Efficient Writing AWR102

Learn to write effectively This course is particularly usefulfor people who wish to brush up on their writing skills, or to obtain basic skills which they should have but did not develop properly while at school. It aims to provide an understanding of how to write clearly and efficiently, and to communicate thoughts in the minimum number of words, and without any ambiguity. COURSE STRUCTURE

There are six lessons in this course - each with set tasks and assignments to complete:

1. Introduction - Find your existing writing skills; types of language and communication.
2. Basic Writing Skills - Parts of speech, grammar and sentence construction.
3. Clear Wording - How to write clearly so there is no ambiguity and the reader understands.
4. Concise Wording - How to use concise wording to get maximum information across with a minimum of words.
5. Punctuation and Accuracy - Spelling and punctuation.
6. Planning what you write - How to plan out letters, stories, articles, etc.

COURSE AIMS

• Define the nature and scope of writing.
• Discuss the way written sentences and paragraphs are properly structured.
• Develop an increased capacity to write clearly.
• Develop improved conciseness in writing.
• Develop an improved punctuation skills.
• Apply basic writing skills more efficiently in a range of situations.

An excellent opportunity to improve the quality of your communication and writing.

Tracey Jones

Efficent Writing Tutor

AN EXAMPLES SET TASK AND ASSIGNMENT FROM THE COURSE

SET TASK

Look through some magazines, newspapers and newsletters. Try to get a variety of different standards of publications. These could be from school, church or youth club newsletters through to glossy, professional magazines. Check the grammar used in these different publications. Try to find mistakes in grammar. Notice how well the writing reads in different parts of these different publications. See if you can work out why some sections of the writing seem to be easier to read and understand than other sections. Is it because of the type of words that are used? Is it more than just the type of words?

Is it because of the way the words are combined? Is it something else?

ASSIGNMENT

1. What did you learn from your set task above? Write no more than one page and no less than three sentences for your answer.

2. Copy out any errors in grammar that you found in the newspapers, newsletters and magazines that you read in your set task.

3. Write a sentence that illustrates a dangling modifier, and correct the sentence.

4. Write a paragraph or more built up from the following sentences. Expand and combine the sentences as needed to create a good and interesting paragraph with varied sentence structure.

The girl picked flowers.

She gave the flowers to her mother.

Her mother was ill.

The father was in the fields.

The mother could not get up to cook or clean.

The girl made soup.

The sky outside was grey.

The girl worried that it might rain.

She worried that her father might be caught in the rain.

The mother barely spoke.

The mother\'s eyes were sad.

The girl fed her mother some soup.

The mother went to sleep.

The girl waited for her father by the door.

5. Read the following passage carefully, taking note of each type of sentence. Choose one example from the passage of each of the following:

A declarative sentence

An exclamatory sentence

A compound sentence

A complex sentence

A compound?complex sentence.

LEARN TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY - A USEFUL SKILL IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

This course is useful for people who wish to brush up on or improve their basic writing skills. It develops an understanding of how to write clearly and efficiently and to communicate thoughts without ambiguity.