BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE 2
Based on
Littlejohn, A.: Company to Company,
CUP, 2005.
OPENING (revision)
a) In a reply:
Thank you for your letter (e-mail, enquiry, order, …)
of 25 May.
b)We are writing to ...
 ...inform you that
 ...enquire about...
 ... remind you that ...
REFERRING (opening)
Dear Ms Jackson
..., we are writing ...
 We are writing IN CONNECTION WITH
your delivery of 15 May 2008.
 WITH REGARD TO your delivery, ...
 WITH REFERENCE TO your enquiry of 3
May 2008, we would like to inform you
that ...
 FURTHER TO our phone conversation of 24 April,
we ...
Types of letters





good news
bad news
requesting action
complaints
apology
 orders, job applications, ...
GOOD NEWS
We are
HAPPY to inform you that...
PLEASED
DELIGHTED
 ... you have been shortlisted for
interview for the position of ...
 ...we ARE ABLE TO deliver ...
BAD NEWS (+reason)
We are SORRY to inform you that ..
We REGRET to inform you that ...
... we ARE UNABLE TO deliver ...
... we HAVE BEEN FORCED TO increase our
prices.
This is DUE TO unforeseen circumstances.
OWING TO ...
AS A RESULT OF ...
BECAUSE OF ...
Good news (CC:p.29)
 .............. your application for a post
as secretary, ........that we would
like you to start work as soon as
possible.
 .............our telephone conversation
last week, .................that your car
is now ready for you to collect.
Good news (CC:p.29)
 With reference to your application
for a post as secretary, we are
happy to inform you that we would
like you to start work as soon as
possible.
 With regard to our telephone
conversation last week, we are
pleased to inform you that your car
is now ready for you to collect.
Bad news (e.g.)
 We ... to inform you that we ... to
cancel the meeting scheduled for 27
May. This is .... to staff illness.
Bad news (e.g.)
 We regret to inform you that we
have been forced to cancel the
meeting scheduled for 27 May. This
is due to staff illness
E.g. We REGRET TO inform you that the Credit Committee
decided not to grant you a loan of €300,000 you requested.
This is DUE TO to the insufficient collateral you have
provided.(This is DUE TO THE FACT THAT you have not
provided sufficient collateral for the loan.)
Ex.
 not able to deliver the goods on time
/a breakdown in one of the
production systems
Good news/bad news and
giving reasons (cause-effect)
Also use the following expressions:
We have been forced to..., We are unable
to..., We are able to... / This is due to
(the fact that)...
 delay the delivery of the goods –
strike by airline pilots
 cut all salaries by 10% - fall in sales
 increase all salaries by 10% - rise in
sales
Good news/bad news and
giving reasons (cause-effect)
 With regard to your order of March 25, we
regret to inform you that we are unable to
deliver the goods on time. This is due to a
strike by airline pilots.
 We are sorry to inform you that we have
been forced to cut all salaries by 10%. This
is as a result of a fall in sales of 12% in the
last quarter.
 We regret to inform you that tomorrow’s meeting has
been cancelled. This is due to the fact that a lot of
staff have been ill
 We are delighted to inform you that we have decided
to increase all salaries by 10%. This is due to a rise in
our sales last year.
REQUESTING ACTION
 PLEASE COULD YOU...
 We WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF you
could ...
 We WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF you
could ...
Ex. You have moved your office and you
want the post office to forward your
letters to your new address.
Requesting action
CC: 5.2., p.50
 Please / arrange / for ten o’clock
/ could / an appointment / you
 we / send / asap / would / if you
/ the goods / be grateful / could
 appreciate / arrange / would /
for ten o’clock / could /it / an
appointment / if/ you /We
COMPLAINTS
complain (v.), complaint (n.)
A mild complaint (pg.1)
 UNFORTUNATELY, the invoice you
sent us is higher than we agreed.
 I AM AFRAID that the invoice you
sent me…
 It SEEMS to me that…
 It APPEARS that …
Complaints (continued)
Reminder / making a point (pg.2)
 I should like to remind you that…
 I would like to draw your attention to
(the fact that)…
 I would like to point out that …
Requesting action (pg.3)
 We would be grateful if you correct
the invoiced amount so as to keep to
our agreement.
Strong complaint (CC: p.42)
 What is the plan for this letter (p.42)?
1. referring, 2. reminding, 3. request
for action, 4. warning (threat)
Unless ...
Write sentences starting with unless in the
following cases:
 a company that has not paid your bill
 an employee who always comes late for work
APOLOGISING
 apologise (v.)
 apology (n.sg.), apologies (n.pl.)
 We APOLOGISE FOR losing your
order.
 We are EXTREMELY SORRY FOR
losing your order.
(We are extremely sorry that we
have lost your order.)
Apologies (ending)
 With apologies once again.
 Please accept our apologies once
again.
 We hope that this has not caused
you any inconvenience.
 Sample letter (extra sheet)
Apologising – write a reply
 “...Payment on the above order is
now overdue...” (letter of 3 April
2008)
Letter-writing (cc: ex.3.9, p.33)
You are the sub-manager of a bank.
There has been a change in
government regulations. Interest
rates have increased to 12% for
deposits and 14% for loans. Write a
letter to
 customers who have deposit accounts
with you (good news)
 customers who have a loan from you
(bad news)