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**Business Writing Curriculum - SkillSoft**

**Table of Contents**

[Writing with Intention 3](#__RefHeading___Toc220741143)

[Avoiding Errors in Usage and Punctuation
4](#__RefHeading___Toc220741144)

[Avoiding Grammatical Errors in Business Writing
5](#__RefHeading___Toc220741145)

[Crisp Composition 6](#__RefHeading___Toc220741146)

[Writing to Reach the Audience 7](#__RefHeading___Toc220741147)

[Getting the Best from Business Documents
8](#__RefHeading___Toc220741148)

[The Writing Process 10](#__RefHeading___Toc220741149)

[TestPrep Final Exam: Business Writing Essentials
11](#__RefHeading___Toc220741150)

**Writing with Intention**

**Overview/Description**\
Whether you\'re 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
you\'re 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.

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**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 couldn\'t 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 clichés 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.

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**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.

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**Crisp Composition**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc220741146 .anchor}

**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
you\'re 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. You\'ll 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.

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**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 you\'re 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.

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**Getting the Best 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
you\'ve 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. Don\'t 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.

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**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.

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**TestPrep Final Exam: Business Writing Essentials**

**Overview/Description**\
Generally taken near the end of a program, Final Exam: Business Writing
Essentials enables the learner to test their knowledge in a testing
environment.

**Target Audience**\
Individuals seeking practice in a testing environment, covering the
skills and competencies being measured by the courseware.

**Expected Duration**\
N/A

**Lesson Objectives**

**TestPrep Final Exam: Business Writing Essentials**

 Writing with Intention

 Avoiding Errors in Usage and Punctuation

 Avoiding Grammatical Errors in Business Writing

 Crisp Composition

 Writing to Reach the Audience

 Getting the Most from Business Documents

 The Writing Process

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