Unit: 3

Memorandum/ Memo / Office Note

A memo, short for memorandum is a formal written message, written in conventional form for
someone within the organization to meet a specific need. Memos describe problems, inform
employees, request information, explain actions and policies provide direction, and give
feedback. Memos can move in all directions as they may be routed through any of the three
communication channels: downward, upward, and horizontal. A memo must have clarity,
conciseness, unity of theme, and an informal tone.

Purpose of a memo
As business memos solve problems and act as a means of decision-making, they serve many
purposes. They may:
 Describe problems
 Request for information or additional resources
 Contain proposals or requests for proposals
 Explain policy statements
 Contain office instructions or guidelines
 Persuade the reader to take an action
 Invite the reader to business meetings/conferences
 Give feedback, suggestions, or recommendations
 Seek explanations or clarifications
 Be just polite reminders.

Structure of Memo/ Office Note

1. Heading/ Title/Letter Head

2. Receiver (to) - (Name and designation of the recipient)
3. Sender (from) - (Name and designation of the sender)
4. Subject (Topic of the memo)
5. Date
6. Main body – opening – central idea – closing
6.1 Opening
Most memos begin with a short paragraph describing the problem that led to the need
for the memo and the basic ‘purpose’ of the memo. The opening segment, thus,
mentions the ‘central idea’, which may include the context, the specific assignment or
task, and the purpose of the memo. These aspects are encapsulated in the word CAP
(C for context, A for assignment, and P for purpose). While the context is the
circumstance or background of the problem, the assignment describes the efforts to
solve the problem. The purpose gives the reason for writing the memo.
6.2 Body
The body of a business memo contains the message of the memo. It describes,
explains, and discusses the central idea of the memo, and includes all the details that
support the senders’ ideas. It may begin justifying the importance of the main point,
and the next few paragraphs may contain more information and supporting details.
The body may also contain a brief statement of the key recommendations the sender
 has reached. Appropriate graphic techniques and non-verbal data may be used to
highlight the main parts of the memo.
6.3 Closing
Memos should be closed with a courteous ending, stating what action the reader is
required to take. The sender can tell the readers how they will benefit from the
desired actions. If a problem is being discussed in the memo, it may be closed by
assuming up analysis of the problem and key recommendations. Thus, the closing
segment of a routine memo may contain action information seeking an action-
oriented response specifying the action that the reader is required to take, while
complex and long memos may also contain a summary of the main ideas.

7. Signature
8. Optional elements – References, attachments and distribution lists may be attached if
required.

Writing Strategies

 Analyse the problem and purpose.

 Determine the needs of the reader.
 Determine the scope of your message.
 Organize the message.
 Write the first draft.
 Revise, review and edit.
 Write the final draft.

Characteristics of Effective Memos

Memos play an important role in the decision-making process in an organisation by facilitating
the flow of information within its various parts and units. Good memos share certain
characteristics, which include the following:
Clarity
Clarity is the first characteristic of a good memo. A memo must be clearly written because an
unclear and vague memo will confuse the reader, leading to delay and inaction. Read the
following extract from the memo that shows how the lack of clarity leads to confusion.
Conciseness
Concise and direct memos are more effective. A memo should contain only essential
information. Unnecessary explanations, repetitions, wordy expressions, and exaggeration must
be avoided to ensure that the memo makes its point with the fewest words possible.
Unity of Theme
A memo, which does not have a unity of theme, distracts the reader and ceases to be purposeful.
An important way of ensuring unity in a memo is to make sure that it deals with only one topic.
A single topic is developed, and related ideas are subordinated. Focusing on a single topic helps
the writer unfold the theme logically.
Informal Tone
Although a memo is a formal business document, its tone is usually informal and conversational.
As the writer is likely to be familiar with the reader, personal tone may be used in memos. A
very formal tone might sound intimidating.
Letters versus memos
Like a business letter, a business memo is a positive functional instrument of the professional
exchange of business ideas, opinions, decisions, policies, and information. As both letters and
memos are forms of business writing, they follow similar writing principles and strategies.
Memos like letters are written to inform and make requests. However, a business memo differs
from a business letter in several important ways:
  Unlike letters, which are used for external communication, memos are used for internal
communication in an organization.
 A memo is written in a specific format, which is different from the format of a letter.
 Memos are less formal than letters.
 Memos are less structured than letters.
 The tone of a memo is more conventional than that of a letter.
 Memos contain less background explanation and information than letters.

