Written Fluency -- Autumn semester 2004
Handout 2 -- Tuesday, 19 October 2004
The language of administrative texts. Announcements,
instructions, guidelines, directives, forms.

Task 1:
Read the following extract from a British tax return form.
Identify the features relevant for the style of administrative
texts (particularly instructions in the introductory part of a
form):

           Please read this page first
                    The green arrows and
    instructions will guide you through your Tax
    Return.
    This Notice requires you by law to send me a
    Tax Return for the year from 6 April 2002 to 5
    April 2003. Give details of all your income
    and capital gains using:
       ˙   this form and any supplementary Pages you
         need; OR
       ˙   other Inland Revenue approved forms or
         software; OR
    ˙   the Electronic Version of the Tax Return
    (EVR), OR
    ˙   the Electronic Lodgement Service (ELC).
    
    Make sure your Tax Return, and any documents
    asked for, reaches me by:
        ˙   the later of 30 September 2003 and 2
          months after the date this notice was given if
          you want me to calculate your tax, OR
    ˙   the later of 31 January 2004 and 3 months
    after the date this notice was given, at the
    latest, or you will be liable to an automatic
    penalty of Ł100.
     
     Make sure your payment of any tax you owe
     reaches me by 31 January, or you will have
     to pay interest and perhaps a surcharge.

Task 2:
Compare the above extract with the following advice from a UK
government website guide for citizens. Which are the common
features of the texts?
Working hours
The Working Time Regulations provide basic rights and
protections to workers, including limits on the average working
week, and rights to rest breaks and paid leave.
   Basic rights
The basic rights and protections that the regulations provide
are:
    ˙   a limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker
       can be required to work (though workers can choose to work more
       if they want to)
    ˙   a limit of an average of eight hours work in a 24 period
       which night workers can be required to work
    ˙   a right for night workers to receive free health
       assessments
    ˙   a right to 11 hours rest a day
    ˙   a right to a day off each week
˙   a right to an in-work rest break if the working day is
longer than six hours
    ˙   a right to four weeks paid leave per year
 
 Working time limits
Workers cannot be forced to work for more than 48 hours a week
on average. Workers can, however, agree to work longer than the
48 hour limit. An agreement must be in writing and signed by
the worker. This is generally referred to as an opt-out. It can
be for a specified period or a indefinite period. There is no
opt-out available from the young workers limits. Young workers
may not ordinarily work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours
a week, although there are certain permitted exceptions.

Task 3:
Write a short administrative text (a form, regulation,
instructions, guideline, ...) of your own. Check if it uses the
following elements. Add any other features that you consider to
be relevant.
 technical terms
 familiar words with a specialist sense
 adverbial phrases
 imperatives
 impersonal constructions (the passive voice)
 modal verbs
 dependent clauses
 parentheses
 coordinating conjunctions
 special graphetic features
 clear organisation of text to avoid ambiguity