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7. COMMON DOCUMENT TYPES

This chapter discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the typical conventions for content, formatting, and style.

These forms are somewhat flexible, and can sometimes overlap, adapting to the needs of context, purpose and audience. However, since these forms have arisen to meet the needs of recurring rhetorical situations in the workplace, readers and writers of these genres generally expect them to follow certain conventions.

Chapter 7 Learning Objectives

In the following sections, you will learn about the general format, structure, style and content expectations for the following types of professional documents:

7.1 Correspondence: Text Messages, E-mails, and Letters

7.2 Memos

7.3 Technical Descriptions 

7.4 Proposals

7.5 Progress Reports

7.6 Short and Long Reports (including Executive Summaries, Comparative Analysis, and Weighted Objectives Charts)

7.7 Lab Reports

7.8 Instructions

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Technical Writing Essentials (Expanded 2nd edition) Copyright © 2026 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.