Writing Business Memos 

 WHAT IS A BUSINESS MEMO ? 

 A business memo is a short document used to transmit information within an   organization . Memos are characterized by being brief , direct , and easy to navigate .   They are less formal than letters but should maintain a professional , succinct style .   Often , the purpose of a business memo is twofold : to identify a problem and propose a   solution . Other times , memos may provide or request factual information . 

 Business memos are designed to accommodate busy readers who want to find the   information they need from the memo quickly and easily . In writing a business memo ,   you should structure your memo to accommodate three kinds of readers : 

 • Those who read only the executive summary 

 • Those who skim the entire memo for its key points and a few details they 're 

 interested in 

 • Those who read the entire document for the details that support its major 

 claims or recommendations 

 Bear in mind that these readers may have different purposes in reading the memo .   Often , readers need to make policy and action decisions based on the   recommendations . Others may want to obtain specific information ( evidence ) needed   to understand and justify policy and action decisions . Readers may also want to get a   sense of your professional ability and judgment . 

 In determining the purpose and audience of your memo , ask yourself : Who is the   intended recipient of this memo ? What do I want the recipient to do after reading the   memo ? What information will the recipient be looking for in the memo ? These kinds of   questions will help guide your content , structure , and style choices . 

 HOW DO I WRITE AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MEMO ? 

 As stated above , an effective business memo is brief , direct , and easy to navigate . The   following five writing strategies help readers to navigate business memos easily and   quickly : 

 1 . Present the main point first . This may be the single most important 

 guideline about the structure and content of memos . Readers should   quickly grasp the content and significance of the memo . If readers have a   question or problem , they want to know the answer or solution   immediately — if readers want more information , they can continue reading . 

 In other words , supporting details should follow the main point or   conclusion , not precede it . 

 2 . Maintain a professional , succinct style . The style of your writing should be 

 appropriate to your audience : In this case , your audience is your boss , your   coworkers , or both . So , your style should be professional , straightforward ,   cordial , and easy to read . To achieve such a style , use short , active   sentences . Avoid jargon and pretentious language . Maintain a positive or   neutral tone ; avoid negative language if possible . In addition to making   memos easier to read , a professional writing style also improves the writer ’s   credibility . 

 3 . Create a very specific subject line to give the reader an immediate idea of 

 the memo 's ( or message 's ) subject and purpose . The subject line should   orient the reader to the subject and purpose of the memo and provide a   handy reference for filing and quick review . Suppose , for instance , that you   were writing to request authorization and funding for a business trip . You 'd   avoid a general subject line like " Publisher 's Convention " or " Trip to AWP   Conference " in favor of something more specific like " Request for funds :   AWP conference . " The last example would tell the reader the subject and   what she was being asked to do about it . 

 4 . Provide a summary or overview of the main points , especially if the memo is 

 more than one page . Often referred to as an executive summary , the first   paragraph of a long memo or message serves these functions : 

 ▪ Presents the main request , recommendation or conclusion 

 ▪ Summarizes then previews the main facts , arguments and evidence 

 ▪ Forecasts the structure and order of information presented in the 

 remainder of the memo 

 ▪ Like the subject line , the executive summary provides a quick 

 overview of the purpose and content of the memo . The reader uses   it to guide both a quick first reading and subsequent rapid reviews . 

 5 . Use format features , such as headings , to signal structure and guide readers 

 to the information they 're seeking . Headings provide an outline of the   memo , enabling the reader to quickly see what the major topics or points   are and where to find them in the memo . Make headings parallel with each   other and as specific as possible . Other format features that signal structure   and guide readers include short paragraphs and blocks of text , lists set off   by indentations , numbers or bullets , or generous use of white space to   guide the eye . 

 STANDARD MEMO HEADING 

 Though the format for a memo may vary from one organization to another , the   standard heading consists of a series of clearly labeled lines that convey key   information about the memo ’s contents and its distribution . The following are standard   elements of a memo header : 

 Date :                                                               The date on which the memo is distributed 

 To :                                                                   The person(s ) to whom it is primarily   addressed 

 ( sometimes with job title ) 

 cc :                                                                    Name(s ) of anyone else who receives a copy 

 ( sometimes with job title ) 

 From :                                                               Name of the writer , usually followed by   his / her 

 handwritten initials ( sometimes with job title ) 

 Subject : or Re :                                                 Concise statement of the memo ’s topic 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Writing Business Memos 

 WHAT IS A BUSINESS MEMO ? 

