This document provides information on business correspondence such as letters, memos, and emails. It discusses the advantages and parts of business letters. Letters allow time for thorough messaging and are accessible documents. Key parts include the letterhead, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature block. Memos are used for internal communication and follow an inverted pyramid structure. Advantages include reaching many readers simultaneously and providing a written record. Key memo parts mirror those of a letter. Email is a new form of business communication that is fast, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly but also prone to technical issues. Tips are provided for writing effective letters, memos, and emails. Meeting minutes are formal records

1. LETTERS, MEMOS AND E-MAILS
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
LETTERS
ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS WRITING
Advantages of Business Letters:
● They allow the writer to have time to think about
the message he/she wants to convey thoroughly.
● They are more accessible and can be retrieved by
the reader at any time convenient to him/her.
● They present the message in details.
● They can be documented and filed.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. Letterhead
2. Date
3. InsideAddress
4. Attention Line
5. Salutation
6. Body
7. Complimentary Close
8. Signature Block
9. Identification Initials
10. Enclosure Notation
11. Copy Notation
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
Parts Functions
Letterhead It identifies the writer, his/her address,
and contact numbers.
Date It is placed between the letterhead
and the inside address. It should
never use plain numerals for dates
as it may create confusion.
Inside Address It identifies the reader’s name,
position, and company, and address.
It should be placed immediately
below the date.
Attention Line It is used when the writer wishes to
address the whole company but
wants to bring it to the attention of a
particular person in the company. It
can be written in two formats:
Attention Peter Burkin
Attention: Peter Burkin
Salutation It refers to the writer’s greeting to the
reader. It can appear in different
formats:
Dear Sir:
Sir:
Dear Mr. Burkin:
Body It contains the message of the letter.
Paragraphs are single-spaced
internally but double-spaced to
separate paragraphs. If the letter is
too short, the body can be
double-spaced or triple-spaced to
separate the paragraphs.
Complimentary
Close
It is an expression used to end a
letter. Below is the level of formality of
the complimentary close (Merriam
Webster’s Guide to Busines
Correspondence, 1996):
Highly Formal: Respectfully yours,
Respectfully, Very Respectfully
Polite and Formal: Very truly yours,
Yours very truly, Yours truly,
Less Formal: Sincerely yours, Yours,
Cordially yours,
Informal and friendly: As ever, Best
regards, Kindest regards, Regards
Signature Block Includes the signature and the typed
name of the sender. The typed name
can be in all caps (PETER BURKIN
or CLC format (Peter Burkin). The
space for the signature should be 3-5
lines.
Identification
Initials
It indicates the typist’s initials if the
sender is not the one who personally
typed the document.
Enclosure
Notation
It indicates the attachments to the
letter. It can be written in the following
formats:
Enclosures (2)
Enclosure
enc./encl.
Copy Notation It indicates the name of the
secondary recipients of the letter. It is
indicated by cc: which means carbon
copy or courtesy copies.
TIPS FOR WRITING A LETTER
1. Use a language that is appropriate to the target
readers.
2. Arrange your ideas logically.
3. Use a direct but tactful one.
4. Use the active voice in most of your sentences.
5. When writing, put yourselves in the shoes of the
target readers.
6. Use correct format, punctuation, spelling, and
grammar.
MEMORANDUM
Memorandum is a business correspondence
which aims to inform and persuade target readers who are
within the organization.
Similar to news writing format, it follows an
inverted pyramid structure. This means that the most
important information comes first.

2. TYPES OF MEMO
1. Instruction memo
It provides information that the readers need to perform
accurately.
Example: A notice directing the employers to undergo
physical check- up
2. Request memo
It asks readers to provide certain information or take certain
actions.
Example: requesting fund for the seminar
3. Announcement memo
It provides information about an event, person, or thing.
Example: announcing a meeting
4. Transmittal memo
It serves as a cover note for a more formal or lengthy
document.
Example: when transmitting an annual report to the
members of the board of directors
5. Authorization memo
It gives permission.
Example: when allowing an employee to study on
Saturdays
ADVANTAGES OF A MEMO
1. It reaches a large number of readers at the same
time.
2. It provides a written record that can be accessed
any time.
3. It allows a detailed and accurate delivery of
message.
DISADVANTAGES OF A MEMO
1. It is not ideal to convey complex topics since
memos are generally used for short texts.
