Introduction to Business Letter-writing
★ Teaching Objectives 教学目标
By learning this task you will be able to:
1. Master the 5 Cs principles of a good business letter.
2. Command the structure and layout of a business letter.
3. Grasp the differences between a business letter, fax and e-mail.
4. Learn the way to write the envelope addressing.
★ Teaching Focuses and Difficulties 教学重点和难点
1. 5Cs principles of a good business letter.
2. Structure and layout of a business letter.
★ Teaching Methods 教学方法
Lecture/Group discussion/Tutorial
★ Teaching Aids and Environment 教学设施
Written sample papers/Multi-media facilities
★ Time Allotment 时间分配
Suggestion: 4 class periods.
★ Teaching Procedures and Contents 教学程序和内容
☆Presentation 介绍
1. Lead In
You have known how to write English letters which are used in common daily
life. Now, you will learn another kind of writing----business letter writing.
Today we will discuss the 5Cs principles of a business letter and the ten main
components of the writing and the 2 major layouts of the letter.
2. How to learn this course—The approach of learning this course
(1) First, you need to have a good command of English.
(2) Then, you need to pay attention to the special terms in this course.
(3) The best way to learn it is to read more and write more----You need
to/must learn it by reading more and writing more. It is a good idea to
recite some letters. It will help you a lot when you write business letters
yourself.
☆Teaching Contents in Details 教学内容细节
Business, as a kind of human communication, is often transacted in writing.
Traditionally, the most common form of commercial correspondence is the business
letter.
Every business letter is written for a specific purpose. Normally, business letters
perform three functions. Some are designed to influence readers’ attitudes and actions,
including sales letters for promoting products or services. Some of them, such as
those which give responses to request letters, place orders, or make complaints, are
intended to inform. Others are intended to entertain the readers, that is, to establish
and retain their goodwill or good relationship with them. Many business letters
combine two or three functions. In short, business letters are used to keep business
going smoothly, efficiently, and productively.
With the rapid development of modern information technology, fax and e-mail
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are increasingly used by most companies. As variations of the business letter, they
will be introduced at this unit.
I. What is a Good Business Letter?
The writing of effective and productive business letters is an essential skill for an
individual working for a company. Different business letters about the same issue
might bring about different results. Therefore, it is of vital importance to master the
skill of business writing. The first step is, needless to say, to know the basic elements
of a good business letter. There are five Cs principles for a good business letter,
namely, Clarity, Conciseness, Courtesy, Correctness, and Completeness.
(1) Clarity 清晰
Above all, the business letter must be clear and easily understood. If your letter is
ambiguous, it might bring trouble to yourself as well as to your reader. While
presenting an idea, you need to follow a clear logic. To avoid ambiguity and
confusion, the writer should use simple and accurate words, and short and simple
sentences where appropriate. Compare:
＊The L/C must reach us for arranging shipment not later than October 8.
The L/C must reach us not later than 8 October for arranging shipment.
＊They bought a bicycle in Beijing in a small shop which costs $ 25.00.
They bought a bicycle for $25.00 in a small shop in Beijng.
＊He was warned not to drink water even in a restaurant which had not been
boiled.
He was warned not to drink water which had not been boiled.
To make his message clear, the writer must present it in well-constructed
sentences and paragraphs, and include necessary transitional words or expressions to
link them up.
(2) Conciseness 简洁
In an effective business letter, every word, sentence and paragraph count. In
other words, your letter should be concise, excluding unnecessary words and
complicated business jargons. A wordy letter will waste time on both sides. If
necessary, however, conciseness might be sacrificed for courtesy.
◆Shorten wordy expressions.
＊We have begun to export our machine to countries abroad.
We have begun to export our machines.
◆Use words to replace phrase or clause.
＊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.
＊We require furniture which is of the new type.
We require new type furniture.
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(3) Courtesy 谦恭有礼
The principle of courtesy requires one to be thoughtful and polite in writing a
business letter. If you put yourself in the reader’s shoes, considering his or her needs,
problems and emotions, your letter will most probably be appreciated. Normally,
punctuality is stressed as an important aspect of courtesy in business correspondence.
