Unit 4. Writing short documents.

Letters, e-mail messages, memos.

Motto: “Learn to write well, or not to write at all.”

(John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham, ‘Essay on Satire’)

Objectives:

In this unit you will learn:

 to identify and describe the conventions governing the standard parts of a letter, an e-mail
message and a memo;

 to plan, structure and format letters, e-mail messages and memos;

 to tailor short documents to suit the purpose, degree of formality and currently accepted
conventions of this form of communication.
 UNIT 4. WRITING SHORT DOCUMENTS.

Lead-in

In pairs, decide whether the following statements about writing short documents are True (T) or
False (F). Provide arguments to support your answers.

1) Letters are ‘history’ nowadays, as they have been completely replaced by e-mail
messages.
2) People use electronic mail to send only informal messages.
3) Written communication inside most companies is carried out by means of both e-mail
messages and memos.
4) The paragraph structure typical of letter writing has been extended to both e-mail
messages and memos.
5) A(n) letter/memo/e-mail message which breaks with the established writing conventions
will have better chances of attaining its purpose, as it will be more appealing to the reader.

Letters

The right letter for the right purpose

Task 1
In their professional activity people may write a variety of letter types. However, most letters
roughly observe the same rules for their layout and structure. It is their purpose that makes
them differ in point of content.

Match the types of letters given in list A. with the explanations provided in list B.

A.
 letter of complaint
 letter of inquiry
 transactional letter
 letter of recommendation
 cover letter
 letter of transmittal

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 letter of order
 thank-you letter
 apology letter
 sales letter
 letter of request

B.
a) Its purpose is to get you interested in buying certain goods, services etc.
b) It expresses one’s gratitude and appreciation.
c) Most business people who want to purchase some goods send such a letter, specifying
the required quantity.
d) It asks for some compensation for inadequate services or damaged goods.
e) In it one may provide some background information and require the addressee’s support.
f) If one wants to get a job, one should write this letter properly.
g) It is written by someone who can testify to one’s qualities, character and professional
abilities.
h) You write such a letter in many business contexts in order to solve out various matters.
i) In it you say you are sorry for having done something wrong or hurt somebody’s feelings.
j) If one does not have the opportunity to examine some new products/ services closely, one
writes this letter to the manufacturer in order to ask for some details/advertising materials.
k) It accompanies a report and provides essential data about it.

Task 2
Which of the types of letters in list A. do you believe you will use in your professional activity
more frequently?
Prioritize them from ‘the most frequently used’ to ‘the least frequently used’. Think of various
professional contexts.

Task 3
The excerpts below are taken from different letters. Identify the type of letter they are most likely
to belong to. Refer to list A. above.

a. “…I hope you will forgive my missing the interview with you on June 7 at the George
Mason University. Due to a family emergency, I had to cancel it at the very last
minute….”

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b. “… I feel extremely grateful to all the Board for the opportunity to discuss about the
possibility of establishing a CHEMTEX Corp. subsidiary in our town….”
c. “… Please ship Items YF-211.07-CP (Tan) and YF-211.07-WQ (Beige) from your sales
catalogue dated July 1, 200X, to this address…”
d. “…in view of the low quality of the products delivered we have to ask you to urgently ship
replacements for the 100 defective switches….”
e. “…as we have the skills and experience to come in and help you with your swimming pool
maintenance. May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost
you to…“
f. “…information which is not given in the advertisement for your new ELECTRONFLUX
software. Could you please answer the following questions referring to it…“
g. “…I am sending you the accompanying report entitled ‘Proposed Changes in Refinery
Maintenance at Coppelberg Facility’ that you asked me to prepare in March, 200X…”

Details that matter

Task 4
Professional writing conventions require that any letter have a standard format which should
include certain sections.
Analyze the example of letter format provided below and match its numbered parts (1) to (12) to
the names of the letter format sections (a to l ) in the following list:

a) Complimentary close
b) Attention line
c) Sender’s name
d) Date
e) Enclosure(s)
f) Salutation
g) Body of the letter
h) Inside address
i) Sender’s title/position
j) Letterhead
k) Subject line
l) Signature

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XXX XXXXXX XXXXXXX

#1000 XXX Road / XXXXXX, XX 12345-1234 / [ 111] 777-9876 (1)

November 23, 200X (2)

XXXXX (3) XXXXX

Attention: R&D Department (4)
XXXXX XXX
XX XXXXXX XXX

Dear Sir/Madam (5)

Re: XXXXXXX XXXX (6)

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx. (7)

Yours truly (8)

XXXXX XXXXX (9)

Mr. James F. Reilly (10)

Human Resources Manager (11)

Enclosure(s) (12)

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Task 5
Study the layout and structure of the letter below and answer questions 1-10 under it. Work
individually first, then check your answers with a colleague.

