The purpose of responsive writing is to provide a response to previous communication. For responsive writing to be effective, it must be prompt and courteous, exact, sincere, and brief. It should be straightforward in providing what a reader has requested.

Examples

Thank-you note

[Production development staff],

All of you did an excellent job during our last sales quarter. You completed three big projects on tight deadlines. Consequently, our profits for the quarter look excellent.

On behalf of myself and the rest of the management team, let me say thank you and congratulations on a job well done.

Gratefully,

Michael Cassidy

Inquiry reply

Dear Mr. Ryan,

We received your inquiry yesterday regarding our latest software release. This letter will answer your questions concerning our technical support policy.

We handle a large volume of customer inquiries daily, and for this reason, the majority of our technical support is provided by e-mail, which allows us to respond more quickly to each customer. In addition, there is a technical support phone number you may call if you require further assistance. This number is 555-223-1212.

Sincerely,

Michael Cassidy

Sympathy note

Dear Jane,

I've been deeply concerned since I learned that Herb has been hospitalized two days ago. It was a shock to all of us because he seemed to be in such good health.

If you have any questions about company health insurance, I would be happy to help. Please call my office or cell phone directly if there is anything I can do.

Best wishes,

Michael