Business Basics

The Complete Business Writing Learning Path

With expert instruction.

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25 skill-based courses

In 5 Skill Sets

Learning Path Duration

01H 59M

What Will I Learn?

Learning Path

About Business Writing

This learning path will cover the essential skills you need when producing written communication to be more effective and professional.

Business Writing Skills

Proposals

Proposals

Proposals

Proposals

4m 28s

An explanation of how to write proposals correctly for business.

Processes

Processes

Processes

Processes

3m 18s

An overview of writing processes correctly in business.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Abbreviations

4m 34s

An overview of how to use abbreviations properly in business writing.

Acronyms

Acronyms

Acronyms

Acronyms

1m 34s

A brief explanation of using acronyms in business writing.

Appropriate Language

Appropriate Language

Appropriate Language

Appropriate Language

3m 11s

A quick discussion of language that is appropriate in business writing.

Misused Words

Misused Words

Misused Words

Misused Words

7m 29s

An overview of commonly misused words, and how to use them correctly when writing for business.

Sentences and Paragraphs

Sentences and Paragraphs

Sentences and Paragraphs

Sentences and Paragraphs

2m 14s

An introduction to correctly structuring sentences and paragraphs.

Executive Reports & Memos

Executive Reports & Memos

Executive Reports & Memos

Executive Reports & Memos

3m 53s

An overview of writing executive reports and memos for business.

Proofreading Skills

How to Proofread

How to Proofread

How to Proofread

How to Proofread

4m 11s

How you write a business document, whether it's a resume, email, or a client proposal impacts the way others view you. We all want to be perceived as professional, credible, and knowledgeable at work. Proofreading is essential to writing properly, particularly in business. It helps you pinpoint areas that need rewriting and it minimizes errors with grammar, punctuation, spelling, and wording. Yes, spellcheck is great but it doesn't catch everything. In this first program on Proofreading, we'll go over exactly how to proofread to help you perfect your writing.

Spell Check and Autocorrect

Spell Check and Autocorrect

Spell Check and Autocorrect

Spell Check and Autocorrect

4m 42s

Spellcheck and autocorrect tools are one of the great advances in technology when it comes to writing, but they cannot fully replace a set of human eyes. They're designed to work in conjunction with a good human proofread. In this course, we'll go over the pros and cons of spelling and grammar checking tools, along with best practices to use them to your advantage. We'll also discuss Autocorrect and it's use in writing.

Creating a Cheat Sheet

Creating a Cheat Sheet

Creating a Cheat Sheet

Creating a Cheat Sheet

3m 9s

You'd be surprised by how many rules and exceptions to those rules exist within the English language. We all have words and grammatical rules that trip us up. One of the best things you can do to make writing easier and less error-prone is to create your own personal cheat sheet. In this program, we'll talk about some of the helpful items you might want to include.

Top 10 Writing Mistakes

Top 10 Writing Mistakes

Top 10 Writing Mistakes

Top 10 Writing Mistakes

6m 10s

There are a lot of rules to remember when it comes to writing, and beyond just the rules, it takes voice, tone, and organization to create an effective piece. You've probably heard the adage, "Rules are made to be broken," but today we're going to talk about ten mistakes you should avoid at all costs.

Punctuation Skills

Ending Sentences

Ending Sentences

Ending Sentences

Ending Sentences

4m 45s

When reading and writing, there are three ways to end a sentence. In this course, we'll go over those marks: the period, the exclamation point, and the question mark. We'll discuss what they mean and how to use them effectively. This is a great refresher course and is also helpful for ESL learners.

Commas

Commas

Commas

Commas

9m 39s

The comma has long been a source of much confusion, conflict, and conversation. The comma's purpose is to indicate a small break or pause within a sentence. If you've ever been intimidated by appropriate use of commas, fear no more. After this course, you'll know how, when, and why to use commas.

Semicolons and Colons

Semicolons and Colons

Semicolons and Colons

Semicolons and Colons

5m 1s

Periods, question marks, exclamation points, and commas will get you through a lot of sentences. But to take your writing to the next level, you'll want to consider a couple more options. Enter the semicolon and colon. In this course, we'll go over the purpose of both of these punctuation marks and how you should and shouldn't use them.

