Emails for Administration

Emails for internal correspondence: memos and notices

Part 1 - Writing memos

Section A: Definition

“Memo” is the short form of “memorandum”, which is a short piece of writing written to a group of people giving information on a particular issue. Nowadays, it is more common to send a memo as an attachment in an email but there are still memos on paper.

Section B: Purpose

A memo is usually an internal document within an organization or a company. The writer wants the recipients to notice an important issue and take suitable action.

Section C: Format

1. Title

The word “MEMORANDUM” must be written in the middle at the top of the page in capital letters.

2. Heading

This part consists of the recipients, the writer, the date and the subject.

i) Make sure all the relevant people who should read the memorandum are included in the recipients.
ii) For the writer, the full name with the job title must be stated.
iii) The date should be written in full either in the British style (date, month and year) or the American style (month, date and year).
iv) The subject line should show very clearly what the important issue is in a few words.

Look at the following example:

To: All staff of the Sales Department
From: Samuel Lo, Sales Manager
Date: 20th January, 20XX
Subject: Our new partner, Modern T Clothing

3. Introduction

Write the purpose of your memo briefly so that the recipients will know why you are writing it at once. You can begin with “Please be informed that” or “I am writing to inform you that”.

e.g. “Please be informed that starting from 1 February, 20XX, there will be a new partner of our company called Modern T Clothing.”

4. Background Information

Next, you need to provide some background information of the case in points with supporting evidence.

e.g. “It is a big manufacturer of T-shirts in Foshan in the Guangdong Province and has been established for over 20 years. It is well-known for its fashionable, creative and interesting designs.”

5. Action

You must state clearly what action you would like the recipients to take in order to fulfil the purpose of writing the memorandum.

e.g. “When you are negotiating with our clients, remember to recommend the T-shirts produced by Modern T Clothing from 1 February onwards.”

6. Closing

End your memorandum with a positive note reiterating the action you would like to be taken. In the meantime, ask the recipients to contact you for any queries about the issue.

e.g. “Your effort in promoting Modern T Clothing is highly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Ms Alice Ng at ext. 3122.”

Section D: Points to note

  1. Use a formal style of writing.
  2. Simplicity and clarity are essential, since the purpose of a memorandum is for the recipients to realize the issue and the action required in a quick and easy way for their immediate attention.
  3. There is no need to write any salutation e.g. “Dear Mr Chan” and complimentary close e.g. “Yours sincerely”.
  4. Ensure that you do not include any redundant or irrelevant points in the memorandum as conciseness is the main concept.
  5. Proofread your memorandum for grammar, spelling, heading and the information written so that there will not be any mistakes.

Exercise

Watch a YouTube video and answer the questions below.

Title: How to Write a Memo

Channel: Ford Rasmussen 2

A memo is a brief message or report sent within an organization or a company while letters and emails may be sent to outside audiences.

Memos can be used as a cover to accompany other documents or reports.

They can be good for enquiries, complaints, requests, recommendations, etc.

Use them when the recipients are familiar with these terms.

It should be written in a clear and concise way.

It should be written in block format.

The last step is proofreading.

The following is a sample of a memorandum.

MEMORANDUM



To: All staff of the Sales Department

From: Samuel Lo, Sales Manager

Date: 20th January, 20XX

Subject: Our new partner, Modern T Clothing

Please be informed that starting from 1 February, 20XX, there will be a new partner of our company called Modern T Clothing. It is a big manufacturer of T-shirts in Foshan in the Guangdong Province and has been established for over 20 years. It is well-known for its fashionable, creative and interesting designs.

When you are negotiating with our clients, remember to recommend the T-shirts produced by Modern T Clothing from 1 February onwards.

Your effort in promoting Modern T Clothing is highly appreciated. If you have any questions, do feel free to contact me anytime at ext. 3123.

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Part 2 - Writing notices

Section A: Definition

A notice is a formal piece of writing usually put up on the notice board for a group of people to read. It may be put in a public place in a company for the staff to read, in a school for the students to read, etc. With the advancement of technology, there are now more electronic versions of notices. Nevertheless, the format remains basically unchanged.

Section B: Purpose

The purpose of writing a notice is to disseminate specific information to a group of people to let them become aware of an important issue.

