Exrcise 84
Read and translate.
Business Letter Writing Basics
The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your business letter in English. These phrases are used as a kind of frame and introduction to the content of business letters.
The Start
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam (use if you don’t know who you are writing to)
Dear Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with – VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss)
Dear Frank (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)
The Reference
You can start with either:
Subject: ……………….
Reference: …………….
Re: ……………………
Or an expression like:
With reference to your advertisement in the Times,…
your letter of 23rd March,…
your phone call today,…
Thanks you for your letter of March 5th.
The Reasons for Writing
I am writing to enquire about …
apologize for …
confirm …
Requesting
Could you possibly …?
I would be grateful if you could …
I would appriciate it if you could ……..
Could you please ………..?
Agreeing to Requests
I would be delighted to …
Giving Bad News
Unfortunately …
I am afraid that …
Enclosing Documents
I am enclosing …
Please find enclosed …
Enclosed you will find …
Apologising
I regret that …
I am afraid that …
I am sorry that …
I apologise for …
Expressing urgency
… at your earliest convenience
… without delay
… as soon as possible
Confirming
I am pleased to confirm that …
I confirm that …
This is to confirm that …
Closing Remarks
Thank you for your help
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
there are any problems.
you have any questions.
Ending the letter
I look forward to …
I am sure that …
I hope …
See you soon (informal)
Closing salutation
Yours faithfully, (if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to)
Yours sincerely, (if you know the name of the person you are writing to)
Best wishes,
Best regards, (if the person is a close business contact or friend)
Exercise 85
Choosing from the words in the box, label the parts of the letter. The first has been done for you.
1) WIDGETRY LTD
6 Pine Estate, Westhornet, Bedfordshire, UB18 22BC.
Telephone 9017 23456 Telex X238 WID Fax 9017 67893
2) Michael Scott, Sales Manager,
Smith and Brown plc,
3) Napier House,
North Molton Street,
Oxbridge OB84 9TD.
4) Your ref. MS/WID/15/88
Our ref. ST/MN/10/88
5) 31 JANUARY 19--
6) Dear Mr Scott,
7) Thank you for your letter of 20 January, explaining that the super widgets, catalogue reference X-3908, are no longer available but that ST-1432, made to the same specifications but using a slightly different alloy (сплав), are now available instead.
8) Before I place a firm order I should like to see samples (образцы) of the new super widgets. If the replacement (замена) is as good as you say it is, I shall certainly wish to reinstate (восстановить) the original order, but placing an order for the new items.
Apart from anything else, I should prefer to continue to deal with Smith and Brown, whose service has always been satisfactory in the past. But you will understand that I must safeguard (охранять) Widgetry’s interests and make sure that the quality is good.
9) I would, therefore, be grateful if you could let me have a sample as soon as possible.
10) Yours sincerely,
11) Simon Thomas
12) Simon Thomas
13) Production Manager
14) enc.
Exercise 86
This second letter has been revised so many times by Mr Thomas that it has become all mixed up, and his word processor has failed to reorganize it. Arrange the letter so that everything is in the right place.
1) Simon Thomas
3) 6 Pine Estate, Westhornet,
Bedfordshire, UB18 22BC Telephone
9017 23456 Telex X238 WID
Fax
9017 67893
4) I look forward to hearing
from you
5) Your ref. MS/WID/15/88 Our
ref. ST/MN/10/88
6) Yours sincerely,
8)
Production
Manager
9) Thank you for your
letter. I am afraid that we have a problem with your order.
10) 6 June 19--
11)
Unfortunately, the manufactures of the part you wish to order have
advised us that they cannot supply it until September. Would you
prefer us to supply a substitute (замена),
or would you rather wait until the original parts are again
available?
12) Dear Mr Bowers