MECH-POWER Ltd.
# 835 NW Hunter Rd.
Denville, CA 97225 (1)
10 June 200X
Mr. Thomas Brent
Sales Manager
AIRTOTAL Inc.
#14, Canvasa Close
Denville, CA 97225

Dear Mr. Brent (2)

As someone who has worked with you for over 5 years, we are quite dissatisfied with the
quality of the work that you did on the workshop we subcontracted to you in the SOLA
development area. (3)
According to our contract, we expected 12 ventilation units to be installed and in
operation. Instead, we found that three of them were not working properly (4). I think you will
agree this is unacceptable, as it keeps us from observing our work schedule.
We would like you to send a team to verify all the units and replace the faulty ones
immediately. (5)

Yours sincerely (6)

(7)
D. G. Robson
Site Supervisor

Questions:
1) Whose address is this?
2) Why not: ‘Dear Sir’?
3) What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
4) What tenses are used in these sentences? Why?
5) What exactly is the purpose of paragraph three ?
6) Would letter writing conventions allow the use of “Yours truly”?
7) What is missing here?

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8) Each paragraph of this letter is indented. The complimentary close and the signature are
aligned on the right. This letter style is called ‘semi-block’. Do you know any other letter
style(s)? How are they different in terms of paragraph alignment, as well as
complimentary close and signature alignment ?
9) This is an example of a letter in which the so-called ‘zero/open punctuation’ has been
used. What do you think this means ?
10) Why do you think double spacing is preferred to single spacing in separating the main
parts of a letter?

Task 6
Two letters are given below: a sales promotion letter and a thank-you one. They have been
mixed up. Work in pairs to sort them out. Steps to follow:

1) Scan the fragments in order to decide which paragraphs go with which letter.
2) Then arrange these paragraphs in the correct order to form two coherent texts.
3) Finally write the two letters down, observing the information about letter writing
conventions given in the tasks above.
Note: The senders’ and the recipients’ addresses are provided below.

a) Dear Customer
b) Why not give us a call so that we could make sure that you enjoy a cool and comfortable
summer?
c) We are delighted that you consider our product a major step forward in medical
technology. Indeed, the article came as a reward for our endeavors.
d) Before summer really sets in, we recommend you call us in order to arrange to have one
of our service representatives thoroughly inspect your company’s air-conditioning
systems.
e) John Anderson Head of R&D Dept
f) Dear Mr. Parker
g) Gratefully yours
h) Yours truly
i) We would like to express our gratitude for the favorable review you gave our new surgery
scanner Model Visual WV3.
j) The whole R&D team certainly enjoyed reading your review. Therefore we would all like
to thank you once again for your kind words.

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k) Our experience has shown that by taking prevention measures such as correcting minor
electrical problems, more costly repairs can often be avoided. Moreover, we have noticed
that it is invariably during the hottest period of the summer that we are overwhelmed with
service requests. Unfortunately, we are sometimes unable to provide as prompt a service
to all of our valued customers as we would like.
l) Ms. Brenda Pratt. Sales Department Manager

Letter of sales promotion:

Sender: CONDAIR Inc.// #246 Canberra Drive//Auckland
Addressee: Mr. George Gray//General Manager//Lanflux Ltd.//25, St. George’s Wood//London,
W1//LD18 MY5
Date: April 11, 200X

Thank-you letter:
Sender: MedScan Equipment//#415 Glenview Ave. //Illinois, IL 24930
Addressee: Dr. Ted Parker//Editor- in-Chief// 53 Washington Drive//California, CA 38502
Date: 25 June 200X

Task 7
Linking words/phrases, such as ‘otherwise’, ’thus’ and ‘what is more’, are used to connect
sentences or parts of sentences in a logical and coherent manner. Some may refer back to the
idea(s) expressed in the previous sentence and continue it. Others send forward to a list of
points.
a) Look for examples of linking devices in the texts of the two letters above and underline
them. What is their role?
b) Continue sentences 1 – 5 below according to the meaning prompted by each linking
words/phrases given:

Example: The registration deadline for the International Seminar is August 10.
a) Therefore you should send your application by that date.
b) Nevertheless late applications may be considered in special cases.

