Business Writing Skills Training from CBT Direct

Business Writing Skills Curriculum Outline

Writing with Intention

Overview/Description
Whether youre preparing a brief e-mail response, a business letter, a performance review, a multi-page proposal, or a presentation to a prime customer, you know that having a job means having to write. But if youre not a trained writer, how do you begin? The writing process actually starts before you pick up a pen or place your fingers on a keyboard. It begins with defining what you are writing, for whom you are writing, why you are writing, and which writing approach to use. Writing with Intention addresses these defining matters, which you need to consider every time you sit down to write. The course includes lessons on how to link your writing to its purpose, how to modify your writing for different readers and audiences, and how to approach your content in a manner that supports the message type. In this course, business writing is taught as a collection of easy skill sets, not as a strained creative exercise. The lessons flexibly encompass almost any kind of business writing you may be required to perform on the job. No matter what your level of writing skill, if you write at work, you can benefit from this practical writing course.

Target Audience
Anyone who does any kind of business writing at work, from e-mail and memos to reports and presentations

Expected Duration
4.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Know Your Audience

Recognize the value of identifying your reading audience before you start writing.

Indicate which reader characteristics you should know before starting to write.

Select methods for personalizing your business writing for your readers.

Associate reader roles with appropriate writing tones.

Apply the appropriate writing tone to a designated reader role in a business document writing scenario.

Writing with Purpose: Inform, Respond, Persuade

Recognize the benefits of clearly defining a purpose before starting to write.

Select the appropriate message type for various writing purposes.

Determine which element of informative writing is being applied effectively in a given business document.

Determine if the elements of a responsive writing strategy are effectively applied in a given business document.

Determine whether the appropriate persuasive lead has been written for a given business document.

Select text for a hypothetical business document that effectively applies the elements of persuasive writing.

Back to List

Avoiding Errors in Usage and Punctuation

Overview/Description
Have you ever received an e-mail so poorly worded that you hit the delete button before you even finished reading the message? Have you ever opened a letter so confusing that you couldnt understand what the author was trying to say? If so, you understand the frustration of receiving a badly written message. Are you afraid that you might have sent messages that have been discarded or misunderstood for similar reasons? If so, this course will help you to improve your basic usage and punctuation skills so that your messages are read and understood.

Target Audience
All professionals for whom work-related writing is both required and challenging

Expected Duration
4.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Choosing Words Wisely

Recognize the benefits of selecting the best words to convey the intended meaning in business documents.

Choose appropriate sentences by applying rules to use easily confused words correctly.

Choose sentences that use the best alternatives to clichÃ©s and buzzwords.

Apply principles of matching language formality to purpose and audience by selecting the best alternative sentences to avoid slang and colloquialisms in a sample document.

Identify sentences as containing either standard or nonstandard forms.

Common Punctuation Problems

Recognize the importance of identifying and correcting common punctuation problems.

Recognize examples of sentences that use commas correctly in sequences, such as series and consecutive descriptors.

Apply punctuation rules to select sentences that use commas correctly to separate independent clauses, introductory statements, and nonessential information.

Interpret punctuation rules to select sentences that use semicolons and colons correctly.

Identify examples of sentences that place quotation marks correctly.

Distinguish correct and incorrect examples of the use of exclamation points.

Back to List

Avoiding Grammatical Errors in Business Writing

Overview/Description
Grammar: the very word strikes terror into the hearts of learners everywhere. For many people, it recalls the most difficult or most boring classes they can remember from childhood. Yet using correct grammar is one of the key skills for any business writer. Poor grammar skills interfere with communicating a clear message; moreover, they may suggest that the writer is careless and perhaps unprofessional. In this course, you will learn to recognize and repair the most common grammatical errors in sentence construction. Using correct grammar will help you to convey your information accurately and to represent yourself and your company as articulate and professional.

Target Audience
All professionals for whom work-related writing is both required and challenging

Expected Duration
4.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Avoiding Basic Sentence Errors

Recognize the benefits of identifying and correcting basic errors in sentence construction.

Employ grammatical principles to select sentences in which the subject and verb agree in number, in the context of writing a hypothetical business document.

Apply grammatical principles to correct sentence fragment errors in a hypothetical business document.

Apply grammatical principles to correct run-on sentences in a hypothetical business document.

Avoiding Subtle Sentence Errors

Identify the benefits of avoiding subtle errors such as misplaced modifiers and lack of parallel construction.