A prompt letter is always more valued than a delayed one. Compare:
＊Your letter is not clear at all. I can’t understand it.
If I understand your letter correctly… (tactful)
Avoid irritating, offensive or belittling statements; if an apology is in order, make
it gracious. For best results, and also as a matter of courtesy, answer letters promptly.
(4) Correctness 正确
It goes without saying that the business letter should be linguistically correct.
Incorrect grammar, improper punctuation, and wrong spelling are not allowed.
Besides, the letter should be written in an appropriate style and format.
Evidently, a company will leave a very favorable impression on its customers
and work with high efficiency if all its business letters are clear, concise, courteous,
complete and correct.
Errors often occurred in business writing:
＊With pronouns. Our competitors were more successful than ours (us).
＊With adjective. The two first (first two) items are not available.
＊With article.
We are interested in same (the same).
＊With verbs.
Neither of the offers are (is) acceptable.
It is one of the machines that were (was) delivered last week.
A block of flats are (is) being built.
＊With adverbs.
We had quite a (a quite) successful meeting.
＊With conjunctions. He not only built (built not only) houses, but also flats.
＊With participles. While studying the report, the telephone rang. (Insert ‘I
was’ between ‘while’ and ‘studying’)
Special attention should also be paid to names of article, specifications, quantity,
figures, units, etc.
(5) Completeness 完整
Like any other letter, a good business letter should be complete, providing all the
information and data necessary for a specific issue. If any necessary piece of
information is lacking, the reader will have to ask you for clarification, which means
that you will have to write another letter. It will not only waste time, energy and
money, but also damage the image of your company.
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II. The Structure of a Business Letter 外贸函电结构
While writing a business letter, you need to follow the conventional, established
format. Normally, a business letter, like a formal personal letter, contains the heading,
the inside address, the salutation, the body, the closing, and the signature, etc..
Occasionally, a letter may also include special notations.
Look at the form of a business letter:
1. Letterhead
信纸头衔
2. Date Line
日期
3. Inside Address 封内地址 （收件人姓名、地址）
4. Attention Line
注意事项 （Special Address 特定收信人）
5. Salutation 称谓
6. Subject Line 事由， 主题
7. Body 本文
8. Complimentary Close 结束语
9. Signature 签名
10. Reference Initials 识别记号
11. Carbon Copy Notation
抄送
12. Enclosure Notation 附件符
13. Mailing and Classification Notation 邮件分类符
14. Postscript 附笔
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1. Heading (Letter-head) 信纸头衔
As we learned, the heading is often omitted in an informal personal letter, but is
typed or hand-written in a formal personal letter. The heading of a business letter is
like that of a formal personal letter. It normally consists of the letterhead and the date
line. The letterhead, different from that of a personal letter, is professionally designed
and printed on the stationery of most companies not merely to save the writer some
time, but also to convey a favorable image of the company concerned. The letterhead
contains the name of the company, printed in big letters, plus the full address of the
company, typed in small letters. Many letterheads also include the telephone number,
the fax number, and the e-mail address of the company. Look at page 4.
e.g. Fujito Enterprises Co.
3173 kashiwara Minami-ku, Fuluoka City, Japan, 7815
Tel: (81) 44-8448022 Fax: (81) 44-8448017
2. Date Line 日期 Look at Page 4
The date line is an obligatory component of a letter since it is the most
convenient way of providing a reference to your letter. As the date given in the date
line specifies when a letter is written, it is possibly the easiest way to identify the
letter. The date is usually placed two lines below the last line of the letter-head. It is
usual to show the date in the order day/month/year (English practice) or
month/day/year (American practice). In American way, a comma must be used
between the day and the year. For the day, either cardinal numbers or ordinal numbers
can be used.
e.g. 29 July 2008 (English practice)
July 29, 2008 (American practice)
The date line is just below the letterhead. The date may be written on the left, in
center, or on the right. Look at the following examples.
