On completion of this course you will:

• Write readable, accessible reports for your target audience
• Create documents that achieve their objectives
• Understand how to write with clarity, simplicity, brevity and a modern, professional voice
• Write well-structured documents that get the message across quickly, clearly and effectively
• Communicate information, ideas, decisions and arguments using the new industry standard of Plain English
• Identify and avoid common errors of grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and punctuation
• Have the skills to edit your own and others’ written work
• Take away a comprehensive resource pack

Who Should Attend?

Anyone who writes reports regularly and depends on written communications to achieve their objectives

Anyone who has to write as part of their job and answers yes to any of the following questions:

• Would you like to write with greater ease and confidence?
• Would you like to be able to edit a report to a professional standard?
• Would an ability to create effective reports provide career opportunities?

Part One - Planning

Essential steps in planning a readable report:

• Identifying readers’
• Concerns and characteristics
• Level of education and experience
• Attitude towards your purpose and information
• Creating a useful objective for your document, using 5Ws and H (Who? What? Why? Where? When? and How?)
• Making sure you write the right report
• Using mind mapping
• Creating the structure, using a skeleton format
• Writing a draft: Putting meat on the bones
• Overcoming writer’s block
• Using Outline in MS Word
• Practice

Part Two - Writing: Good English

• Identifying a good style
• Transforming your style:
• Using clear, concise, easy-to-read English

• Using clear, concise, easy-to-read English
• Avoiding wordiness
• Cutting jargon and ‘business speak’
• Re-structuring sentences and paragraphs
• Writing with a professional voice
• Cutting ‘dead wood’

• Common errors: commonly confused words
• Making technical information more accessible
• Making reports look readable
• Using charts, tables and images
• Explaining complex technical issues in Clear English
• Online resources for reference
• Practice

Part Three – Editing

• Editing strategies: how to re-read more effectively
• Edit for objectives, readability, structure and content
• Proofreading practice: common errors of grammar, punctuation and use of English
• Reviewing toolbar/ track changes
• Practice

NB: Participants are asked to bring along a two-page sample of their own writing, to use during the individual editing practice. These are treated in strictest confidence.

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