1. Chapter 2 Organise

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Objectives be able to organise your writing.
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Q1: Why do you organise
1) Easy to read and understand. (to receiver)
2) More likely to get the results you want. (to sender)
So, organising is as important as planning.
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Q2: How do you organise what you have planned?
preparing a clear outline
arranging the contents to fit the outline.
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Main types of Correspondence
internal correspondence (the messages you write to colleagues) , fax & memo
external correspondence (the messages you write to customers).
, fax & letter
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The way you organise the content of most
messages is similar.
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Try to discover the basic outline in most of your correspondence.
1)Read through the memo below
2)Identify what type of content each of the four paragraphs contains
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MEMO
To: All Staff
Date: 20 July 200X
From: General Manager
Subject: Dress Code
①As you know, we have always enforced a strict dress code. We have now revised this code.
②I would like to inform you of the changes.
③The code for branch staff and office staff is different. As I'm sure you will appreciate, there are no changes for branch staff. All branch staff must wear the correct uniform at all times. On the other hand, if you work in the office, you may wear 'smart-casual' wear. However, on any day that you do meet people from outside the company, please ensure you are dressed in a business-like manner.
④Please adopt the new dress code from 1 September. If you have any questions, please call Annie Wong on
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① As you know, we have always enforced a strict dress code. We have now revised this code.
background
② I would like to inform you of the changes.
writer’s purpose
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③The code for branch staff and office staff is different. As I'm sure you will appreciate, there are no changes for branch staff. All branch staff must wear the correct uniform at all times. On the other hand, if you work in the office, you may wear 'smart-casual' wear. However, on any day that you do meet people from outside the company, please ensure you are dressed in a business-like manner.
reader’s information
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④ Please adopt the new dress code from 1 September. If you have any questions, please call Annie Wong on
reader’s response
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Memo
Letter
background
writer’s purpose
reader’s information
reader’s response
closing marks
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When writing to customers, you include a salutation (Dear...)
and a complimentary close
(Yours sincerely / faithfully).
When writing to customers, you add a polite closing. You can also add this closing when writing to colleagues.
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SOFAR Strategy
it'll help you remember how to organise external correspondence.
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Salutation
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss...
Opening
Background + Purpose
Facts
Reader's Information
Action
Reader's Response
Remarks
Polite Closing
You can also use this outline for memos and internal s. Just leave out the salutation.
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SALUTATION
Begins with 'Dear'.
Include the reader's name (e.g., Dear Mr. Chan, Dear Ms. Lewis).
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If you know them well, you can use the reader's first name (e.g., Dear John)
If you do not know the reader's name, use "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam".
If you do not know if the reader is a man or a woman, use "Dear Sir or Madam".
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OPENING
The Opening includes two parts (and usually two paragraphs):
background (referring to previous contact with the reader or introducing a situation)
writer's purpose
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OPENING (BACKGROUND)
The background "sets the scene" by referring to a previous contact.
■ If you've had no previous contact with the reader, you should briefly describe the situation.
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EXAMPLES
1) Previous contact: Thank you for your call this morning.
2) A situation: Our annual staff party is coming soon!
3) An attention-grabbing statement or question: Have you heard about...? Our Department Open Day is coming soon!
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Column A
Column B
With reference to your correspondence of 21 August...
Thank you for your letter of 21 August.
Thank you for your call today about...
Further to our conversation earlier today...
Regarding your request for credit approval...
I have just received your request for credit approval.
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Sentences that begin with prepositions (e.g., with, in, further, for, following, regarding) are difficult to write correctly. They are also quite long and therefore more difficult for your reader to understand.
So, keep your writing simple by writing shorter, more direct sentences.
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OPENING (WRITER'S PURPOSE)
announce
notify
complain
propose
confirm
request
explain
suggest
inform
apologize
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MEMO
To: All Staff
Date: 20 July 200X
From: General Manager
Subject: Dress Code
  As you know, we have always enforced a strict dress code. We have now revised this code.
