TYPES OF WORKPLACE WRITING

Letters
Letters of Application
Thank-You Letters
Letters of Complaint
Bad News Letters
Letters of Request
Informative Letters
Letters Promoting Something

E-Mail Messages and Memos

Brief Reminders
Information Exchanges
Recommendations
Announcements
Thank-You Notes

Reports
Sales Reports
Minutes of Meetings
Accident or Injury Reports
Job Completion Summaries
Proposals for New Products
Progress Reports
Research Reports
Case Studies

Special Forms
News Releases
Product Brochures
Newsletters
Advertisements
Manuals

From Write Source 2000: A Guide to Writing, Thinking, and Learning, written & compiled by Sebranek,
Kemper & Meyer, copyright 1999 by Great Source Education Group, Inc.
 Using Workplace Writing in the Classroom

Writing letters, memos, and proposals can help improve communication skills,
which in turn helps give students a head start on valuable job skills. For workplace
writing to be effective, it must be clear and complete and must exhibit traits found in all
effective writing. The six basic traits of good writing are listed below:

 Ideas (details and focus)

 Organization (strong opening and clear divisions)
 Voice (tone, style, and attention to audience)
 Word Choice (language, phrasing)
 Sentence Fluency (rhythm and readability)
 Conventions (editorial correctness

Here are some of the ways you can use workplace writing in school:

Letters
Students might write . . .
 A thank-you letter expressing appreciation for the help a professional gave
you for a school project.
 A letter of complaint to a school official stating their concern about a new or
existing policy.

E-Mail Messages and Memos

Students might write . . .
 An e-mail message to you (the teacher) updating their progress (or lack of it)
on an important assignment.
 A memo to the principal reminding him or her about the next student-council
meeting.

Reports
Students might write . . .
 A summary report of a field trip or individual visit to a specific workplace.
 A proposal for a science project or a research paper.

Special Forms
Students might write . . .
 A news release about an upcoming classroom activity.
 A pamphlet or brochure telling new students about a particular club or
organization.

From Write Source 2000: A Guide to Writing, Thinking, and Learning, written & compiled by Sebranek,
Kemper & Meyer, copyright 1999 by Great Source Education Group, Inc.