2. It takes time to reach distant branches and offices.
3. It is more expensive than e-mail.
PARTS OF A MEMO
1. Letterhead
2. Date
3. “To” Line
4. Attention Line
5. “From” Line
6. Subject Line
7. Body
8. Identification Initials
9. Enclosure Notation
10.Copy Notation
Parts Functions
Letterhead It identifies the writer, his/her address,
and contact numbers.
Date It is placed between the letterhead and
the inside address. It should never use
plain numerals for dates as it may
create confusion.
“To” Line It indicates the name and title of the
receiver.
Attention Line It is used when the writer wishes to
address the whole company but wants
to bring it to the attention of a particular
person in the company. It can be
written in two formats:
Attention Peter Burkin
Attention: Peter Burkin
“From” Line It indicates the name of the sender.
The sender should affix his/her initials
on the right side of his/her name for
verification purposes.
Subject Line It announces the main content or topic
of the memo. Subject is more
preferred than the old term Re
Body It contains the message of the memo.
Paragraphs are single-spaced
internally but double spaced to
separate paragraphs. If the memo is
too short, the body can be
double-spaced or triple-spaced to
separate the paragraphs. Paragraphs
in the memo are not indented.
Identification
Initials
It indicates the typist’s initials if the
sender is not the one who personally
typed the document.
Enclosure
Notation
It indicates the attachments to the
letter. It can be written in the following
formats:
Enclosures (2)
Enclosure
enc./encl.
Copy Notation It indicates the name of the secondary
recipients of the letter. It is indicated by
cc: which means carbon copy or
courtesy copies.
TIPS FOR WRITING MEMO
1. Use bullets, numbers, and letter to list information.
2. Use a positive tone, active verbs, and concise
wording.
3. Use heading to improve the readability.
4. Eliminate grammatical and typographical errors.
5. Use correct format and structure.
6. Put your initials in a signature form beside your
printed name as sender.
7. Flush the memo heading to the left(“to” line, “from”
line, subject line, and date line)
8. Say thank you or state a directive action (e.g., for
your compliance, for your immediate action, for
your approval, for your information) at the end of
the memo.

3. E-MAIL
ELECTRONIC MAIL
❖ The advent of technology has introduced us to a
new form of business education, that is e-mail
communication.
❖ 98% in the United States consider e-mail as
extremely important
❖ (Gerson, 2009)
❖ It is important in the workplace but also in
personal communication.
❖ E-mail has revolutionized the way people
communicate.
❖ Similar to letters and memos, e-mails serve many
purposes.
❖ It can be used to give directions, to transmit
documents, to record important data and
information, to confirm requests, to explain
procedures, to make recommendations, to inquire,
and to submit feasibility and status reports.
ADVANTAGES OF E-MAIL
1. It reaches the target reader fast.
2. It confirms an acceptance or rejections easily.
3. It is less costly than letters and memos.
4. It can easily reach the farthest parts of the globe.
5. It is environment-friendly.
6. It is easier to document.
DISADVANTAGES OF E-MAIL
1. It is prone to hacking and technical glitches.
2. It can cause information overload.
3. It can be used to transmit computer virus.
TIPS FOR WRITING AN E-MAIL/A MEMO
1. Make the subject line informative or descriptive of
the memo content.
2. Keep the subject line simple and short.
3. Do not change the subject line when you are
replying to an e-mail.
4. The “to” line should contain the names of the
primary readers.
5. Ensure the correctness of the e-mail address of
the recipients.
TIPS FOR WRITING AN E-MAIL/A MEMO
1. Make the file name of the attached document
meaningful.
2. Never use “all caps” in the main text.
3. State your purpose in the first sentence of the
memo.
4. If the message is sensitive, compose it first using
the word processor.
5. Avoid emoticons and informal jargons like LOL
and BRB in formal memos.
Minutes of the Meeting
Objectives
1. Provide formal records
A detailed accounting of board votes, topics of
discussion and meeting decisions creates a record of the
meeting. The company can choose to open the record to
personnel outside of the meeting, associates of the
company, vested interests or the general public. Members
of organizations may use the information they record in
meeting minutes during legal proceedings, audits and
future board meetings.
For example, members of organizations may use meeting
minutes to record the exact date that a board made an
important financial decision.
2. Give a timeline of events
Meeting minutes allow members of organizations
to establish a chronological order to events that occur
within company meetings. This information may help
provide insight into the process of decision-making within
organizations.
