商贸英语(王玉环赖艳主编)课件习题答案chapter2.ppt

,Chapter Two,新编外贸英语教程,International Business Correspondence,Contents,Teaching Objectives,Text Analysis,Chapter Two,Technical Terms,Exercises,新编外贸英语教程,Specimen Letters,Teaching Objectives Upon completion of this chapter, you will Understand the essence of business letters Know the elements of business letters Learn the format and outline of business letters Identify the principles of business letters,Introduction to the Chapter,Focus of the chapter Learn several aspects of business letters, including the essence and basic elements of business letters, the envelope addressing, the format, outline and the principles of business letters. Teaching methods Theoretical illustration & practical application,Introduction to the Chapter,In this chapter, several aspects of business letters will be discussed. Business letters are one of the most important ways to communicate with others in business world. This chapter will focus on the discussion of the basic knowledge of business letters.,Introduction to the Chapter,The first part talks about the essence of business letters. The second and third part deals with elements of a business letter and the envelope addressing. The fourth part tells us format and outline of a business letter. The last part is about the principles for business letters.,Text Analysis 2.1 International Business Correspondence 2.2 The Essence of Business Letters 2.3 Elements of Business Letters 2.4 Envelope Addressing 2.5 Business Letter Format and Outline 2.6 Basic Principles for Business Letters,2.1 International Business Correspondence,Business letter writing is experiencing a rebirth. Millions of business communications which were conducted through many other ways. Even though the ability to write an effective business letter is still very important to any business person who wants to represent themselves positively to their customers, competitors and employers.,2.2 The Essence of Business Letters,Every business letter communicates in two distinct ways. The reader gets meaning out of what is said and how it is said in a letter.,2.2 The Essence of Business Letters,We must make sure that both the clarity of the message (what the letter says) and its character (how the letter says it) help to evoke that reaction.,2.3 Elements of Business Letters,Letterhead Reference Date Inside address Attention line Salutation Subject line Body of a letter Complimentary close Signature IEC block Postscript,The general position of these elements is shown in the following sample:,Letterhead Reference number Date Inside address _ _ Attention line Salutation Subject line Body_ Complimentary close Signature IEC block Postscript,In the following, we will examine each element according to their order in a letter to see what functions it serves and how it should be constructed.,2.3 Elements of Business Letters,2.3.1,Almost every business firm uses letterhead stationery for their letters nowadays. Letterhead is usually the most obvious element in a business letter, taking the topmost part of the paper. It identifies where the letter comes from and it provides the recipient with the first impression of the letter.,信头,Letterhead,2.3.1 Letterhead,A letterhead always contains the companys name, address, telephone number, fax number, internet address, e-mail address, etc. Sometimes a trademark or brief slogan is used effectively too. Many large companies add departmental identification to their letterheads.,2.3.1 Letterhead,Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Telephone: (425)706-7330 Redmond Fax: (425)706-7329 USA Internet: ,For example:,2.3.1 Letterhead,However, if a second page is needed for the body of the letter, a second-page heading which includes the addressers name usually printed on the page should be used. Three examples are shown in the following:,The receivers name and date appearing in the heading of the second page should match those on the first page.,Microsoft Co. Oct. 2, 2010,Mr. Robert Green, Oct. 2, 2010, Page 2,Mr. Robert Green Oct. 2, 2010 Page 2,2.3.1 Letterhead,2.3.2,Because companies usually have to deal with a lot of letters every day, it is necessary to classify them according to the subject, persons, or time sequence so that it will not be so difficult to find a letter that is wanted on file.,案号,Reference,2.3.2 Reference,Your ref: CNN/011 Our ref: 12345/XY Dear Sir, Thank you for your letter, reference CNN/011, of Sep. 9, 2010,2.3.3 Date,In business letters, date line is a very important part. Often, in business transactions at all levels, the date has special relevance: it might be a deciding factor as to whether an order is filled, a bill is paid, or a guarantee claim is met. Therefore, never omit the date line in business letters.,2.3.3 Date,The date should always be written in standard form: January 27, 2010, for example. All number form (for example: 10/3/10) should not be used. Some people are used to abbreviating the month, but this is not recommended in business letters.,2.3.3 Date,There is no fast rule for the placement of the date. It can be aligned with the left or right margin below the letterhead. This is often decided by the style of the letter or the habit of the company. Anyway, the placements of the date line in English letters are much different from those in Chinese letters.,2.3.4,We include the address in the letter although it already appears on the envelope, because the envelope is usually thrown away. The letter itself, which is kept on file, must indicate