UNIT 2: ORDER EMAILS
LESSON FOCUSES
- Email making an order
- Emails responding to orders
2.1. Email making an order
Activity 1: Read the email above and rearrange the order of its ideas.
____ Give signature
____ Write complementary close
____ State the email purpose
____ Urge response/ order confirmation from the seller
____ Confirm/ Advise some mutually agreed terms
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Activity 2: Arrange the statements in the following email in the correct order.
1. Regarding delivery, please ship the goods by air before 1 Oct.
2. David James
3. Please confirm after you receive this email.
4. Yours sincerely
5. We would like you to confirm what you mentioned in the quotation, the payment
6. Thank you for your quotation. Please find enclosed our initial order.
7. the trade and quantity discounts you offer to us.
8. I look forward to receiving your shipment.
9. Dear Mr. Michael
10. is to be made by L/C. Thank you for
2.1.1. Ideas in email body
Activity 3: Use the following information and given words to write different
ordering sentences.
1. I/ We would like to place_____________________________________________
2. I am/ We are ordering________________________________________________
3. Please accept my/ our ________________________________________________
4. This is my/ our _____________________________________________________
Activity 4: Match sentence halves.
1. I attach our order No. 49301/231 for the
selection of shirts, trousers, and jackets
2. I can confirm that 10% quantity discount
off net prices
3. Please note the order must be here by 10
April,
4. If some of the items are out of stock,
5. When you send the order,
6. As agreed, we will pay by letter of credit7. As soon as the bank hands over the
shipping documents,
a. please make sure all cartons are
clearly labeled with our logo and
numbered.
b. I have already arranged with the
bank.
c. which we discussed on the phone
yesterday.
d. that you offered is acceptable.
e. in time for the new season.
f. the credit will be released.
g. please do not send substitutes.
Activity 5: Rewrite the following sentences with the given beginning words
1. We will send a bank draft to you after receiving your advice.
We will send a bank draft to you once __________________________________
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2. We would like to confirm that we are quite satisfied with the 25% trade discount
offered by you.
We would like to confirm that the 25% trade discount offered by you
_________________.
3. Delivery by air before 28 February is a firm condition of this order, and we reserve
the right to refuse goods delivered after that time.
It is a firm condition that ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Please reinforce the goods packing at both ends to avoid wear.
The goods packaging _______________________________________________
Note: wear /weə(r)/ (uncountable noun): the damage or loss of quality that is
caused when something has been used a lot
Activity 6: Read and do the tasks in the following situations
1. You, a company in France, are in urgent need of 500 bamboo baskets code
BB123. Write to the manufacturer in Vietnam instructing them how to pack and
deliver goods (package material, quantity in each package, delivery method and
time)
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. You order 60 tons of sand from a supplier in your own country. Write to this
supplier giving them some delivery instruction.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. You, a company in Vietnam, order 200 scrolls of leather fabric size W2.0m x
L10m from a company in Taiwan. Give them some packing and delivery
instructions.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. You order 2 tons of rice from a company in Hanoi. Give them some packing and
delivery instructions.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Activity 7: Read and do the tasks in the following situations
1. You order 20 samples of embroidery handkerchief from a private enterprise. They
agree to let you pay by cash after you receive these samples. Write one sentence to
restate this agreement.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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2. You order 100 televisions Samsung. Write to the supplier asking about the
payment terms.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. You order a big order. The seller wants you to pay by T/T. Write to ask them if
you can pay by L/C.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2.1.2. Homework: Read the following Order form and write an email placing an order
based on the instructions below.
Instructions:
➢ Address the email to Sig. Daniele Causio at causio@gmail.com
➢ Use the order number as the subject title of the email
➢ Thank him for his email of 1 July, catalogue and price list
➢ Tell him you enclose the above order and remind him of the delivery time,
payment terms mentioned in the order form.
➢ Explain that if items are not available, they should not send substitutes
➢ Ask him to email you if there are any problems with delivery.
➢ Close by asking them to acknowledge your order.
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2.2. Replies to an order
Email acknowledging an order
Dear Mr. Martin,
I am writing to confirm you that we have
received your order that you placed on
January 12, 2010 through our online
form.
