What is an example of transactional writing?

Okay, so, what's transactional writing? It's basically anything where you're trying to do something with words, you know? Like, you're not just telling a story or waxing poetic, you're trying to GET. STUFF. DONE.

A perfect example? Think about that email you sent to your landlord last week about the leaky faucet. That's transactional! You weren't writing for fun (unless dripping water is your idea of a good time, ha!). You wanted ACTION. You wanted that faucet FIXED.

Or, what about when you wrote to your grandma thanking her for that… questionable… sweater she knitted you for your birthday? You were conveying information (you got it!), but also trying to achieve a purpose – making Grandma feel appreciated, even though you'll probably only wear that sweater when she visits. Right? We've all been there.

The list above mentions business letters (super formal, like applying for a job – yikes!), friendly emails (catching up with your bestie), invitations (remember my friend’s epic taco-themed birthday party?), speeches (my knees still shake thinking about my wedding toast!), and interviews (sweaty palms, anyone?). These are all classic examples.

I saw a study once – I can’t remember where, maybe it was on LinkedIn? – that talked about how much of our daily communication is transactional. It was shockingly high! It makes sense though, doesn’t it? We’re constantly emailing, texting, writing notes… always trying to arrange something, get information, or make something happen. So yeah, transactional writing. It's kind of a big deal.