letter writing.pdf

LETTER WRITING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I:

The layout

CHAPTER II:

Enquiries and replies

CHAPTER III:

Quotations and orders

CHAPTER IV:

Complaints and replies

ANNEXE

ADDITIONAL EXERCISES

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CHAPTER I: The layout

EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL LETTER

MEGASOFT LTD

46 HIGH STREET, WOLVERHAMPTON, WEST MIDLANDS ( 1 )

HIGGINS AND BROWNS

BROOKDALE

LANCASHIRE

September 25 th , 1998 (2)

Ref: DG (3)

Dear Sir, (4 )

We would like to introduce ourselves as a manufacturer of software with machines

currently used in your firm.

We specialise particularly in spreadsheet packages. Our firm has established a reliable

reputation in this field over the past years, all over Switzerland, and we feel that we

should like to extend our activities to a more European market.

(5)

Please find enclosed a pamphlet giving details of our range of software products and

services. Should you require any further information, we should be only too pleased to

supply the necessary details.

(5.g)

Looking forward to working with your firm in the near future. (6)

Yours faithfully (7)

David Graveney

David Graveney (8)

Sales manager

Encl .: pamphlet (9)

1. Sender's address:

This is normally printed on the paper. On non-headed paper the address WITHOUT the name of the

sender is typed out.

2. Date: various possibilities

In England

In USA

28 th December, 1999

December 28, 1999

¨1 st April, 1998

April 1, 1998

28.12.1999

12/28/1999

3. Reference: This is usually an internal reference for filing purposes .

4. Salutation: This must agree with the address and closing :

a) If you don't have a contact name:

Dear Sir(s)

Yours faithfully

Dear Madam (s)

Yours truly

b) If you know the name:

Dear Mr Jones (men)

Yours sincerely

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Dear Miss Jones (unmarried women)

Yours truly

Dear Mrs Jones (married women)

Dear Ms Jones (married/unmarried women

5. Body of the letter: Expressions to use

This is the most important part of the letter, and may not contain all elements listed below.

To make the first contact

We would like to introduce…

I am writing to / inform you/ apply for / request …

b) To respond with a reference

With reference to ….

To answer a letter

Thank you for…

I thank you for your letter of 1 July…

We were pleased to ….

d) To confirm a telephone call

Further to our telephone conversation

e) For requesting

I would be grateful if…

I would appreciate it if …

Could you please….

for making excuses

I regret that…

I am sorry…

I am afraid that…

I apologise for..

g) for enclosing documents

Please find attached…

Please find enclosed…

h) For confirming

I am pleased to confirm that…

I confirm that…

This is to confirm that…

6. Ending the letter:

In English we use very simple and succinct formulas for ending a letter.

Looking forward to ……

I look forward to…

I am sure that…

I hope…

7. The close formulae:

This depends on the salutation (see salutation). We use no commas or points here.

8. Signature: Here we need 3 items :

The signature; the typed out name (it appears nowhere else!); and the title of the person in the

company.

If someone signs the letter on behalf of someone else the initials p.p . (per pro) should be used before

the name to indicate this.

9. Enclosure: If there is an enclosure, we write the word : "Encl." On the bottom left hand corner

with a short description of the object.

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EXERCISE 1 : QUIZ ABOUT LAYOUT/PRESENTATION OF A LETTER

Try to answer by true or false about the LAYOUT/PRESENTATION of a letter.

1. On unheaded paper you should always write your name above your address.

2. "Ref" refers to the writer's filing system.

3. In the UK, the date 2/4/99 means February 4 th , 1999.

4. You should always write the name and position of the person you are writing

to above his/her company address.

5. You use Dear Sir or Dear Madam when you know that the person you writing

to is more senior to you.

6. If you begin with Dear Sir , you end with Yours faithfully

7. The initials p.p. indicate that the person signing the letter is doing so on

behalf of someone else.

8. It is unusual for the writer to put his/her company position at the end of the

letter.

9. In business letters, the date should appear as numbers separated by points

(.) or oblique (/)

10.The abbreviation Ms can refer both to a married or an unmarried woman.

11.If you are writing to Mrs Anne Swanson, you open with Dear Madam .

12.Short business letters are impolite

13.Americans may begin their letters with gentlemen .

14.The letters "Encl." mean that something has been sent with the letter.

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EXERCISE 2 : Complete this letter according to the prompt given in brackets:

RAINBOW TRAINING INSTITUTE

J. Fisher

53 Bradburn Close

The Personnel Manager

Muswell Hill

DJ Banking Corp.

London N10 IPJ

54 Smithson Ave.

London E17 6TY

20 th February 1999

Re: International Sales Workshop 5 May

Dear Ms Fisher

__________________________ (explaining the reason for writing) about the above

mentioned workshop. Unfortunately we have had to cancel it. However, we can include

your staff in the July 8 workshop instead if this is convenient.

___________________________(apologising) we were unable to inform you of this

change earlier, and I hope you will be able to attend at this date.

___________________________(requesting) you let me know as soon as possible the

names of your staff who will be attending.

____________________________(ending) your staff will find the workshop both useful

and informative.

Yours________________________(closing)

T. Reading

T Reading

Training Manager

EXERCISE 3 Complete this fax which is a reply to the above letter .

DJ BANKING CORP.

T. Reading

54 Smithson Ave

Training Manager

London E17 6YT

Rainbow Training Institute

LONDON

23 rd February 1999

Re:______________________

Dear_____________________

____________________________________ five members of our staff will be able to

attend the July workshop.

_____________________________________ the names and addresses of the five

participants.

___________________________________ you could send me 5 copies of the

programme and maps showing the location of the Institute.

____________________________________ meeting you on 8 th July.

Yours______________________

J.Fisher

J. Fisher

Personnel Manager

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