Efficient Writing

This course is taught by:

Lee Raye

M.A. (hons) Celtic Studies, (the University of Aberdeen); M.St. Celtic Studies, (the University of Oxford)

Lee is a PhD candidate at Cardiff University with degrees from Aberdeen and Oxford. He has written two books, digitalised another and written several academic papers. He has been interviewed by National Geographic and presented papers at eight different national and international conferences. Lee’s native language is English and, if asked, he is always happy to help students with their English spelling and grammar. He is also a keen proponent of the digital revolution and dreams of a world where all books are available instantly to be read, searched or treasured. Although he mainly writes non-fiction, he loves Victorian literature as well as modern fiction and poetry of all kinds. His academic knowledge of medieval events, cultures and the history of Britain’s environment make him especially qualified to help students interested in writing sci-fi and fantasy.
Lesson Structure: Efficient Writing AWR102

There are 6 lessons:

Introduction
Scope of writing -where is writing used?
What is effective writing
Good writing is direct
Good writing is objective
Variety is good in writing
Understanding human communication
The communication process
Types of communication (verbal, non verbal, etc)
Communication channels
Communicating efficiently
Writing for a purpose
Understand your reader
Content
Basic Writing Skills
Parts of speech
Types of nouns -proper, common, collective
Purals
Possessive nouns and pronouns
Types of verbs: regular, irregular etc.
Adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions
Common gramatical errors: comma splices, fragmented sentences, dangling modifiers, etc
Sentence construction
Types of sentence: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, etc
Sentance structure
Constructing sentances
Combining sentances
Expanding basic sentances
Adding modifying words, phrases or clauses.
Linking words or phrases
Clear Wording
Introduction
Common causes of confusion: homphones, malopropropisms, etc
Ambiguity
Making meanings clear: Illustrative context, glossing, etc
Informative language
Persuasive language
Imaginative language
Other types of language: colloquial, formal, informal, etc
Simplicity
Building a paragraph
General guidelines for effective writing
Concise Wording
Conciseness
Circumlocution
Condensing your writing
Common problemscontributing to lack of conciseness
Active and passive voice
Condensing text: how to Precis
Punctuation and Accuracy
Punctuation purpose
Semi colon, colon, dash, comma
Spelling
American or English spelling?
Planning what you write
Business formats
Business letters
Planning what you write
Writing a media release
Writing an answer or an essay
Academic writing, verbs, quotations
Unpack the question
Research
Referencing

Learning Goals: Efficient Writing AWR102

Define the nature and scope of writing.
Discuss the way written sentences and paragraphs are properly structured.
Develop an increased capacity to write clearly.
Develop improved conciseness in writing.
Develop and improve punctuation skills.
Apply basic writing skills more efficiently in a range of situations.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the Academy, marked by the Academy's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.