Sample 1
Ye De Industrial Corporation
6 Jiefang RD. (S), Dezhou Shandong Prov. 253006 China
Tel: 086534-2641318 Fax: 086534-2641317 E-mail: sale@yeda.com.cn
January 14, 2008
Sample 2
Rabo Robeco Bank (Switzerland) Ltd
16 chemin des Coquelicots, Case Postal, CH-1212
Geneva 15, Switzerland Fax: (41) 22-341-1392
4 May, 2008
Sample 3
LUTZER PRESSER
43 Hinhede Walk ＃07-01
Southaven 1 Singapore 587973
July 21, 2008
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3. The Inside Address 封内地址
As we know, the inside address, that is, the receiver’s address, is normally
omitted in an informal personal letter, but written beneath the heading, flush at the left,
in a formal personal letter. The inside address of a business letter is like that of a
formal personal letter. It directs to a certain company, a particular department of the
company or an individual, and it normally includes the name of the receiver, the street
address, the name of the city and the postal code. If the letter is sent to another
country, the name of the country must be written. Make sure that the inside address is
identical with the address on the envelope.
Normally, titles of the receivers, such as “Mr.”, “Ms.”, “Mrs.”, “Miss”, “Messrs”
and “Mmes”, are used for the sake of courtesy. Nowadays, concealing the marital
status of a woman, “Ms.” tends to be more frequently used than “Mrs.” and “Miss”.
The inside address often includes the receiver’s job title, such as “Manager”, “CEO”
(Chief Executive Officer), or “Present”.
On the stationery, the inside address is usually typed flush at the left below the
heading. For example:
69 Yutuo Road
Lhasa, Tibet 85100
People’s Republic of China
28 February 2008
Mr. Henry Jones
Asian Institute of Management
123 Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village
1260 Makati City Philippines
The Philippines
Look at Page 5.
e.g.
Messrs. J. Harvey & Co.
English address may have the following parts:
Name of house
Number of house and name of street
Name of city or town
Country or state and its postcode
Name of country
Here is an example:
The eagle hall
24 south bank
Birmingham
Alabama
USA
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4. The Attention Line 注意事项 (Special Address 特定收信人)
An “attention line” is considered as a part of the inside address and it directs the
letter to a particular member or department of the organization addressed. It is usually
between the inside address and the salutation or above the inside address, underlined,
and centered: Look at Page 5.
e.g. Attention: Mr. T. C. Wong
Attention of Mr. Stanley
For the attention of Mr. Donald, sales manager
5. The Salutation 称谓
The salutation in a business letter, like that in a personal letter, performs the same
function as the greeting “Hello” when you meet the person. In form, the salutation
begins the letter. Such as “Dear Mr. Jones”, “Dear Ms. Davis”, “Dear Mrs.
Schommer”. If you have a close relationship with the receiver, you can use his or her
first name such as “Dear Claire” or “Dear Bill”. For example:
Mr. Henry Jones
Asian Institute of Management
123 Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village
1260 Makati City Philippines
The Philippines
Dear Mr. Jones/Dear Henry,
If you do not know the name and the gender of the receiver, you may use “Dear
Sir or Madam”. In a letter that is reproduced and sent to many persons such as a
promotion letter, you can write “Gentlemen”, “Dear Sir/Madam”, “Dear User”, “Dear
Reader”, or “Dear Customers”.
When you write to a company and hope the letter will be delivered to a particular
person or department, you can use the attention line. In this case, you should not write
a person’s name in the inside address. The attention is normally typed between the
inside address and the salutation, as shown in the following example:
Zaozhuang Oriental Electric Appliance Co., Ltd.
89 Qingtan Road, Zaozhuang
Tex: 086632-3394455
Shandong 277101 China
Fax: 086632-3394466
April 3, 2007
Cargolux Airlines International S.A.
Units 615-616, North Tower
Concordial Plaza, 1 Science Museum
Tsimshatsul East Kowloo, Hong Kong
Attention: Marketing Manager
Dear Sir/Madam,
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6. The Subject Line 事由 Look at Page 6~7.
