Machon 1

Daniel Machon
Professor Olivia Rines
UWRT 1101
9 February 2015
Genre Analysis: Emails
Technological advances have been made other the past decade and throughout the
past few years. We have seen that with these advances come different forms of

over 2/10/15 1:32 PM

Comment [1]:
Did you mean over?

communication, through text messages, emails, and even video calling. With the new
communicative actions comes the formation of new genres that we can break down and
study. After the creation of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s, came one of the first
electronic mailing abilities, which is what we know as e-mail. E-mail has served
communicative purposes throughout the professional, personal, and even advertising
realms of our worlds. As we break down the basics of e-mails, we will observe the
features of e-mails, which are what constitute its function within the realms that we find
them (Professional, Personal and Advertising).
There is a specific purpose for e-mails, which is to be able to communicate with
other people electronically. E-mail is the digital version of a letter that is sent. As we dig
deep into the purpose of emails we find certain discourse modes, which are building
blocks which we can draw on in many different genres and the use in actual texts in
flexible ways for a range of purposes (Bax 63). E-mail encompasses a few of these
discourse modes; such as description, information, argument, instruction, and interaction.
Usually any specific e-mail will contain one, if not a few of these discourse modes.

over 2/10/15 6:15 PM

Comment [2]:
Overall, I felt that this was a strong start to
the paper!

Machon 2

Throughout our study of genres we have realized that there are specific features of
genres. The function of the email determines how the features will play out within the
genre. The features of email are broken down below.

Location: E-mails usually originate on a computer, phone, tablet, or another

electronic device that has access to the Internet and e-mail capability.

over 2/10/15 6:16 PM

Comment [3]:
As I mentioned in the response sheet, I
was a little confused about this format here
on these two pages.(But just being
cautious)

Topic focus: Topics of e-mails could vary based on the situation in which they
are to be sent. For example, an e-mail sent to your boss would have a different
topic than an e-mail sent to your childs teacher.

Visual Aspects and Layout: There is a certain layout in which most emails are
sent. Most times emails start with a salutation, have a body of the email, and
end with a signature. Depending on how formal the situation, the structure
might change.

Length: Just like the topic focus of an email, the length of an email could vary
depending on the situation. Emails should typically be shorter; none of us want
to have to read a long email.

Structure: The structure of an email must involve an address line, subject line
and have some sort of specific topic. From there the structure of the email could
be different based off the formality of it.

Style and Register: Typically email is a more formal way of communication.

For example, student and professors use emails for formal, out of classroom,
communication.

over 2/10/15 6:17 PM

Comment [4]:
Shorter in length?

Machon 3

Grammar: Grammar is an important factor, especially if it is within the

professional realm. Grammar rules are important when the email is going to be
sent in a formal manner.

over 2/10/15 7:55 PM

Comment [5]:
Possibly add 1 example of a rule

Lexis/Jargon: The jargon or technical language within an email would be based

upon the nature of the email and in what setting the email is sent. For example,
an email sent to a specific person in the Air Conditioning business might use
different technical language than that of a person in an Electric business. As the
Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said,
depending on your purposes, the messages you send will differ in their
formality, intended audience, and desired outcome (Effective E-mail
Communication, 1)

Email has become widespread use of communication among different professions

and personnel. As stated before, the function of an email, or any genre of that matter,
determines the features that the genre will have. All of the features listed above will
change based on the communicative purpose and function of the email. In a more formal
communication setting, such as a professor and student, then the features of that email
will differ from that of an email between two friends. For example, Appendix A shows
an email that is written from a student to a professor, in a formal setting. The audience of
this situation would be someone who is a superior (professor) from someone who is less
education to a certain area (student). If the email was written from the professor to the
student, then the same sense of professionalism that the student wrote it should be shown
through the professor.

over 2/10/15 7:53 PM

Comment [6]:
I really think that this example used here
makes this paragraph strong, excellent!

Machon 4

Appendix B is another example of an email, but instead shows a more informal style
of this genre. The function of this email is different; going from one friend to another, so
the features of this specific example is different because of the setting. Jargon and other
technical language that might be used in a more formal email would not necessarily be
needed in this less formal style. As the function changes the features will also change, so
that the communicative purpose of the email will be shown.
Appendix C shows a third style of an email. This type of emails is known as a
blast email. A blast email is defined as a single sending of many electronic messages

over 2/10/15 7:55 PM

Comment [7]:
email*

(emails) to many people at the same time. We all see this type of email, coming from
stores for online shopping or special offers that are being made. Email blasts serve to
appeal to the audience, usually customers, so they would have totally different features
than that of the formal and informal styles of emails. Effective email blasts address the
needs of a specific audience, so the content must be relevant to that particular group.
Make sure you use your knowledge of your customer and your product or service when
writing your email blast (Mizrahi, 84). The function of this email is different of that of
the other two and because of that we know the features are also different. Expect to see
more images and catchy phrases in a blast email that is trying to appeal to a bigger
audience than a formal or informal email that is between two people.

The three examples that have been explained are all prime examples of what can be
expected when analyzing the genre of emails. Determining the function of the email
helps us as an audience expect what features are going to be displayed. Despite the fact
that we may realize a function of an email and therefore know the features, the genre of

over 2/10/15 7:56 PM

Comment [8]:
Smooth transition from these two
paragraphs.

Machon 5

email is changing day by day. With the influence of other communicative technology,
the formality of email is slowly becoming informal. There are so many aspects of emails
that could be broken down deeper. Researching and studying this topic helped me realize
that there is so much more the genre than what was taught in school. At the same time
while studying one particular genre it showed that there are so many fine details that are
within the particular genre. It helped me wrap my brain around what the purpose of a
genre truly was.

over 2/10/15 7:57 PM

Comment [9]:
I thought the ending of this conclusion
could be as great as it started. Ill explain
in the peer meeting!

Machon 6

Works Cited
Mizrahi, Janet. Web Content: A Writers Guide. New York: Business Expert Press, 2013.
eBook.
Shipley, David and Will Schwalbe. Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and
Home. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print.
The Writing Center. Effective E-mail Communication. University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, 2014. Website. February 9, 2015.