Quot;Golden Rules" for Writing Business Letters

1. Give your letter a heading if it helps the reader to see at a glance what you are writing about.

2. Decide what you are going to say before you start to write.

3. Use short sentences.

4. Put each separate idea in a separate paragraph.

5. Use short words that everyone can understand.

6. Think about your reader. Your reader ...

... must be able to see exactly what you mean: your letters should be CLEAR;

... must be given all necessary information: your letters should be COMPLETE;

... is a busy person with no time to waste: your letters should be CONCISE;

... must be addressed to in a polite tone: your letters should be COURTEOUS;

... may get a bad impression if there are mistakes in grammar: your letters should be CORRECT.

Seven Steps in Planning a Business Letter

1. Write down your aim: Why are you writing this letter?

2. Assemble all the relevant information and documents.

3. Arrange the points in order of importance. Make rough notes.

4. Write an outline and check it through, considering these questions:

- Have you left any important points out?

- Can the order of presentation be made clear?

- Have you included anything that is not relevant?

5. Write a first draft, leaving space for additions and changes.

6. Revise your first draft by considering these questions:

Information:

- Does it cover all the essential points?

- Is it correct, relevant and complete?

English:

- Are the grammar, spelling and punctuation correct?

Style:

- Does it look attractive?

- Does it sound natural and sincere?

- Is it the kind of letter you would like to receive yourself?

- Is it clear, concise and courteous?

- Will it give the right impression?

7. Write, type or dictate your final version.

2. Look through the structure of a business letter

Structure of the Letter

1. Sender's address / Date.

2. Inside address (receiver's address).

3. Attention line.

4. Salutation.

5. Body of the letter.

6. Complimentary close.

7. Signature.

3. Analyze the following letter according to its structural points.

	GIMBEL& CO Ltd 21 High Street, Blackheath, London SE3B 5HY Tel: 01-564-8843 7th May 2002	The address of the firm sending the letter (the letterhead) is often printed on the paper The date
	M.Lawson Esq, Manager, Filbury & Johns, 20 Shaftsbury Avenue, London W1A 4WW	The name, position, firm and address of the addressee
	Ourref: DM/SK   Dear Mr Lawson,	The reference (the initials of the person writing the letter and the person who types it)
	Thank you for your letter of 4th May enquiring about our range of office equipment.	The first paragraph says why you are writing
	I enclose an up-to-date price list and our latest catalogue which I hope includes something of interest to you. You will notice that we offer very favourable terms of payment.	The second paragraph says what you want or what you are doing (the real reason for writing the letter)
	I look forward to hearing from you again.	The final paragraph is a polite ending
	Yours sincerely	You write 'Yours sincerely", if you know the name of the addressee and 'Yours faithfully" if you don't
	David Eipley Sales Manager	The signature The person writing the letter His position in the firm
	Encs	Here the enclosures are the catalogue and price list

4. Use the given phrases in the business letter of your own.

Opening Phrases:

• Dear Madam - Шановна пані

• Dear Sir - Шановний добродію

• Dear Mister Malforn - Шановний пане Малфорн

• Dear Sirs - Шановні панове

• We have received your letter of... - Ми отримали Вашого листа від ...

• We thank you for your letter of... - Дякуємо за лист від ...

• We have the pleasure to inform you - Ми раді повідомити Вас

• In reply to your letter of… - У відповідь на ваш лист від...

• To inform you… - Повідомляємо вас…

• We apologize for the delay - Просимо пробачення за затримку з

in answering your letter. відповіддю на ваш лист.

Linking Phrases:

• There is no doubt that… - Безперечно…

• It is necessary to note… - Необхідно відзначити, що…

• We'd like to draw your attention to the fact... - Звертаємо вашу увагу на той факт...

• Considering the above said… - Беручи до уваги сказане…

• In this connection… - У цьому зв 'язку…

• In connection with your request… - У зв'язку з вашим проханням…

• Otherwise we shall have… - У противному разі ми будемо

змушені…

• As regards your request… - Щодо вашого прохання…

• Up till now we have received no reply. - Дотепер ми не отримали відповіді.

• In case of delay… - У випадку затримки…

• In case of your refusal… - У випадку вашої відмови…

• In case you fail to make payments… - У випадку несплати…

Closing Phrases:

• We are looking forward to receiving your - Чекаємо вашої згоди/схвалення/

consent/approval/confirmation. підтвердження.

• Your prompt execution of our order would - Будемо вам вдячні за швидке

be appreciated. виконання нашого замовлення.

.• We wish to maintain cooperation with you. - Сподіваємося підтримувати

співробітництво.

• Your early reply will be appreciated. - Будемо вам вдячні за швидку

відповідь.

• We are looking forward to hearing from you. - Сподіваємося отримати від Вас

відповідь найближчим часом.

• If we can be of any assistance, please do not - Просимо звертатися до нас, якщо ви

hesitate to contact us. потребуєте допомоги.

