Characteristics of a Letter

1. Characteristics of a Letter • Must have a greeting (salutation) and a complementary closing • Does not have to include address, but does need a signature after complementary closing • Uses the Real-World Writing Format • Connects with your audience • Clarify the situation, problem or issue for the target audience • Maintains a polite and courteous tone • Uses formal standard English: avoid slang words, contractions, and most abbreviations • Provide support for the ideas in your letter: PIE

2. Characteristics of a Speech • Address the audience at the beginning. • Hook, or attention getter, makes the audience want to listen to the rest of the speech. • The three main points summary in introduction are clear. • Each of the three main points begins by announcing what the point would be about. • It is clear when one main point ends and the next begins. • Address your audience within the speech a couple of times. • Remember a speech is to be read aloud.

3. Characteristics of an Editorial • Addresses a specific subject that has two sides. • Is written to a specific audience—your peers. • Provides adequate background information on topic. • Expresses the writer’s opinion clearly. • Includes specific details to support the opinion of the author • Answers potential questions the audience might have and addresses counterpoints/rebuttals. • Suggests a possible solution to the problem or issue addressed • Maintains a polite and courteous tone—does not attack the reader.

4. Characteristics of a Feature Article • Purpose could be to entertain, and to inform, as well as evoke an emotional reaction • Not necessarily persuasive, but there is an angle or a slant about the topic. • Audience is specific and authentic • Idea development is based upon facts that are expanded to provide depth and personal insight • Possibly light and airy, conversational in tone. Personal voice evident. • Conclusion brings closure, leaves the reader thinking and feeling about topic.

5. Characteristics of an Argument • You may get a prompt that says “Create an argument…” • This is just simply a persuasive essay in which you choose one side of an issue and argue for that side. • You will still use the five paragraph format with one change. • For the argument you HAVE TO address the counterpoints. • This can be done within your body paragraphs. • Address a counter point as you write about each point. OR • This could be done as a separate paragraph (meaning 6 total paragraphs). • If you choose this route I would put the counterpoint paragraph after your lead paragraph. That way you do not leave your audience thinking about the other side of the issue.