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The consequences of the author’s decisions in these matters can be a matter of fife and death. This is shown very clearly in the two “smoking gun” documents you will be examining for this assignment. The first memo is from D. F. Hellman, the manager Of plant performance for Babcock and Wilson. The second memo is from R. M. Boyishly at Morton Tuition. Both of these memos have become famous as “smoking guns” since they played a major role in pointing out problems that were ignored and that eventually led to catastrophic consequences. Questions to Ask ; What is rhetorical situation in each instance?
Research the Challenger disaster and the Three Mile Island incident. What do you know about the author of each of these memos? Google them so you have some idea of their credentials. ; Examine the main ideas of each document. Begin by looking at the subject line to determine how well it reflects the purpose of the memo. Look at the introductory paragraph. Try to find a stated thesis and underline it. Where does it occur in the memo? In the beginning, the middle, or the end? How easy was it to find this main idea? If you had to search hard to find it, what does that indicate? Look at how the document is organized. Does it allow the logical pattern of introduction, body, conclusion? Is it coherent? Is it unified? Does the author use transitions or other methods to lead the reader from one point to the next? Does the writer indicate the importance of the memo? How? ; Now look at the writer’s sale and purpose. Is the memo written to inform or persuade? Considering the importance of the subject, which mode should the writer use? Does the writer use any persuasive language or persuasive techniques in the memo?
If so, point them out. Does the language move the reader to action? Does it show the importance of the epic and the consequences of ignoring the problem? Does the author use any key words or phrases to add to the persuasive effect? ; Look at the author’s voice. Is the author detached and uncaring or is he engaging and personal? How does he engage the reader? Is his tone accusatory or friendly or impersonal? ; Word choice is important in persuasive writing. Examine each document for words that the writer uses to show the importance of the subject. Repairing the Report Part ‘-Introduction ; Mention the Kaisers of each situation: who, what, when, where, why, how ; Be rife and to the point ; Give some biographical information on each of the authors ; Be brief and to the point At the end of the introduction, present the purpose of your report Part Il- Evaluation of Memo #1 (it doesn’t matter which memo you start with) ; Examine the way the memo is set up including the subject line, the purpose, the layout and design introductory paragraph, the thesis statement and show how all of these elements contribute to the overall effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the final product. Examine the way the document is organized including the introductory paragraph, the thesis statement, the body paragraphs, the conclusion. Is the document unified and coherent? Does the author arrange his ideas to show the importance of the subject matter? Show how all of these elements contribute to the overall effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the final product. ; Analyze the writer’s style and purpose.
Show how the author uses persuasive techniques to move the reader to action. How does the style contribute to whether or not the author’s purpose has come through clearly in the memo. Evaluate the author’s voice to see if he actually engages the reader. If he fails to do this, do you think it is on purpose? ; Look at the choice of words. Pick out any figurative language. Does the author use second person and active voice?
How does word choice influence the overall effectiveness of the document? Part Ill-Evaluation of Memo #2 ; Examine the way the memo is set up including the subject line, the purpose, the layout and design introductory paragraph, the thesis statement and show how all of these elements contribute to the overall effectiveness or organized including the introductory’ paragraph, the thesis statement, the author’s purpose has come through clearly in the memo? Evaluate the you think it is on purpose? Look at the choice affords. Pick out any Part IV-Your opinion and contrast. By this time, it should be pretty obvious to you which memo is an example of good professional writing and which one is an example of poor professional writing. In this section you will draw conclusions from what you have written in parts II and Ill and will tell which memo is the most effective and why. You will do a little contrast in this section.