Sample of Mamo:

Rajasthan Technical University

Akelgarh, Kota

Interoffice Memorandum

Date: 14 February 2024

To: Dean, Educational Hardware Division
From: Manager, Reprography Unit
Subject: PURCHASE OF THREE PHOTOCOPIERS

With the addition of four new departments and the consequent increase in the number of faculty
members and students, the volume of work in the reprography unit has considerably increased.

The two CopyFast photocopiers that we have at present are no longer adequate to meet the
demand. These machines were bought nine years ago and have become obsolete. Moreover, they
break down frequently and need major repairs. We have spent Rs 26000/- this year alone to keep
them in working condition.

Our estimate shows that we now require at least three more photocopiers to cope with the
increasing demand. We have also studied the features and costs of various brands of
photocopiers currently available in the market.

We recommend the purchase of three ImageX5 photocopiers from Singhania Imaging Ltd,
Mumbai. The price list is enclosed.

I request your approval for the purchase of these three photocopiers.

TB Gupta
 Notices

Notice is used as a form of written communication, to give or exchange information with the
staff. Notices are commonly found on a notice board, specially meant to bring attention to the
people who pass by. The notice covers the information which we want to be noticed (paid
attention to) by a maximum number of people. A notice may be sent individually.

Notice implies a piece of information related to a fact, communicated by an authorized person of

the organization to different parties like employees, clients, customers, suppliers, etc. When it
comes to intra-organizational communication, notices together with an agenda are conveyed to
all members beforehand, to hold meetings.

Many organizations have notice boards at notable places, all over the office, so that they can be
seen by all to whom it is meant. Every member of the organization is expected to read its
contents. It is also shown on the company’s website.

Drafting of notice

Be precise and to the point. It is a formal form of communication so the language used should be
formal as well—no flowery text. Use passive voice as far as possible. Present your notices in a
proper format in a box. The presentation should be neat and thus be appealing to the eye. The
following points may be considered while drafting.

1. The company’s letterhead must be used for writing or printing the notice.
2. Notice should be complete as regards the day, time, date, and venue of the meeting.
3. The names of those members who are attending the meeting should be mentioned.
4. The names of those members who are presiding over the meeting should also be stated.
5. It has to be single-spaced and left-aligned. Further, one line should be left between
paragraphs.
6. It must contain the meeting agenda.

Purpose

Notices are primarily used to grab the attention of the staff towards special matters. It also plays
an important role in ending legal contracts such as employment contracts. Notices may be used
for:

 Inviting everyone to a meeting

 New procedures or new rules to be initiated or followed
 Social events to be held
 Advertisements for internal appointments
 Reminders of company procedures
 Report on the matter of interest
 Information about holiday
 Deadlines about any particular job assigned.
Elements of Notice:
Since notice is a formal document, it should follow a structure or a format. Keep in mind there is no
one rigid format. Different formats used by different people/organizations can show some
variations. However, it is ideal to follow a somewhat similar format for ease of understanding and
uniformity. Let us look at the most used format of notices.

1. Name/Title of Issuing Organization/Authority: On the top, the name of the person or

company that is issuing the said notice must be printed. The title of the company is the
one issuing notice This will help the reader identify the notices as important or
unimportant to him.
2. Title: When writing notices we mention the title “NOTICE” at the top. This helps draw
attention to the document. Notices are generally posted in a public place or published in
newspapers. They mustn't get lost in a sea of information. So, a bold title mentioned helps
draw attention.
3. Date: After the tile to the left-hand side, the date on which the notice has been
published/issued must be marked. Since this is a formal document date is an important
aspect of it since these documents stay on record.
4. Heading/Subject: Then we move on to an appropriate heading for the notices. This
heading should make abundantly clear the purpose of the notices. The subject of the
notice should be bold, informative, suggestive and catchy.
5. Body: After the heading, we write the brief and to-the-point body of the notice. The main
content of the notice features in the body. The body of the notice may include reasons for
writing the notice, relevant event and occasion information, and information about the
date/time/venue.
6. Writer’s Name: At the end of the notice, we write the name and designation of the
notice-writer. The notices should be signed by the same person to lend them authority and
validity.

Format of Notice:
Sample of Notice:

Circulars
Circular is a tool of internal communication that is used to convey the message to various
addressees within the organization. Circulars are used for sending instructions and information in
common or to all branches of the organization. A circular is used to circulate information in any
direction. They are addressed impersonally e. g. "To all Branch Managers", or "To all Accounts
Section staff” A circular is like an advertisement, commonly printed on a page or leaflet, to
disseminate information across a wide network of people, i.e. employees, departments or
branches of an organization, business customers, etc.