For example, meeting minutes can document the order of
events, such as research, discussion and voting, that led to
a particular investment.
3. Motivate organizational action
Members of organizations may reference meeting
minutes to help them decide the best course of action for
their teams. Meeting minutes may provide summaries of
organizational goals, which managers can use to motivate
their teams' actions.
For instance, meeting minutes may describe specific
revenue goals for the upcoming quarter, which may
motivate sales managers to generate a certain amount of
sales activity.
4. Promote accountability
Meeting minutes can provide a record of
delegated responsibilities and proposed objectives that

4. team members can use as reminders. This accountability
may help improve employee relationships within the
organization.
For example, if a CFO proposes a salary increase for all
entry-level employees within the next two years, meeting
minutes may help the organization stay accountable for
completing that objective.
MEETING
A meeting is an important activity in any organization.
It is held for many purposes:
To solve problems
To inform people
To make decisions
To make policies
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
These are a descriptive report that provides a
written record of what transpired during a meeting. These
are the summary of the proceedings.
Few days after a meeting, the presiding officer through the
secretary sends out copies of the record of what was
discussed during the meeting.
Standard Elements
NOTE:
Format and structure of minutes of the meeting
may vary from one organization to another. Sometimes, an
organization has its own format to be followed. However,
you may suggest some revisions if you think that the format
of the minutes of the meeting currently used by your
organization does not incorporate some essential parts.
INTRODUCTION
1. Name and address of the organization
2. Type of meeting (special, executive, committee, board,
regular, emergency)
3. Call to order: time, date and presiding officer
4. Attendance
BODY
1. Reading, correction, and approval of the previous
minutes: “I move that the minutes of the meeting
dated March 25 be approved as corrected.”
2. Business arising from the previous minutes of the
meeting
3. New business
a. Agenda 1
b. Agenda 2
c. Agenda 3
CONCLUSION
1. Announcement (including the time and date of the
next meeting)
2. Other matters (new topics that need to be covered
in future meetings)
3. Time of adjournment
4. Name and signature of the minutes-taker and the
presiding officer
TIPS FOR PREPARING THE MINUTES OF THE
MEETING
1. Use the meeting agenda as a guide in organizing
the information in your minutes.
2. Make sure that the minutes are factual, free from
editorial comments, and subtle slanting of factual
statements.
A statement such as “as always, Ms.
Pintra opposed the proposal” shows an
editorial comment.
3. Summarize the major points of the meeting.
4. Record verbatim parliamentary points such as
motions, resolutions, and points of order. Record
the name of the speaker.
5. Never include the name of the seconder of the
motion unless ordered by the body.
6. Enter the number of votes on each side in matters
that required voting.
7. Focus on the action taken rather than on the
topics.
Incorrect: Attendance should be checked
by the subject teacher during major
exams.
Correct: Ms. Corona reiterated that
attendance should be checked by the
subject teacher during major exams.
8. Be objective. Never let your own personal bias
cloud your accuracy in taking down notes.
9. Type the minutes as soon as the meeting is
finished.
10. Use single space when preparing the minutes.
11. Number all the pages.
12. Place the corrections made in the previous
minutes above the affected line or in the margin.
13. Never throw out the original minutes. As much as
possible, attach the original minutes to the revised
one. This is to ensure accuracy of revision.
Principles of Research Writing
Research
It is essential in the academe, industry,
governance, or in any organization. One who is expert in
this area plays a more functional role in a situation in which
the research knowledge or experience is applied.
It is a systematic and scientific way of investigating and
gathering information toanswer a particular problem,
establish facts, and reach conclusions.
Research Writing
It is maybe a struggle at first especially for
novices, but readability (i.e. clear and concise writing) can
be taught and learned.

5. Qualities of Effective Researcher
1. They must be organized especially with time.
2. They must be highly motivated and creative.
3. The must read often to get new ideas and identity
knowledge gaps.
4. They must be effective communicators.
5. They must be participative and collaborative.
6. They must be analytical and critical about matters
relevant to them, to others, or to the society.
7. They must be open-minded and good listeners.
Parts of a Research Paper
1. Title page
It contains an informative title (i.e. describes the
content of the paper), anme of author/s with their
addresses or affiliation, and date submitted.
