Effective Writing/Grammar Skills Workshop

writingRegardless of the tools that you use – pencil, typewriter, word processor, quill pen – to write with this course can help you be more effective in your current position and help you to master skills necessary to move up in the organization! How good are your basics? This course thoroughly reviews basic English Grammar and how to effectively communicate as a result of the proper use of words, sentences, phrases, and construction.

The step-by-step approach and activities enhance understanding, retention, and application of information and concepts to enable clear, concise and complete written communication, as it applies to government and business.  After all, the right communication can spell the difference between your success and failure.

The step-by-step approach and activities enhance understanding, retention, and application of information and concepts to enable clear, concise and complete written communication, as it applies to government and business.  After all, the right communication can spell the difference between your success and failure.
The step-by-step approach and activities enhance understanding, retention, and application of information and concepts to enable clear, concise and complete written communication, as it applies to government and business.  After all, the right communication can spell the difference between your success and failure.

Duration:

3 days

Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, the attendee should be able to:

  • Write effectively
  • Use grammar more correctly
  • Implement the stages of writing
  • Apply various formats
  • Proofread more effectively
  • Edit consistently

Content:

  • Developing your message in the pre-writing stage
    • Defining your main point
    • Planning and organizing the communication in a clear and concise outline
    • Analyzing your readers and writing for them
    • Using the pyramid approach to writing
    • Selecting power of words in the world of government and business
  • Mastering the one-page memo
    • Writing powerful introductions that capture a reader's attention
    • Organizing paragraphs effectively around topic sentences
    • Developing a visual approach to writing
    • Putting power in your conclusions
  • Learning the elements of letters and reports
    • Knowing your objectives and how to accomplish them
    • Writing letters to vendors and suppliers
    • Developing request letters
    • Applying quality control skills
    • Overcoming "writers block"
    • Creating powerful persuasive letters
    • Responsibility of the writer to the reader
    • Researching the report to be written
  • Guide to grammar basics
    • Using commas correctly
    • How improper use of grammar may cause conflict with peers, subordinates, superiors
    • Defeating those dangling modifiers
    • Rules and principles of grammar
    • Pronouns and antecedents; subject and verb agreement
    • Sentence construction and flow
    • Using parallelism in your paragraphs
    • Fine points of punctuation
    • Keep it simple
    • Simplifying words and sentences - less is more
    • Eliminating jargon and buzzwords
    • Creating a conversational style
  • Proofreading and editing
    • The 3-step approach to proofreading
    • The best time for editing
    • Editing on the computer
    • Effective e-mail
    • A review of participant's writing with overall constructive critique

Method:

  • Practical exercises
  • Discussions
  • Review of participant's work with overall constructive critique
  • Case studies
  • Lecturettes
  • Design and Planning techniques