for whom the message was intended. It is usually put two lines under the date line, aligned with the left margin.,封内地址,Inside Address,Generally, the inside address should include any or all of the following: Receivers name or his job title Companys name Number of the house and name of the street District, name of the town or city State or province, ZIP code Name of country,2.3.4 Inside Address,For example:,Mr. Wang, President Messrs. Wright House London E. C. 3 England,2.3.5,Sometimes when the inside address doesnt contain the individuals name, attention line is used to name the specific person the letter is addressed to.,China Import & Export Corp. No.211, Nanjing Road, Qingdao, 266000 P. R. China Attention: Mr. Carlos Myers Gentlemen, ,注意项,Attention Line,2.3.5 Attention Line,Here are some examples for the typing style of an attention line: Attention of Purchasing Manager Attention: Mr. Attention Sales Manager ATTENTION PERSONNEL MANAGER,2.3.5 Attention Line,Attention line is usually put between the inside address and the salutation, or within the inside address.,P&G Company First Cross Street COLOMBO Sri Lanka Attention: Mary Alice,P&G Company ATTENTION MARY ALICE First Cross Street COLOMBO Sri Lanka,2.3.5 Attention Line,2.2.6,The salutation is the greeting with which every letter begins. An appropriate salutation is a warm greeting to the addressee. Therefore, be sure to salute to the correct addressee appeared in your inside address or in the attention line.,称呼,Salutation,2.3.7 Subject Line,A subject line tells the reader what the letter is about. Usually it is placed one or two lines below the salutation. There are different typing styles for this part: Subject: Proposed delay of the delivery Re: Proposed delay the delivery Proposed Delay of the Delivery In re: Invoice No. 2221-b SUBJECT: ACCOUNT No. 222,2.3.8 Body of a Letter,This part is the most important part of a letter which deals with what really matters. And the following parts of this book will offer detailed advice for making this part as effective as possible. Lines within a paragraph should be single-spaced, with double-spacing between paragraphs. Attention here should be paid to the physical precision of the body. It usually begins one or two lines below the salutation.,2.3.8 Body of a Letter,As to the writing principles of this part, you need to write simply, clearly, courteously, grammatically, and to the point. You also need to paragraph correctly and avoid stereotyped phrases.,2.3.8 Body of a Letter,The opening words introduce the letter and should be relatively short (with one or two sentences). The middle part supports the first paragraph and provides more information. The final part usually serves as a summation, suggestion or further request.,2.3.9,The complimentary close, just like the salutation, is purely a matter of custom and a polite way of bringing a letter to a close. It is usually put two lines below the last line of the body, aligned with the left margin or the date line according to different format that will be mentioned later.,信尾敬语,Complimentary Close,2.3.9 Complimentary Close,You should carefully select the most appropriate complimentary close to match the character of your communication and the salutation. Formal complimentary close should be used with salutations. If a polite title and the surname are used in salutation, the less formal complimentary closes may be used.,2.3.9 Complimentary Close,You need to pay attention to another point: the correct punctuation for the complimentary close is a comma. Notice also that only the first word in a complimentary close is capitalized.,2.3.10 Signature,When you type a letter, leave three blank lines below the complimentary close, and then type the signature identification and title on the fourth line. Into the space between these two lines goes your signature. The typewritten identification tells legibly who wrote the letter.,2.3.10 Signature,Yours sincerely, (Signature) Lynnette Solis, Director,Yours faithfully, (Signature) Mike Mayer, Marketing Manager,2.3.11 (Initials, Enclosures and Carbon Copies),The IEC block appears on the left-handed margin two or three lines below the signature block (including complimentary close, signature, and typewritten identification).,缩写名，附件，分送标志,IEC,2.3.11 IEC,Usually, the initials of the person who type the letter should appear on business letters. These initials identify the writer and the typist and if they are the same person, the initials are omitted. The following styles are commonly used: HM/LZ HMorgan/lz HM: lz lz,2.3.11 IEC,If a letter is accompanied by any other enclosure, a second line is used in IEC block to tell the recipient about this. The enclosure indicator appears right beneath the initials, usually abbreviated, and indicating the number of enclosures. Enclosure 1Enc. Enc. Attachments: 2 Encls. Encl:2,2.3.11 IEC,If you send the copy of the letter to a third party, a notation of carbon copies (CC) will be used in the third line of the IEC block. Nowadays, many offices are using PC (for photo copy) instead. Any of the following styles may be used: PP: Bree Hodge CC: Bree Hodge Pc: Bree Hodge CC: Bree Hodge,So, a complete block may look like this:,JAL: mie Encl: 2 cc: J.M. Madison,JAL: mie Encl: 2 cc: J.M. Madison,2.3.11 IEC,2.3.12 Postscript,Usually in business letters, a postscript is usually not in its original function (to append an omitted idea), but rather as a device to emphasize something. It follows the IEC block (if there is), and always in the form of “p.s.”