Responsive and Initiative Correspondence

As you saw in Module 1, there are differences between e-mails and letters, including the typical reader, the format, and the level of formality. In addition, there are also differences within each type of correspondence. One major difference has to do with whether the correspondence is responsive or initiative. In fact, one of the writer’s first tasks is to determine whether a particular e-mail or letter responds to a request from the reader or initiates a discussion.

In responsive correspondence, you are writing in response to a previous request. An example of a responsive document is when you reply to an e-mail you received. You let the reader know right away that you are responding to the reader’s previous request.

In initiative correspondence, you are raising a new topic or a new question — one that the reader and you have not previously communicated about. You are initiating the topic or question. The reader may or may not be expecting this document from you. Whether the document is expected or not, you must introduce it in a way that clearly indicates that it is an initiative document.