The subject heading is regarded as a part of the body of a business letter. It
enables the reader to identify the topic of the letter at a single glance. Because of this,
it facilitates effective communication. Usually it is typed two line-spacing below the
salutation, underlined, to call attention to what content the letter is about.
e.g. Dear Mr. Steven
Your order No.456
Dear Sirs
Printed cotton piece goods
(印花棉布匹)
Dear Sirs
Subject: New product catalogue
7. The Body of the Letter 正文
The body is the most important part of a business letter. It contains the message
you want to pass to your reader. While writing the body of the letter, you should
follow a few basic principles:
● Strong opening (开门见山), write clearly and to the point;
● Be sincere, polite, and thoughtful;
● Confining each paragraph to one topic;
● Use an appropriate tone and style;
● Write naturally and avoid jargons;
● Make sure you make no grammatical mistakes and typing correctly.
Normally, the first paragraph discusses any previous communication or
introduces the issue you are going to write about. Besides, it intends to establish or
deepen a friendly relationship with the receiver. (Opening Paragraph/Beginning)
(1) Thank you for your letter of December 12, 2006
(2) We are pleased to receive your letter dated 3 January, 2007.
(3) It is our pleasure to inform you that….
(4) Please be informed that…
The middle section of the body is where you provide the most important
information. Here, you should demonstrate all the facts that the receiver needs to
know, or supply reasons for which a business transaction is conducted, etc. In this part,
the ideas must be logically presented in one or more paragraphs. This section
normally ends with a statement that the receiver should take an action or what action
the writer may take. (Transitional Paragraph/Purpose)
The body of the business letter often ends with a simple paragraph that consists
of one or two simple sentences. The following are among the most frequently used
ones. (Closing Paragraph/Ending)
(1) We look forward to hearing from you.
(2) If we can be of further help, please do not hesitate to contact us.
(3) Once again, we thank you for your kind cooperation.
(4) We apologize again for the mistake.
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8.The Complimentary Close 结束语
The complimentary closing is a courteous way of bringing a letter to an end. It
must agree in tone with the salutation. If you use the formal salutation like
“Gentlemen” or “Dear Sirs”, you should use a formal complimentary closing such as
“Yours very truly”. If your salutation is “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Dear Mr. Parks”, you
had better use a semi-formal closing such as “Sincerely yours”. When only the first
name of the receiver is used in the salutation, like “Dear Kate”, or “Dear Adam”, you
need to use an informal closing such as “Yours”. For example:
Formal
Semi-formal
Informal
Salutation
Dear Sir/Madam,
Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss××
Dear Linda,
Complimentary Close
Very truly yours,
Yours very truly,
Very sincerely Yours,
Very cordially yours,
Sincerely yours,
Cordially sincerely,
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely,
Cordially,
Yours truly,
Yours,
Normally, the formal and semi-formal closings are used interchangeably. “Yours
sincerely” and “Sincerely yours” are preferred by many people. If you write to a
superior in a formal letter, you should use “Yours respectfully” or “Respectfully
yours” as a complementary closing.
9.The Signature 签名
Signing your name is a very important way of personalizing a business letter. You
should sign your name in full and intelligible scrip. Normally, your signature is
followed by your typed name and job title. For example:
Very sincerely,
Chief Executive Officer
Kate Rogers (Signature)
Kate Rogers
Yours sincerely,
Graeme Sparks (Signature)
Graeme Sparks
Look at page 8
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10. Special Notations 特殊符号
The business letter may contain one or more special notations, which contain
useful data. There are five kinds of special notations: (1) reference initials; (2) carbon
copy notations; (3) enclosure notations; (4) mailing and classification notations; and
(5) postscripts.
(1) The Reference Initials 识别记号
In business transactions, the person who signs the letter, or writes the letter may
not be the one who types it. In this case, reference initials may be used. The signer’s
initials come first, in all capital letters, followed by a slash or colon and then the
typist’s initials in capital letters or lowercase letters. These initials are typed at the left
bottom below the signature. For instance, if the letter is written and signed by Martha
Rogers, the Chief Executive Officer, and typed by her secretary Linda White, the
reference initials will be like this:
Yours sincerely,
Martha Roger
Chief Executive Officer
MR/lw
The reference initials may also be typed as “MR:lw” or “MR/LW”. If the signer
is Tony Ducket, the writer Jerry Brawner, and the typist Holly Nguyen, the reference
initials will be “TD/jb/hn” or “TD:jb:hn”.
