商务英语写作The Structure and Style of a Business Letter

Chapter2

TheStructureandStyleofaBusinessLetterLearningObjectivesKnowthestandardandoptionalpartsofbusinessletters;Designandpresentinformationinanattractiveway.TheoverviewMeansofmakingbusinesslettersattractive:Thequalityofletterheadedpaper;Thepresentationoftheletter;Thestructureoftheletter;Thelanguageandtoneused;Thecontents1.PartsofBusinessLetters2.PresentationofBusinessLetters1.PartsofBusinessLettersstandardparts

theletterheadthedatetheinsideaddressthesalutationthebodythecomplimentaryclosethesignatureoptionalpartsthereferencesthereturn/sender’saddresstheattentionlinethesubjectlinetheenclosurenotationthecopynotationthepostscriptTECHNICAL1606FifthAvenue

ESICNS,SeattleWA99454-NC.201626-3150July30,2005PacificResources,Inc.1160BishopStreetHonolulu,HI99813

AttentionMs.AliciaChavez, LadiesandGentlemen SUBJECT:OFFICELETTERSTYLELetterheadInsideAddressDateAttentionlineSalutationSubjectLineOurofficepreferstheblockletterstyle,asshowninthisletter…SincerelyyoursTECHNICALDESIGNS,INC.EricMannEricMann,ConsultantCommunityServicesDepartmentEM:mefEnc.Intra-companystationeryandmemorandumformsCC:Ms.LauraShulteMr.AndrewFarmer

BodyComplimentaryCloseOrganizationNameSignatureAuthorTitleDepartmentReferenceInitialsEnclosureCopyNotation(1)Theletterhead--(sender’saddress)--afirm’spersonality

Itincludesthecompany’slogo,name,address,telephoneandfaxnumbers,email,andwebsite.ChinatexMansion,No.19,JianguomenneiStreet,Beijing,100005,ChinaTel:(86mail:Webmaster@(2)Thereference（信件的编号）--Filenumber,departmentalcodeCodesassignedtotheletterby(Yourref)来函--therecipient(Ourref)本函--senderoftheletter.Makesiteasiertofiletheletterandtrackitwhenrequired.Ourref—本函档号Yourref—来函档号作者姓名的首字母（大写）打字员姓名的首字母（大小写均可）另：档案或部门编号也可能包括在内。Manyletterheadsprovidespacesforreference.Wheretheletterheaddoesn’tprovideforit,thismarkmaycome(1)beforeorafterthedate

E.g.Yourref:TT/PP10October,2005

Ourref:MM/QQYourref:TT/PP10October,2005Ourref:MM/QQ(2)formasapartofthe

firstparagraph

ofthereplyletter

E.g.DearSir,Thankyouforyourletter,referenceTT/PP,of25December,2004.(3)becenteredabovethebodyletterasa

subject

headingwithanunderline.E.g.DearSir,

Yourref:TT/PPThankyouforyourletterof25December,2004.(3)ThedateBritish(German):day/month/yearAmerican(othernations):month/day/yearavoidabbreviations(Jan.25,2004)or figures(2/4/2004).Choosethestyleofyourtargetreader.(4)Theinsideaddress--(recipient’s)nameandaddressDeliveryaddress—printedorwritteninthefrontmiddleoftheenvelope.Toavoidambiguity,wheneveryouwriteletterstoaforeigncountry,alwaysincludethenameofthecountry,evenifthecitymentionedisthecountry’scapital.Orderoftheaddress:a)thenameofthehouseb)thenumberofhouseandthenameofstreetc)thenameofcityortownd)countyorstateanditspost-codee)nameofthecountry

小大Example--theinsideaddress10May,2010(attheleft-handmarginbelowthedate)MrDouglasCowlesGeneralManagerCowlesEngineeringCo.Ltd12BrackenHillManchesterUKTips:Payattentiontothepostalserviceabbreviationforstate(province)andothers