You have placed an order on one 21inch plasma TV which usually costs at
$600, but because you have ordered
within the sale period we will deduct
20% of the price or a total of $480. You
will receive your order within two to
three weeks with no required shipping
fees.
If you have some clarifications and
inquiries, don’t hesitate to call us at 210556-4100
or
email
me
at
bellatoni@uroselectronics.com.
Thank you for your product patronage.
We are hoping to assist you in your
orders again.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Bellatoni
Branch Manager
Email refusing an order
Dear Eric Van Gellen
Thank you for your order, No. HU 1119,
which we received today. But we regret
to inform that due to the ongoing
maintenance
works
at all
our
installations, our plants are operating
under capacity. Therefore, we are only
fulfilling our earlier commitments, and
not processing any new orders.
The maintenance work is expected to be
complete by 1st March 2010, and so we
expect to be able to process your order
then. From our end, we will contact you
as soon as we are running at full
capacity.
Once again, we thank you for the
confidence that you have expressed in
us, and we regret our inability to process
your order.
Yours sincerely
Fred Smith
Manager
2.2.1. Email structures
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2.2.2. Language
• Acknowledging the order
o Thank you for your order no…….of ……….for ………
o We are pleased to confirm that we have received your order…..
• Provide relevant information
o Your order is now being processed.
o The items will be packed in ……….
o You will receive ………… within/ in/ next………..
• Refuse the order and give explanation
o We cannot process your order at this time. (refusal)
o The ongoing maintenance works at all our installations, our plants are
operating under capacity. (explanation)
o We no longer make this model. (explanation)
• Offer alternatives
o We have the new model #XP with the similar functions, which may be of your
interest.
2.2.3. Composing the email:
Activity 8: There are no capitals, punctuation, or paragraphs in the following email.
Write it our correctly. Divide the body of the email into different paragraphs.
dear m delmas
thank you for your order (no r497) which we are at present making up the instruments
will be packed individually in 8 crates numbered and marked with our logo they will
sent airfreight cif marseiile to reach you no later than 18 may our invoice showing the
12% trade and 3% quantity discounts the insurance certificate and the air waybill will
be sent to the bank of marseille as requested
herald kjaer
sales manager
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Activity 9: Choose the best word from the options in brackets to complete each
blank.
1. I am writing to you _______________ (effecting/ concerning/ changing) your
order No. SX1940.
2. I am pleased to tell you that your order is now ready for _____________ (coming/
dispatch/ going).
3. We will _______________ (receive/ deliver/ have) your order tomorrow.
4. There is no ________________(extra/ any/ much) charge for this service.
5. It will ________________ (arrive/ deliver/ reach) you within five working days.
6. Special _______________ (care/ attention/ caution) has been taken to ensure that
the _________________ (load/ crates/ consignment) has been packed
_____________ (meeting/ according/ serving) to your requirements.
7. Each item will be individually wrapped to ______________ (prevent/ cause/ stop)
damage as your request.
Activity 10: Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence. The first word of
the sentence starts with capital letter.
1. you 17 January Thank of for email your
_______________________________________________________________
2. BC 150 printers of 5 have received for pieces We order your
_______________________________________________________________
3. GBP gross 4,255 price of offer can a We
_______________________________________________________________
4. discount 751.00 is10% GBP a unit including price The
_______________________________________________________________
5. letter be by can of Payment made credit
_______________________________________________________________
6. On payment on orders all initial require we delivery
_______________________________________________________________
7. period credit subsequent 15 For orders allow day we all a
_______________________________________________________________
8. allow delivery 5 Please within days
_______________________________________________________________
9. soon from hearing to look you forward We
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Activity 11: All the sentences below give reasons for refusing an order. Match the
sentences in column A with sentences in column B with similar meanings. Then put
a tick by the sentences which are most suitable for business correspondence.
2.2.4. Homework on writing replies to orders.
Exercise 1: Write an email acknowledging and accepting the following order email.
Exercise 2: You have just received an order for an item but the order quantity is
very small. Write an email politely rejecting this order.
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