In-house courses

We offer a range of courses as in-house courses, where we come to your offices. These courses can be run over one or two days.

Advanced Grammar
Grammarcheck
Plain English
Plain English and forms design
Plain English and report writing
Plain English for medical writers
Writing for websites in plain English

The courses are flexible and can be adapted to your own specific needs. Some of the sessions cover plain English techniques, and others concentrate on your own documents or practical case studies we provide. If possible, we like to use your own material to reinforce the techniques.

The courses are designed to allow the delegates to contribute as much as possible. It uses a mixture of group and individual work. We actively encourage discussion and questions. We leave the size of the group to you, but the larger the group, the less opportunity there is for delegates to express their views. We do not try to produce ‘clones’ who will slavishly follow a perception of correct language. That is exactly what we are trying to escape. Our aim is to make the language we use in public life as clear as possible.

The first half of most courses teaches plain English techniques. We can then structure the rest of the course however you prefer.

A typical timetable of a one-day plain English course is as follows.

Morning

9.30 Introduction to the course
10.10 Is the information as clear as possible?
10.30 Is the style appropriate for the audience?
10.45 Coffee
11.00 Shortening sentences
11.20 Writing style - what do readers think?
11.45 Suggestions for clear writing
12.00 Being active about passives
12.45 Lunch

Afternoon

1.45 Righting some writing wrongs
2.35 Revealing hidden verbs
3.00 Tea
3.15 Setting out and organising good letters
3.30 Planning and drafting a complete letter
5.00 Summary and close

If you would like more information, please e-mail us and we will send you some details.