Comprehensive Writing Training

Delivery Options

• Live Online Training - Public Class (2 days): $450.00

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• Customized Onsite Training (2 days): Request a Proposal

Upcoming Live eLearning Classes

There are currently no upcoming Live eLearning classes. Please contact us if you would like us to schedule a class.

Class Description

Class Overview

Class Goals

• Understand the importance of proper writing and grammar.
• Recognize and use correct grammar and punctuation.
• Avoid common grammatical and word usage errors.
• Understand which words should be capitalized.
• Use the appropriate person and tense.
• Structure sentences correctly.
• Use the words you intend.
• Use the correct style and tone for your intended audience.
• Avoid biased language.
• Create documents that are free of spelling and grammatical errors.
• Learn proper preparation steps before beginning a writing project.
• Summarize the principles of writing effective business communications.
• Demonstrate the ability to write a business proposal, complete with visuals and an executive summary that employ effective strategies of persuasion.
• Learn to communicate to the audience effectively through focused, well-written business communications.

Class Outline

1. Why Proper Writing and Correct Grammar Are Essential for Successful Business Writing
   1. Making the Right First Impression
2. Basic Grammar Rules
   1. Parts of Speech
      1. Nouns
      2. Pronouns
      3. Verbs
      4. Adjectives
      5. Adverbs
      6. Prepositions
      7. Conjunctions
      8. Interjections
   2. Subject-verb Agreement
   3. Parallel Construction
   4. Complete versus Run-on Sentences
   5. Hypercorrection
      1. Common Hypercorrections
      2. When It's Okay to Use "Me"
3. Punctuation
   1. Periods
   2. Commas
   3. Colons and Semicolons
   4. Apostrophes, Single Quotation Marks, and Double Quotation Marks
   5. Question Marks and Exclamation Points
   6. Dashes and Hyphens
   7. Parenthetical Elements
4. Word Usage
   1. How to Use the Right Word
   2. What Is the Appropriate Tone for the Document: Formal or Informal?
   3. How Familiar Is Your Audience With the Language (Jargon) of the Industry?
   4. Does Your Audience Need to Be Persuaded, or Is It Already on Board with the Topic?
   5. What Do You Want the Audience to Do after Reading the Document?
   6. Look It Up: Using a Dictionary for Proper Spelling and Usage
   7. Commonly Confused Words
5. Capitalization
   1. Words that Are Always Capitalized
   2. Words that Are Never Capitalized
   3. Headings and Titles
6. Choosing the Correct "Person" and "Tense"
   1. Three Types of "Persons"
      1. When to Write in First Person
      2. When to Write in Second Person
      3. When to Write in Third Person
   2. Using Correct Tenses in Business Writing
      1. How to Use Past Tense in Business Writing
      2. How to Use Present Tense in Business Writing
      3. How to Use Future Tense in Business Writing
7. Sentence Structure
   1. Simple Sentences
   2. Compound Sentences
   3. Complex Sentences
   4. Compound-Complex Sentences
8. Getting to the Heart of the Message
   1. Omitting Unnecessary Words
   2. Avoiding Meaningless Phrases
   3. Jargon
   4. Using Paragraphs Correctly
   5. Expository Paragraph
   6. Persuasive Paragraph
   7. Descriptive Paragraph
   8. Narrative Paragraph
   9. Paragraph Length
9. Proofreading Your Work
   1. Ensuring Your Writing Is Error Free
   2. Reviewing and Editing
   3. Ensuring Consistency in Your Writing
   4. Using Spell Checkers
   5. Using Grammar Checkers

The following will also be covered time permitting.

10. Writing Styles and Tone
    1. Formal Business Writing
    2. Informal Business Writing
    3. Diction
11. Writing Clearly and Concisely
    1. All-inclusive Language
    2. Salutations in Letters
    3. Pronouns
    4. Names and Titles
    5. Gender-free Language
    6. Including Everyone for the Sake of Gaining Buy-in
12. Major Functions and Forms of Business Writing
    1. The Three Major Functions of Business Writing
    2. Forms of Business Writing
    3. Preparing to Write
    4. Knowing the Subject
13. Writing and Communication Guidelines
    1. Consider Your Audience
    2. How Much Information to Include
    3. Anticipate Questions
    4. Formal vs Informal Writing
    5. Use Appropriate, Nondiscriminatory Language
    6. Use Bullets, Numbering, and Formatting
    7. Communicating Effectively
14. Email and Instant Messenger
    1. Email
       1. The Message
       2. Email Do's and Don'ts
    2. The Electronics Communication Privacy Act of 1986
    3. Instant Messenger
       1. IM Statuses
       2. IM Do's and Don'ts
15. Letters, Documents, and Proposals
    1. Letters and Documents
       1. Anticipating Audience Response
       2. Choosing the Right Tone
       3. Business Letter Format
    2. Proposals
       1. Determining the Desired Outcome
       2. Writing an Executive Summary
       3. Using Informative and Persuasive Techniques
       4. Using Visuals
16. More Writing Tips
    1. Organize the Information
    2. Chronological Paragraphs
       1. Compare-and-contrast Paragraphs
       2. Cause-and-effect Paragraphs
       3. Problem-Solution Paragraphs
       4. Relationship Paragraphs
       5. Choosing the Organizational Model
    3. Delivering Negative Information
       1. Writing an Introduction
       2. Buffering the Negative News
       3. Providing a Remedy, Lesson Learned, or Course of Action
       4. Concluding the Message
    4. Reading What You Wrote

Class Materials

Each student in our Live Online and our Onsite classes receives a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the class examples.

Technical Requirements

Our computer technical requirements and setup process is easy, with support just a click away.

• Instructor-led Online course technical requirements and setup instructions.
• WebEx system requirements for Instructor-led Online delivery option.
• Onsite course technical requirements and setup instructions.