ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION PBI 1072 LEARNING UNIT 6 Part One: Writing Effective Emails & Memorandums

At the end of this unit, students should be able to: Use noun phrases and observe parallelism in writing memorandum Write a memorandum Use specific words and phrases for e-mail and memorandum Write an e-mail

What is a memorandum? Memorandum/memos are common form of workplace communication. It is used within an organization and serve as a record of internal communication. Individuals may use it to communicate with fellow employees. Memos can be used to schedule meetings, record activities or announce new policies. Graduates entering the job market should equip themselves with writing skills to prepare them for the workplace environment. There are two types of memos; Informative Request memo

Types of memorandum Informative –to provide information and state action to be taken Request memo- make a request and provide action to be taken

Format of A Memo There are many different format of memos. Use the format that is used by the organization you’re working with. Generally, the TO heading will always precede the FROM heading. It has three main parts; The headings Body Closing Refer to example 2 on page 199 for the format and organization of an informative memo. Read the memo on page 198 and answer the questions that follow.

Headings in A Memo Major headings i. The name of the organization/the company ii. The heading-MEMORANDUM Minor headings include; To (the recipients of the memo) From (name, title and initials of the person who writes the memo) Date (date, month and year the memo is written) Subject (a summary of the content of the memo written using a concise language or a noun phrase)

The Subject Headings in a Memo It summarizes the content of the memo. It allows recipient to assess at a glance the importance of the memo. To construct an effective subject line, decide the purpose of a memo. Avoid using a sentence as a subject line. Use an infinitive phrase of purpose then transform it to a noun phrase.

Writing a Subject heading -From a sentence to a noun phrase Example Noun phrase 1. SUBJECT: The human resource Department plans to hold a seminar on Business SUBJECT: Business Communication Seminar 2. SUBJECT: The company will introduce new schedules for coffee break next month. SUBJECT: New Coffee Break Schedules Sentence

Writing a Subject heading -From an infinite phrase to a noun phrase Example Infinitive Phrase of Purpose Noun phrase 1. To inform the recipients about complaints made by customers. Customer Complaints 2. To notify the recipients that they can apply for funding for research from the university. University Research Funds

Language Practice on Subject Heading Try completing Exercise 2 and 3 on page 202 and 203

The Body of An Informative Memorandum Informative memo has a three-part structure Introduction – states or explains the main idea of the memo Central Part- provide details or relevant information written in a logical order. Conclusion- outlines action to be taken by the recipient or summarizes the information relating to the subject of the memo.

The Do’s for Memorandum Language used in a memo should be clear, concise and courteous. Reader-oriented. Maintain a personal, pleasant and courteous tone by frequently using ‘you’ instead of ‘I’, ‘he’, ‘she’. Use active sentences instead of passive ones. Number or list out the important points in your memo. Use parallel structure for the enumerated items. Now try exercise 4 on page 204 and exercise 5 on page 205

The Body of A Request Memorandum A request memo can be organized as follows; First paragraph - An opening sentence that stresses something positive or states the basic request. Central paragraph(s) - An explanation for why the request is made. Last paragraph - An ending that encourages or requires the reader to act promptly on the request. Turn to page 206 for sample memo.

The Closing of A Memorandum There are three ways to end a memo; Ending with a request for action Ending with a summary Ending with a closing remark Turn to page 208 for sample sentences to end the memo. Practice writing the closing statements by completing Exercise 7 and 8 on page 208 t0 209.

In sum… A memo is an important form of workplace communication. Determine the type of memo that you need to write and use the appropriate structure in order to reach the objective of your memo. The language used in a memo should maintain a formal and polite tone. When writing your memo, use active sentences to ensure that it is clear and maintains a friendly tone.