(2) The Carbon Copy Notation
副本（抄送）
From time to time, it is necessary to send a copy of the letter to people or
departments other than the receiver. In this case, the carbon copy notation is used to
indicate to whom the copy is sent. The initials of “carbon copy” in capital letters or in
lowercase letters followed by a colon is used and typed below the enclosure notation
(if any) at the left bottom. For example:
CC: Mrs. Cynthia Stech
Mr. Larry Bumpass
cc: Human Resources Department
cc: Mr. Robin Waldergrave
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(3) The Enclosure Notation 附件符
The enclosure notation is used to remind the reader that some material besides the
letter itself is enclosed in the envelope. It may be shorted as “Enc.” or “Encl.”. If two
or more things are enclosed, you may indicate precisely what they are. The enclosure
notation is normally placed below reference initials.
Enclosure
Enc.
Encl.
Enclosures (3)
Enclosures:
Contract
Map of the factory
Catalogue of products
(4) The Mailing and Classification Notation 邮件分类符
Occasionally, a business letter could be about a critical issue and the writer does
not want anyone other than the receiver to read it. In this case, the writer may write
“Confidential” beneath the date line. If a business letter requires special treatment by
the post office, the words “Registered” or “Special delivery” may be written both on
the stationery and the envelope. “Registered” can be written either beneath the
dateline or beneath the reference initials. For example:
April 1, 2007
Confidential
Registered
RS: js
Encl.
Registered
(5) The Postscript
附笔
If you want to add something after finishing the letter or to bring something to
the attention of the receiver, you may use a postscript. Normally, a postscript is
indicated by “P.S.” one space beneath the notation if any.
LT/wt/po
CC: Mr. George Stem
P.S. We will increase the price of the portable recorder from $123 to $ 145 in
June.
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The following is an example with all those special notations:
Tianjin Red Sun Industrial Co., Ltd.
47 Dongma Road, Nankai District
Tianjin 300090 China E-mail: redsun@chinapages.com
Tel: +86-22-27250987
Fax: +86-22-27250988
4 March, 2007
Jane Williams Purchasing Manager
Cezanne Appliance Manufacturer
Rombliere 73602 Moutiers, France
Dear Mr. Williams,
I am glad to tell you that we have found another potential user.
A customer of Shenyang, Liaoning Province would like to try your heat
exchanger. If this customer is satisfied with the product, it could help us to
penetrate into the big market in Northeast China, a highly important industrial
base in this country.
As you know, Japanese and American heat exchangers are very
competitive, both in quality and in price. This customer offers us a good
opportunity by agreeing to use your product on a trial basis, as a result of my
special effort. If possible, please supply three free heat exchangers, according to
the specification indicated in the form enclosed.
I am looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Wei Chengli (Signature)
Wei Chengli
International Business Manager
WC/qy
CC: Mr. Feng Weixing
Encl.
Registered
P.S. Mr. Gao You is going to visit your company next month.
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III. The Layout of a Business Letter 外贸函电的格式
In current use there are two main patterns of layout in a business letter: the
traditional indented style (缩进式，空格式) and the modern blocked style (垂直式，
齐头式).
The traditional indented style following traditional British practice takes in the
first line of each paragraph in the body of the letter, five spaces for pica and six for
elite type.
The blocked style is quite common now because it is efficient, saving a certain
amount of typing time. In the blocked style all typing lines including the date, inside
name and address, the salutation, subject heading, complimentary close, and the
writer’s designation or the title of office all should begin at the left-hand typing
margin. And one line-spacing between paragraphs is recommended to give a letter
clear appearance.
Business letters with the blocked style form, along with open punctuation or
mixed punctuation, are paragraphed by equal line spaces.
For open punctuation pattern, the end of the date line, the inside address line, the
salutation, the complimentary close and the signature block lines are unpunctuated,
but comma is necessary between the day and year in the date line.
While the mixed punctuation pattern requires an absence of punctuation marks
from the date line, the inside address lines and the signature block lines except a colon
or comma after the salutation, the complimentary close.
Look at Page 9~10~11.
