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Writers At Work: A Review for Professionals - Part III: Achieving Clear, Concise Writing

(Contact Hours: 16) $145.00

Course Description

This is the third of four review courses that together provide an in-depth review of grammar, punctuation, mechanics, sentence structure and style. While it is preferable that students take all four courses in sequence, they may also pick and choose the individual courses that suit their needs.

Part III of the review will help the student develop a clear, concise, and dynamic writing style. Tutoring, readings, textbook and exercises help students ensure that they understand the concepts and can revise their own writing to be more clear, concise, and dynamic. Topics include clear reference; using synonyms and transitions; avoiding redundancy and achieving concise, strong sentences; appropriate use of jargon; effective use of invented words; choosing strong verbs, etc.

Required Book:
"Grammatically Correct: The Writer's Guide to Punctuation, Spelling, Style, Usage and Grammar" by Anne Stilman.

0898797764:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com

Outcomes

1. The student demonstrates the ability identify and revise ineffective writing and to generate clear, concise and dynamic writing.
2. The student demonstrates an ability edit for redundancy, wordiness, weak constructions and passive verbs.
3. The student demonstrates an ability to correctly use active and passive voice appropriately.
4. The student is asked to compose several essays to demonstrate his or her ability to write clearly and concisely within a word limit.

Assessment

The class provides several levels of assessment:

1. A diagnostic test, taken at the beginning of the course, which assesses the student's strengths and weaknesses.
2. Exercises that allow students to practice what they learn each week and prove his or her mastery of the concepts learned. Student must attain a mastery level of 80% in each unit.

Week 1

The student will learn about clear reference. Through reading, studying and completing exercises, the student will become proficient in recognizing and revising unclear or ambiguous references, using synonyms appropriately, and using transition words and phrases to improve coherence in sentences and paragraphs. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. An exercise each week will ensure mastery of the materials and may be retaken until the student shows a mastery level of at least 80%.

Week 2

The student will learn to recognize and correct wordiness and redundancy, including circumlocution, expletive constructions, overuse of intensifiers, overreliance on prepositional phrases, negative constructions, and complex verb constructions. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. An exercise each week will ensure mastery of the materials and may be retaken until the student shows a mastery level of at least 80%.

Week 3

Through reading, studying and completing exercises, students will learn how to recognize and correct inappropriate use of technical jargon, how to use invented words effectively, and how to avoid a telegraphic style. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. An exercise each week will ensure mastery of the materials and may be retaken until the student shows a mastery level of at least 80%.

Week 4

Through reading, studying and completing exercises, students will develop a more dynamic style by recognizing and revising nominalizations, weak verbs, overpacked noun compounds. The instructor will be available for tutoring and to answer questions. An exercise each week will ensure mastery of the materials and may be retaken until the student shows a mastery level of at least 80%.

To register or for more information This on-line registration process is for credit card registrations only. If you wish to be invoiced and pay with a Purchase Order (PO), please fax your registration form and the purchase order to 919.515.7614. If you do not have a registration form, call 919.515.2261 and request a form; however, NCSU employees may use this on-line registration to pay via IDT.
Online	registration
Phone	919.515.2261
Fax*	919.515.7614
E-mail*	ContinuingEducation@ncsu.edu

*Make sure to include your name, address, and what information you are requesting.