Business English Correspondence Gina Fu Tel:

1. Introduction  About business correspondence  Learning Objectives  Evaluation Homework Assignment: 20% Participation: 10% Final examination : 70%  Outline of the lecture  Time schedule  Some requirement

About the course  Business Correspondence is one of the most important courses for Business Majors. It is designed to help the students to accomplish the transition from general English learning to specialized English learning, aiming at preparation for a future business career. It achieves this target by means of enhancing the capabilities of the students in business communication via learning to use business correspondence in real-life situations.

 The main contents of the course are focused on the international business transactions, which include most of the basic procedures in completion of a business deal-business preparation, business contact, business promotion, business negotiation as well as contractual execution.  Students are supposed to learn to handle various business correspondences to complete business transactions and pave way for their future business career.

 Four skills ＊ Spoken: Speaking - mouth Listening - ear ＊ Written: Writing - hand Reading - eye  Listening and reading involve the language input process.  Writing and speaking involve the language output process.

 Learning English should follow the principle from simple to complex, from easy to difficult, and from rough to subtle.  Learning English should follow the natural sequence of listening prior to speaking, reading prior to writing, accumulating prior to applying.  English learning should cover the gradual process from wrong to right and from rough to perfect.

Learning objectives  Master the Writing Skills  Learn Useful Expressions  Understand the Background Information  Put the Theory into Practice

2. The layout of business letters  The purpose of a business letter  Golden Rules for writing business letters  Format  Layout of Business Letters  Envelope Addressing  Planning a Business Letter: 7 Steps

2.1 The purpose of a business letter  To ask for or to convey information  To make or to accept an offer  To deal with matters concerning negotiation of business  To remind the recipient of the sender’s existence

2.2 Golden Rules  Clear  Concise  Correct  Courteous  Conversational  Convincing  Complete

2.2.1 Clear  subsequent—after  domicile—home  While doing homework, his sister turned up the radio. ----While he is doing homework, his sister turned up the radio.

2.2.2 Concise a. shorten wordy expressions.  We have begun to export our machines to countries abroad.----We have begun to export our machines. b. use words to replace phrases or clauses  In the event that you speak to Mr. Wood in regard to production, ask him to give consideration to the delivery schedule. ----If you speak to Mr. Wood about production, ask him to consider the delivery schedule.

 (bad): We are in receipt of your letter of September 4, and intend to comply with your instructions as you ordered by the commencement of next month.  (good): Thank you for your letter of September 4. We will follow your instructions by the beginning of next month.

 We are in receipt of your letter.---- thank you for…/ we received your letter of …(date)  It is our opinion that …----we think  It is within our power…----we can  Prior to.----before  At this time ---- now  A long period of time ----a long time  During the time that…-----while  For the reason that..----because  In spite of the fact that…---- although

2.2.3 Correct  Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling  Right level of language  Right figures, facts and words

2.2.4 Courteous  You must send the details to us before next week. We are very busy.  As we are very busy at present, could you please send us the details before next weeks?  Could you (possibly)send us the details…  Would you be able to …  Would it be possible to ….

2.2.5 Complete  Provide all necessary information five W’s: who, what, when, where, why  Answer all questions asked  Give something extra when desirable

2.3 Format of a Business Letter (Indented format)

Format of a Business Letter (Block format)

 The Letterhead  The Date Line  The Inside Address  The Salutation  The Body Parts  The Complimentary Close  The Signature  The Complementary Parts Seven Basic Parts Return

Format of a Business Letter (Semi-blocked format) Return

2.4 Layout of a Business Letter  1. 信头 letter Head 1. 信头 letter Head  2. 日期 Date 日期 Date  3. 封内地址 Inside Address 封内地址 Inside Address  4. 称呼 Salutation 称呼 Salutation  5. 正文 Body 正文 Body  6. 结尾敬语 Complimentary Close 结尾敬语 Complimentary Close  7. 签名 Signature 签名 Signature  8. 事由 Subject  9. 附件 Enclosure  a 参考号 Ref.No.  b 经办人 Attention Line  c 抄送 Carton Copy Return

2.4.1 Letter-head Structure of Letter-head  the full name of the company  the addresses : it may include tele, fax and telex numbers, adderss, or occasionally a cable address,logo

2.4.2 The Date  British Style 1 st March 2007 or 1 March 2007  American Style March 1 st, 2007 Oct. 28, 2007 Don’t use the figures 12/10/ th October 2007(Br.En.) December 10, 2007(Am.En.)