Identify examples of modifiers that are correctly and incorrectly placed.

Distinguish between sentences that employ parallel structure and those that do not.

Avoiding Pronoun Errors

Recognize the benefits of identifying and correcting basic errors in pronoun usage.

Employ grammatical principles to repair errors in agreement between pronouns and their antecedents, by selecting sentences in a hypothetical business document.

Use grammatical principles to select sentences that use subjective and objective forms of pronouns correctly in a hypothetical business document.

Select sentences that use possessive pronouns correctly.

Select pronoun forms that correctly complete sample sentences.

Back to List

Crisp Composition

Overview/Description
When you send off business documents that you have written, what do you think the recipients--your readers--hope for? Do they want to plow through long-winded documents that never get to the point? Do they want to waste time puzzling out what your convoluted sentences mean? Do they want to send back numerous requests for clarification? Do they want to pull out an unabridged dictionary just to understand your document? Of course not. Your readers hope that you will work hard to write clearly and concisely. If you do so, your readers can spend their time considering what you have to say, not wondering what you really mean. If youre concerned that your writing does not meet the needs of your readers for clarity and conciseness, then this course will help you remedy these problems. Youll learn to recognize and repair the common errors that prevent your writing from being as effective as you would like it to be.

Target Audience
All professionals for whom work-related writing is both required and challenging

Expected Duration
4.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Clarity

Recognize the benefits of writing clearly.

Calculate a Fog Index and use it to assess the readability of a hypothetical business document.

Apply the principles of plain English in a hypothetical business document.

Apply transitional words and phrases to clarify the specified connections between sentences.

Identify sentences that apply principles of writing precisely.

Conciseness

Recognize the importance of writing concisely.

Use precise verbs to revise business documents to make them more concise.

Identify examples of the use of active and passive voice.

Use active and passive voice effectively for a given document, audience, and purpose.

Replace pretentious words with unpretentious words to produce an effective business document.

Identify examples of cluttered writing.

Back to List

Writing to Reach the Audience

Overview/Description
Business writing is effective only when it informs or prompts the reader in the manner you, the author, desire. Whether your intended reading audience consists of one person or fifty, those readers will determine what kind of content you include and how you present it. If you were writing instructions for a child on how to answer the phone, it would sound very different from the same instructions written for an adult. All effective writing varies by audience--and skilled writers always write to connect with their readers. Writing to Reach the Audience instructs people who have to write at work in some easy-to-apply techniques to help them write to their readers, however those readers may vary with business circumstances. If youre writing a thank-you letter to a valued colleague, the approach, tone, and structure of the document are dissimilar to a complaint letter you write to a vendor. The principles and considerations that regulate the style differences in the two letters regulate the audience differences in all written documents. This course helps you master writing techniques to reach your audience without having to learn a lot of writing jargon or creative elements. This is a practical writing course for busy people at work.

Target Audience
Anyone who does any kind of business writing at work, from e-mail and memos to reports and presentations

Expected Duration
3.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Writing Approach

Identify the value of mastering writing elements that help you manage your approach to writing documents.

Identify writing elements in a business document that help establish document credibility.

Select examples of appropriate writing situations for the direct or indirect writing approach.

Setting the Tone

Recognize the benefits of setting an appropriate tone in business writing.

Select examples of appropriate writing tone.

Tailor the writing tone in hypothetical business documents to the designated audience.

Select document wording that demonstrates an appropriate business tone.

Replace biased language with bias-free language in hypothetical business documents.

Strategies for Organizing Content

Recognize the benefits of organizing written business materials.

Identify methods for organizing content in written business documents.

Label sentence examples with the paragraph element they represent.

Back to List

Getting the Most from Business Documents

Overview/Description
How often have you or one of your colleagues stayed at work late to finish an important report or proposal to meet a deadline? Then two days later you receive a call from the intended recipient asking you where the report is. You faxed it over and it got lost in their fax room. Now youve missed the benefit of having met your deadline. This familiar scenario illustrates the importance of selecting an appropriate document type and delivery method for your written business documents. Getting the Most from Business Documents explains the different business document types such as memos, reports, and proposals and the best uses for each. The course shows you how to align the message content, document type, and delivery method--Internet, fax, mail, courier, and so on--so that your business documents receive the right level of attention and achieve their designated purpose. Independent topics address five of the most commonly used business documents. You work hard on your business writing. Dont waste that effort with careless choice of document type or inappropriate delivery method. Learn how to prepare, lay out, and deliver business documents that reflect well on you and your company.