1) The contract provisions for the guarantee period are in accordance with the ASTME/200X
standards.
a) Moreover …
b) Yet …

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2) What matters most for us as suppliers of these installations is the users’ safety.
a) As evidence of …
b) On the other hand …

3) What our partners suggest is to have the control panels built in the plant walls.
a) Hence …
b) Besides …

4) One main advantage of using our DS-231 satellite is that access to data is instantaneous.
a) In the second place …
b) However …

5) The distributor has strongly recommended the use of the WMB-Dyequick paints
manufactured by DYOTONE in Canada.
a) In comparison with …
b) Consequently …

Task 8
In general, each paragraph of any written document conveys only one important idea, which is
stated in the ‘topic sentence’. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph adequately develop it,
having the role of providing supporting information. An effective paragraph must have unity and
coherence.

a) Read the three paragraphs below and decide which is correctly structured (strong
paragraph) and which is not (weak paragraph).

1) Before deciding to apply to a university abroad, a young person should take into
consideration the fact that, beside the obvious advantages, there are certain disadvantages in
studying in a foreign educational institution. In the first place, one must use a foreign language,
which may be quite frustrating, especially at the beginning, and it might even have a negative
effect on one’s grades. Nevertheless, grades are often irrelevant for the real academic level of a
student, as teachers can be very subjective. Thirdly, in most cases the cost of travel and
accommodation may be quite high. Finally, it might be hard to get home quickly in case of an
emergency.

2) “The lack of adequate funding seriously endangers the smooth completion of the project
on time. The purchase of the EMR equipment mentioned above is indispensable for the
reliability of the experimental data we need. The fact that we are currently understaffed has
been brought to your attention before. An increase by 27% of this quarter’s budget would barely
cover our most pressing needs.

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3) “As requested, we have checked that the audio and video equipment you need for your
presentation is available and in good working condition in the Conference Hall you know from
your previous visit. Moreover, our Technical Assistant, Tom Kramer, will be at your disposal all
through the presentation, in case you need any help with the equipment.

b) Complete the missing parts in the following two paragraphs by adding a topic sentence to
the first and two-three supporting sentences to the second.

1) “………….……. . Such a source is represented by many factories, which, while

manufacturing our modern conveniences, produce dangerous toxic gases that
contaminate the air we breathe. Similarly, the chemical products people use for cleaning, as
well as the waste products resulting from industrial processes, get into rivers, infecting the
water we drink and the fish we eat.”

2) “Dear MECHMAGAZINE Readers ,

We have been thinking about redesigning the logo and layout of our magazine materials
in order to reflect a more modern feel …..….…… .”

Collocates

Task 9
A collocate of a particular word is another word which often occurs with that word.

a) Match the sentence halves in Lists A and B below, in order to obtain meaningful
statements.

List A

a) I would like to let you know that I am rather disappointed with the way in which the two
secretaries recommended by your employment agency perform …

b) Therefore I would like to express my admiration for the thorough and timely manner in
which you do ...

c) Meanwhile, let me assure you that the department will send our best accountant in order
to examine …

d) Since the prices in the two lists do not correspond, we suggest you check …

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e) Given the distress I am in, I see myself forced to decline …

f) Since the present circumstances do not allow us to invest more in the aeronautics
industry, we regret that we have to reject your…

g) Through my five years of experience I have had the chance to acquire ...

h) I am positive that working for such a prestigious company like yours will help me to get…

i) I must remind you that the law prohibits…

j) The supervisor has forbidden …

List B

1) …your kind invitation.

2) … the daily tasks assigned by the Manager.

3) …the situation carefully.

4) …the skills that make me suitable for the job you advertised for.

5) …smoking in public places.

6) …the figures once again.

7) …the practice that will allow me to significantly contribute to achieving the company goals.

8) …the daily work assigned by the Manager.

9) … request for funding the project under consideration.

10) …playing computer games during office hours.

b) Now make a list of all the collocations you have found. Use them in sentences of your
own.

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Take my advice!

Task 10
Listen to an interview in which Mr. Cotter, an experienced professional, is providing guidelines
for effective letter writing. Take detailed notes in the grid below; then work in pairs to
compare/complete your notes.

Situations in which e-mail messages are preferred to

letters
…… ……

…… ……

Situations in which letters are preferred to e-mail

messages
…… ……

…… ……

Basic tips for letter writing

……
……
……

The Golden Rule of the 5 C’s

1…
2…
3…
4…
5…

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Task 11
Based on your notes, draw up a list of the most important “do’s and don’ts” for written
professional communication. You can use it as a checklist of the main points you should keep
in mind while writing any short document.

DO’S
………….
………….
………….

DON’TS
………….
………….
………….

Task 12
Two scenarios are given below: one for writing a letter of complaint and another one for a
letter of inquiry. In pairs decide who writes which letter. When you have finished writing, swap
your texts and provide feedback to your peer’s letter in the light of the rules for message writing
you have learnt so far.

