Information is written directly onto forms, where these are used, with minimal time for editing. Forms provide a frame for the writing, requiring the writer to complete the essential information only. If they are used for internal use, shared conventions, including abbreviations and other graphic devices, are employed to save time. There are of course some exceptions such as the builder's estimates and invoices which are planned and drafted at home in the evening, before being typed up by his wife.


Writing is central to the management and coordination of the work The florist's order illustrates the way written texts support the management of work. Timing is important in the preparation of flowers and in Figure 1 the text in red highlights the way the order form is used to coordinate the work and ensure the correct timing is achieved. The workshop diary at the garage and the hairdresser's appointment book are also used to manage time. The owner of the hairdressing salon said that the most important thing, in relation to writing in the salon was, '… making sure the appointments are booked with the right allocated time.' The stylists not only need to record the exact day and time of the appointment, they also need to allow the time required for the specific treatment and ensure they make bookings for colleagues at times they are available.


Writing is an essential part of the job Almost all the writing I observed was integral to the ongoing activity of the business. It is used to communicate with other members of staff or with the customer as well as to keep information safe for future use. Although some people felt more comfortable with writing than others, no-one I spoke with expressed any doubts about the necessity of the writing they undertook at work. Aside from records of hours worked, none of the day to day writing is done for purposes of accountability. I noted that this is in marked contrast to the writing described in recent studies of larger organisations. These have tended to focus on the impact of globalisation, the 'New Work Order' and total quality management and feature writing that is often seen by workers as additional to the requirements of the work process.


Texts are collaborative Participants commented on the fact that unlike most texts in educational settings many workplace texts involve a number of different writers. This is true of the workshop diary in the garage and the job card that doubles as an invoice. Others, such as the florist's order form may be written by one person but in the knowledge that others will need to read and use the information. Completing a workplace form in these contexts involves taking the needs of others into account and is far from being simply a mechanical exercise.


Texts are multimodal Writing is used alongside other modes of communication. In many of the texts I looked at, there were examples of non-linguistic features of writing being used to convey meaning, such as capital letters for emphasis and text written at an angle, underlined or circled. Colour is used to highlight new or important information and scraps of dress materials may be attached to wedding orders. The visual aspects of some texts were also noted, such as the hairdresser's appointment book. In this the stylists add appointments over time, building up a timetable for the day in a tabular format using shared conventions, in the form of diagonal and squiggly lines, to mark out the allocation of time.


The location of a text has significance The location in which a text is placed can be meaningful, as in the example of the florist's order form. I noted the way the builder spoke of placing important information in his wallet to keep it safe and how the job card/invoices are placed on the reception desk in the garage, when a job is completed.


People write more than they think they do People often do more writing than they think. Participants in the workshop had found this to be true in other contexts.


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