Professional writing 1-8

Lahore School of Nursing

The University of Lahore
4- Year BS Nursing

COURSE OUTLINE

Title: English VII (ENG 418)

Credit: 2 CH

Placement: 4-Year BS Year IV, Semester I

Day & Time: Theory: See the attached Schedule

Faculty: M. Sabir

Email: Muhammad.sabir@lsn.uol.edu.pk

Course Description:

This course is designed to enhance academic and professional writing skills of learners. It also
augments their ability to argue, negotiate and persuade. The course also aims to improve
learners’ interviewing and public speaking skills. It prepares learners to enter the professional
world with confidence.

Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1) Write memos
2) Record proceedings of formal meetings
3) Conduct meetings in a professional manner
4) Persuade effectively to establish their own view point
5) Write CVs and job applications
6) Acquire interviewing skills in a professional context.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Interactive lectures, individual, pair, group and whole class discussions, computer based
language learning.

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Evaluation Criteria:

Memo Writing 25-03-2021 05%

Agenda and Minutes Writing 08-04-2021 15%

QUIZ 11-03-2021 15%

CV and Cover letter 06-05-2021 10%

Final Exam 50%

Attendance 05%

Days Room
Thursday 09_____10 403
Thursday 04_____05 403
COURSE SCHEDULE

Wk Date Content Faculty

01 11-02-2021 Introduction to the course M.Sabir
Unit I: professional writing intro M.Sabir
Differences between other types of writings
02 18-02-2021 Memo writing and letter writing M.Sabir
Difference between letter and memo M.Sabir
Types Of Memo
03 25-02-2021 Format Of Memo and letter M.Sabir
Parts of Memo, Heading, opening segment, summary M.Sabir
segment, discussion segment, closing segment
04 04-03-2021 Unit II Formal Meetings & Minutes (Cont.…) M.Sabir
Different types of meetings. M.Sabir
05 11-03-2021 Types of meetings M.Sabir
QUIZ I M.Sabir
06 18-03-2021 Do’s and don’ts of meetings M.Sabir
Important things about conducting meetings
Writing an agenda, M.Sabir
07 25-03-2021 Writing agenda Continue----.
Memo writing submission
How to write minutes after meeting M.Sabir
08 01-04-2021 Dos and don’ts of writing minutes M.Sabir
Dos and don’ts of writing minutes M.Sabir

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09 08-04-2021 Unit III CV and COVER Letter (Cont.…) M.Sabir

Difference between CV and resume, Types of CV
Submission of Agenda and Minutes Writing M.Sabir
10 15-04-2021 How to write cv, Principal of CV writing M.Sabir
Types of Application
Format of writing job application M.Sabir
Difference between job application and others.
11 22-04-2021 Agenda and Minutes Writing M.Sabir
Difference between job application and others
Unit IV Interviewing Skills M.Sabir
12 29-04-2021 Types of interviews M.Sabir
How to conduct an interview M.Sabir
13 06-05-2021 Difference between formal and informal interviews M.Sabir
Difference between formal and informal interviews M.Sabir
Submission of CV & Cover Letter
14 13-05-2021 Relation between your CV and interview M.Sabir
Types of interview questions, Paws model,w5 model M.Sabir
15 20-05-2021 Do’s and Don’ts of interviews M.Sabir
Class activity M.Sabir
16 27-05-2021 Revision M.Sabir
Final Exam

Guidelines for Memo Writing and marks grading

1.  Introduction (02 marks)

 states the general problem or main idea

2.  Statement of facts (02 marks)

 states the facts or discusses the problem or issue

3.  Argument (03 marks)

 explains importance or relevance of facts

4.  Conclusion (03 marks)

 summarizes the main idea, suggests or requests action

 memos do not have a complimentary close or signature line

 memos end with a call to action

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Guidelines for meeting writing:

1.Type of meeting

2. Name of organization

3. Date, time and place of meeting

4. Names of presiding officer and recorder of minutes

5. Members present (members absent is optional)

6. Establishment of a quorum .

7. Record of action taken on the minutes of the previous meeting

8. Exact wording of each main motion as it was voted on with name of the maker of the motion and
whether the motion passed or failed.

9. Any notices given at the meeting, especially for items that require that previous notice be given.

10.Reports should include the name of the committee/team/panel/liaison and the reporting member.

Periodic summaries of the meeting

The meeting chair follows up with participants on action agreed to during the meeting.

Key points by all the participants

Submission of agenda and meeting minutes (05 marks)

An agenda is prepared prior to the meeting

Formatting (02 marks)

Grammar, APA, etc.

Periodic summaries of the meeting (03 marks)

The meeting chair follows up with participants on action agreed to during the meeting.

Key points by all the participants (05 marks)

Guidelines for Application and CV (10%)

Introduction (02 marks)

Indicate that you know something specific about their organization
Mention how you found the job

Body (03 marks)

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Write 2 to 3 paragraphs
Body paragraph addresses a specific job qualification
Mention skills in which you are an expert
Write about where you developed your quant skills in class and on a job or doing research
Conclusion (03 marks)
Reiterate how your education and experience is a fit for the job
Thank them for their time and consideration.