A) Letter of Complaint
First paragraph: describe original action/purchase
Second paragraph: state complaint
Third paragraph: request adjustment.

Scenario:
 You bought a laser printer on March 10 this year from SYSAFE Ltd. It is the Relysis
brand, labelled Model 637.
 Faulty operation a fortnight after its installation.
 SYSAFE Ltd. Service representatives tried to adjust it twice in April and three times in
June, but to no avail.
 Now the printer is not working properly again.
 This is a defective machine.
 You want the printer to be replaced.

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Your address: The addressee:

16 West Creek Road Mr.John Martins
Sansalito Customer Service Department
CA 94732 SYSAFE Ltd.
846 Glazer Blvd.
San Francisco
CA 94263

B) Letter of Inquiry
First paragraph: give background to explain why letter is being written
Second paragraph: ask for the information/materials needed. You may also ask for some
catalogues/brochures of the company in order to compare products and prices.
Third paragraph: say when information/material is needed
Fourth paragraph: close with expression of appreciation or good will.

Scenario:
 You want to replace your old air conditioning system in the company’s conference room
 You want to know what products are available; you also want to know more about their
technical characteristics and to compare prices
 Because of the current heatwave you want to make a decision in the next few days

Your address: The addressee:

Ms. Patricia Ferguson Mr. Sam Hillside
Purchasing Manager Sales Officer
Millennium Inc. Cooland Inc.
27 Blue Mountain Drive 34 Greybell St. #3
Boulder Denver
CO 80021 CO 80378

Turn your hand to letter writing!

Task 13
Choose one of the following situations and write a letter, which is adequate in the given context.

1) You have set up a company manufacturing technical equipment (choose products you are
most familiar with). Write a letter to potential customers in order to let them know about this;
provide some information about your range of products and invite them to visit you.
2) You have received a letter from a client, complaining that the laboratory glassware
delivered by your company was damaged during shipping. Inform them that a new
consignment will be dispatched in accordance with their request. Apologize for the
inconvenience.

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3) Write a letter to a bank, in which you request an extension to be granted to you for making
a payment. Justify your request and express your confidence that this will not affect your good
relationship with the bank.

Task 14
A contest for the best letter will be organized. Establish the criteria you will use in order to
evaluate your peers’ written work.

E-mail Messages

Tips on e-mail message writing

The most popular form of written communication today is by e-mail messages. Essentially, they
combine aspects of informal speech, formal written communication and new ways of showing
emotions. The Internet is rapidly developing its own unique culture formed by a diverse group of
people of different religions, nationalities, and experience.

Task 15
The advice below can help you to deal with e-mail effectively and to make a good impression on
your readers. Read texts (a) to (m) and fill in the gaps with words/phrases taken from the box:

reply; credibility; objective; sender; background information; clearly; subject line;

eye contact; acronyms; audience; forwarded; alters; forge; address; informal;
spell checker; correspondence; purpose; mailing list; deal; posture; emoticons;
recipients.

a) With e-mail, you can't assume anything about a …(1)…'s location, time, frame of mind,
profession, interests, or future value to you. This means, among other things, that you
need to give the receiver enough …(2)… about you.

b) A …(3)… that pertains clearly to the e-mail content will make people decide whether they
will read the message or not. The subject line should be brief. It does not need to be a
complete sentence.

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c) Remember that your words may have a secondary …(4)… - anyone to whom the
message could be …(5)…. Beware of saying overly critical things if you think the message
might be sent to a third party. Such an e-mail message may come back to haunt you!

d) You cannot protect yourself if someone …(6)… your mail and then forwards it. It is best to
entrust the most sensitive matters to ink and paper – they are harder to …(7)…!

e) Long e-mail messages are acceptable when sent to an individual you know well. They
may be ignored when you send them to multiple …(8)…, or to a …(9)…. Therefore, try to
limit your messages to one topic. Use short paragraphs and lines under 25 words.

f) Answer your e-mail messages promptly and completely! You should always …(10)… to all
the questions asked. Often not doing so is just negligence, but consider what it does to
your company’s image. Does anyone want to …(11)… with careless people?

g) One of the problems with e-mail messages is the lack of …(12)… and body language
available in face-to-face conversation. All you have are the words in front of you. You
cannot offer a hearty handshake, a warm smile of welcome, or show your intense interest
with your eyes or …(13)…. .

h) Don't overuse …(14)… like BTW (by the way) or IMHO (in my humble opinion). Not
everyone is familiar with them and the recipient may miss your point.

i) To maintain your professional …(15)… and that of your company, carefully review your e-
mail message before you send it. Although e-mail messages are a more informal method
of communication than writing a letter, be sure you make your points clear and concise.
Use a …(16)… if available.

