The City College of New York

Continuing and Professional Studies (212-650-7312)

Business Writing
Spring 2011

Instructor Vanessa Jennings, MPA

9 am – 12 pm Office: 212-650-7699 (M – F; 9 – 5)
Saturdays e-mail: nessa11434@gmail.com
Class Duration 4/16 – 5/21 Office – Shepard 02/212-650-7312
Class Building Location: _____ Room: __

Pre-requisites: None

Note: Handouts will be distributed at the beginning of each class. Bring a notebook,
highlighter(s) pens and a pocket-folder for handouts to each class.

Course Learning Objectives

This seven week course teaches techniques for writing clear, concise, and effective business
letters, memos, reports and other documentation (e.g., abstracts, resumes, e-mails). You will
learn how to tailor your writing to have the appropriate structure for effective business
communication through a focus on correct grammar, format and writing style.

Individual Course Requirements:

Class Participation – Questions, answers, observations, and anecdotes and homework
Final Comprehensive Examination 5/28 (100%)

Grading, Participation and Conduct

Grading Policy: Pass = 75 +
Fail = < 75

Attendance Policy: Attendance and participation is mandatory. Every absence will result in a
reduction of your grade by 5 points (i.e., 10 point reduction in grade after 2 absences).
Chronic Lateness will affect your final class grade by 5 points.

Late Work: Tardy work will only be accepted with prior permission from instructor and will be
reduced by 5 points.

Breaks/Eating: There is no eating in class; this includes gum. There will be one 15-minute
break for the class if needed.

Professionalism: Students are expected to conduct themselves in a mature fashion.

Saturday, 4/16 Introduction to Communications and the Writing

Class # 1 Process. 6 steps to Reader Centered Writing.
Grammar Focus – Sentence Structure, Types and
Ending Punctuation; Predicates and Prepositions.

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Saturday, 4/23 Successful resume writing.
Class # 2 The importance of lay-out, effective formatting,
action verbs, soft vs. hard skills. Grammar Focus –
Clauses, Comma Splices, Fused Sentences.

Saturday, 4/30 Successful Letters – The Basics

Class # 3 Introduction to the parts of a business letter and
associated vocabulary, correspondence phrases and
key functional language, analyzing a letter of
complaint and identifying the problems, functional
language for apologizing. Grammar Focus –
Contractions, Apostrophes, Direct and Indirect
Objects.

Saturday, 5/7 Successful emails; writing clearly & appropriately.

Class #4 Introduction to good and bad email practice,
formality and informality in e-mails, abbreviations
and emoticons, avoiding sexist language, topic
sentences. Grammar Focus – Appositives, comma,
colon and semi-colon usage.

Saturday, 5/14 Linking ideas (time, addition, contrast, logic) with

Class # 5 connectors. Referencing words to make text
cohesive. Reports: Organizing information,
presentation of the sections of a report and how they
inter-relate. Presentation of various report types.
Grammar Focus - Subject – Verb Agreement.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement. Review of Reader
Centered Writing.

Saturday, 5/21 5 Key Sections of a report (TOC-OSCR)

Class # 6 Other Business Documents: Proposals, Minutes,
Memos, Flowcharts, Executive Summary, and
Abstracts. Review of business document types,
elements of formatting; proof-reading. Grammar
Focus - Passive-Active Voice. Nine remaining
punctuation marks &, [ ], - , –, …, ( ), “ ”, ‘ ’, /.
Grammar and Punctuation Exam. Dissemination
of Final Grades

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