NY–NewYork, Pa./Peen–Pennsylvania,Ca.–California, Vic.–Victoria,Que.–QuebecMA–Massachusetts, Rd.–Road,St.–StreetAve.–Avenue

E.g.234CommonwealthAve.BostonMA23456(5)Attentionline(指明收信人)directthelettertoaspecificindividualorsectionofthefirm.E.g.RichardThomas&BaldwinsLtd.,

151GowerStreet

London,SC76DY,England

Attention:Mr.CaveFORTHEATTENTIONOFMRJOHNTAYLER,SALESMANAGERAttention:ImportDept.AttentionofMr.Standard,GeneralManagerFortheattentionofMr.J.G.Donna,SalesManager(6)Thesalutation（称呼）GreetingtotherecipientMatchtothecomplimentarycloseSeePage26CourtesytitlesusedincorrespondenceDr.foronewhoholdsadoctor’sdegreeProf./ProfessorforaprofessorMessrs

thepluralformofMr.(usedonlyforcompaniesorfirmswhosenameincludesapersonalelement)

Esq.forjudges,magistrates,barristersinAmericaandforasinglepersoninBritain,followingthenameandseparatedfromitwithacomma,e.g.JohnHayling,Esq.(7)Thesubjectline（主题行）Gist（要点）oftheletterCallattentiontothereason,relativereferenceorbriefsubjectE.g.Re:YourOrderNo.1513Subject:Men’sShirtsOR:DearMrsMarshallINTERNATIONALCONFERENCE—24AUGUST2011(InternationalConference—24August2011)(8)ThebodyOneParagraphcontainjustoneideaortheme,andbeconciseasitcouldbe.这是书信的主体，表达发信人的意见。在信的开头有开头语(OpeningSentences),自成一节，在习惯上是用客套语先将收到对方的来信的日期、编号或查号、主题及简单内容加以综合叙述，使对方一目了然这封信是答复哪一封去信的。如果是第一次通信也可以利用开头语作必要的自我介绍。(9)ComplimentaryClose在信的结尾一般有结尾语(TheclosingSentences),一般用来总结本文所谈的事项，提示对受信人的要求，如希望来函或电报订货、答复询问或作必要的声明等。结束语是一种客套用语,它应与前面的称呼相呼应.结尾语措辞的变化依据情况而定，通常有以下几种：(1)写给单位、团体或不相识的人的信用：Yours(very)truly,(Very)Trulyyours,Yours(very)faithfully,(Very)Faithfullyyours,(2)写给尊长上级的信可用：Yours(very)respectfully，Yours(very)obediently，Yoursgratefully，Yoursappreciatively，(3)写给熟人或朋友的信可用：Yours，Yoursever，Yoursfraternally，Yourscordially，Yoursdevotedly,也可以将Yours放在后面。(4)给亲戚或密友的信可用：Yours，Yoursever，Yoursaffectionately，Yoursdevotedfriend，Lovinglyyours，

Yourslovingson(father，mother，nephew……)，(10)Thesignatureandtyped-outnameSignature:bothwrittenandprinted--bythesender.CharlesSmith(signednameofsender,infullforbusinesslettersnomatterhowfamiliaryouarewiththereceiver)ManagingDirector(position)TheInternationalTradeCo.(nameofthecompany)pp/forOnlythepersonwhocanrepresentthecompanyisabletosignonbehalfofthecompany.Ifthatpersonisnotavailable,thenthepersonwhois

giventheauthoritytosigncansignforthecompany.Inthiscaseyouusepporfor.Example:YoursfaithfullyShirleyJohnsonpp/forEdwardNathanChairman(pp:perpro=onbehalfof)(11)Theenclosure（附件） e.g.