 A business memo is a short document used to transmit information within an   organization . Memos are characterized by being brief , direct , and easy to navigate .   They are less formal than letters but should maintain a professional , succinct style .   Often , the purpose of a business memo is twofold : to identify a problem and propose a   solution . Other times , memos may provide or request factual information . 

 Business memos are designed to accommodate busy readers who want to find the   information they need from the memo quickly and easily . In writing a business memo ,   you should structure your memo to accommodate three kinds of readers : 

 • Those who read only the executive summary 

 • Those who skim the entire memo for its key points and a few details they 're 

 interested in 

 • Those who read the entire document for the details that support its major 

 claims or recommendations 

 Bear in mind that these readers may have different purposes in reading the memo .   Often , readers need to make policy and action decisions based on the   recommendations . Others may want to obtain specific information ( evidence ) needed   to understand and justify policy and action decisions . Readers may also want to get a   sense of your professional ability and judgment . 

 In determining the purpose and audience of your memo , ask yourself : Who is the   intended recipient of this memo ? What do I want the recipient to do after reading the   memo ? What information will the recipient be looking for in the memo ? These kinds of   questions will help guide your content , structure , and style choices . 

 HOW DO I WRITE AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MEMO ? 

 As stated above , an effective business memo is brief , direct , and easy to navigate . The   following five writing strategies help readers to navigate business memos easily and   quickly : 

 1 . Present the main point first . This may be the single most important 

 guideline about the structure and content of memos . Readers should   quickly grasp the content and significance of the memo . If readers have a   question or problem , they want to know the answer or solution   immediately — if readers want more information , they can continue reading . 

 In other words , supporting details should follow the main point or   conclusion , not precede it . 

 2 . Maintain a professional , succinct style . The style of your writing should be 

 appropriate to your audience : In this case , your audience is your boss , your   coworkers , or both . So , your style should be professional , straightforward ,   cordial , and easy to read . To achieve such a style , use short , active   sentences . Avoid jargon and pretentious language . Maintain a positive or   neutral tone ; avoid negative language if possible . In addition to making   memos easier to read , a professional writing style also improves the writer ’s   credibility . 

 3 . Create a very specific subject line to give the reader an immediate idea of 

 the memo 's ( or message 's ) subject and purpose . The subject line should   orient the reader to the subject and purpose of the memo and provide a   handy reference for filing and quick review . Suppose , for instance , that you   were writing to request authorization and funding for a business trip . You 'd   avoid a general subject line like " Publisher 's Convention " or " Trip to AWP   Conference " in favor of something more specific like " Request for funds :   AWP conference . " The last example would tell the reader the subject and   what she was being asked to do about it . 

 4 . Provide a summary or overview of the main points , especially if the memo is 

 more than one page . Often referred to as an executive summary , the first   paragraph of a long memo or message serves these functions : 

 ▪ Presents the main request , recommendation or conclusion 

 ▪ Summarizes then previews the main facts , arguments and evidence 

 ▪ Forecasts the structure and order of information presented in the 

 remainder of the memo 

 ▪ Like the subject line , the executive summary provides a quick 

 overview of the purpose and content of the memo . The reader uses   it to guide both a quick first reading and subsequent rapid reviews . 

 5 . Use format features , such as headings , to signal structure and guide readers 

 to the information they 're seeking . Headings provide an outline of the   memo , enabling the reader to quickly see what the major topics or points   are and where to find them in the memo . Make headings parallel with each   other and as specific as possible . Other format features that signal structure   and guide readers include short paragraphs and blocks of text , lists set off   by indentations , numbers or bullets , or generous use of white space to   guide the eye . 

 STANDARD MEMO HEADING 

 Though the format for a memo may vary from one organization to another , the   standard heading consists of a series of clearly labeled lines that convey key   information about the memo ’s contents and its distribution . The following are standard   elements of a memo header : 

 Date :                                                               The date on which the memo is distributed 

 To :                                                                   The person(s ) to whom it is primarily   addressed 

 ( sometimes with job title ) 

 cc :                                                                    Name(s ) of anyone else who receives a copy 

 ( sometimes with job title ) 

 From :                                                               Name of the writer , usually followed by   his / her 

 handwritten initials ( sometimes with job title ) 

 Subject : or Re :                                                 Concise statement of the memo ’s topic
### Output: 