Example: Development and Validation of a
Software for Detecting Plagiarism
Types of Title: Derntl (2014)
a. Descriptive: describes what the paper is
about
(Investigating the Impact of ASEAN
Integration Policy on Higher Educational
Institutions in the Philippines)
b. Declarative: states the results of the
research
(ASEAN Integration Policy Impacts
Higher Educational Institutions in the
Philippines)
c. Interrogative: poses a question
(Does ASEAN Integration Policy Impact
Higher Educational Institutions in the
Philippines?)
d. Compound: combines two titles and
separate them with a colon
(Does ASEAN Integration Policy Impacts
Higher Educational Institutions in the
Philippines?: An EmpericalStudy)
2. Abstract
It contains the summary of the findings and
conclusions. It briefly presents the context of the
study, research questions or objectives,
methodology, major findings, conclusions, and
sometimes implications. An abstract does not
contain any citation a great deal of statistical
results. Its length ranges from 100-250 words.
● Background/Motivation: Why was the
research conducted? (30%)
● Aim/Purpose/Problem Statement: what
is the purpose of your research? (10%)
● Methods: What methods or techniques
did you use?(10%)
● Results: What are your most important
findings? (40%)
● Conclusion: What are your conclusions?
(20%)
Your abstract should not include references, slang
words, abbreviations, and non-essential numbers
and statistics. Ideally, your abstract should not
exceed 250 words.
3. Introduction
It explains the current state of field and identifies
research gaps. It also presents your research
focus in a way that it addresses the identified gaps
and puts the research topic in context. Its length
usually ranges from three to five paragraphs.
4. Literature Review
It contains the summary and synthesis of all
available sources directly related to your study. It
is divided into 2 sections: related concepts and
related studies.
Related concepts explain some of the
fundamental concepts needed by the readers to
better understand the study. In this section, some
concepts and theories are defined, explained, and
elaborated.
Related studies are based on previously
conducted studies directly related to the
paper.Both related concepts and studies will help
the writer explain the phenomena that may arise in
the study.This section ends with a paragraph that
synthesizes all of the studies presented and puts
the study in context. Hence, the last paragraph
may include the topic and specific research
problems. Its length may range from 2-3 pages.
Note: literature review is sometimes integrated
into the introduction section
5. Methodology
It contains how you proceeded with the conduct of
the research. This section contains the context
and participants, instruments used, data gathering
procedure, and data analysis.
The context and participants section explains the
number and demographic profile of participants
involved and the place where the study was
conducted.
The instrument section presents the tools used in
gathering data. These may include questionnaires,
interviews, focus group discussions, and tests
among others. All of the instruments used should
be described in detail.
The data gathering section presents the details on
how the data were collected.The data analysis
section presents how the data were analyzed,
qualitatively (coding scheme) or quantitatively
(statistical tools).

6. 6. Conclusion
It factually describes the data gathered. It usually
contains tables and graphs that summarize the
collected data. Along with the tables and graphs
are their respective interpretations.
The flow of the results section should follow the
flow of the research
questions/problems/objectives. It is expected that
for each research problem or objective,
corresponding results are presented.
7. Discussion
It presents the whys of the results. This section
provides an explanation of all the results in
relation to the previous studies presented in the
literature review.
In this section, you need to restate your research
problems or objectives in the first paragraph and
major findings.
The succeeding paragraphs should explain
whether your study supports or rejects previous
finding and explain the reason for this claim.
You should also state the new findings that you
have uncovered. Similar to the flow of the results,
this section follow the flow of the research
problems or objectives.
8. Conclusion
It contains the restatement of major findings,
limitations of the study, recommendations, and
implications. Note that in some cases, the
conclusion is integrated into the discussion
section.
9. References
It contains the different sources you used in your
study. These may be academic books, journals,
and other online sources. Its format depends on
the school, teacher, or field of study.
Steps in Writing a Research Paper
1. Preparation
a. Identify the context
b. Identify the purpose
c. Identify the audience
2. Generating and focusing ideas
a. Choose a topic. Specify it.
b. Check your library/online catalog for
relevant resources and/or references
c. Prepare a preliminary bibliography
Modeling (when necessary)
a. Get samples of a published paper
b. Learn paper structure, style, and proper
argument structure, among others
3. Outlining and thesis statement writing
a. Construct a tentative thesis statement
b. Construct a tentative outline
c. Continue generating ideas through
reading and discussing with colleagues
d. Finalize the thesis statement
e. Finalize the outline
4. Drafting
a. Write the 1st draft
b. Write the 1st draft of the conclusion
c. Write the 1st draft for your introduction
d. Write the 1st draft of the abstract
e. Prepare a draft of a reference list
f. Put together all parts
g. Continue generating ideas through
reading and discussing with colleagues
5. Providing feedback
a. Provide self-feedback
b. Seek feedback from your peers (at least
2)
c. Seek feedback from your teacher/s
6. Revising
Consider your own feedback and your peers’ and
teacher’s as well.