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Briefly in Chinese,商业书信有以下各型式：
■ Block Style （齐头式）
除了 Letterhead （信纸头衔）已印刷于公司专用信纸的中央顶端，其他各项
则集中于信纸的左端。
■ Indented Style （缩入式）
Inside Address、Signature ，乃至本文之中的各个段落的起头处，都向内缩入。
■ Modified Block Style （折衷式）
Inside Address、Body、Stenograph Reference、Enclosure 等都列于左端，Date、
Complimentary Close、Signature 则靠右。
■ Modified Block Style with Indented Paragraphs （折衷、段落缩入式）
本文中的各段落起头处向内缩，其余部分与 Modified Block Style 相同。
另外，商业书信的标点还分为 Open Punctuation 及 Closed Punctuation 两
种 。 Open Punctuation 就 是 Inside Address 的 各 行 末 ， 以 及 Salutation ，
Complimentary Close 之后都不加任何标点。而 Closed Punctuation 则是在 Inside
Address 的各行末加 Comma 逗点，最后一行末加 Period 句号。此外，Salutation
之后也加 Comma 逗点或 Colon 冒号，Complimentary Close 之后要打上 Comma
逗点。再者就是折衷以上的两种 Punctuation，将 Inside Address 打成 Open，将
Salutation 及 Complimentary Close 打成 Closed 的 Mixed Punctuation 型式。
综合以上的 Style 及 Punctuation，归纳出商业书信可以下列的四种形式书写：
(1) Block Style, Open Punctuation
(2) Indented Style, Closed Punctuation
(3) Modified Block Style, Mixed Punctuation
(4) Modified Block Style with Indented Paragraphs, Mixed Punctuation
(Commonly used)
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IV. Envelope Addressing
信封地址 Look at Page 12
Many companies use professionally designed envelops with the return address
printed at the left top. The envelop helps to convey the image of a company. If you
use such an envelope, you should just add your name above the return address. If you
use a plain envelope, you need to write your name and address at the left top. Use
single space and block style. The receiver’s name and address are always placed in the
center of the envelope. You must make sure that they are identical with the inside
address on the stationery. The stamp should be attached at the right top, and the mail
classification beneath the stamp. Basically, the addressing of the envelope for a
business letter is the same as that for a personal letter. Occasionally, attention is typed
on the envelope of a business letter. Below are two samples:
Sample 1
Li Xiangnan, General Manager
Snow Air-Conditioner Co., Ltd.
STAMP
6 South Shengli Road, Yongchuan
Sichuan Province 632160 China
Registered
Mr.David Parks
Investment Director
Powermaster Tools Corporation
3 Winnall Manor Road
Winnall, Wicherter
Hampshire SO98 4HJ U.K.
Sample 2
William Jones
26 Cowpepper Road, Jericho
Oxford OX2 6DP England
STAMP
Sales Manager
China National Pearl, Diamond, and Gem
Import and Export Corporation
30 North Dongdan Street
Beijing 100020 P.R. China
By Air
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V. Fax 传真
Look at Page 13
As ordinary business letters often takes a long time to reach the receivers, many
firms resort to fax or e-mail daily communication to enhance their efficiency.
A fax cover-sheet is the page you send with details of the sender and the recipient
and what the fax is about. Apart from the layout, a fax is like a letter, and the style you
use depends on the purpose of the fax. For example, faxes which are sent within
companies, or faxes between people who have built up a close bushiness relationship
are likely to be quite informal. However, if you are contacting someone for the first
time, you can use the same style as a formal letter.
Most businesses use pre-printed fax cover-sheets. Here is an example of an
informal fax from one business associate to another.
BK Computers
12D Elgin Street Industrial Estate
Maidstone, Kent MD34 6BN
Tel: (01) 622-7279020
Fax: (01) 622-2324431
FAX
To: Adrian Alexander
From: Alan Simpson
Re: Office supplies
cc:
Hi Larry
Fax: (01) 14-2267887
Date: 30 July 2008
Page: 3
It was good to see you at the trade fair in Frankfurt last week. We made some interesting
contacts which I am following up at the moment.
As promised, I am sending you details of our new range of office supplies. Just let me
know if you need any more information.
