SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

ENG 118 Technical Writing

MODULE 9
WRITING OF A
MEMORANDUM

Module Overview: This module is designed for Education students to know effective workplace
communication, flow of communication in the workplace, importance of feedback in the workplace, and
written communication materials for the workplace

Module Outcomes:
At the end of the module the students should have;
 familiarized himself/herself with the structure of an office memorandum;
 discussed the essence of writing an office memorandum;
 demonstrated the different practices of writing a memorandum; and
 constructed a well-written memo based on specific work situations.

Module Content:
WRITING OF MEMORANDUM
Course Content
Activity Description Time
Overview
1 Interactive Discussion/Power point presentation through 30 minutes
Messenger
2 Video Clip Presentation 10 minutes
3 Discussion 20 minutes

DISCUSSIONS

In business writing, we communicate knowledge based on everyday transactions with our colleagues
and clients. We have to be very good at it as much of the success of organizations depend largely on knowledge
work. Hence, in this knowledge economy, writing is the chief value producing activity (Davis, 2010).

One of the very common end-products you will encounter in the workplace is the memorandum. In
principle, it is an internal interoffice or department communication, which is generally used for reporting
routine messages and transactions. Memos have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems, and they
solve problems. They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about policy changes, price increases, or
by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure
(Brezee & Perkins in purdue.owl homepage).
A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating policies, procedures, or
related official business within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all perspective (like mass
communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-on-one, interpersonal
communication.  It may also be used to update a team on activities for a given project, or to inform a specific
group within a company of an event, action, or observance.

The word memorandum is derived from the Latin word “memo rare” which means “to be remembered”.

Memos are written messages sent among people working in the same company. Memos can be written for
following reasons:

 Inform staff about decisions/ actions/events.

 Request information/ action/ events
 Remind staff of action needed/ procedures/ changes in policy.
 Provide information on work related topics.

PARTS OF MEMO

TO
FROM
DATE
SUBJECT
BODY OF A MEMO

 The “TO” Line- the "to" line is usually indicated as the word "To" followed by a colon and the name of
the individuals or groups receiving the memo. Some examples are: TO: All Staff, TO: All Faculty
Members, TO: JUAN DELA CRUZ

 The “FROM” Line- the "From" line indicates who is writing and distributing the memo. Your name
and title should be included. The From line may indicate an individual or a group within the company.

For example: FROM: Human Resources, FROM: Administration , FROM: LIZA SOBERANO

 The “DATE”- the date the memo was written should be included next. Date: Month day, Year, for
example: DATE: August 15, 2011

 SUBJECT Line "Re"stands for "In Reference To" and may be used interchangeably with the word
"Subject." This line comes immediately under the from line and indicates what the memo is about. For
example: SUBJECT: Faculty Meeting
 Body of the Memo- after these important points of information, a standard memo leaves several lines
blank, followed by the body of the memo. The body of the memo should contain short, concise text
formatted for quick and easy reading.

BODY

Introduction
 - Tell the reader why are you writing
- State briefly what are you writing about
Discussion

- Explain what you want to

- State what is important, who will be affected, what caused it
- Indicate why changes are necessary
- Give dates, times, locations and costs.

Closing

- Make a courteous closing statement

- Request a reply by a specific date
- Provide a list of recommendations

In writing a memo, you have to consider the following parts and pointers:

1. Heading Segment. The heading segment follows this general format:

TO(readers' names and job titles)

FROM(your name and job title)

DATE(complete and current date)

SUBJECT(what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)

Use To/ For accordingly. To is used when the sender writes to someone who has an equal or lower rank than he
has; For when the sender writes to someone who occupies a higher rank. Make sure you address the reader by
his or her correct name and job title. In wording your subject line, be specific and concise (Dagdag, et al., 2011).

2. Purpose. State right away the purpose of your memo, including the context (the event or circumstance) and
problem, and the specific tasks it needs to accomplish. Usually, this introductory part runs to two sentences
only. Include only relevant information or tasks needed for decision-making.

3. Details. This comprises your discussion paragraphs, which present the details or any supporting facts based
on your introductory statements. You can clarify, elaborate, or substantiate further your points by citing
research data, evidence, or recommendations to support your contentions.

4. Action. Clinch your memo with a courteous statement reiterating the specific action you want your reader
to take. Highlight the reader's benefit(s) from the desired action. Should your memo have attachments, state it
in a sentence or use an enclosure notation, such as Encl. signifying that documents, such as graphs, tables, or
long lists accompany the document.

In terms of format, a memo is usually a page or two long and follows the general guidelines for business
writing. It should be single-spaced and left justified. Here are some office practices in writing a memo.

1. For convenience in reading, use numbered or bulleted lists rather than long paragraphs.

2. Corporate organizations may have different formatting styles, so be flexible in adapting to the conventions in
your company.

