Proposals for solving problems can take many forms. Proposals to obtain funding usually include a statement of the problem, the proposed solution, and the methods for achieving the solution. These are often used in government and the academic world to present possible solutions to problems like rising costs or lower-than-expected graduation rates. These kinds of proposals are usually written in a dispassionate tone and often use the third-person point of view (The organization provides services to...) or the passive voice (Services are provided to...)

Less formal proposals may be conveyed in self-help manuals (like The Secret or The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) and even in public service announcements. Informal proposals use a casual tone and may use the first person (I) or second person (you). They are likely to use writing strategies like comparison or contrast to make the proposed solution seem familiar. This public service announcement uses a visual comparison, equating take-out lunch with money (what usually travels in the back of an armored car); it uses the green of cash and some of the decorations that appear on money in the bottom third of the ad to emphasize the connection; and it uses the second person (you) to address the reader directly.

While self-help manuals and advertisements may not exhibit all the basic features of formal proposals, the best ones use images and text efficiently to define a problem (such as poor money management) and suggest a solution (packing a lunch).

Take a closer look at the ad.

Courtesy of the Ad Council

Source: “The $9 Lunch.” Ad Council and AICPA Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/35827/docs/35827-FeedPig7x10Ads.pdf