Apostrophes

Apostrophes

Apostrophes

Apostrophes

6m 41s

Apostrophes can get confusing because they serve many different purposes. In this course we'll discuss all of their uses and teach you when and how they should appear in sentences.

Quotation Marks

Quotation Marks

Quotation Marks

Quotation Marks

4m 23s

Let's talk quotation marks. In this course, we're going to focus on the rules for American English, but know that the rules do differ in British English, so be prepared to do your research if needed.

Writing Basics Skills

Why Care About Writing?

Why Care About Writing?

Why Care About Writing?

Why Care About Writing?

5m 10s

Writing is one of our most important forms of communication. Most of us do quite a bit of writing daily without even realizing it. Whether it's drafting emails, text messages, social media posts, or more in-depth pieces like proposals, writing well is a necessary skill. In this course, we'll go over why having good writing skills is essential in business.

Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech

7m 9s

When you speak or write, you likely don't pay much attention to the actual parts of speech. But learning the components used to communicate can help you form better, clearer, more cohesive sentences. In this program, we'll discuss the seven components of speech: 1. Nouns, 2. Pronouns, 3. Verbs, 4. Adjectives, 5. Adverbs, 6. Prepositions, and 7. Conjunctions.

Parts of a Sentence

Parts of a Sentence

Parts of a Sentence

Parts of a Sentence

5m 23s

Any given sentence, no matter how simple or complex, can be boiled down to two parts: the subject and the predicate. Here, we'll talk about what those two terms mean and how you can use them to construct better sentences.

Capitalization

Capitalization

Capitalization

Capitalization

5m 16s

Capitalization mistakes remain one of the most common errors found in today's business writing. In this course, we'll discuss how you can avoid those mistakes by going over the six instances that merit capitalization in the English language.

Writing Clearly Skills

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

3m 30s

Voice in writing can be divided into two categories: active voice and passive voice. It essentially boils down to this: who's in the driver's seat? Is it the subject or is it the verb? With active voice, the subject acts upon the verb. With passive voice, the subject receives the verb's action. In this course, we'll take an in-depth look at each of these voice types.

Fragments and Run-Ons

Fragments and Run-Ons

Fragments and Run-Ons

Fragments and Run-Ons

5m 19s

At its most basic level, a sentence contains a subject and a verb. So, what happens when we don't have a fully formed sentence? Or what if we have one that tries to cram in too much? That's exactly what we're going to talk about in this course: sentence fragments and run-on sentences. We'll learn about the different types of sentence fragments and the rare occasions when you might want to use them. We'll also learn about run-on sentences and how to avoid them.

Thinking About Tone

Thinking About Tone

Thinking About Tone

Thinking About Tone

3m 24s

You've probably heard someone excuse away a rude email or text by saying something like, "Tone is hard to read in text." But in reality, with a well-constructed sentence, that's not true. Writers have been imparting tone into their sentences since the written word began. The difference is that people focus on it less these days, likely because everyone's in such a hurry. But truth be told, it takes more time to explain what you actually meant in a quick email than it would have to write the sentence carefully with tone in mind in the first place. To that purpose, in this program we'll talk about what tone is and some tips and tricks for imparting a purposeful tone into your writing.

Organize Your Writing

Organize Your Writing

Organize Your Writing

Organize Your Writing

4m 41s

A well-organized piece of writing, no matter what kind it is, helps the reader follow the thread of your idea from opening to ending. Even something as commonplace as email can benefit from some forethought toward organization. How you organize your writing will depend some on what kind of writing it is. How you organize an email is going to be different than how you organize a novel. But the intent is the same. Get your thoughts in order so you can put them down on paper in a manner that's clear and coherent for the reader. In this course, we'll discuss the five ways to organize your writing.

Desktop and Mobile
  • All Access

    Access anywhere, anytime

    Learn at work, at home or on the go. All of our courses our online and play well with desktops and mobile devices.

  • Certificate

    Certificate of Completion

    Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion showing that you have gained the skills presented.

  • Support

    Support

    Have a question? We're here to help. We have detailed FAQs and resources as well as a support team ready to assist you.

  • Customization

    Customization

    We offer over 90 professionally hand-crafted learning paths to get you started, but we realized that not everyone wants to learn the same things. That's why we give you the flexibility to create your own, custom learning paths just for you and your team.

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