3. Do not forget the signature of the sender.

4. A memorandum omits the inside address, salutation, and the complimentary close found in a business letter.
5. Generally, memos follow the block paragraph pattern where all the internal elements of the page are flush
left.

6. Be flexible and consistent with the register of your language. You can write using the first person (I, me, we,
and us), second person (you), or the formal third person point of view pronouns (he, she, they, and them).

Five Tips for Effective MEMO

Audience Orientation
Always consider audience and their preparing a memo.
Professional, Formal Tone
Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part or all of the
organization.
Subject Emphasis
The subject is normally declared in the subject line and should be clear and concise. If the memo is
announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday sould be named in the subject line—
for example, use "Thanksgiving Weekend schedule" rather than "holiday observance!'
Direct Format
Some written business communication allows for a choice between direct and indirect formats, but
memoranda are always direct. The purpose is clearly announced, hffp://open.lihumn.edu

*****************************END OF DISCUSSION***********************************

Example of Memorandum
A General Office Memo

MEMORANDUM

To : All Staff

From : The Manager

Date : May 27, 2010

Subject : Inappropriate use of time on Google Doodle games

Coworkers,

It has come to my attention that many in the office have been spending time on the Google home page
microgames. This memo is a reminder to use your work hours for work.

According to a recent article, the estimated daily cost of people collectively playing these games instead of
working is over $120 million — which is calculated based on the daily average increased time spent on the
Google home page (36 seconds).

If these estimates are applied to our 600 office employees, thus it results in a nearly $700 weekly loss.

This is a conservative estimate considering the extensive discussions that occur about beating the office's
current high score. The extra cost quickly adds up.

Of course, we don't want you to view our organization as a place of drudgery and draconian rules. I encourage a
fun and competitive environment, and I recognize that we certainly won't be profitable if you are unhappy or
dissatisfied with your jobs. This is just a reminder to be careful with your use of company time.

Thank you,

The Manager

Activities
ACTIVITY 1. Read and examine the memorandum below and answer the questions that follows. (15 points)

TO: THE COLLEGE FACULTY

Thru the Department Heads

FROM: The Chairperson of English & Communication Arts

DATE: March 3, 2016

SUBJECT: English and Communication Arts Festival

Please be informed that students enrolled in the following courses will be excused on March 4, 2016 at the
designated schedules:

1. English 120 (Academic Writing Across the Disciplines) of Mrs. Flora Mae Illustre at 1:005:00 PM for a
research seminar in preparation for their Research Congress next week;

2. Literatures 1 and 2 classes of Mr. Edmar Pilapil at PM for their Literary Colloquium with Dr. Doreen Tardo;

3. Participants and Guest Performers of the Literary Cosplay at 4:00 PM and onward to prepare for the Gala
Show at 7:00 PM;

4. Airwatch Staff on March 2-4 (whole day) for the 20th Anniversary Exhibit and Gala Night; and

5. Students enrolled in English 120, English 220, Literatures 1 and 2, Professional Education Courses in BS Ed
Major in English at 6:00 PM in preparation for the Gala Show in the gym.

On this note, our respective Instructors will provide a master list next week certifying their attendance and
participation in the different events.

We look forward to your support and commitment in this endeavor.

CHRISTIAN RAY C. LICEN, M.A.

Recommending Approval:

ERLINITA P. TIBUS, Ed. D.

Dean

Approved by:
EDWAYNE MC FIELD, Ed.D.
Vice President for Academics

1. Who is the target audience/ reader of the memo?

2. Who is the primary author of the memo?
3. What does the memo talk about?

Assessment

Assessment 1: Try to rearrange/ revise the memo below according to its standard parts and sequence. (25
points)

DATE: January 26, 2018

Encl.

The speaker is Dr. Edward Ferrero from the business consultancy firm LEAD THE WAY CAREER SERVICES.
Attached are the company and speaker's profiles. Please let me know how I can help you further in terms of
logistics and employee attendance.

SUBJECT: Engineering Department Business Writing Training

This memo is to confirm that the training on business writing for your department will be held on October 10-
15, 2018 at the conference room at P.M. Please require our engineers to complete religiously the training as this
has been endorsed from our VP for Central Visayas.

MEMO TO: Engr. Andrea Pananampalataya.

For your information.

FROM: Anthony Freeman, Human Resource Director

Rubrics
Grammar & Spelling-5
Ideas -5
Neatness -5
Format -5
Accuracy -5
25
Assessment 2: You are the Human Resource Officer. Your proposal to hold an annual family day has been
approved by the Board of Directors. Write a memo to all the employees through the department heads
informing them to participate in the company’s family day. Decide on the venue, date, time, and specifics of the
occasion. (25 points)

Rubrics
Grammar & Spelling-5
Ideas -5
Neatness -5
Format -5
Accuracy -5
25

References:
Dapito, C., et al., (2014) Writing in the Discipline
Coronel, B. et al., (2013) Basic English
Fernandez, E.et al., (2015) Getting High on English

********************************END OF MODULE 9*******************************************