On a separate sheet of paper (A4) type a business letter using this model

Letterhead Company Name (and logo)AddressPhone/Fax numberE-mail (optional) (2 blank lines after letterhead) Current date The date may be written as month-day-year (US style) or day-month-year (UK style). (4 blank lines) Mr. /Ms. Name of person you are writing, title Company nameThe inside address includes the recipient's name, title, company, and full address. Address City, Zip Country (use only if writing to another country) (2 blank lines) (Salutation) Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name: or… Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name, The salutation is a greeting to the recipient. If you don’t know the name of the individual, address it to the individual’s title in the company or "Dear Sir/Madam". (1 blank line if there is a subject; 2 blank lines if there is no subject) Subject Line (Optional): Title of subject Indicates the subject or purpose of the letter. It may be also placed before the salutation. (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 1: Explain who you are and why you are writing this letter.................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................................... (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 2: Use facts, details and experiences to support your opinion or request.............................................. ........................................................................................................................................................... (1 blank line) Body Paragraph 3: Tell the reader what you want him to do or what you will do for him................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................... (1 blank line) Short sentence: End your letter by saying something courteous to your reader. (2 blank lines) Sincerely, or... Sincerely yours, Capitalize only the first word in the complimentary close, and follow the phrase with a comma. (3/4 blank lines) Your handwritten signature

Self-Assessment Test

Are the following statements True or False?

T	F
		1. With block format, all new paragraphs are indented.
		2. In business letters a salutation is generally followed by a comma or a colon.
		3. Business letters should be simple and easy to read.
		4. It is advisable to wait a day between writing and sending an important letter.
		5. The date on a business letter should appear after the salutation.
		6. An "Enclosure" note should appear below the typed name of the sender at the end of the letter.
		7. The first paragraph of a business letter should be comprised entirely of "small talk".
		8. Contact information generally appears in the closing paragraph of the letter.
		9. Identifying the audience is one of the first steps in planning a business letter.
		10. It is considered standard formatting to include the recipient's address before the salutation in a business letter.

Lesson 2. Making a deal

Warm up

I. Match two parts of the sentences.

Business writing tips

1. Before writing the letter,	your main cause in the first paragraph.
2. Type the letter using a word processor.	letterhead for a professional appearance. If you don't have preprinted letterhead, type your name, title and return address. You may also include your telephone and email address. Don't forget to type the date.
3. Get to the point early. You should state	even if the subject matter is stern and sensitive. Avoid informal language but do not use old-fashioned or over-formal language.
4. A business letter should be typed on	you must determine your purpose and audience.
5. Always try to be civil and friendly	and grammar are letter-perfect.
6. Make certain your punctuation, spelling	it may be wise to avoid humour. A direct, conservative style works best.
7. From a business etiquette perspective	Formal letters should not be written by hand.

II. Business Letter Vocabulary Quiz

1) Before you seal and send your letter, make sure to …. it.

a) punctuation b) proofread c) sensitive d) transition

2) As soon as your certified letter reaches the ….. you will be notified.

a) recipient b) margin c) logo d) salutation

3) Choose ….. if you want to put the date and closing in the center of the page.

a) justified b) modified block format c) block format d) spelling

4) Set off the list of "Do's and Don'ts" by using ….

a) body b) letterhead c) bullets d) formal

5) The envelope indicated that there was ….. , but in fact there was only a letter inside.

a) an enclosure b) a sender c) a salutation d) an indent

6) The ….. of the first paragraph was optimistic, so I wasn't expecting the bad news in the middle.

a) tone b) active voice c) direct mail d) punctuation

7) I decided not to interview her, because her cover letter contained very poor ….. .

a) notation b) block format c) single spacing d) grammar

8) The ….. about the meeting was posted on the bulletin board for everyone to read.

a) memo b) heading c) sender d) junk mail

9) Our address and phone number are shown on our ….. .

a) letterhead b) snail mail c) postage d) salutation

10) In block text format, you do not …… each paragraph.

a) indent b) transit c) punctuation d) margin

(Answers: 1) b 2) a 3) b 4) c 5) a 6) a 7) d 8) a 9) a 10) a )

Step 1 “Enquiry”

I. What do you think an inquiry is? Choose the items, which in your opinion could be the purposes of writing an inquiry:

· to get detailed information about the goods

· to find out the availability of goods

· to define delivery dates

· to get information about terms and discounts, method of transportation and insurance

· to ask for information about prices of goods

· to ask for catalogues and samples of goods

II. Read the letter.

Date Name/Title Business/Organization Address City, Zip Code   Dear Name:   When we attended the International Electronics Trade Fair in London last month, we visited your stand and saw a very interesting demonstration of your automatic high-security garage doors. The ability to drive straight in and out of your garage from the comfort of your car, as well as your em­phasis on theft protection, appealed to us. We believe that there is a ready market for this in the United States.   Our company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the international Zetax Corporation, well-known in the security and theft prevention industry.   Would you please send us your current sales literature and price list? Of course, we will be glad to provide the usual credit and trade references if we decide to order from your company.   We look forward to your reply.   Sincerely yours, Signature Name

Put the parts of an inquiry-letter in the order to get its correct structure:

- the essence of the question

- short information about your company

- reference to the source of information about this company and its goods

- expressing hope for the future co-operation

1) ___

2) ___

3) ___

4) ___

III. Read the useful phrases for an inquiry-letter, translate them and think what part of a letter they could be used in:

• If your prices are competitive (the samples meet the standards, your equipment complies with our requirements, etc.) we may be able to let you have regular orders.
• We look forward to your early reply.
• Your prompt answer would be appreciated.
• We read your advertisement in …
• With regard to your advertisement in … of …, we would ask you …
• We have heard of your products from …

· We have seen your current catalogue showing …