Topic

Contact a business executive to interview, preferably someone who writes a lot on the job. Investigate the nature of the writing they do. Write an essay describing your findings.

Format

This is to be an expository, thesis-driven essay. Pay particular attention to your thesis as we have discussed in class. Be sure it predicts or hints at what is to come in the rest of your paper. It is conventionally placed as the last sentence in your first paragraph. Your thesis can be broad and general, so long as it adequately predicts what is to come in your paper.

General vs. Specific Thesis Sentence

General predictive statement as thesis: Priscilla Owens, in fact, spend almost her whole day writing.
The following paragraphs begin with topic sentences such as, "In the morning, she grabs her laptop..."
Next section begins "Around 11:00, she typically composes a memo to clients with her sales team." etc.

or

More specific sectional divisions announced in thesis sentence: Priscilla Owens writes the greater part of her work day: emails and team memos in the morning, proposals in the afternoon and legal correspondence for the remaining two hours of her workday. (Specific prediction)

Be sure to introduce your interviewee (name, place of work, title) in your first paragraph. A bit of physical description is also effective.

You should use some quotations from the person you interview to back up your findings. But don’t begin paragraphs with quotations. They should generally illustrate points that you introduce first. You do NOT have to use MLA documentation style (no page numbers at the end of quotations). "This means that periods and commas go inside quotation marks, like this."

If possible, get a writing sample from your interviewee and discuss it briefly in your paper.

Write a catchy lead (first) sentence.

Include an introductory and conclusive device.

Length

2 1/2 to 3 pages, double spaced

Style

• Use active verbs, specific language
• Vary sentence length. Use a very short one here and there.
• Avoid "to be" verbs
• Vary sentence beginnings