j) There are various ways of expressing your attitudes and emotions in electronic writing:
…(17)…, asterisks, capital letters, creative punctuation, white space etc. However, they
should be used mainly in more …(18)… e-mail messages.

k) In professional contexts it is better to use an …(19)… based on your real name such as
[email protected].

l) Get to the …(20)… of your e-mail message from the very first sentence. Whether you are
looking for some information, providing it or trying to persuade the reader to take some
action, do not keep them in suspense. Make your points …(21)…. Provide supporting
ideas in order to help the readers to get all the necessary information they may need.

m) An e-mail message is written …(22)….. Doesn’t it follow, then, that you should observe
the rules of basic business writing when you compose e-mail messages? Make sure you

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have a clear …(23)... , and a clear picture in your mind’s eye of what you want to say and
what you want to happen--before you start writing.

For further information on e-mail message writing, you may visit the following sites :

www.albion.com/netiquette/
www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/
www.onlinenetiquette.com/

Task 16
Discuss in pairs and rank the pieces of advice above in accordance with their importance in
writing professional e-mail messages.
Can you think of any other tips on e-mail message writing?

From ”Dear Sir” to “Hello, George”

The correspondence between professionals may vary from formal to semi-formal and even
informal, depending on how well they know each other.

Task 17
Sort out excerpts ‘A’ to ‘R’, which are taken from a variety of e-mail messages, under the
headings provided in the table below:

Formal Semi-formal Informal

……… ……… ………

A - Hi everyone!

B - Dear colleagues

C - Dear all,

D - With (hurried) kindest regards,

E - Regards :O)

F - Best wishes

G - Any advice would be welcomed!

H - I would appreciate it if I could receive your reply by Monday, 2 September.

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I - We would welcome feedback on the proposals and issues we raise.

J - Can I get your final decision by tomorrow morning?

K - Thanks for helping me.

L - Thanking you in anticipation of your cooperation,

M - If you should have questions regarding the attached documents or any other concerns,
please feel free to contact Ms. Alexandra Burton at the following e-mail address:
[email protected]

N - Sorry for the delay in replying; it’s hectic here today.

O - I want you to run and evaluate the software, so I'll check in with you over the next few
weeks.

P - Let’s meet for lunch and talk about this.

Q - Pls book tables B4 end of today. Numbers as follows: 15 for 3, 4 for two. I’ll need
confirmation asap; can you e-mail me later?

R - May we remind you that the deadline for the submission of project proposals for the second
medium-term program of the ECKG (2004 - 2007) is 30 June 200X.

Task 18
Use the necessary punctuation marks in the e-mail message excerpts below. Then turn them
from informal into formal ones:

1) Heres a request ive just devised a questionnaire for the britspan committee can you get
some of your staff members to answer it by wednesday

2) Many thanks

3) Sorry apparently my assistant didnt include your address in the mailing list im now
enclosing it

4) Hi David

5) Best Jane

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“To throw a line” or “to drop a line”?

Task 19
In the e-mail message below choose the word in brackets which collocates with the underlined
one.

Dear Bob

As you have asked me (to come/get) to your rescue concerning the order that you have so
hurriedly (placed/made), here is my opinion.

Having (cast/thrown) an eye over the company’s track record, the question of their
trustworthiness can be (risen/raised). If we (made/did) a comparison with similar firms in the
field, we’d (come/arrive) to the conclusion that it doesn’t (fit/meet) the requirements of any
sound bank.

I honestly think that you shouldn’t have (made/done) haste in (coming/going) to an agreement
with LUXCOM Ltd. since obviously they are not the kind of people one should (make/do)
business with!

We should (get/stay) together some time next week to (put up/work out) a plan to (put/bring) this
situation to an end.

Best regards
Trevor

“You’ve got mail!”

Task 20
Imagine yourselves in the following situation:

You are members of a group of three scientists who live in three different countries (choose
them). You have worked together on a joint research project. Now you have to write a scientific
paper together to be submitted to a forthcoming international conference on your topic.

- Use the e-mail as a means of communication at all main stages of this activity.
- Write at least three e-mail messages each (never longer than max. 150 words) to the other
two members of the team, and then respond to the messages from your colleagues. While
writing, use the tips you have got in this unit.

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- The purpose of your e-mail messages is to:

1. plan and organize the process of collecting and selecting the material you will use for your
paper;
2. inform the others of certain bibliographic references you would like to make;
3. negotiate deadlines for the completion of the different stages the project entails: first draft,
revised draft, list of references, final draft etc.

