Contents -- About This Course -- How to Take This Course -- Pre-test -- 1 Writing for Your Reader -- Establishing Criteria -- Exercise 1-1: What Is Good Writing? -- Knowing Why You Write -- Knowing Your Audience -- Position in the Organization -- Exercise 1-2: Paths of Communication Based on Social and Political Relationships -- Knowledge of the Topic -- Exercise 1-3: Paths of Communication Based on Level of Knowledge -- Personal Characteristics -- Exercise 1-4: Consider the Reader -- Multiple Readers -- Applying Basic Psychology -- Point Out Benefits to the Reader -- Consider the Reader's Point of View -- Use an Appropriate Tone -- Exercise 1-5: Writing with an Appropriate Tone -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 2 Getting Organized -- Creating an Outline -- Formal and Informal Outlines -- The Outline as a Test of Logic -- Developing Your Topic -- Good Evidence -- Validity and Logic -- Exercise 2-1: Finding the Flaw in the Argument -- Details, Details -- Organizing Your Material -- Direct Organization -- Exercise 2-2: Get to the Point -- Indirect Organization -- Putting Your Supporting Ideas in Sequence -- Exercise 2-3: From Brainstorm to Order -- Chronology -- Categorization -- Problem/Solution -- Comparison -- Process Analysis -- Getting Going -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 3 Types of Business Writing -- The Business Letter -- Format -- Body of the Letter -- Exercise 3-1: Writing Letters -- The Memorandum -- Protocol and Format -- Content -- Exercise 3-2: Writing a Memo -- The Proposal -- Body of the Proposal -- The Report -- Minutes of a Meeting -- Writing Together -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 4 Effective Writing -- Choosing Appropriate Sentence Patterns -- Simple Sentences -- Compound Sentences -- Complex Sentences -- Using Sentences Effectively -- Topic Sentences -- Paragraphs -- Transitions.

Exercise 4-1: Organizing Sentences -- Emphasizing and Deemphasizing Ideas -- Exercise 4-2: Beware the Dreaded Comma Splice -- Exercise 4-3: Structuring for Emphasis -- Controlling Sentence Length -- Exercise 4-4: Sentence Length -- Creating Rhythm with Sentence Variety -- Building Sound Sentences -- Parallel Structure -- Exercise 4-5: Parallel Structure -- Misplaced Modifiers -- Dangling Modifiers -- Exercise 4-6: Avoiding Dangling Modifiers -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 5 The Right Word: Appropriate Language -- Dictionaries: Tools of the Trade -- Dictionary Entries -- Synonyms -- Read Thoroughly -- Exercise 5-1: Consulting a Dictionary -- Slippery Words -- Denotation and Connotation -- Sexist and Other Offensive Language -- Jargon and Technical Terms -- Formality -- Exercise 5-2: Airing Out Stuffiness -- Grammar -- Agreement of Subject and Verb -- Exercise 5-3: Subject-Verb Agreement -- Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent -- Agreement of Pronouns in Other Sentences -- Resources -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 6 Language That Works -- Finding the Right Tone -- Choosing the Right Verbal Image -- Loaded Words -- Positive and Negative Associations -- Warm and Cold Words -- Exercise 6-1: Warm and Cold Words -- Being Precise -- Writing Logically -- Using Words Correctly -- Finding the Right Word -- Exercise 6-2: Precise Writing -- Being Concise -- Eliminate Fillers -- Eliminate Repetition -- Condense Phrases and Clauses -- Exercise 6-3: Tight Writing -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 7 Direct and Forceful Writing -- Using Active Verbs -- Making Passive Sentences Active -- Exercise 7-1: The Active Voice -- Using the Passive Voice Appropriately -- Using Concrete and Specific Language -- Powerful Verbs -- Exercise 7-2: Active Verbs -- Vivid Nouns.

Exercise 7-3: Concrete and Abstract Nouns -- Who Does What to Whom? -- Verbized Nouns and Nounification of Verbs -- It's Absolutely, Totally Unnecessary to Overmodify Very Much -- Exercise 7-4: Edit, Rewrite, Improve -- Avoiding Tired Language -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 8 Write and Rewrite: Punctuating and Revising -- Punctuation -- End Marks -- The Comma -- The Semicolon -- The Colon -- The Dash -- The Apostrophe -- Exercise 8-1: Punctuation Practice -- Incorporating Quotations into Your Writing -- Exercise 8-2: Quotable Quotes -- Rewriting, Polishing, and Streamlining -- Proofreading -- Exercise 8-3: Find the Errors -- Checking Yourself -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 9 Research: Fact-Finding Missions -- Interviewing for Information -- The Right Questions -- Open-Ended Questions -- Indirect Questions -- Feedback Questions -- Exercise 9-1: Kinds of Questions -- Researching -- Using the Internet -- Resources Online -- The Library -- Reference Librarians -- Detective at Work -- Exercise 9-2: Where in the World Is . . . -- Using Sources -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- 10 Plugging In: Computers and Business Communication -- Writing by Computer -- Wordiness: Delete -- Presentation: The Eyes Have It -- Guidelines for Electronic Writing -- Electronic Communication -- E-Mail -- Discussion Forums -- Writing that Functions as Speech -- Exercise 10-1: Writing E-mail -- New Issues in Communication -- Privacy -- Offending Material -- Copyright Protection -- A Word to the Wise -- Exercise 10-2: Assessing the Risks -- Recap -- Answers to Exercises -- Review Questions -- Bibliography -- Post-test -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.