I would like to inform you of the changes.
The code for branch staff and office staff is different. As I'm sure you will appreciate, there are no changes for branch staff. All branch staff must wear the correct uniform at all times. On the other hand, if you work in the office, you may wear 'smart-casual' wear. However, on any day that you do meet people from outside the company, please ensure you are dressed in a business-like manner.
Please adopt the new dress code from 1 September. If you have any questions, please call Annie Wong on
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Which sentence states the manager's purpose?
I would like to inform you of the changes.
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Read the two situations below
Write an appropriate opening for each of them
Situation 1: Reply to a customer who called this morning asking for details about opening a new account.
Suggested answer:
Thank you for calling this morning asking
about how to open a new account.
I am delighted to give you the details about
opening a Premier account.
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Situation 2: Reply to a customer's letter received yesterday. He want to know why delivery of his order is late.
Suggested answer:
Thank you for your letter of 28 April about the
delivery of your order.
I apologise for the delay and would like to explain
what has happened.
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FACTS
In this part, provide all the information your reader needs so that they can 1) understand your purpose 2) respond appropriately.
Remember: Only one main idea per paragraph!
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ACTION
In this section, tell your reader
how to respond?
when to respond?
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For example, if you are writing to invite someone to lunch, what do you want your reader to do? Come to lunch, right? It may seem obvious to you, but you need to make it obvious to your reader, too. That will get the result you want.
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Writer's
Purpose:
I'd like to invite you to lunch next Thursday.
Reader's
Response:
Please call by Tuesday and let me know if you can come.
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34. What you want your reader to do depends on why you are writing.
Writer's purpose
Reader's response
Invite 
Please call by Wednesday and let me know if you will be able to join us.
Confirm
If we need to make any changes to the schedule, please let me know before Friday.
Inform
Please adopt the new dress code from 1 September.
Request
Please send your bid to us by 15 March.
Complain
Please deliver the delayed shipment within three days.
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REMARKS
When writing to customers, end politely and positively. Do this with just one sentence.
But be careful! Try to make your writing sound natural - as if you were speaking to the reader face-to-face.
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Have you ever written sentences like these? Would you actually say them to someone in person?
1) If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
2) Assuring you of our best attention at all times.
3) Thanking you in anticipation.
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More natural ways to close a letter:
I look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to receiving your order. I hope this information is useful. Please call me if you need any further information. Please call me if you have any questions.
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Summary
In this chapter, you learned how to organise the contents.
You learned that, when writing to colleagues or customers, you can follow a similar outline.
SOFAR can help you remember the basic outline.
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Salutation
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss...
Opening
Background + Purpose
Facts
Reader's Information
Action
Reader's Response
Remarks
Polite Closing
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There are 10 sentences and 3 other parts of a letter below. Please arrange them in the correct order .
1) Yours sincerely
2) May I suggest that you contact Mr. Ong directly.
3) I am sorry that I was not in the office when you rang.
4) We do have a branch in Singapore.
5) I hope this information is helpful.
6) Dear Mr. Rushford
7) The address is 54 Liu Fang Road, Jorong Town, Singapore.
8) Alex Ribero
9) I am pleased to provide the information you requested.
10) The manager is Mr. David Ong
11) He can provide you with the financial advice you are seeking.
12) Thank you for trying to contact me by phone yesterday.
13) His telephone number is
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Dear Mr. Rushford(6) Thank you for trying to contact me by phone yesterday.(12) I am sorry that I was not in the office when you rang.(3) I am pleased to provide the information you requested.(9) We do have a branch in Singapore.(4) The address is 54 Liu Fang Road, Jorong Town, Singapore.(7) The manager is Mr. David Ong(10) May I suggest that you contact Mr. Ong directly？(2) His telephone number is (13) He can provide you with the financial advice you are seeking.(11) I hope this information is helpful. (5) Yours sincerely(1) Alex Ribero(8)
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See you!
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