Internal Memo

The Internal Memo clearly instructs the recipient what to do or know.

The Internal Memo is in an appropriate emotional register (or pathos). It is person-to-person: from one or more employees to one or more employees. (This means it speaks in the first person.) Its diction and subject choice suit the situation. It remains sensitive to its potential effects on other audiences (including unintended ones). The language, salutation, and valediction reflect the appropriate relationship between sender and recipient.

The Internal Memo's most important information comes early in the document. Sufficient context about the situation is provided at the beginning but not extraneous information. Content is structured into chunks (including sections with headers and lists where appropriate) that move through a logical progression.

The Internal Memo contains the genre's conventional formal elements in the expected order: Header (to, from, date, specific subject line); Salutation (greeting); Body; Contact information for questions/concerns; Valediction (closing or sign off); Attachments (if appropriate).

The Internal Memo reflects the conventions of Edited American English.