The social functions of writing - such as personal letters, letters to officials, minutes of meetings - are the focus of this volume, which relates writing practices in the community to those in the domains of education and employment. The editors, both linguists with strong links with other disciplines, provide an overview chapter which introduces key issues and proposes a framework for discussing different domains of literacy. Five case studies detailing the everyday uses of writing are presented and the writing of adults in different settings is also explored.