Target Audience
Anyone who does any kind of business writing at work, from e-mail and memos to reports and proposals

Expected Duration
4.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Selecting the Right Document Type

Recognize the benefits of selecting appropriate document types to deliver your written messages.

Select the best document types for hypothetical business message functions.

Indicate the effective delivery method to use for a variety of communication situations.

Document Use and Appearance

Recognize the value of becoming familiar with the layout considerations that guide different business documents.

Examine examples of business e-mail to determine if the use and content are appropriate.

Identify key uses of a memo.

Select examples of appropriate content for business memos.

Order examples of layout elements of an effective business letter.

Analyze a business letter to determine if it contains the appropriate elements and layout.

Identify key factors for preparing a report.

Identify the content of the sectional elements of a report.

Match textual examples from a report with section elements.

Sequence the steps for writing a proposal.

Apply steps for preparing a proposal to provide business services for a hypothetical external customer.

Back to List

The Writing Process

Overview/Description
How do you go about writing for your work? Do you procrastinate until your deadline seems like a freight train that is rapidly approaching while you stand immobile on the railroad tracks? Do you try to complete the entire document--defining your message, analyzing your audience, deciding on your approach, worrying about grammar and spelling, organizing your information, and choosing your words precisely--all in a single step? If so, there may be an easier, quicker, and far more effective way to tackle your writing project. This course divides the writing process into manageable components: preparing to write and composing your message. It explains a methodical way of handling the various tasks from beginning to end. It also covers the particular challenges of writing in groups. There is no single correct way to write, and experienced writers usually develop their own individual processes. But if your current approach is haphazard and frustrating, using the process explained in this course may make the act of writing less formidable and more enjoyable. It may also help you to produce more focused, more polished, and more effective business documents.

Target Audience
All professionals for whom work-related writing is both required and challenging

Expected Duration
5.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Preparing to Write

Recognize the benefits of preparing to write by planning, generating ideas, and organizing information.

Identify examples of the elements that should be considered when planning a business document.

Determine whether a business writer has considered all necessary elements when planning a hypothetical document.

Match categories of idea-generating methods with examples.

Identify the three main organizational elements of any business document.

Determine whether the three main organizational elements in a hypothetical business document contain the necessary features.

Composing Your Document

Recognize the importance of drafting, revising, and refining a document.

Identify examples of the activities that are part of the drafting stage.

Choose examples of questions to ask in the revision stage of composing a document.

Identify examples of editing and proofreading tasks.

Determine whether editing and proofreading tasks have been successfully completed on a hypothetical business document.

Collaborative Writing

Recognize the benefits of using a methodical process for collaborative writing.

Identify examples of task features to be considered when deciding whether a group should write a document.

Decide, on the basis of task features, whether to use a group to write a document, given a hypothetical situation.

Match preparatory activities that are necessary for successful collaborative writing with examples.

Complete all the preparatory activities necessary for a successful hypothetical collaborative writing task.

Select examples that reflect the characteristics of constructive feedback.

Back to List

Foundations of Grammar

Overview/Description
When do you use your or youre? Me or myself? Is good an adverb or an adjective? Understanding how to use various types of words is a building block of good writing. To be a good writer, you must have a thorough understanding of the basic parts of speech that identify and classify types of words. Then, you must be capable of applying the necessary guidelines for more complex uses of various word types. In this course, youll complete a comprehensive study on using words correctly. Youll study everything from pronouns to possessives, and youll discover how to avoid the most common usage errors. When youve finished the course, youll have the necessary building blocks to develop your skill as a top-notch writer.

Target Audience
Managers, supervisors, team leaders

Expected Duration
2.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Parts of Speech

Recognize the importance of knowing the parts of speech and using them correctly.

Match the parts of speech with their definitions.

Identify the statements that describe the properties of various types of pronouns.

Differentiate between the proper uses of adjectives and adverbs.

Expanding Words

Recognize the importance of using expanded words properly.

Select the correctly constructed compound nouns.

Choose the sentences that contain compound adjectives that are used correctly.

Match the sentences with the verb tenses they contain.

Word Beginnings and Endings

Recognize the importance of understanding how to use prefixes, suffixes, plurals, and possessives.

Choose the sentences that contain correctly constructed prefixes and suffixes.

Answer questions concerning the correct application of rules for forming plurals.

