1. HU113: Technical Report Writing
Pharos University in Alexandria
Faculty of Engineering
HU113: Technical Report Writing
Lecture 7: Letters and Memos
Prof. Dr. Abdelsamie Moet
Fall 2012/13

2. Business Letters and Memos
What is
Functions
Types
Elements
Memo (Office Memo/ Interoffice Memo)
Format
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3. Business Letters

4. What is a Business Letter?
A business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another
It corresponds between organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties.
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5. Functions of the Business Letter
a record of business activity.
provides more context or explanation than is usually possible on a form.
It helps the reader remember what is to be done.
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6. Types of Business Letters
Letter of Transmittal
Letter of Thanking
Letter of Complaint
Response to a Letter of Complaint
Letter of Request
Response to a Letter of Request
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7. Elements of a Business Letter
Heading
Date
Recipient's address
Subject
Salutation
Body
Closing
Signature
End notations
- Typist's initials ( if any)
- Enclosures (Encl:)
- Carbon copy Recipients (cc:)
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8. Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title.
If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (i.e., Dear Jim:).
It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon:
In all other cases, however, use the personal title and full name followed by a colon “ : ”
Leave one line blank after the salutation.
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9. Body of Business Letter
Single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of the letter.
Leave a blank line between each paragraph.
In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point.
The second paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point.
In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details.
The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
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10. Length
If a letter requires more than one page, make sure there are at least two lines of body text on the final page.
Never use an entire page for just the closing.
The second page and all subsequent pages must include a heading with the recipient's name, the date, and the page number.
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11. Body of the Letter: 1st Paragraph
The Reference
Give a reference for the reason you are writing
With reference to your advertisement in the Times,
your letter of 23 rd March,
your phone call today,
Thank you for your letter of March 5th
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12. I am writing to enquire about I am writing to apologize for
The Reason for Writing
I am writing to enquire about
I am writing to apologize for
I am writing to confirm
I am writing to request
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13. Closing Phrase
Write a complimentary closing phrase two lines below the final body paragraph.
Yours truly, Sincerely, or Sincerely yours are common endings for professional letters.
Capitalize the first letter of the first word of your complimentary closing, and end the complimentary closing with a comma.
Four lines below the closing phrase, write your full name.
If you are writing in an official capacity that is not included in the stationery's letterhead, write your title on the next line.
Your signature goes above your typed name.
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14. End Notations
At the bottom of the last page of a business letter, end notations may show who typed the letter, whether any materials are enclosed with the letter, and who is receiving a copy of the letter.
The typist's initials, in lowercase letters, follow the initials of the author, in capital letters, and a colon or a front-slash (LCP:ecb or LCP/ecb).
An enclosure notation--Enclosure:, Encl., or Enc.--alerts the recipient that additional material (such as a résumé or a technical article) is included with the letter. You can either identify the enclosure or indicate how many pieces there are.
Enclosure: Article by I. W. Waitz Encl. (2)
Enc. (2)
In addition to the enclosure notation, always refer to your enclosures explicitly within the text of the letter.
A copy notation (cc:) lets the recipient of the letter know who else is receiving a copy. Put each recipient of a copy on a separate line.
cc: Dr. Maria Lopez
Mr. William Astley
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15. Memo
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16. Memo
A memorandum is “a legal document that contains the important details of an agreement”.
A memo is “a short official note to another person in the same company or organization”. .
Brevity of a memo is essential because most decision makers have little time and must assimilate the contents of your memo quickly.
Long memos don’t get read.. . Not read => No action
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17. Functions of Office Memos
Memos record policies, decisions, and action items agreed to at a meeting or conference. They provide summaries of meetings for participants as well as for those who were absent, which has the same function as the minutes of meeting.
Memos provide a channel through which the executive and the staff communicate with each other.
On the one hand the executives can inform staff of policies, procedures and actions, on the other hand, staff can report to the superior, to make proposals or to ask for comments, approvals and instructions.
Staff members may also use the memo to brief each other on new developments or to make comments or requests.
Communicating through memos saves time and avoids lengthy conversations.
Memo is an important type of writing in contemporary business, and reflects significantly on career advancement. .
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18. Memo Types Operational memos
Announcements (policy change, meetings, etc.)
Request for action
Form memos
Cover memos
Directives
Response to an inquiry
Trip report
Dress code memos
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19. Format of a memo
The heading of the memo always includes the date, the name of the sender, the names of the recipients and the subject heading.
Make the subject heading as specific as possible.
Include relevant stakeholders.
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22. End
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