Writing at work – at some stage we all have to do it, whether it’s emailing clients and colleagues, writing reports, writing tenders or preparing press releases. In my experience, many people don’t have the basic tools for writing well at work. A quick glance at rental listings on Domain or realestate.com brings up some fine examples of not-so-great writing at work! There are often spelling mistakes and poor grammar. I also sense some laziness in the writing – perhaps the writer hasn’t bothered to capitalise the first word of a sentence or start a new sentence where they should have. 
So, how do you tackle this? Will learning basic grammar and punctuation automatically improve a person’s writing or do they need to learn the basics of business writing first? Personally, I found my writing improved in leaps and bounds when I took a grammar refresher course. I realised that many of the rules I learnt were ones I knew instinctively, but had never thought about why that rule applied. Once I had a better grasp of ‘why’, I was able to write more clearly.
But then again, a business writing course that focuses on how you should structure your work could be all you need to refine your writing or to learn how to write more succinctly. If you already have an understanding of grammar and punctuation, it may be that you need to understand the structure of business writing to be able to master it.
So which comes first, grammar or structure? Maybe it comes down to personal preference or natural talent. Or maybe you should just do both!
Grammar and Punctuation essentials: what you need to know
Date: Tuesday 5 May, 9am - 5pm
Cost: $395
Click here for details or to enrol online
Professional Business Writing
Date: Thursday 21 May, 9am - 5pm
Cost: $395
Click here for details or to enrol online