Memos

A memorandum (pl. memorandums or memoranda), usually contracted as a memo

(pl. memos), is a form of written communication frequently used at both intra- and
interdepartmental levels in an organization. Generally, its purpose is to solve problems
occurring in the company, either by informing people about changes, or by getting them to take
action. Memos can be written by any staff member, from junior executives to top managers.
They will fulfil their goals if they are clear, concise and informative at the same time.

Our company’s memo

Task 21
In pairs, decide whether the statements below are True (T) or False (F).

1) Memos can be sent by e-mail.

2) There are three fields in the heading of any memo.

3) To keep the message short, one will mainly use brief notes in a memo.

4) Most firms require their employees to stick to the ‘company’s style’ in memo writing.

5) Since memos are sent to people with the same professional background, the use of
professional jargon is allowed - and even advisable - in memo writing.

6) A memo cannot exceed half a page.

7) In order to attain its goal, the tone of a memo should be impersonal, even if the message
is negative/critical.

8) It is advisable to mention the purpose of the memo in the first sentence/paragraph.

9) The way you choose to structure the body of the memo does not depend on the nature of
the message.

10) Memos end with a complimentary close (for example: Yours sincerely).

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Task 22
Now check your answers by reading the memo below, whose subject is to provide some useful
advice regarding memo writing.

To: All staff members recruited after August 25, 200X

From: Ewan O’Brien, Human Resources Manager
Date: August 28, 200X
Subject: Memo Format and Style Requirements

1. Summary - Your ability to communicate in memo format is important to your future

professional success. Throughout your career, some of your written messages will be sent in
the form of memos, on paper or by electronic mail. For this reason, I am providing some
necessary guidelines regarding the format and style of memos.

2. Discussion - A memo is a document that can:

I) describe technical results, and these are typically 1 to 4-5 pages,

II) present or inform about action plans – they are only 1 or maximum 2 pages.
If a memo is longer, it should have a summary section, as shown above. Even if there is
no distinct summary section, any memo should begin by a clearly stated purpose.

Keep in mind that most memorandums, especially if they have been submitted by e-mail,
are circulated beyond your initial distribution list. Consequently, there may be further reference
to your memo at any time in the future when the topic may be discussed. That is the reason why
you should make sure it is carefully written and complete.

The tone of a memo should be neutral or, if possible, positive. If the communication you
want to make is of the negative type, the tone should not become too coldly formal or
condescending. Try to avoid pretentious language of any kind, including excessively technical
jargon. Your chances of conveying a good image of yourself will be much higher if you project
an image of consideration and competence in carrying out your professional responsibilities.

3. Structure - In order to help the reader follow your message give your text a clear
structure. The typical components of a memo are given below, each followed by brief
explanations:

a) Header: Unlike letters, which include inside addresses, salutations and complimentary
closes, a memo gives this sort of data in the heading. A typical header provides information

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regarding who the memo is addressed to, whom it is from, the date when it was sent and a
detailed subject. Many companies, including ours, use memo pads with a predesigned format.
The statement of subject must be concise but accurate. If the subject is vague, it may not
arouse the reader’s interest.

b) Purpose: You should state the reason for writing the memo in the first paragraph.
Normally any busy professional will firstly scan the purpose, thus determining how important the
memo is.

c) Summary: A short memo does not have a summary section. In such a case, the first
sentence will state the purpose, and then the body of the text will follow, directly proceeding on
to the discussion.
For longer memos, however, a summary statement is necessary. It is somehow similar to
an abstract, mentioning the purpose, as you will not have a separate purpose section It will also
include the importance of the subject and will summarize its main points.

d) Discussion: This section covers the background, procedures and results. It can be
devised in two ways.
If your memo body is organized with ideas presented in decreasing order of importance,
place the most prominent points first, followed by the supporting details and background data.
This way, those who are really interested in your message will take time to read it all, while the
others will just glance over it This pattern of organization is the most frequently used by most
business memos.
However, if you have to say something that might not be understood without some prior
preparation, or something rather negative, then build up your text so as to get from details to the
most important idea.

e) Conclusion: This is the final part of the memo. If your work is part of an ongoing project,
you may choose to call this section an ‘Action Plan’ as generally there is some action which
must be taken as a result of the memo. If the project is over, then you will call this section
‘Conclusion(s)’.

f) Attachments: in case you attach some documents, they should be listed.

You are expected to get familiar with and use this memo format for any communication
within the company starting September 1. Should you have any comments or suggestions
regarding the above requirements for memo format and style, I will be glad to discuss them with
you.
(based on http://www.engr.udayton.edu/Special/Writing/memo/default.htm)

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Task 23
Read the memo above attentively again and jot down 6 – 8 pieces of advice regarding memo
writing. You will use them as a checklist when you write your own memoranda.