Section C: Format

1. The name of the organization issuing the notice

This must be the first piece of information written at the top of the page in order to draw the attention of the readers to the organization responsible for the notice. It can be in the middle of the page or on the left-hand side using the block format.

2. Title

The word “NOTICE” is written in capital letters following the name of the organization either in the middle or on the left-hand side.

3. Date

The date should be written in full either in the British style (date, month and year) or the American style (month, date and year).

4. Subject

The topic of the notice should be written in a few words for the readers to recognize the important issue to be addressed.

e.g. “Cleanliness of the Pantry”

5. Body

This is the most essential element of a notice, since it is what the notice is written for. Therefore, the message must be written clearly and precisely to let the readers know what exactly the writers want the readers to notice and any action which needs to be taken. Numbers may be used if necessary. The following is an example.

“It has come to our notice that recently, the cleanliness of the pantry is not very satisfactory. Dirty stains have been found on the table quite often, while some dishes and utensils have been left uncleaned. Please be reminded of the following aspects:

  1. Clean the table after use.
  2. Wash the dishes and utensils thoroughly and put them back to the original places in the cupboard.
  3. Throw all the rubbish into the litter bin.
  4. Hang up all the washing towels properly.”

6. Ending

End with a contact in case the readers have any further enquiries. A note of appreciation is optional, depending on necessity. If the message is completed and there is no need for this, it can be omitted.

e.g. “Please contact me if there are any enquiries. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.”

7. Closing

Write the name of the writer, his/her job title and the department name.

e.g.

Joyce Wu

Manager

Administrative Department

Section D: Points to note

  1. A notice is a formal piece of writing.
  2. Brevity is the essence, so make sure you convey your message in the least number of words to avoid unambiguity. Therefore, do not include any redundant words or irrelevant points.
  3. State very clearly what will happen/has happened, when, where, what you would like the readers to do and whom to contact for queries.
  4. Proofread for grammar, spelling and the information written so that there will not be any mistakes.

Exercise

Choose the correct answer from each of the questions below.

1. Where should the date be written in a notice?
A. top right-hand corner
B. top left-hand corner
C. bottom right-hand corner
D. bottom left-hand corner

2. Which of the following is not compulsory in a notice?
A. the name of the writer
B. the job title of the writer
C. the age of the writer
D. the purpose of the writer

3. What is the most important aspect of a notice?
A. conciseness
B. entirety
C. responsibility
D. emergency

4. Which of the following is correct as a title?
A. notice
B. NoTiCe
C. NOTice
D. NOTICE

5. Which of the following need not be included in a notice?
A. the topic of the notice
B. the purpose of the notice
C. action of the readers
D. the names of the readers

6. What is the style of a notice?
A. formal
B. informal
C. semi-formal
D. casual

7. Which of the following must not be included in a notice?
A. an appropriate heading
B. extra details of a message
C. whom to contact
D. where an event takes/took place

Answers:

1. B

2. C

3. A

4. D

5. D

6. A

7. B

The following is a sample of a notice.

Good Fortune Company

Notice



Date: 4th August, 20XX

From: Joyce Wu

To: All staff

Subject: The Cleanliness of the Pantry



It has come to our notice that recently, the cleanliness of the pantry is not very satisfactory. Dirty stains have been found on the table quite often, while some dishes and utensils have been left uncleaned. Please be reminded of the following aspects:

  1. Clean the table after use.

  2. Wash the dishes and utensils thoroughly and put them back to the original places in the cupboard.

  3. Throw all the rubbish into the litter bin.

  4. Hang up all the washing towels properly.



Please contact me if there are any enquiries. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.



Joyce Wu

Manager

Administrative Department

Further References

1. How to Write a Memo

This webpage gives information on how to write the different sections of a memo with some samples of various memos.

https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Memo#

2. How to Write The Perfect Business Memo

In this video, four memo templates are shown and the speaker mentions how to write a great memo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr8pNp3WxBs&t=207s

3. Notice Writing

This link gives information on the writing format and some tips on writing notices. There is also an example of a notice for the reference of the readers.

https://www.vedantu.com/english/notice-writing

4. Notice Writing Format, Type, Writing Tips, Examples

In this webpage, there are a lot of details on how to write notices, what to note when writing notices and some practical examples.

https://englishcompositions.com/notice-writing/

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