Formation (02 marks)

They should be concise, one page, with relatively short paragraphs
Use APA style of writin
Resume Grading Rubric 

PRESENTATION/ Typed or computer Typed or computer Typed or computer Typed or computer

FORMAT generated generated generated generated
Balanced margins Balanced margins Somewhat balanced Unbalanced margins
with eye appeal margins
Format highlights Format identifies Format identifies Format detracts from
strengths and strengths and strengths and strengths and
information information information information
Appropriate fonts and Appropriate fonts and No variation in fonts Fonts distract from
point size used with point size used and/or point size readability
variety
Ranking Points 10 8 7 6
JOB-SPECIFIC All action phrases 1-2 duties/skills lacks 3-4 duties/skills lack 5-6 duties/skills lack
VOLUNTEER used to describe duties action phrases action phrases action phrases
INFORMATION and skills

Information Information Some information Information does not

demonstrates ability to demonstrates ability o demonstrates clearly demonstrate
perform the job perform the job ability to perform ability to perform the
job
the job

Some professional
terminology used
when describing skills
Ranking Points 15 12 11 10
RESUME Heading, objective, Heading, objective, Heading, objective, Missing one of the
CONTENT skills, experience, and skills, experience, and skills, experience, following:  heading,
education covered in education covered in and education objective, experience,
detail some detail covered with little or education
detail

Extra information Minimal extra No extra information

given to enhance information given to given to enhance
resume enhance resume resume
Ranking Points 15 12 11 10
SPELLING & No spelling errors   1-2 spelling errors   3-4 spelling errors   5-6 spelling errors

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GRAMMAR 5-6 grammar errors

No grammar errors 1-2 grammar errors 3-4 grammar errors
Ranking Points 10 8 6 4
Total Score

Unit Objectives

Unit I Memo Writing

Unit Description

This unit is to help students write official memos. It focuses on the practice of writing different
type of memos using appropriate language, tone and style

Unit Objectives

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

1) Use appropriate layout

2) Write clear and concise memos.

Unit II Formal Meetings & Minutes

Unit Description

This unit aims to prepare students to develop an appropriate agenda and record the proceedings
of formal meetings using the provided guidelines. It also focuses on the learners’ being able to
understand and analyze the roles performed by the chair and the members present in the meeting.

Unit Objectives

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

1) Plan an agenda
2) Conduct meetings
3) Take minutes using language appropriate / formal language
4) Observe / comment on the proceedings of a formal meeting.
5) Take minutes using language appropriate / formal language
6) Observe / comment on the proceedings of a formal meeting.
7) Students will learn Important things about conducting meetings
8) They will learn what are Dos and don’ts of writing minutes.

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Unit III CV and Job Application

Unit Description

This unit aims to provide guidelines to develop comprehensive curriculum vitae and job
applications keeping in view the contemporary norms and requirements

Unit Objectives

By the end of the unit students will be able to:

1) Develop curriculum vitae in accordance to employer’s needs

2) Write job applications.
3) Learn about how to write CV and Types of Application.
4) To teach students about Differences between job application and others.
5) Students will understand Format of writing job application.

Unit IV Interviewing Skills

Unit Description

This unit is to provide guidelines on how to give and take interviews focusing on professional
etiquettes, styles for taking and conducting interviews. In addition the unit also provides
information on roles of interviewers and interviewees.

Unit Objectives

By the end of this unit students will be able to

1) Understand and discuss the roles of interviewers and interviewees

2) Study and practice interviewing skill
3) Learn how to cope with difficult interview questions
4) Learn how to conduct an interview.
5) Difference between formal and informal interviews

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References

1. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual for the American

Psychological Association (5thed.). Washington DC: Author.
2. Baugh, L.S., Fryar, M., & Thomas, D.A. (2000). How to write first-class business
correspondence: The handbook for business writing. New Delhi: NTC Publishing Group.
3. Baugh, L.S. (1998). How to write first class memos. Illinois: NTC Publishing Group.
4. Davidson, W. (2001). Business writing: What works, what won’t. New York: St. Martin’s
Griffin.
5. Emmerson, P. (2004). Email English. Oxford: Macmillan.
6. Ismail, I. (2003). Model business letters: Time saving, ready-to-use business letters for
all occasions. Karachi: Usmania Publishers.
7. Lamb, S.E. (1998). How to write it: A complete guide to everything you’ll ever write.
Berkeley CA: Ten Speech Press.
8. Miller, J. (2002). Business writing that counts. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers.
9. Murphy, H.A., Hildebrandt, H. W., & Thomas, J.P. (1997). Effective business
communications (7thed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill International.
10. Pike, B., &Busse, C. (2002). 101 games for trainers: A collection of the best activities
from creative techniques newsletter. New Delhi: Ane Books.
11. Rosen, L.J. (1998). Decisions: A writer’s handbook. London: Allyn& Bacon.
12. Sharma, R.C., & Mohan, K. (2003). Business correspondence and report writing: A
practical approach to business and technical communication (3rded.). New Delhi: Tata
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.
13. Taylor, S. (2004). Model business letters, e-mails & other business documents (6thed.).
New Delhi: Pearson Education.
14. Theibert, P.R. ((2003). Business writing for busy people. New Delhi: Penguin.