1. Reading Consumer Documents Warranty/Instructions/Product Information
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selections
Informational Text Focus: Reading Consumer Documents
Reading Skills Focus: Comparing and Contrasting Details
Writing Skills Focus

2. Reading Consumer Documents Warranty/Instructions/Product Information
What kind of information do you need to be a successful consumer?

3. Reading Consumer Documents Introducing the Selections
Have you ever bought something, brought it home, opened the package, and found out . . .
it’s not what you thought it would be?
it doesn’t look or work like it did in the ads?
it’s not really what you wanted?
What a disappointment!
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4. Reading Consumer Documents Informational Text Focus: Reading Consumer Documents
Whenever you buy or use a product, you are a consumer.
To be a successful consumer, you need to read many kinds of consumer documents. These documents will help you
choose the best product for your needs and budget
operate the product easily and correctly
enjoy the product

5. Reading Consumer Documents Informational Text Focus: Reading Consumer Documents
Often, the more complex a product is, the more paperwork comes with it.
Common consumer documents include:
technical directions
product information
instruction manual
service contract
warranty 5

6. Reading Consumer Documents Informational Text Focus: Reading Consumer Documents
Common consumer documents include:
Product information—description of a product and what it does
Service contract—a legal agreement spelling out the rights and obligations of the purchaser and manufacturer or seller 6

7. Reading Consumer Documents Informational Text Focus: Reading Consumer Documents
Common consumer documents include:
Warranty—a legal document stating what the manufacturer will do if the product fails to live up to the manufacturer’s claims and what the purchaser must do to obtain service.
Instruction manual—instructions on how to use the product and how to troubleshoot problems.
Technical directions—directions for installation and use
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8. Reading Consumer Documents Reading Skills Focus: Comparing and Contrasting Details
Each type of consumer document contains certain elements, or basic parts.
However, you should focus on the features, or specific details, of the documents when you want to compare products.

9. Reading Consumer Documents Reading Skills Focus: Comparing and Contrasting Details
Say you are comparing two MP3 players.
They look alike. They cost about the same.
You will probably look at the product information for answers to questions such as:
What’s the player’s capacity? How much music can I put on it?
How easy is it to organize my music?
Is the interface with the computer simple?

10. Reading Consumer Documents Reading Skills Focus: Comparing and Contrasting Details
Into Action: As you read the consumer documents, keep track of the elements and features that you find.
Document
Elements
Features
Warranty/service contract
Operating parts and labor – 2 years
Coverage details
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11. Reading Consumer Documents Writing Skills Focus
Preparing for Timed Writing
Consumer documents often use headers, various fonts, and graphics to emphasize main ideas.
Make notes about how the different elements and features in these consumer documents are highlighted.
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12. Vocabulary

13. Reading Consumer Documents
Vocabulary
claim n.: demand for something due.
clause n.: single provision of a law or agreement.
void v.: cancel legal force or effect.
discretion n.: power to choose or act. 13

14. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
The noun claim has several meanings. The sentence below will help you understand how it is used in this selection.
After the accident, my parents filled out an insurance claim so that we could pay for the car repairs.

15. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
The original root of claim was a Latin word meaning “to call out; to shout.”
If you think of this root meaning, you can see how a claim is a demand for something that is due to you, or something you are legally entitled to:
a claim for money you’re owed
a claim against your insurance to pay for damages covered by your policy
a claim against a manufacturer to make good on a defective product

16. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
The consumers’ claims against the company were not honored because the company had gone out of business.
What happened to the consumers?
The consumers could not get what was owed to them.

17. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
The sentence below illustrates how the word clause is used in the selection.
One clause in the lease prohibits pets in the apartment. 17

18. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
A clause in a formal or legal document is a part of the document that concerns a single area or subject.
If the document is well organized, everything about a particular subject should be covered in the clause about that subject. 18

19. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
If someone told you to read the cancellation clause in your insurance policy, would you look for a
a. word?
b. sentence?
c. paragraph?
d. section?
The word section is often a good replacement for clause in this meaning. Sometimes the word article is used. 19

20. Reading Consumer Documents
Vocabulary
The sentence below may help you understand what the verb void means in the selection.
Jon didn’t mean to void the warranty. All he wanted to do was customize his computer system. 20

21. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
To void literally means “to make empty or vacant.”
When you take an action that voids a contract or agreement, you make it empty of meaning or effect.
That means you broke the deal, and now the other side doesn’t have to keep up their end of the agreement. 21

22. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
What is the best word to replace voided in the following sentence?
When I tried to repair the toaster myself, I voided the warranty.
a. invalidated
b. emptied
c. destroyed
d. cancelled 22

23. Reading Consumer Documents
Vocabulary
The word discretion has several meanings. This sentence will help you understand how it is used in the selection.
At the discretion of the principal, a student may be prohibited from leaving campus during lunch.
That means the principal can decide to revoke a student’s off-campus lunch privileges. 23

24. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
We often think of discretion as meaning only “good or responsible judgment.”
Use discretion in choosing your friends; people judge you by the company you keep.
Discretion, however, also includes the idea of ability or power—the ability to make decisions or the power to decide, choose, or act. 24

25. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
When you see phrases such as
at her discretion,
at the company’s discretion,
at the discretion of the awards committee,
the person or group has been given or has given itself the power to make a certain decision or take a certain action. 25

26. Reading Consumer Documents Vocabulary
What kinds of situations would require you to use your own discretion?
Can you think of situations in which you would not be able to or allowed to exercise your discretion?
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27. The End