Enclosure/Enc:Pricelist Enclosures/Encs:1.1B/L(billofloading)

2.1Photo

3.1Certificate

(12)Thecopy（抄送）Whencopiesoftheletteraresenttoothers,typemark“CC/cc/copy”belowanyenclosurenotationattheleftmargin.e.g.cc/copy/CC Mr

GordonClarkcc/copy/CC Mr

GordonClark,Accountant

(Mr.GordonClarkisthepersonwhowillreceivethecopiesoftheletter)bcc–blindcourtesycopy--copynotationisspecifiedonthecopyonly蒙蔽礼仪拷贝,作为礼貌给予第三者的档案拷贝(在原收件人不知道的情况下),E.g.bcc MrGordonClark bcc MrGordonClark,

AccountantShouldbeinthecopy,notinfrontoftheletterThisfieldisforthenamesofanyonethatneedsacopyofyoure-mailwithouttheotherpeople(inthe"To..."and"Cc..."fields)knowingaboutit.(13)ThepostscriptE.g.P.SIwillseeyouattheAnnualSalesMeetingonOctober16.P.S.Thereisapotentialmarkethereforyournewproducts.Itshouldbeplacedatleasttwolinesbelowanyothernotationsandflushedwiththeleftmargin.(14)Thecontinuationsheet(s)Type1:PrintedcontinuationsheetsType2:Plainwhitepaperofthesamequalityastheletterheadedpaper.Atthetopofthecontinuationsheet:Pagenumber(Reference)DateRecipient’snameTips:没必要在上一页页脚做标注。续页纸至少包括三至四行内容和结尾部分。尽量在新的一页开始新段落。Continuationsheet2LL/ST19July,2010MissKatieHarfordHillPleasesignandreturnonecopyofeachofthesedocumentsandkeeptheduplicatecopiesforyourreference.Youwillbeexceptedtoattendaninductioncourseonyourfirstdayatthecompany.Ilookforwardtomeetingyouagainandhopethatyouwillbeveryhappyinyournewpost.YourssincerelyLeonardLeightonPersonnelDirectorEncsxxxxxxCopyLizWalker,TrainingManager2.PresentationofBusinessLettersCommonlayouts—Fullblockform;indentedform;mixedform.OpenpunctuationDefinition–P33Thedesignofthepage—well-balanceduselinespaceFontsizeFull-blockedletterstyle（完全平头式）Thefull-blockedlayoutstylehasnoindentation.Everythingisrangedleft.Thereisnopunctuationintheaddressandafterthesalutationandthecomplimentaryclose.Usesinglespacewithintheparagraph.Usedoublespacesbetweenparagraphs.Thisstyleiswidelyusedtodaybecauseitiseasytotypeandthereforeefficient.Full-blocked: TheEasternSeaboardCorp350ParkAvenueNewYork10017Tel:2252780Fax:……April122001Chinanationalimport&exportcorpShanghaiChinaDearsirs

Re:newpricelistThankyouforyourletterofthe2ndofthismonth………SincerelyyoursTheEasternSeaboardCorpJamesParrintonVicepresidentModifiedBlockStyle

(改良平头式）Inthisstyle,thedateandtheclosingareontheright.Allotherpartsareplacedflushwiththeleftmargin,andparagraphsmayormaynotbeindented.LETTERHEAD__________(date)_______________(insideaddress)________________(salutation)________________(subjectline)———————————————————————————————————(body)(complimentaryclose)______________(signature)————————————————————————————————————————(enclosureandp.s.)IndentedletterstyleAtraditionalBritishpractice.Theheadingisusuallyinthemiddleandthedateontheright-handside.Thecomplimentaryclosemaybeinthecenter.Ittakes4-5lettersinthefirstlineofeachparagraphinthebodyoftheletter.LETTERHEAD__________(date)___________________(insideaddress)________________(salutation)________________(subjectline)——————————————————___________________________(body)(complimentaryclose)________________(signature)___________________________________________________________________________(enclosureandp.s.)Howtoaddressanenvelope?

YourfullnameYouraddress

Ful