Most of the guidelines, examples, and exercises that appear on our Grammar and Composition site apply equally well to all kinds of writing projects. However, business writers (and students enrolled in
business writing courses) are often called on to compose special kinds of projects (such as
memos, letters,
reports, and
proposals) that follow distinctive conventions. To learn more about those conventions, you may want to visit one of these four outstanding web sites for business writers.
Number one on our list of
online writing labs is the OWL at Purdue University. No surprise, then, that our top pick for business writers is the professional writing section of the Purdue OWL. In addition to many excellent handouts covering various aspects of business, technical, and professional writing, the site includes PowerPoint presentations as well as workshops on writing resumes, cover letters, and research reports.
Dr. Carter McNamara has prepared an extensive collection of original materials on business writing as well as links to hundreds of useful articles and resources. Don't overlook the special section on
Leadership in Organizations.
If you like your advice short and snappy, check out the weekly tips (more than 500 so far) provided by Bull's Eye, a site hosted by Basic Learning Systems, Inc.
Jennie Kermode has prepared eight concise lessons on such subjects as making "language work for you when tackling difficult situations" and using "language to promote your business to the public and to potential trading partners."