BWC85 Basic Grammar Essentials and BWC95 Business Writing Essentials

The Business Writing Essentials course contains the essential training provided in BWC210 Business Writing Skills, but without practice activities and some lessons. The course teaches the best practices business people must know to be able to write clear, effective, professional business documents, including e-mail, memos, letters, and reports. It teaches a structured approach to writing that makes writing easier and guides readers through the content. Graduates report that they receive high praise for their writing, and other employees begin to copy their style.

The instructor evaluates three writing examinations. As with all other Business Writing Center courses, you have unlimited access to the instructor to ask questions during the course. The instructor evaluates the competency examinations and coaches you through learning skills.

Course Content

1. Use a standard letter format.
2. Use a standard memo format.

3. Prepare notes for your email, memo, letter, or report.
4. Organize the document
5. Organize the notes.

6. For emails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
7. For letters, use a "Subject" or "Re" line if your company customarily uses it.
8. Write a clear, complete introduction.
9. For e‑mails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
10. State the contents of the document.

11. Write the explanations in blocks.
12. Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
13. Check each block for focus.
14. Check each block for completeness.
15. Open each block with a statement of the contents.
16. Use headings to open blocks.
17. Practice writing the thesis, generalizations, and headings.

18. Create lists.
19. Open list blocks.
20. Mark the list items clearly.
21. Keep list items in a single list.
22. Keep list items in the same format.
23. Use information blueprinting to be explicit.

24. Use keywords consistently.
25. Use full phrases to define words clearly.

27. Use paragraphs to organize information.
28. Write concisely.
29. Combine sentences to show relationships. Separate sentences to make them clearer.
30. Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
31. Write strong, direct sentences.

32. Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft
33. Use your spell checker and grammar checker.

34. Format the e‑mail to be readable.

Each lesson also has a pre-test and post-test to show you that you have learned the skills. The tests are scored immediately so you can see how you did. Your instructor receives a copy of the test to look over and see whether you need any coaching.

For an in-depth grammar survey course with readings from a grammar textbook, pre- and post-tests, and instructor contact, enroll in BWC100 Basic Grammar for Business. For a tutorial in which you work with an instructor who identifies the errors you're making in your writing, teaches you the skills to eliminate the errors, and coaches you through learning the skills, consider BWC110 Basic Grammar Skills Tutorial.

Course Content