s English Pointers, an online collection of language articles and quizzes; co-author of the popular HyperGrammar website; and a columnist for the journal Language Update. She is a partner with West Coast Editorial Associates.