Identify the examples of correctly formed possessives.

Avoiding Usage Errors

Recognize the importance of using words correctly.

Identify how to correctly use commonly confused word pairs.

Identify the correct usage of commonly misused verbs.

Identify the sentences that contain properly used idiomatic expressions.

Back to List

Sentence Construction

Overview/Description
Writing sentences is a basic skill. But this basic skill seems to cause a lot of problems. Meanings are misinterpreted. Sentences run on and on, leaving the reader lost and confused. Poor word choice and organization make the writer look confused, sounding unintelligible and fuzzy. Youre not alone if youre thinking, Thats how I write! In the course, Sentence Construction, youll review basic sentence construction, including subjects, predicates, phrases, and clauses. Then, youll discover how to eliminate the three most common sentence-writing errors--things youre probably doing right now and dont even realize. Finally, youll learn how to develop sentences that are logical, clear, and powerful--the basis of any sound business document.

Target Audience
Supervisors, Managers, Team Leaders

Expected Duration
2.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Sentence Structure

Recognize the importance of writing structurally sound sentences.

Correctly identify the subjects and verbs in sentences.

Differentiate among the various types of phrases and clauses.

Identify the types of sentence functions by matching them with their definitions.

Common Sentence Errors

Recognize the importance of eliminating common errors from sentence construction.

Identify sentence fragments.

Choose the methods for eliminating comma splices.

Identify run-on sentences.

Logic and Clarity

Recognize the importance of writing sentences that are logical and clear.

Choose the sentences that have subject/verb agreement.

Choose the sentences in which the pronouns and antecedents are correct.

Identify the sentences with dangling or misplaced modifiers.

The Well-written Sentence

Recognize the value of constructing well-written sentences.

Identify the elements of writing style by matching each element with its definition.

Differentiate between the active and passive voices.

Identify the techniques that keep writing consistent while offering variety to the reader.

Back to List

Punctuating with Skill

Overview/Description
Should you use a comma or a semicolon? Does the punctuation go inside or outside of the quotation mark? Whats the difference between the parentheses and brackets, the hyphen and the dash? Knowing the answers to these questions will ensure that youre using punctuation correctly and to your greatest advantage. In this course, youll review the standard rules and guidelines for using punctuation appropriately. Youll also be given the most current information on some of those pesky rules that seem to be constantly changing. In todays world of fast-paced electronic communication, its more important than ever to get your meaning across quickly and cleanly. A well-punctuated sentence does just that.

Target Audience
Supervisors, leaders, managers

Expected Duration
2.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Terminal Punctuation

Recognize the importance of using terminal punctuation marks appropriately.

Identify the examples in which the period rules are applied correctly.

Choose the examples in which question mark rules are applied correctly.

Identify the appropriate applications of exclamation points.

Comma, Comma, Comma

Recognize the importance of using commas appropriately.

Identify the statements in which the comma rules are applied correctly.

Identify the sentences in which commas are often misused.

Identify the sentences in which the rules for some less common uses of the comma are applied.

Connecting and Separating Marks

Recognize the importance of using semicolons, colons, dashes, and hyphens appropriately.

Choose the examples in which the semicolon rules are applied correctly.

Identify the statements in which the colon rules are applied correctly.

Select the statements in which rules for dashes and hyphens are applied correctly.

Additional Marks

Recognize the importance of using apostrophes, parentheses, brackets, and quotation marks appropriately.

Choose the examples in which the apostrophe rules are applied correctly.

Choose the examples in which the rules for parentheses and brackets are applied correctly.

Identify the correct application of quotation marks rules in sentences.

Back to List

Business Writing Skills

Marketing yourself in today’s competitive world means you need a serious edge. We all need good writing skills to communicate through business letters, memos, proposals, presentations and email. Many people lack the knack for concise composition, so in order to be noticed, you need to gain an advantage.

No matter what your field or focus, your job will eventually require clear and concise writing that will in turn reflect your professionalism. CBT Direct has compiled business writing online courses that help you master your writing skills. Learn specific techniques and proper practices of this soft skill in order to reach your audience effectively, while in only a fraction of the time it would take with traditional schooling.

These online courses cover the entire process of successful writing skills, from choosing the proper format for your message and how to avoid common grammatical errors to grammar fundamentals, writing mechanics and methodical processes. CBT Direct’s online courses in business writing skills will help you gain an edge with just the right writing skills!

Business Writing Skills