Chapter 10, Additional Case 1: Studying Sentence Effectiveness
Chapter 10, Additional Case 1: Studying Sentence Effectiveness
This case is best for individuals.
Although you can learn a lot about how well sentences work by studying them in isolation, you can often learn more by studying them in context as part of a document. In this case, you will study several paragraphs from a document, applying principles from your textbook and drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the writer's sentence style. Then you will write a memo presenting your findings.
To complete this case, perform the following tasks:
- Study Chapter 10, focusing on sentence structure and style.
- Study a two-page portion of the Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting, a manual addressed to general readers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Focus on the following questions:
- Which aspects of the writer's sentence style are appropriate for the general reader? Are there any aspects that are inappropriate?
- Does the writer consistently use concise sentences? If some of the sentences seem too long, is their length justified by the content of the sentences or the purpose the writer is trying to achieve?
- Does the writer use active and passive voice effectively?
- What kinds of lists does the writer use to help make the subject clear and easy to understand? If the writer uses a list style that is different from the styles discussed in Chapter 10, comment on the effectiveness of this style.
- Write a memo addressed to your instructor that contains your findings. (See Chapter 14 for a discussion of memos.) Be sure to include samples from the manual to support your claims.