Email features to look at for description and analysis

To describe and analyze, start with a set of terms to look with and a set of features to look at. Here is a short list to practice with and develop further.

Select elements that seem to apply: not all will apply in every case. You may also add elements that aren't listed that apply in the case you're looking at.

the rhetorical situation

Consider the situational constraints of composing this email and of reading this email and the extent to which the writer's rhetorical choices may be influenced by the situation.

• the need to compose and respond quickly - or not
• distractions
• multitasking
• limitations of the screen and email software: plain text? spell checker? etc.
• writer's relationship with the reader
• consider whether the message is written in response to another message, or string of messages (Re: <the subject>)
• ...

header elements

• subject:
• cc:
• bcc:

features of the genre

• forms of address: salutations
• signatures and other sign offs

lexicon

look at the kinds of words used, the changes in words and how they are used.

• level of formality of the vocabulary
• technical language, jargon
• abbreviations and short forms: IMO, THX etc.
• use of formal (yes, Dear Sir...) and informal forms (yep, nope, gonna...)

sentences

• look at the kinds: simple, compound, complex-compound
  • refer to BasicSentencePatterns
• active, passive
• sentence length, and changes in length from your sense of the norm

use of punctuation

• use of it, lack of it, variations in use from other writing situations
• use of colon, dash, semi-colon, ... not just absence or presence of these, but how they are used, and used to do what.

degree of editing

• infelicities, errors, and slips in phrasings, omissions, etc.
• these may be markers of the degree of editing and sender's attitude towards editing and reader. nonchalant. careful.

paralinguistic cues

• smileys
• ways of signaling intent other than tone.

length of message

Because it's just as cheap to be long as short, the length of the message is not constrained by the technology. cf txt message at 160 chars. cf early days of email, when screen size was an issue.

• how long is the message. by sentence, by word count, by paragraph count

embedded material

One feature of email is the use of embedded material from the Reply function.

• what's embedded from the source message?
• how is it used

paragraphs

• paragraph length
• variation in length
• how paragraphs are organized internally: using topic sentences? from general to specific? chronological?

overall organization/arrangement of the message

• chronological? inferential? category? others?
• organization indicators: paragraphs, lists, indented text...

use of headings, lists, tables

• if these are used, and with what kind of information

images

• images used, kinds, in conjunction with what

typing adaptations for the email form

• if the message is plain text, look to how the writer handles emphasis, quoting, etc.
• use of ALL CAPS

use of rhetorical figures

What figures are used

• metaphor
• simile
• metonomy
• isocolon
• ...

compiled from Crystal, Baron, Maynor

Categories: Handlist