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
Workplace Documents
Communication
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
Instruction
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 provide a wide range of reallife information.
memos
letters
reports
Workplace
Documents
résumés
manuals
guides
Workplace Documents
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.
Is the intention of
this memo to
communicate or is it
to instruct?
What specific
information does this
memo contain?
[End of Section]
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.
Thank you for helping
me find information
for my project on
voter registration.
Public documents
contain a wealth of
research information.
Public Documents
Public documents inform people about what is
happening in their community, city, state, nation—
even on the planet.
safety notice
building notice
legal notice
Public Documents
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.
Why might a citizen
find this public
hearing important?
[End of Section]
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
warranties
instruction
manuals
contracts
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.
Does this TV have the
features we want?
Is this
shirt
machinewashable
?
Consumer Documents
Types of Consumer Documents
2. Contracts spell out exactly what services will
and will not be provided.
Be A
sure
to read
contracts
security
deposit
is
carefully.required.
After you (or
your parent or guardian)
have signed a contract, it
is binding. That means
that
and
The both
rentalyou
period
willthe
end
other
party must
follow
on December
31, 2010.
its terms.
Consumer Documents
Types of 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.
Consumer Documents
Types of 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.
Consumer Documents
Types of Consumer Documents
5. Technical directions give precise technical
information about installing, assembling, and
operating a product.
Be sure to read and
follow these directions
carefully to get the
best use from a
product.
Consumer Documents
Quick Check
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.
What kind of
consumer
document is this?
If this product is
not mistreated,
how long is its
limited warranty?
[End of Section]
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.
Your cookies might burn, you might injure yourself
Failure
to follow directions
can lead
to be
problems.
while exercising,
or your chords
could
flat.
Technical Directions
You follow technical directions when you install,
assemble, or operate a device.
The device might be
electronic
scientific
mechanical
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.
Technical Directions
Quick Check
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.
What do these
technical instructions
explain?
Why is it important
to follow these
instructions exactly?
[End of Section]
Analyze Documents
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.
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.
[End of Section]
The End