THE MEMORANDUM

A. INTRODUCTION
• Memorandum or memo (plural – memoranda, is a type of
written communication which is used mainly for inter-office
communication.
• It can be written by one individual to another, one
department to another, or by an individual to a large body
of staff at different levels in the organization.
• A memo can be on paper or sent through e-mail
• Memos serve several purposes
1. To provide information
2. To request information
3. To inform of actions, decisions
4. To request actions, decisions
FORMAT OF A MEMO
1. The Memorandum Heading
The title ‘Memorandum’ or ‘Memo’ is centered at the
top of the page. The name of the organization may
appear above it.

2. The ‘To’ Line

This identifies the recipient of the memo. The name
and designation of the recipient are usually given.
The department may be included. The memo can
also be addressed to a group of people, for example,
‘All Heads of Department’.
3. The ‘From’ Line
This identifies the writer of the memo. It includes the same
information as given on the ‘To’ Line.

4. The Date
This is written in one of these two ways:
(a) 9 November 2018
(b) November 9, 2018

5. The ‘Subject’ Line

This gives a title for the contents of the memorandum.
Remember to be brief and clear when writing the subject
line.
6. The Body Section
The body of the memorandum is usually divided into
THREE paragraphs.
a) Paragraph 1 (briefly introduces the subject matter and
states the objectives)
b) Paragraph 2 (gives detailed information about the
subject)
c) Paragraph 3 (clearly states what the receiver of the
memo has to do and by when he has to do it)

7. Signature
The memo be signed or initiated by the sender at the end
of the memo. This is optional.
 Points to REMEMBER when writing a memo!!

Remember that the salutation ‘Dear Sir’ and the

complimentary closure ‘Yours Faithfully’ are not
used in a memo. Do not write your name and
designation after the signature as these should be
stated on top.

A memo should be written as a One-page memo

SAMPLE
Question: Recently a number of cars were stolen
from the parking lots of Dayabumi Complex. As the
Head of Security, explaining the problem and
outlining the precautions car owners should take to
prevent such thefts
 MEMO
To : All companies of Dayabumi Complex
From : Mohd Saufi, Head of Security
Date : 14 January 2022
Subject : Theft of Cars in Dayabumi Complex take the content
(Capitalize the first letter
except for preposition

Recently, a number of cars have been stolen from

this complex. After investigating the incidents, the
Security Department has concluded that majority
of these thefts due to carelessness on the part Briefly introduces the
of the car drivers themselves. subject matter
Thus, car owners who park their cars in the complex are reminded to take
precaution against such thefts. Some of the common precautions are as follows:
1. Make sure that all doors and boot of the cars are locked
2. All the windows of the cars should be completely wound up.
3. Do not leave any valuables in the car especially where they can be seen.
4. Sandblast your registration number on the windscreen and windows of the
car.
5. Do not leave your parking ticket in the car. Give detailed information
about the subject
We hope that with your cooperation, we will be
able to prevent car thefts in the building. Clearly states what the
receiver of the memo has
to do and by when he has to do it

- Enc is needed if the memo attaches additional information

MEMO in e-mail format:
To :
Cc :
Bcc :
Subject :
1. The following memo contains several grammatical and organizational errors.
Work with a partner to identify and correct the errors.

Subject : Meeting
To : All Senior Members
Date : 14 January 2018
From : Mr. Andrew, The President of Gardening Society

There will be a meeting of all core members in the Gardening Society, details
as below:
Date : 1 March 2018
Time : 5.00 p.m.
Site : No, 12, Jalan 10/3 46000 Petra Jaya
We will mainly discuss the setting up of our stall in the Petaling Jaya fair and
our annually voyage to Cameron Highlands in December.

Yours sincerely,
Andrew
Andrew Ford
Practices on Memorandum:
1. The following are three situations that require memos to be written. Read
through the situations and think of a suitable and precise subject for each
memo. Then, pick one situation and write a memorandum of about 100 words
in length.

a) A speaker will be presenting a talk on dengue fever, its symptoms and

prevention. Prepare a memo to be posted on the notice board in each
department to encourage all staff members to attend the talk.
Subject:
______________________________________________________________

b) Recently, many of your staff members have been clocking in late to work.
Write a memo to remind all staff to comply with the company’s rules and
regulations.
Subject:
______________________________________________________________