Assignment

Your first letter assignment for my class is due Sunday by midnight and should adhere to the following format:

• Be in correct business letter format

• Block paragraphing with 1" margins all the way around (with the exception of the first page which can be .5 at the top to accommodate your letterhead design)

• Placed on the letterhead you created for this class

• Be no more than two pages in length

• Use appropriate and well-placed examples to illuminate your points

• Language appropriate for your receiver

• Be grammatically sound (please refer to the syllabus for error information and grading)

• Select a topic that has depth to it. If you write on a topic that only yields two short paragraphs of content before formatting, expect a failing grade

For this assignment, you are to write a formal letter that addresses one of the following:

• Complaint or claim

• Response to a request (workplace situation only)

• Adjustment to a product or service (workplace situation only)

In a perfect world, I would have all of you write something school or work-related that you would actually turn in to a supervisor or instructor because it is wonderful to see your writing actually "work" for you in a real sense. However, I understand this isn't feasible for every student. So, that being said, if you have something you have been meaning to write either at work or personally that reflects one of the options above, please feel free to do so and turn it in to me as class work and your job to satisfy a need. If this is not applicable to you on the job, but recently went out to eat and had a poor experience, please write a letter of complaint. You may send it out or simply turn it in for a grade in my class.

As usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me but I will not edit/revise assignments sent to me via e-mail as that is the purpose of this class--to strengthen your ability to write without supervision. I am not an editor. I am here to teach you format, content and how to elevate your writing. However, if you are stuck and need assistance, I am more than happy to help you. You are always more than welcome to visit me during office hours or contact me if you are confused or lost on an assignment or a section within your writing. Remember, you have to be able to write grammatically sound documents without the aid of my expertise--that is the essence of this course.
In order to successfully complete this assignment, you should utilize the following format information:

• Use block paragraphing--no indents on the left margin and space between single-spaced paragraphs

• Paragraph #1: identify the situation and/or faulty item. Be specific and include any relevant information to help the recipient understand (e.g.: dates, invoices, copy of your bill, etc ...)

• Paragraph #2: (this section may be more than 1 paragraph in length. It is named 2 because of its order, not its content) explain logically, clearly and specifically what went wrong. Always use examples in the explanation

• Paragraph #3: state what you expect the reader to do to solve the problem to your satisfaction

When you are writing a good-news based letter, the format is generally the same:

• Use block paragraphing

• Paragraph #1: identify the situation and why you are expressing good news. Be specific and include any relevant information to help the recipient understand (e.g. dates, invoices, copy of your bill, etc ...)

• Paragraph #2: (this section may be more than 1 paragraph in length. It is named 2 because of its order, not its content) explain logically, clearly and specifically what happened and why you left satisfied--how did the person or service meet/exceed your expectations? Always use examples in the explanation

• Paragraph #3: state why you wanted the person you are writing to know about your experience. What are you hoping to accomplish with your letter?

For the purpose of this assignment, I want you to write a complaint, revision or problem letter. Typically, we are better at delivering good news so it is a bigger challenge to write bad news while maintaining goodwill to your recipient.