. Some people prefer not to use “p.s.” anymore (see examples in the following).,2.3.12 Postscript,p.s. Wish to see you at the Trade Fair on Nov. 10.,Wish to see you at the Trade Fair on Nov. 10.,2.3 Elements of Business Letters,With all the introductions above, we can summarize that choice of layout is a matter of individual taste, but it is better to follow established practice, to which the business world has become accustomed. A good plan to make correct habitual practice is to adopt one form of layout and stick to it.,2.4 Envelope Addressing,There are three requirements in addressing an envelope: clearness, accuracy and good appearance. Generally speaking, you are supposed to write both the senders and the receivers name and address as follows:,2.4 Envelope Addressing,Two styles of addressing an envelope: Indented Style,United Textiles Ltd. York House Lawton Street LIVERPOOL, ML3 2LL England, U.K. Shanghai Textiles Imp. & Exp. Corp. 100, Siping Rd., Hongkou District Shanghai, 200080 P.R.China By Airmail,Blocked Style,Casio & Pomponio Co., Ltd. 22th Floor, Sunshine Mansion 110, Jiefang Rd., the 3rd Ring Bejing, 100000 P.R.China Messrs. Brown & Co., Ltd. 885, Broadway Hongkong, China Confidential,2.4 Business Letter Format and Outline,2.5.1 Format There is no one specific format for business letters. Instead, there are certain practices which are widely used in todays business correspondence. There are generally three formats, which are full-block format, semi-block format and conventional format. The examples of these formats are shown in the following. Full-block Format,Letterhead Date Inside Address _ _ Salutation: Body_ _ Complimentary close Signature,Semi-block Format,Letterhead Date_ Inside Address _ _ Salutation: Body_ _ Complimentary close Signature Signature,2.5 Business Letter Format and Outline,The date, complimentary close and signature begin to appear at the right of the center of the paper in this format. All the other elements are blocked against the left margin. This is a more conservative format of layout. Conventional Format,Letterhead Date_ Inside Address _ _ Salutation: _Body_ _ Complimentary close Signature,2.5 Business Letter Format and Outline,In this format, the first line of each paragraph of the letter is taken in four or five spaces usually. The positions of other elements are quite similar to those in the semi-block format.,2.5 Business Letter Format and Outline Outline,Every part in the body of a letter is written to accomplish a particular task or tasks. Though there isnt any rigid rules for the outline of a letter, the following points may help you in writing effective business letters.,Opening Words,The opening words of a business letter should obtain the readers attention at the first sight, and help to gain a positive response from the reader, which is like a headline in newspaper. In order to accomplish this objective, the following points should be considered in composing a first paragraph in a business letter.,Opening Words,Indicate what the letter is about You should get to the point immediately in the first paragraph. Modern business people pay great attention to efficiency, so do not let your reader search the whole letter to find the key information.,Opening Words,If necessary, refer to previous correspondence This part may help the reader to get the point promptly. When there has been previous communications concerning the subject, reference to them is necessary.,Opening Words,Set a positive and friendly tone The opening words plays an important role in setting up a friendly tone for the whole letter. This may, reversely, help to evoke the positive reactions the writer desires.,Opening Words,Be brief As a general rule, keep the paragraph short and simpletwo or three sentences.,Middle Part,After finishing the opening words, ask yourself what the reader still needs to know so that he/she may react to your desire. Necessary background and supporting information should be provided in the middle paragraphs. Usually, information concerning the following aspects should be considered, the six “wh” words: Who? Why? How? What? When? Where?,Ending Part,The ending part is as important as the opening words. It should: Restate or conclude the key points Summarize what is included in the middle parts. Request necessary action, if necessary Use specific closing so that the reader may take the desired reaction.,Ending Part,Confirm a positive image When possible, last part should leave the reader with a feeling of goodwill. It must have a quiet dignity and personality.,2.6 Basic Principles for Business Letters,In English business letter writing, you need to learn and apply certain principles to effectively communicating with others. Good English is one of the important bases of good business letters. What you write should be free from grammatical mistakes, and also free from the slightest possibility of being misunderstood.,2.6 Basic Principles for Business Letters,There are certain essential qualities of business letter, which can be summed up as 7Cs, i.e. Clearness, Conciseness, Consideration, Courtesy, Concreteness, Correctness, Completeness. The 7Cs Principles are as follows:,Clearness,First of all, make sure that your letter is so clear that it can not be misunderstood. It is suggested we should use simple, plain language and avoid business jargons. In brief, clearness means a letter should be written clearly and briefly.,Conciseness,Conciseness is considered the most important p