I’m sure I’ll see you in September in Toronto.
Kind regards
Alan
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VI. E-mail 电子邮件 Look at Page 14
With the rapid development of the internet, e-mail is increasingly used in
business transactions. Compared with the traditional business letter, e-mail is much
more efficient and economical. An e-mail message sent from one of them can reach
another in seconds, while a business letter may take days or even longer. In addition,
it saves money for paper and postage. In practice, e-mail is bringing about efficiency
revolution in business.
However, the e-mail message used in business is a variation of the business letter.
The main parts of an e-mail message are roughly the same as those of a business letter.
To be specific, the salutation, the body of the letter, the complimentary close, and the
identification of the writer are the same. What is special about the e-mail is its address.
Look at the samples:
(Situation: East Asia Semi-Conductor Ltd. is not capable of providing what a
Canadian manufacturer requires. Now Henry Lager, Marketing Assistant of East Asia
Semi-Conductor Limited sends to the latter a message as below: )
Sample 1
Receiver: mrogers@Lmail.cencol.on.ca
CC: hlager@online.sh.cn
Subject: Re: Parts Requested
Date:
Attachment:
Dear Mrs. Martha Rogers,
I do understand the difficult situation. However, we have a couple of reasons
why we are unable to provide the requested parts at this time:
(1) Our capacity is very limited at the moment;
(2) We do not have any raw material in stock.
We will, however, keep on checking our abilities to provide the parts and
inform you as soon as possible in case such an opportunity arises.
Looking forward to your comments.
Yours sincerely,
East Asia Semi-Conductor Ltd.
Henry Lager, Marketing Assistant
P.S. Our Marketing Manager will contact you when he comes back from
Finland.
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(Situation: Elisa Huang, Secretary of Shanghai Hua Dong Micro-Electronic Ltd.,
sends a message to Liu Xiaohua, a clerk of Wela Service Corporation, asking her to
book a hotel room. The message reads as follows :)
Sample 2
Subject: Shangri-La
Date: Wed, 29 March 2007 13 : 13
From: Elisah@huangdong.com
To: Xiaohualiu@wela.chinapages.com
CC: Guhong@guomai.sh.cn
Dear Sir,
We would be obliged if you would arrange the hotel accommodation for Mr.
William Ghost on July 15, 2007 at Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai.
Kindly note the price should be USD 90 + 15% and a good view. Please advise
us of your confirmation before tomorrow.
Thanks and best regards.
Very truly yours,
Shanghai Hua Dong Micro-electronic Ltd.
Elisa Huang
Secretary
Notice that the date in e-mail message is omitted because the computer will
indicate the time and the date automatically. As the e-mail address is not sufficient to
identify the writer, the name of the writer’s company, and the name of the writer are
written at the end of the e-mail message.
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VII. The Tendency of Business Letter-writing 书写外贸函电的趋向
Now it has given way to more modern approach to write a business letter, which
is direct and concise.
American business people consider that the spoken style used in business letters
produces a friendly atmosphere. But English business people are more reserved and
more dignified.
However, it is noted that the style of modern business letters tends to be
something like a piece of conversation by post. The language used can be formal or
informal according to the relevant situation. Whether in British style or in America
style, conventions of wording, punctuation, sentence structure and grammar must be
observed. Otherwise it will distract the reader’s attention and lose the reader’s respect
and confidence. Because a business letter is a message of goodwill and a
representative of the firm in which the writer is working. Its style and appearance
must be in keeping with this function. And it must have a quite dignity and
personality.
VIII. The Way to Master Business Letter-writing Skills
掌握外贸函电书写技巧的方法
As is know, a large part of international business is conducted by means of
correspondence, therefore it is very important for the person involved in the
international business to learn how to write good business letters that express his ideas
accurately and clearly to enable readers to understand easily.
As textile and garment business correspondence always relates to textile and
garment business in the field of international trade, it requires specialized knowledge
to handle.
The ability of writing good business letters can be cultivated through study and
practice. Whether there is an opportunity, one should practice writing and make
amendment till to meet his intended objectives. Then he will improve his writing
skills greatly.
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