Say everything you can to elicit from your reader the response you'd like.

3. Be contemporary. Being contemporary does not mean you should use slang expressions (I had a tire ripped off; That rejection was a bummer) or informal language that is inappropriate (Doing business with M-Bank is a hassle). Nor should you go to the other extreme and become too stiff and formal. Write to your reader as if you were carrying on a professional conversation with him or her. Business letters today are upbeat, simple and direct. A business letter is readable and believable, it should not be old-fashioned and flowery.

Often people are afraid to write naturally because they fear that they will not sound important. They resort to using phrases that remind them of "legalese" - language that smells of contracts, deeds and starched collars. The following list of words and phrases on the left contains musty expressions that have crept into letters for years; the list on the right contains modern equivalents.

Instead of

advise, inform

aforementioned

ascertain

at this present writing

I am in receipt of

attached herewith

at your earliest possible date

I beg to differ

we beg to advise

I am cognisant of

forthwith

hereafter, heretofore, hereby

we humbly request

immediate future

in lieu of

kindly advise

pursuant to

please be advised that

please find enclosed

pending your reply

per our conversation

prior to

we regret to inform you that

remittance

remuneration

rest assured that

your letter arrived and I have same

thanking you in advance

the undersigned / the writer

under separate cover

the wherewithal

yours of recent date

your communication

Use

say, tell, let us know

previously mentioned

find out

now

I have

enclosed

soon

I disagree

we believe, think

I know

at once

(drop these three h’s entirely)

we ask

soon

instead of

let us know

concerning

I am happy (sorry) to tell you that

I’m enclosing

until I hear from you

when we spoke

before

we are sorry that

payment

cost, salary, pay

you can be sure that

I have your letter

thank you

I

I’m also sending you

the way

your recent letter

your phone call, your message

USE THIS PLAN AND YOUR LETTERS WILL ALWAYS 'IMPRESS'

I DEA Decide upon the principle aim(s)

M ETHOD Structure the letter's main points in a plan

P RAGRAPHS Follow the opening, middle and closing scheme

R ECEPIENT Remember who will receive the letter

E MPHASIS Guide the letter's progress to an action statement

S TYLE Employ a style appropriate to the letter's aims

S AFETY Check the letter for errors before dispatch

III. Reading assignments.

Ex 1. Skim through the text and answer the questions:

1. What is required for effective letter writing?

2. What three C's should one stick to while writing letters?

3. What is meant by planning a letter?

4. What kind of details should one choose?

5. What is meant by vague sentences?

6. What is the most frequent command in the business world?

7. What two questions should you ask yourself as you draft and revise your letter?

8. What two extremes should you avoid for being contemporary in your letter-writing?

9. What factors should you consider when planning the structure of the letter's message?

10. Can you remember the key words for planning your letter signified by the word ‘IMPRESS’? Set them down.

E

Глубокоуважаемый г-н Кузнецов В.А.!

С большим сожалением я узнал о Вашей госпитализации из-за автоматической заточки карандашей.

В результате происшедшего с Вами мы пересматриваем наше руководство по применению и хотим предупредить покупателей, чтобы они не пытались затачивать металлические предметы.

С глубоким уважением,

И.В. Крапивников

Генеральный Директор

ТОО Конторские точилки

Мировой лидер в области точильно-режущих устройств для учреждений и организаций.

Наш девиз «Будьте точны.»

x 2. Read the following letter and say why it sounds awkward.

Ex 3. Match the English words and phrases in column A with the corresponding Russian equivalents in column B.

A

1. previously mentioned

2. get to the point

3. clear

4. concise

5. contemporary

6. appropriate

7. to share with smb.

8. find out

9. instead of

10. I disagree

11. let us know

12. concerning

13. until I hear from you

14. you can be sure that

15. I am also sending you

16. your recent letter

17. relevant

18. inadequate service

19. acknowledge smth.

20. recipient

B

1. ясный, понятный

2. касающийся

3. современный

4. я не согласен

5. дайте нам знать

6. относящийся к делу

7. перейти к сути

8. получатель

9. неудовлетворительное обслуживание

10. выяснить

11. вы можете быть уверены, что

12. разделить с кем-либо

13. сжатый, краткий

14. подходящий, соответствующий

15. вместо

16. пока я не получу от вас письма

17. признать что-либо

18. ваше недавнее письмо

19. я также посылаю вам

20. ранее упомянутый

Ex 4. Here are two letters to a bank manager. Compare them and say which one you prefer. One contains mistakes of style. It is too informal, it is badly organised and it has irrelevant information. With a partner, compare them carefully for stylistic variations.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I have been working as a librarian for two years at the Central Records Office, but I do not feel that I wish to make this my career.

A friend recently told me about a course that the Oxford Business School offers, and it sounds most interesting. I am told that employers respect the college and its diploma.

In order to follow this course I would need a loan of approximately $600. Could I make an appointment with you to discuss the possibility of this?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Jeremy Foster.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

As you probably know, I have done about two years as a librarian at the Central Records Office, just round the corner from your bank, in fact, but I do not really think it is the sort of job I can do much longer.

Anyway, I was at this party the other day and I met a friend and he told me about a great course you can do at the Oxford Business School, and my brother thinks I could get a good job if I did it.

Do you think I could come and see you, and talk about a bank loan? About $600 would be enough.

I am looking forward to your letter. I hope you'll say yes.

Yours sincerely,

Jeremy Foster.

Ex5. Consider the following two sample letters. Notice five redundant phrases in the first that are eliminated in the second.

Dear Mr. Rodriguez,

I am pleased with the invitation that I received from you inviting me to make a speech for the National Association of Secretaries on June 11. Unfortunately, I regret that I cannot attend the meeting on June 11. I feel that I do not have sufficient time to prepare myself because I received your invitation on June 3 and it is not enough time to prepare myself completely for the speech.

Yours truly,

Dear Mr. Rodriguez,

I am pleased with the invitation to speak to the National Association of Secretaries. Unfortunately, I cannot attend the meeting on June 11. I feel that I will not have sufficient time to prepare myself because I received your invitation on June 3.

I will be happy to address your organisation on another occasion if you would give me a bit more notice. Best of luck with your meeting.

Sincerely yours,

Ex6. Rewrite each sentence to eliminate the stilted (overly businesslike) tone and to make them more 'you-oriented'.

Example: We are in receipt of your letter dated December 13.

We have received your letter of December 13.

1. Please advise us as to your decision.

___________________________________________________________________________

2. In the event that your bill has already been paid, kindly disregard this reminder.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Due to the fact that your subscription has not been renewed, the next issue of Run! will be your last.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Feel free to contact the undersigned if you have any questions.

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Pursuant to our telephone conversation of Friday last, I would like to verify our agreement.

___________________________________________________________________________

6. Subsequent to last month's meeting, several new policies have gone into effect.

___________________________________________________________________________

7. Please forward your order at your earliest convenience.

___________________________________________________________________________

8. Our deluxe model copier is on the order of a Rolls Royce in terms of quality and precision.

___________________________________________________________________________

9. Enclosed please find a self-addressed reply card for the purpose of your convenience.

___________________________________________________________________________

10. I beg to inform you that, despite your impressive background, we feel that your skills do not quite match our needs.

___________________________________________________________________________