During business, several events may take place which requires sending circular letters. With the
help of these circulars, the sender intends to provide some information to the persons concerned.
The process of sending circulars to different addresses is termed circulating.

Circulars are a written form of formal documents. Companies send circulars to specific people or
the public. They are a form of interdepartmental communication. The different types of circulars
are Administration, trade, financial, recruitment, public, general, and sales circulars. Circulars
communicate information like policy changes, upcoming events, sales, promotions, etc. They
provide information and instructions in detail. Since the intended audience receives circulars in
their hand, circulars use a small font. These are used for several purposes or events.

Objective of Circular:

1. To issue directions
2. To inform about new policies and procedures.
3. To gain publicity of the goods to be purchased or sold.
4. To influence the readers, with factual points about the company and its offerings.
5. To create interest of readers in the contents.
6. To gain the reader’s confidence.
7. To encourage sales.
8. To invite suggestions

Drafting a Circular:

1. Use of Combined Salutation: Combined Salutation is used, to increase its

applicability to a variety of users. Dear Sir/Madam is used as a general form of
salutation.

2. Absence of Sender’s Reference: The sender's reference is absent in the circular

because he doesn’t expect a reply from the receiver, as he wants to communicate
information to several customers.
3. Absence of Inside Address: The inside address is absent in circulars as these are
printed copies and are addressed to different receivers. So, the inside address is
not printed in advance. At the time of posting the letter, the individual address is
mentioned at the bottom left-hand side margin.
4. Use of Signature Block: The signature block of the authorized signatory is
prepared and affixed on the page at the time of printing.
 5. It is required to be specially written in an unambiguous and easily
understandable language
6. The signature of the reader is to be taken, which indicates that the information
has been conveyed.
7. It has to be printed.

Circulars are prepared once and then they are cyclostyled with a space left for variable details,
for circulation to different recipients. To personalize the circular letter – name, address, and
individual salutations can be inserted in those spaces after it is cyclostyled and may be sent to
one individual by way of post. However, they can also be randomly distributed. It can also be
issued like an advertisement in the newspaper.

Types of circulars: It is to be noted that the circulars differ in their layout, content, and matter.
The basic types are;

 General Circular
 Official Circular
 Business Circular
 Sales Circular or Trade Circular

Format of Circular

Sample of circular
Difference between notice and circular

One should take note that, the tone of both circular and notice should be in the form of a request
rather than a command. Also, both can be written for the same purpose or reason. The only
difference is notice is pinned on the board; circulars are meant for circulation. Here we are going
to discuss the difference between the two, using formats and examples.

Basis of Comparison Circular Notice

Meaning Circulars are used for sending Notice is a formal written
instructions and information in document meant to provide
common or to all branches of the important information to the
organization. receivers.

Communication Generally, it is circulated. It may be Generally, it is displayed on a

published in the media also. notice board to bring attention to
something important. Legal
notice may be delivered in person
and may be published in the
media.
Used for Generally, it is interdepartmental Generally, it is intradepartmental
communication. communication. Legal notices
may be issued outside the
 department.
Meant for General Announcement Targeted audience
Depth of Information Detailed information and
Brief and specific information
instructions
Place Circulated Placed on the notice board or
printed in media.
Format The box is not used. Notice is always written inside a
box.
Font size Small font size Comparatively larger font size

Book Review

How to Write a Book Review

Books are considered “tools for communication between two minds.” A well-written and
comprehensive review can let you know whether that book worked as a communication tool
between the author and reader or not. The scholarly book review is a kind of academic writing
that helps to explain and critically appraise the subject matter, value, sense, and importance of a
book. Usually, book reviewing is an unpaid job, considered a service to the profession.
Therefore, it is necessary that the reviewer should be willing to contribute to the field and should
have knowledge of the subject.

A review is a personal reflection of the reviewer’s opinion about the book, in which he/she
communicates to the readers; such as was the book good and worth reading. Was it thought-
provoking and informative? To whom (audience) it is recommended? There is some difference
between reviewing fiction and non-fiction books. In this article, our focus is reviewing a non-
fiction book.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding the length of the review. However, a review comprising
500-1000 words is good enough. It provides sufficient space for a reviewer to present his/her
ideas or comments with considerable supportive examples and arguments. Mostly, journals have
a word limit for writing a book review. However, the worth of a review rarely has a connection
with its length.

There are two approaches to book reviewing such as descriptive and critical.