7. Editing/Proofreading
Correct the diction /word choice, run-ons and
fragments, subject-verb agreement, pronoun
usage, prepositions, dangling and misplaced
modifiers, transitions, verb tense, spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, and other grammatical
and typographical errors.
8. Finalizing
Finalize all parts of the paper.
9. Publishing
a. Submit the paper to your teacher
b. Seek advice from your teacher on how
you can publish your work online or
better still, to a reputable journal
Power Tips:
● 50-75% of the paper should be devoted to results
and discussion.
● Be sure to cite all your sources whether they are
paraphrased or directly quoted.
● Use direct quotation sparingly.
● Strictly follow the required documentation and
citation style.
● Research questions should directly address the
given topic or thesis statement.
● Topics should be relevant, interesting, current and
manageable in terms of resources, skills needed,
and time. They should not be sensitive and
controversial.

7. Proposal
INTRODUCTION
ALL ORGANIZATONS, whether private or public,
encounter problems which require and/or urgent solutions.
Thus, members and heads of these organizations come up
with solutions to address these problems. Such solutions
are best presented in a form of informal proposal.
DEFINITION
An informal proposal is a form of informal report
that aims to persuade its readers to a particular problem.
This document may be in either letter or memo format
depending on its origin. Generally, an informal proposal
does not exceed than 5 pages.
Types of Informal Proposal
SOLICITED INTERNAL
● Follows a memo format
● Is used when the sender and recipient belong to
the same organization
● Responds to a specific request within the
organization
● Is used when the problem has been identified
● Is used when the decision to solve the problem
has already been made
UNSOLICITED INTERNAL
● Follows a memo format Is used when the sender
and recipient belong to the same organization
● Is used when the sender and recipient belong to
the same organization
● Is a self-initiated proposal
● Is used when the target reader has not yet
realized that a problem exists
● Is used when no decision has yet been made to
solve a problem
SOLICITED EXTERNAL
● Follows a letter format
● Is used when the sender and recipient do not
belong to the same organization
● Is used when responding to a specific request
from someone who does not belong to the same
organization
● Is used when the problem has been identified
● Is used when the decision to solve the problem
has already been made
UNSOLICITED EXTERNAL
● Follows a letter format
● Is used when the sender and recipient do not
belong to the same organization
● Is a del-initiated proposal
● Is used when the target reader has not yet
realized that a problem exists
● Is used when no decision has yet been made to
solve a problem
STRUCTURE OF AN INFORMAL PROPOSAL
It should be noted that there is no single
prescribed structure for an informal proposal. The structure
may vary from one organization to another.
I. Introduction
A. Purpose of the proposal
B. Description of the problem that needs to be solved
(nature of the problem, effects on the company,
causes, the deadline for solving it, and sources of
data)
C. Scope or limitations of the proposal (i.e.,
information covered by the proposal includes
method, cost and timetable)
II. Detailed discussion of the proposed solution
III. Justification of the proposed solution
A. Arguments that support the proposed solution
(i.e., research that supports solution, the
companies that have already used the proposed
solution)
B. Justification of the needed resources such as
equipment (specific model), personnel who will do
the work and their qualifications, time frame and
costs (the budget required for the solution, is
broken by category, i.e., personnel, equipment,
transportation, etc.
IV. Conclusion
A. Benefits and risks of adopting the proposal
B. Call to action (specify what you want the target
reader do next)
C. Contact person for further information
TIPS FOR WRITING AN INFORMAL PROPOSAL
● Anticipate the possible criticisms or objections of
the target reader and address them in your
proposal.
● Describe the problem and the solution accurately
and clearly.
● Correct all grammatical and typographical errors.
● Ensure that your proposed solution is feasible
especially regarding cost and schedule.
● Highlight the benefits of the proposal to the target
readers and all stakeholders.
● Make the document visually appealing.
● Put the target reader, contéxt, and purpose in
mind.
● Use attachments for less important information.
● Use proper headings.
● Use the format required by your organization. If
none, then use the suggested standard format.