What Types of Documents Will I Read in Real Life? Feature Menu Workplace Documents Communication Instruction Public Documents Consumer Documents Technical.

What Types of Documents Will I Read in Real Life?

Feature Menu

Workplace Documents

Communication

Instruction

Public Documents

Consumer Documents

Technical Directions

Your Turn

Workplace Documents

Throughout your life, you will read for information.

Whether you’re taking orders at a restaurant or giving orders to a large staff, your job will require you to read workplace documents.

Workplace Documents

Workplace documents serve two basic functions.

communication instruction

Important documents may include e-mails, memos, and reports.

They may tell you about upcoming meetings, changes in policy, and other information you need to know for your job.

Workplace Documents

Communication

Other workplace documents include letters of application and résumés.

These documents will help you find a job.

Workplace Documents

Communication

Many documents tell workers how to do things related to their jobs.

Workplace Documents

Instruction

These instructional documents include employee manuals and user guides.

Employee manuals specify what is expected of you on the job.

User guides teach you how to operate equipment.

Workplace Documents

Instruction

Workplace Documents

reports

memos

manuals

guides

résumés

letters

Workplace documents provide a wide range of real-life information.

Workplace Documents

Instruction

Quick Check

TO: All Personnel

FROM: Manager Jim Murray

RE: Safety update

Please be advised that the U.S. Department of Workplace Safety has issued new guidelines. Starting immediately, all employees must wear safety goggles at their work stations.

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Is the intention of this memo to communicate or is it to instruct?

Workplace Documents

What specific information does this memo contain?

Public Documents

Public documents contain information about public agencies and community groups.

These documents can address voting issues, health concerns, and many other subjects.

Public Documents

Public documents tell about situations, decisions, responsibilities, schedules, occasions, and interesting events.

A local government might post a notice to inform people about a public meeting.

After the meeting, another document might describe decisions that were made.

Public Documents

You might use public documents if you work with a government agency, school, park, or library.

Public documents contain a wealth of research information.

Thank you for helping me find

information for my project on voter

registration.

Public Documents

Public documents inform people about what is happening in their community, city, state, nation—even on the planet.

safety notice legal noticebuilding notice

Quick Check

Notice of Public Hearing

The town of Smithfield will hold a hearing on Monday, April 27, in the Town Hall meeting room. Under discussion will be a proposal by Mitchell Builders, Inc. to construct 14 new single-family homes on property located at 118 School Street.

Interested citizens will be invited to speak at the meeting.

[End of Section]

Why might a citizen find this public hearing important?

Public Documents

Consumer Documents

A consumer is someone who buys something or uses something another person buys. The things consumers buy fall into two basic categories:

• goods, the things we buy, and

• services, activities people perform for us.

Consumer Documents

Many goods are simple to use. We all know what to do with the food we buy . . .

and the clothes we purchase.

Consumer Documents

However, some goods are complex. If you buy a new computer, for example, you need information to get it up and running.

The computer package will include consumer documents to give you the information you need to set up and use the computer.

Consumer documents also define legal rights and responsibilities—yours, those of the company that made the computer, and those of the company that sold it.

Consumer Documents

Consumer documents contain important information. Types of consumer documents include

product information

contracts

warranties

instruction manuals

technical directions

Consumer Documents

Types of Consumer Documents

1. Product information on a box or label tells you if an item is what you want.

Is this shirt

machine-washable

?

Does this TV have the features we want?

Consumer Documents

2. Contracts spell out exactly what services will and will not be provided.

Be sure to read contracts carefully. After you (or your parent or guardian) have signed a contract, it is binding. That means that both you and the other party must follow its terms.

A security deposit is required.

The rental period will end on December 31, 2010.

Types of Consumer Documents

Consumer Documents

3. Warranties guarantee that a product will work for a specified period of time.

Warranties also explain

• what happens if the product doesn’t work properly and

• what you must do to get service.

Types of Consumer Documents

Consumer Documents

4. Instruction manuals tell how to set up and use a product.

If you break a product because you didn’t read its instructions carefully, you are responsible for the damage.

Types of Consumer Documents

5. Technical directions give precise technical information about installing, assembling, and operating a product.

Consumer Documents

Be sure to read and follow these directions carefully to get the best use from a product.

Types of Consumer Documents

Quick Check

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What kind of consumer document is this?

Consumer Documents

If this product is not mistreated, how long is its limited warranty?

If the unit fails because of defects in materials or workmanship within one year of the date of original purchase, the company will repair or replace it.

This warranty does not cover damage by accident, misuse, or failure to follow installation instructions.

Technical Directions

Directions are helpful for many activities. You may need to follow directions when you cook, dance, exercise, play sports, sing, or play music.

Failure to follow directions can lead to problems.Your cookies might burn, you might injure yourself while exercising, or your chords could be flat.

Technical Directions

You follow technical directions when you install, assemble, or operate a device.

The device might be

scientific mechanicalelectronic

Technical Directions

When you follow technical directions, it is a good idea to

• read the directions all the way through before you begin,

• check off the steps one by one as you complete them, and

• compare your work with the diagrams and drawings for each step.

Quick Check

[End of Section]

What do these technical instructions explain?

Technical Directions

1. Remove fresh batteries from their carton.

2. Remove the battery cover from the back of the CD player.

3. Remove the used batteries.

4. Install four new AA size alkaline batteries into the compartment. Follow the + and - polarity markings to ensure proper operation.

5. Replace the battery cover.

Why is it important to follow these instructions exactly?

Your Turn

Write four headings at the top of two pages: Workplace Documents and Public Documents on one page and Consumer Documents and Technical Directions on the other page.

Analyze Documents

Under each heading, list all the relevant documents that you might need to use sometime soon.

Put check marks next to any you have already used or can find in your home or classroom.

Add items (and check marks) as you think of more documents and as you read the documents in this chapter.

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The End