Before and… after

Task 24
The message below does not entirely comply with the currently accepted standards of memo
writing. That is why an experienced professional has provided some good advice meant to
improve the text. Match the comments (1 to 8) he has made with the parts of the memo marked
‘A’ to ‘F’.
Careful: there are two comments too many!

DATE: July 1, 200X

TO: All TechnoApex Heads of Departments
FROM: Edward Black (A)
SUBJECT: Remarks (B)

As you all know, the Annual Review process closed yesterday, marking the end of
our performance assessments over the Financial Year (FY) 200X. In the light of the
annual financial results, the policy of Rewards is briefly outlined below. (C) You are
well aware that the economic market has been challenging for the entire industry,
and these conditions will influence the level of rewards that can be offered at the end
of this year. Let's also keep in mind that in this past year we have made specific
investments to expand our market opportunities in many areas. Thus, we have
created two new brands and invested in view of all our subsidiaries’ future growth. It
is our firm belief that these commitments are in our long-term interest.

Financial background
Given the options made, as well as other foreseeable events on the financial market,
we will have to take certain difficult and, we fear, rather unpopular decisions
regarding the FY0X rewards, in order to protect the stability and soundness of our
business. A few key points about FY0X rewards. Firstly, overall salary increases for
next year will be lower than expected and fewer people will get a payrise. This means
that the large majority of our people will not receive a salary increase. In the second
place, despite all our efforts, we expect cash bonuses will not exceed 10% of the
monthly pay packet. Finally, on a more positive note, stock options are available for
those team members who have performed much above the goals set. (D)

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Moving Forward
As we approach the annual Rewards, we must continue to be prudent and balanced
in our decisions. If we get it right and do not "over"reward our teams in relation to our
business performance or "under"reward our top performers, we will ensure better
workforce stability in the future (E). Let's keep this in mind as we go through this
process.

Timeline
We expect you all to decide which of your staff members are eligible for rewards in
one form or another, as soon as possible. (F)

(based on http://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/memo/)
Comments:

1) The subject of the memo is too vague/general. You should summarize the message in
maximum 10 key words, e.g. Company policy on Annual Rewards.

2) Use either numbered sections or headings for an enumeration of your

points/arguments/ideas.

3) If you want people to take action efficiently, set a precise deadline for that.

4) It is advisable to use your job title/department name here, e.g. General Manager.

5) Since the agent object is quite obvious, you should use the passive voice rather than the
active one to highlight the actual focus of the sentence.

6) Be careful to make lists parallel in grammatical form.

7) Start a new paragraph when you move on to a new idea.

8) Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.

Task 25
Taking into consideration the advice you have received, provide the improved version of the
memo above.

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Task 26
Turn the following sentences into the passive voice and write down what tense is used in each
case. Are there any examples in which the agent object can be left out without substantially
affecting the meaning of the sentence? (For further information on the passive voice, go to the
Grammar Reference section, page 213.)

a) Workers break up oil into petrol and other products which afterwards they separate from
each other.
b) The operator who was responsible for the installation had to make sure that people in
charge maintained it properly throughout the year.
c) According to the specification, the system will carry direct current at 1,500 volts in
overhead wires hung above the track.
d) Once the Parliament have declared a national law to be incompatible with European
Community law, national courts must cease to recognize it.
e) The night shift team are repairing the water pipe system, while the day shift team are now
busy removing the damaged parts.
f) When the authorities declared the state of emergency, our reporters had long described
the condition of the dam as critical.
g) The control tower people were just warning the crew members about the deviation from
the assigned flight path when they lost contact with the plane.
h) We are quite sure that by the end of the century automatic operations will have replaced
manual technical ones.

Task 27
Various aspects regarding the use of the passive voice are covered in the list below. When you
have written down the passive voice versions of sentences a) to h), decide what case(s)
is/(are) illustrated by each example.

1) The passive voice is preferred in technical/scientific texts, with the main focus on the
object (grammatical subject) and not on the doer of the action (logical subject).
2) Quite often journalism favours the passive voice.
3) One can find numerous examples of passive voice use in legal texts which have to be
quite formal.
4) The agent object can be deleted from a passive construction if it is unknown, unimportant,
or represented by a large group of doers.
5) If the agent is obvious, there is no need to mention it in a passive construction.

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Task 28
Choose the verb which collocates with the words in italics. Use appropriate forms.

