Task Lists

Task lists are what most people likely imagine when thinking of a "to-do list." These types of lists may be organized by the date or date range when the tasks need to be completed (as the titles of these examples indicate), or by category (as in the examples that organize homework according to the class), or by some combination thereof. 

Task lists undergo perhaps more revision than the other two categories. Writers will frequently add and remove items as some tasks become unnecessary and others arise, and tasks will be altered to reflect partial progress or the repeated need for reminders. In the first example, for instance, the phrase "Burke PDFs" appears multiple times, suggesting that this task was put off a few times and re-added to lists for the subsequent day. Another example of such progress-based edting can be found in example 3, where the arrows and new ink color on each line represent an update, added specifics, or a continuation of the original task. 

In addition to this kind of updating, task lists also undergo a more affective kind of revision: the crossing out of completed tasks. Each of our examples here features the crossout method of denoting completed work, and the process of doing so is often described with words like "satisfying," or "comforting." 

Another important stylistic feature to note here are methods of highlighting tasks that require more, or more immediate, attention. Some lists make use of stars or underlining to call attention to individual tasks, while others use circling or boxes to do so. 

All of these revisions demonstrate the repeated attention that task lists are given. These genres are meant to be used again and again through a combination of reading to remember, adding or removing content to alter priorities, and marking up to show accomplishments. Whether the lists are carried around with the writer, or left in a visible space to serve as reminders, task lists organize everyday life by providing writers with touchstones by which to remember their way through days or weeks.