Writing Improvement Exercise: Organizational Patterns

Your Task.
Identify which organizational pattern you would use for the following messages: direct or indirect.
a. A letter from a theme park refusing the request of a visitor who wants free tickets. The visitor was unhappy that he had to wait in line a very long time to ride a new thrill roller coaster.
b. A letter refusing a request by a charitable organization to use your office equipment on the weekend.
c. A memo from the manager denying an employee’s request for special parking privileges. The employee works closely with the manager on many projects.
d. An announcement to employees that a financial specialist has canceled a scheduled lunchtime talk and cannot reschedule.
e. A letter to its customers from a bank revealing that one of its offices mislaid a CD containing details including customer addresses, dates of birth, account numbers, and the value of investments.
f. A form letter from an insurance company announcing new policy requirements that many policyholders may resent. If policyholders do not indicate the plan they prefer, they may lose their insurance coverage.
g. The last in a series of letters from a collection agency demanding payment of a long-overdue account. The next step will be hiring an attorney.
h. A letter from a computer company refusing to authorize repair of a customer’s computer on which the warranty expired six months ago.
i. A memo from an executive refusing a manager’s proposal to economize by purchasing reconditioned computers. The executive and the manager both appreciate efficient, straightforward messages.
j. A letter informing a company that the majority of the company’s equipment order will not be available for six weeks.