Activities

$5\mathrm{.}13$ Document for Analysis: Finding Faults in a Poor Message $($L$.$O$.3-5)$

E$-$Mail

Team

YOUR TASK Study the numbered sentences in the following poorly written e$-$mail message. In teams or in a class discussion, identify specific sentence faults. Hint: You should find five sentence fragments, one dangling modifier, one passive$-$voice sentence, and one parallelism fault. Your instructor may ask you to revise the message to remedy these writing faults.

To: Angela

Ortiz@gmail.com

From: Trent

Westbrook@premierefinances.com

Subject: Taxes on Profits From eBay and Other Online Sellers

Dear Angela,

$\text{'}$As your CPA, I$\text{'}$m happy to respond to your request for clarification of the tax status of profits from eBay. ${?}^2$ Or one of the other online sellers such as Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, and Bonanza.

${?}^3$ As you are probably already aware, you can use eBay or one of the other sellers to clean out your closets or to run a small business. ${?}^4$ Tax liabilities should definitely be clarified. ${?}^5$ Although no clear line separates fun from profit or a hobby from a business. ${?}^6$ One thing is certain: the IRS taxes all income.

${?}^7$A number of factors will help you determine whether your hobby is a business. ${?}^8$ To use eBay safely, the following questions should be considered:

$9$ Do you run the operation in a businesslike manner? ${?}^{10}$ That is$,$ do you keep records, is your profit and loss tracked, and how about keeping a separate checking account?

${?}^{11}$ Do you devote considerable time and effort to your selling? ${?}^{12}$ If you spend eight or more hours a day

trading on eBay. ${?}^{13}$ The IRS would tend to think you are in a business.

${?}^{14}$ Some people depend on the income from their eBay activities for their livelihood. ${?}^{15}Do$ you?

${?}^{16}$ Are you selling items for more than they cost you? ${?}^{17}$ If you spend $$5$ for a garage sale vase and sell it for $$50.{?}^{18}$ The IRS would probably consider this a business transaction.

${?}^{19}$All profits are taxable. ${?}^{20}$ Even for eBay sellers who are just playing around. ${?}^{21}$ If you wish to discuss this further, please call me at $213-456-8901.$

Trent Westbrook

$[$Full contact information$]$

$5\mathrm{.}14$ Brainstorming: Solving a Problem on Campus $($L$.$O$.1,2)$

YOUR TASK In teams of three to five, analyze a problem on your campus such as the following: insufficient parking on campus, unavailable classes, closed campus facilities for students taking evening or weekend classes, unrealistic degree requirements, a lack of student intern programs, an inadequate registration process, too few healthy and affordable food choices, a lack of charging stations for electric vehicles, and so forth. Use brainstorming techniques to generate ideas that clarify the problem and explore its solutions. Either individually or as a team, organize the ideas into an outline with three to five main points and numerous subpoints. Assume that your ideas will become part of a message to be sent to an appropriate campus official or to your campus newspaper. Remember, however, your role as a student. Be polite, positive, and constructive$-$not negative, hostile, or aggressive.

$172$

Chapter $5$ Organizing and Drafting Business Messages