2.4.3 Inside Name and Address Courteous titles are used in correspondence.  Mr. for a man.  Mrs.for a married woman  Miss for an unmarried woman  Ms for both married and unmarried women  Messrs. is used occasionally for two or more men (eg. Messrs.S.laurel and O.Hardy) but more commonly forms part of the name of a firm(eg. Messrs. Holmes & Waston & Co.)

2.4.4 The Salutation  Dear Sir / madam is used to address a person whose name you do not know. Dear sir or Madam can be used to address a person of whom you know neither the name nor the sex.  Dear Mr. Mrs……: when you do know the name,use Dear Mr….  注意不能单用 sirs ， gentlemen 也不能用单数。

 To an unknown person Dear Sir or Madam, (Sirs)(BrE) Ladies and Gentlemen (AmE)  To a known person Dear Mr. White:/Mrs/Ms

2.4.5 The Main body The body of a business letter typically has three paragraphs: · 1.introductory paragraph · 2.one or more body paragraphs 3.concluding paragraph

2.4.6 The Complimentary Close  BrE: Yours faithfully  AmE Yours sincerely Yours truly Sincerely yours Best regards, With best regards Thanks & best regards

2.4.7 The signature Signature Company’s name Your signature typed signature (job title) ELECTRONICS LTD. Harold Jones manager Return

2.5 Addressing the Envelope Return

2.6 Planning a Business Letter: 7 Steps  Write down your AIM  ASSEMBL all the relevant information and documents  ARRANGE the points in order of importance  Write an OUTLINE in note form  Write a FIRST DRAFT  REVISE your first draft  Write your FINAL VERSION

Write a letter  Suppose you are an electrical appliances manufacturer and I am a big buyer of air conditioner. Write a letter to me and invite me to visit your factory.

Exercises 1. By Airmail A 亲收 2. Express Delivery B 急件 3. Registered; Recorded C 密件 4. Urgent D 快件 5. Confidential E 私人信件 6. Personal F 挂号 7. Private G 航空 1. G 2. D 3. F 4. B 5. C 6. A 7. E

Translate the following job titles: 1. 副总经理 2. 销售代表 3. 销售员 4. 总经理 5. 厂长 6. 采购人员 1.Deputy General Manager 2. Sales Representative 3. Salesperson 4. General Manager/ President 5. Plant/ Factory Manager 6. Purchasing staff

Translate the following job titles: 7. Regional Manger 8. Sales Manager 9. Clerk/Receptionist 10. CEO (Chief Executive Officer) 11. Board of Directors 7. 地区经理 8. 销售部经理 9. 职员 / 接待员 10. 首席执行官 11. 董事会 Return

( 1) Seller : Royal Grosvenor Porcelain Company Ltd. Address : Grosvenor House,Renfrew Road, Oakley Staffordshire OA7 9AH Tel : (743069)60591/2/3 (2) Buyer : The Colourfloor Co.Ltd. Address : 238 Wilton Road,Axminster AXz AS (3) Date : March 5, 2004 (4) Subject: china (5) The message : The letter is written by the seller Use the Block Style

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St. Apt. Rd. P.O.Box Ave. Ct. Dr. Sq. N. La. S.W. Write out the entire words of the abbreviations of street addresses 1.street 2.road 3.avenue 4.city 5.square 6.lane 7. apartment 8. post office box 9. drive 10. north 11.southwest Return