1. All members of the staff are kindly invited to …………… the Annual Conference on
Human Rights, which opens July 5, 200X in Baltimore.
(attend – frequent)

2. Since our customers have lately been complaining about the quality of our products, we
have decided to have all our employees take a test in order to …………… their
professional skills.
(assess – calculate )

3. One thing that our company prides itself on is the ability to …………… deadlines.
(respect – observe)

4. I am writing to …………… about the ‘17 - AB’ phone model in your catalogue.
(inquire – demand)

5. The team is asked to …………… a viable plan that will allow us to get past these
difficulties as soon as possible.
(invent – devise)

Task 29
Look up in a dictionary the words which collocate with the verbs which you have not used in
Task 28. Make sentences of your own using some of the collocations you have found.

Complete a memo

Task 30
Divide into two teams. Group ‘A: working in pairs, must read the beginning and ending of the
memo below and write, in collaboration, the middle part, which is missing.
Group ‘B: in pairs, write the beginning and end of the memo whose middle part is given at the
end of the unit.
While working on the memos, use the checklist on ‘Memo Writing Rules’ which you drew up in
Task 23.

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Pairs ‘A’

MEMORANDUM
To: All TYC Employees
From: Peter E. Clarke
Head of Information Security Department
Date: 17 August 200X
Subject: Password security

It must be absolutely clear to all members of our staff that maintaining the security of the
company’s computer network is imperative. Nevertheless, recent intrusion attempts have used
new techniques to seek and exploit "simple" passwords.
……………………………………………**…………………yytttytty*********888
Thank you for your cooperation in helping ensure that we maintain the highest security
standards.

Task 31
Form groups of four, that is two students from team ‘A’ and two from team ‘B’. You now have
both the original text of the memo, as well as your own versions. Compare them, considering
the memo writing tips in Task 22 above.

Send a memo

Task 32
It is high time for you to write a complete memo. Choose one of the situations below. Plan your
memo, write the first draft, check if there are any mistakes in it and then write the final version.

a) ‘You are the Human Resources Manager of a factory that manufactures chemical
products. You have been assigned the task of organizing a training course regarding the safe
use of the new production installations the company has recently acquired before they start
operation.
Write a memo to the General Manager of the company, in which you explain what the
course content will be, the skills and qualifications of the course trainers selected, the timetable
of the course, the materials and expenses involved, as well as the way the course will be
organized.’

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b) ‘As Purchasing Manager of the ‘POLITEHNICA’ University of Bucharest, write a memo to

all Heads of Departments informing them that the university has won a grant from the European
Commission, which can be used to purchase IT equipment and software. This will bring the
university laboratories in line with European standards. Ask Heads of Department to let you
know how many computers they need for their laboratories, what software applications are
necessary, how many students will use them every week, how many hours per week, whether
the computers and related equipment will be used both for teaching and research purposes.
You want to get their reports before November 15, sent to the following address:
[email protected].’

Task 30*
Pairs ‘B’

MEMORANDUM
To: All TYC Employees
From: Peter E. Clarke
Head of Information Security Division
Date: 17 August 200X
Subject: Password security

………………………………………………
We are all equally responsible for the security of our information infrastructure which can be
safeguarded by applying security best practice in the work place at all times.
A key element of our responsibility is the appropriate use of personal passwords. This is
essential in ensuring that only validated users get access to our network, data and applications.
All staff are required to:
- observe TYC best practice guidelines. (Information about these can be found at:
http://infocentre.tyc.com/workplace/password_guidelines.html.)
- avoid passwords that can be easily detected, such as: words found in a dictionary, proper
names, birthday dates or product names (Hackers are using software that searches for such
passwords.)
…………………………………………………

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Checklist

LETTERS

Salutation

 Dear Sir/Madam (when the addressee’s name is not known)

 Gentlemen: (American English)
 Dear Mr. Brown/Dear Ms. Jones (when the addressee’s name is known)
 Dear Joe/Dear Mary (when the business relationship has become less formal)

Complimentary close

 Yours faithfully/Yours truly (if you started by: “Dear Sir/Dear Madam”)
 Yours sincerely (if you started by: Dear Mr. + name/Dear Ms. + name)
 Best regards ( this is currently considered appropriate with any type of business letter).

A tip: nowadays zero punctuation (i.e. no comma after salutation and complimentary close) is
sometimes favoured. However, observe the required punctuation for the body of the letter!

E-MAIL MESSAGES

Some useful tips for writing e-mail messages:

 Subject line – should be clear and short. Use key words!

 Observe Netiquette rules!
 Make sure that each paragraph contains a main idea, developed in and supported by the
rest of the paragraph!
 Although there are some minor changes dictated by the use of electronic transmission
(e.g. it is no longer necessary to begin by acknowledging the fact that you have received
the e-mail message, as this is obvious), the structure of the text generally observes that of
a business letter.

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MEMOS

Most companies make use of the following memo format:

From:
To:
Subject:
Date:

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