• Yours faithfully/ sincerely - З повагою

5. Read and discuss the structure of the following letter according to the given statements and rules.

D. Clark, Sales Manager, Priston & Co Ltd, 28 Kolas Court, North Middletown, NJ 07734 USA 5th March 2001 Our ref: MP/NK   Dear Mr. Clark, Thank you for your offer of 3rd March. We are favourably impressed by the quality of your commodity, but feel that the price is rather high. The prices quoted by other suppliers are, on the average, 10% lower. However, in view of the high quality of your commodity, we are ready to make a deal with you if you re-examine your prices. If you reduce your price by 5% we will place an order for some 10.000 items. We trust that in view of the size of the order you will see your way of making this concession. Your early reply will be appreciated. Yours sincerely,   Mike Parson Sales Manager

6. Answer the questions.

1. Who is sending the letter?

2. Who is receiving it?

3. What is the opening phrase?

4. The company is ready to purchase the commodity, isn't it?

5. What is its requirement?

6. What quantity is it ready to buy?

7. Do you think it is worth to make this concession?

8. What is the closing phrase?

7. Translate into English.

1. Ми отримали вашого листа від 13 вересня 2002. 2. Дякуємо за лист-зoбов’язання від 1 березня. 3. Я надсилаю вам цей лист з проханням надіслати каталог вашої продукції. 4. Ми готові співпрацювати з вами. 5. Ми хочемо закупити таку продукцію. 6. Компанія має виключне право на виготовлення цих товарів.

8. Analyze the structure and the content of the enquiry letter as one of the business letter samples.

Topical words:

clothing	одяг
catalogue (Am. catalog)	каталог
suitable	підходящий
quotation	пропозиція, розцінки
to require	вимагати
supply	поставка
to supply	поставляти
payment	платіж
Letter of Credit (L/C)	акредитив
early reply	швидка відповідь
quantity	кількість
HOWARD & PRATT Ladies' Clothing 306,3d Avenue Chicago, Ill 60602 USA Oct. 21, 2000   JACKSON & MILES 118 Regent Street London WIC 37D UK Gentlemen: We saw a collection of women's dresses in your October catalogue. The lines you showed would be most suitable for our market. Would you kindly send us your quotation for clothing that you could supply to us by the end of November? We would require 1,000 dresses in each of the sizes 10-14, and 500 in sizes 8 and 16. We propose the payment made by Letter of Credit. Thank you for an early reply. Very truly yours   P. PRATT, Jr (P.Pratt) Buyers

9. Answer the questions:

1. What do the Buyers ask for in their enquiry letter?

2. What quantities of goods do they require?

3. What terms of payment do the Buyers propose?

10. Fill in the missing pronouns: somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody, anything, something, nothing, everything

1. The question is not difficult and … can answer it. 2. … called yesterday but he left no message. 3. Can … help me? 4. It is too late. I think there is … in the office now. 5. There is … interesting in this letter. 6. Is there ... here who knows English? 7. You must find … who can offer it to you. 8. … knew the time of briefing. 9. Please, write to us if you want to order … else. 10. There is … in the office. I don’t know him. 11. Please, tell us … about your obligations. 12. Is there … you want to offer me? 13. We have … new in our catalogue. 14. There is … interesting in this offer.

11. Study new business proverbs:

§ A man is known by the company he keeps.

§ Failing to plan is planning to fail.

§ From those to whom much is given, much is expected.

§ If ifs and ands were pots and pans there’d be no work for tinkers.

§ Money can’t buy everything, but everything needs money.

§ Never let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.

§ Not until just before dawn do people sleep best; not until people get old do they become wise.

Практичне заняття 6

Тема: Види ділових листів.

Питання:

1. What types of business letter do you know?

2. What letters of two types are often used?

3. What is the main aim of an offer?

4. What information do the offers usually include?

5. What are the types of the quotation?

6. What phrases do usually open a free offer?

7. How do a free and a firm offers differ from each other?

Завдання:

1. Підготувати доповідь на тему: «Основні види ділових листів».

2. Скласти 2 зразки ділового листа.

Список літератури:

1. Агабекян И. П. Деловой английский. English for business. Серия «Высшее образование». – Ростов н/Д: «Феникс», 2004. – 320 с.

2. Богацкий И. С., Дюканова Н. М. Бизнес-курс английского языка. Словарь-справочник. Под общей ред. Богацкого И.С. – 5-е изд., испр. – Киев: ООО «ИП Логос», 2004. – 352 с.: ил. (Серия «Вас ждет упех!»).

3. Буданов С. І., Борисова А. О. Business English. Ділова англійська мова. 2-ге вид. – Харків: ТОРСІНГ ПЛЮС, 2006. – 128 с.

4. Дарская В. Г., Журавченко К. В., Лясецкая Л. А., Памухина Л. Г., Чопрова Е. Г., Шах-Назарова В. С., Шелкова Т. Г. Новый деловой английский. New English for Business. - М.: Вече, 2005. – 672 с.

5. Хачатурова М. Ф. Английский язык для деловых контактов. – К.: Аконит, 2002. – 335 с.

1. Read and translate the texts with the help of topical words.

Topical words

firm offer	тверда пропозиція
are pleased	раді
regarding	що стосується
with regard to	відносно
size	розмір
to require	вимагати
nearly	майже
quantity	кількість
obtainable	який може бути отриманий
subject to	за умови, що...
to deliver	поставляти
to receive	отримувати
to prefer	надавати перевагу
air freight	перевезення повітряним шляхом
kind	рід, вид, сорт
shipment	відвантаження
to charge	назначати ціну
cost	вартість, витрати
extra at cost	за додаткову сплату