English 400

Correspondence Assignment

Due: Fri. Feb. 3 by noon.

 

Read the following and choose 3 of the 5 letter assignments.  It might be strategic to consider adapting these to your “real-world” project and actually compose letters to real audiences that might later function as part of that project.

 

  1. The letter of inquiry.  As an employee of Lynch, Grainger, and Ruffner, a prestigious Virginia law firm, your duties include investigating a number of research topics relating to current and pending legislation.  Write a letter of inquiry to a governmental agency requesting specific information concerning one of the firm’s research interests.  Because the firm’s case load is so large and varied these topics are virtually unlimited (so feel free to supply a topic of your own interest).  The letter should request brochures, pamphlets, or other informative literature, and it should also include specific questions relating to the topic.
  2.  The complaint letter.  Write a letter of complaint about some issue to the governor or your legislative representative expressing your disapproval about this issue, suggesting and justifying some change.  Or write to some local business or agency to complain about some problem you’ve had with their service, products, etc.  (For some specific case examples see the Exercises sections of the Oliu text)
  3. The response letter or letter of adjustment.  The firm you work for has received a number of complaints from dissatisfied customers.  Write a letter that addresses the needs of the company and the customer. 
  4. Each of you is the member of some community or communities on campus. Imagine that you have received an inquiry asking requesting information on this community.  Your task is to write the response to that inquiry.  For example, a high school student is interested in joining your fraternity or sorority upon matriculation at Longwood University.  Or a high school student has been given your name by the Department Chair or the Admissions Office and wants information concerning your field of study at Longwood.
  5. Write a ”persuasive letter• to the chairperson of your major department discussing some problem or concern of ours.  Make the letter persuasive, giving the background of your concern and the reasons why you advocate a specific action.