PTI - international

• Fundamentals of good writing:
  • Materials
  • Audience
  • Guidelines
• Internal consistency
• Structure and reader expectation
• High price of low-quality writing

Exercise: Rewrite Sample Sentences and Paragraphs

II. Introduction to Rhetorical Grammar

• Rhetoric, the art of persuasion
• Rhetorical grammar and professional writing
• Reader expectations
  • Subject-verb connections
  • Stress position
  • Topic position
  • Punctuation
  • Sequence
• Formula for success

Exercise: Revise the Second Sentence of Sample Paragraph to Eliminate Awkwardness

III. Manipulate Sentence Rhythm to Emphasize Key Points in your Writing

• Rhythm of spoken and written English language
• Intonation contours
• Common sentence rhythm
• Controlling rhythm
  • it-cleft
  • what-cleft
  • there-transformation
• Set phrases
• Rhythm and punctuation
• Power words

Exercise: Shift Sentence Emphasis Using Tools Learned So Far in the Course

IV. Write Unified, Cohesive Paragraphs

• General properties of a unified paragraph
• Topic and clincher sentences
• Unity and coherence
• Cohesion
• Known-new contract
• Role of pronouns
• Pronouns and antecedents
• Grammatical and political correctness
• Role of the passive voice
• Metadiscourse signals
• Parallelism and antithesis
• Avoiding wordiness

Exercise: Recast the Paragraph You Wrote During the Course Introduction: Address it to Your Sponsor and Explain Why You Need to Attend this Course 

V. Identify and Convey Strong Key Messages

• Define the purpose of the document you are writing
• Define the term "key messages" and why they are "key"
• Deliver key messages that resonate with your target audience
• Identify the attributes of a good key message
• Examine the use of key messages in various types of documents (e.g., protocol , clinical study report, IND, investigator's brochure)
• Support key messages with data

Exercise: Critique a Briefing Document for Effectiveness in Delivery of Key Messages; Edit the Key Messages to Strengthen Impact