Descriptive reviews: In this type, the reviewer gives an objective account of the information in
the book. The reviewer is expected to give a brief description of the book by stating the purpose
of the book.
Critical reviews: It may include a descriptive note, but it also appraises the book according to
the recognized “academic, scholastic and literary” norms.

Purpose: A book review is a snapshot of a newly published book to prospective readers, and it
succinctly introduces the book content and expresses the reviewer’s opinion about it. A good
book review helps the readers to decide whether or not to read/ buy/recommend a book. Book
reviews are beneficial to textbook editors and authors for improving their next editions, and for
the publishers to work out for future books.

The literature points out that there is no absolute rules for writing a book review, however, a
broad rule of thumb is that a good book review should have three components.

An introductory paragraph: It describes the main theme and contribution of the book in the
field. Thus, basically it explains what the book is about. It also describes the pertinent
information about the author and what’s his/her standing in the field.

The body of the review: It describes the key points of the book. It is the responsibility of a
reviewer to avoid too much detail and discuss only a few core points, and provide concrete
evidence for assertions. In this section, a few quotes or phrases can be used from the book to
elucidate the reviewer’s points.

A conclusion: In this section, the reviewer critiques the book and points out the weaknesses and
strengths in the use of evidence/s, the kind of provided evidence/s, and the inferences are drawn.
For concluding the write-up, the reviewer is required to sum up the ideas to provide the reader
with an outcome regarding the book.

A good book review is considered a commentary on the book not a summary of the book.
Therefore, one should focus on giving his/her opinions and reflections on the book instead of
providing a detailed description of the contents. An effective review should be educational,
attractive and opinionated. Ideally, a book review should be written by an expert but anyone else
who has some basic core knowledge of the subject, that the book covers can also do this job and
write a satisfactory review.

While reviewing a book, one must look at the following points carefully:

1. Subject of the book

2. Quality of the contents
3. Single-author or multi-author book
4. Chapters or sections
5. Preface
6. Foreword and who has written it
7. References
8. Index
9. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
10. Quality of paper and printing
11. Quality of photographs, illustrations if any
12. Highlighted important points in various chapters in Box
13. Price
14. Overall printing and binding

While reviewing any book, first of all carefully read its preface, it will give you the objective of
writing that book and other related information. In the next step, every book written by an
eminent author is already reviewed by some expert or eminent personality in that particular field
whom the authors usually invite to write a foreword for that book. It will help you a great deal
and guide you about the authenticity of the issues, and subjects discussed in the book, which is
always covered by those writing the foreword.

While reading the book the first time, one can highlight the important points, which will be
useful while writing the review. While writing the review, make sure that you do not miss any
important point or message in the book. A subject specialist or any other reviewer with basic
core knowledge on that particular subject should be able to point out any shortcomings, or
information missed by the author besides pointing out inaccuracies, if any. Point out for whom
the book under review will be informative and useful, who should read it and whether is it worth
being on the bookshelf of students, experts in that particular field as well as related libraries. The
review should be as comprehensive as possible and not only give enough information about the
book to the reader but also attract him/her to buy and read the book. Look at the price and
whether it is reasonable keeping in view the number of pages, the information it contains, the
paper used and the overall quality of printing. At the end of the review do not forget to give
information on where the book is available.

One of the important responsibilities of the reviewer is to elucidate whether the claimed/stated
purpose of the book writing has been achieved or not. It is expected the reviewer to clarify how
does or does not the author/s meet the claimed objective/s.

A few points to keep in mind while reviewing a book

• What does the reader of the review need to be informed?

• What was the purpose of the book?
• Did the authors accomplish that purpose?
• What issues does it explore and how well does it do this?
• Who is the target audience for the book?
• Are there additional characteristics that improve the understanding of the book, such as
catalogues, maps, glossaries, or other resources?
• What makes this book worth reading?
• Discuss what you particularly liked and disliked about the book.
• Give your opinion on the book. Was it interesting? Was it good? Would you recommend it?
• Read and reread your review carefully before sending it to the editor.
Characteristics of a good review: A good review has the following characteristics. It should:
• be unprejudiced, balanced and professionally written.
• provide constructive feedback.
• create interest among prospective readers about the book.
• be written in simple language
• be specific
• not be very long because readers have limited time
• evaluate the book for its overall worth, thesis, and shortcomings if any.
A review provides the readers with a view of the author/s, purpose, content, and quality. In the
last but not least “review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written.”
A reviewer can mention the inadequacies present in the book but avoid appraising the book for
not being something it was never envisioned to be.