- •Introduction
- •Unit 1 First impressions count!
- •Think quality
- •Paper quality
- •Paper size
- •Headed notepaper
- •Continuation sheets
- •Setting out your letter
- •Sender’s address / outside address
- •Inside address / receiver’s address / recipient’s address
- •Surname known
- •Job title known
- •Department known
- •Company known
- •Order of inside address
- •Attention line / ‘for the attention of’ line
- •Salutation / opening greeting
- •Body of thr letter
- •Complimentary close / complimentary ending
- •Signature
- •Sender’s name
- •Sender’s office or department
- •Type of company
- •Mary Raynor
- •Board of directors
- •Address
- •Registered number
- •Per pro
- •References / reference code
- •Job title
- •Enclosures
- •Despatch method
- •Private and confidential / classification line
- •Subject title / subject line
- •Copies / copies line
- •Postscripts
- •Common letter layouts
- •Fully blocked layout
- •John Smith
- •Semi-blocked layout
- •17Th May 2000
- •Quotation for extension at 42 Botlcy Close
- •John Smith
- •Fully indented layout
- •Quotation for extension at 42 Botley Close
- •John Smith
- •A few words about envelopes
- •Addressing envelopes
- •Kettering
- •Sender’s address addresses on the envelopes
- •Abbreviated forms on the envelope
- •Writing well length
- •Too long
- •Too short
- •The right length
- •Order and sequence
- •Unclear sequence
- •Clear sequence
- •Planning
- •First paragraph (introductory paragraph)
- •Courtesy
- •Idioms and colloquial language
- •Clarity
- •Abbreviations and initials
- •Numbers
- •Prepositions
- •Words to avoid foreign words
- •Ambiguous words
- •Vogue words
- •Titles, names and addresses
- •Unit 2 types of organizations
- •Organisational structure and communication
- •The purpose of organisation charts
- •Relationships in a business organisation
- •Rayco ltd
- •Unit 3 enquiry letters
- •Figure 19
- •Figure 21 Quotation of terms
- •Unit 5 follow-up and sales letters
- •Figure 23
- •Figure 24
- •Figure 25
- •Unit 6 orders and execution of orders
- •Figure 27 Order
- •Figure 28
- •Marking
- •Specimens of marks
- •Kent, clarke & co. Ltd
- •Figure 33 Advice of shipment to importer
- •Unit 8 letters of complaints
- •Unit 9 replies to complaints
- •Unit 10 overseas payments
- •Invoice
- •Figure 45
- •Bank draft
- •Bank transfer
- •Bill of exchange
- •Introductory paragraph (sender’s) address
- •Into English:
- •Hierarchy
- •Organization chart Rossomon plc
- •John sutton
- •Linda Gabbiadini
- •Padryg Burne
- •Unit 3 enquiry letters language practice
- •Unit 4 replies to enquiries language practice
- •Paper Products plc
- •16 Rushthorne Way, Bolton, Lancashire bl63 6sg
- •Unit 5 follow-up letters language practice
- •In stock out of stock under separate cover
- •Into effect (come into effect)
- •Unit 6 orders and execution of orders language practice
- •Inconvenience reference terms
- •In touch with in (your/our) favour of assistance
- •Unit 7 packing and despatch language practice
- •Packing
- •Goods and transport
- •International trade finance documents
- •In our/your own interest in due course on the way
- •In transit on arrival to the letter
- •Unit 8 letters of complaint language practice
- •In good time with the exception of on schedule
- •Issue passed reply
- •Unit 9 replies to complaints language practice
- •In advance up-to-date
- •Unit 10 overseas payments language practice
- •Talking about letters of credit
- •Importer
- •Importer’s bank
- •Barklays
- •Dispatch V., n.(dispatch method)
- •Receiver’s address
- •Recipient’s address
- •Unit 2
- •Unit 3
- •Unit 4
- •Unit 5
- •Unit 6
- •Unit 7
- •Unit 8
- •Unit 9
- •Unit 10
- •Post Office Giro (International Post Office Giro)
- •Postal order
- •Promissory note (p-note)
Copies / copies line
When copies are sent to people other than the named recipient, c.c. (casbon copy) is added, usually at the end of a letter, before the name/s of the recipient/s of the copies.
If a letter is written to a certain person but is sent for information to others, it is helpful to all concerned to indicate who has been sent copies by using wording such as:
Copies to Mr J Edwards, Mrs R Richards
The copy for each individual can be marked by a tick against the name to save any confusion when sending the letters out.
Sometimes the abbreviation ‘cc’ is used in place of ‘copies to’, though in fact this relates to rather outdated technology; ‘cc’ stands for ‘carbon copies’ from the days when carbon paper was used to produce copies of typed letters.
Similarly, you may see ‘bcc’ on some letters. Use this if you do not want the recipient to know who has received copies: ‘bcc’ stands for ‘blind carbon copies’ – information hidden from the main recipient but shown on the copies. For example, ‘bcc Mr J Edwards’ would appear on Mr Edwards’ copy of the letter, but not the copy sent to the addressee.
These abbreviations are used in email, and mean exactly the same thing.
Postscripts
Try to avoid postscripts in letters. If your letter has been well planned as suggested in the next chapter, last-minute thoughts and additions should be unnecessary.
Common letter layouts
There are three main layouts used in business letters; fully blocked, semi-blocked and fully indented. Nowadays, the majority of business letters and most other typed or word-processed letters are in blocked style. The indented style is a more traditional format and is now rarely used for business letters. However, some people still prefer the indented style for both formal and informal letters, especially those that are handwritten. We will look at them in order of popularity and formality.
Fully blocked layout
This layout has been heavily influenced by American and European usage and therefore is ideal for international communications. ‘Fully blocked’ means that paragraphs are not indented and a double line space is put between each paragraph. Everything – even the signature block – is ranged to the left-hand side of the page.
The example also has what is known as an ‘open punctuation’ style; basically, it uses minimal punctuation. No punctuation is used outside the main text of the letter unless essential for sense (for example, if the town and county names in an address are put on the same line they should be separated by a comma or two spaces). Dates are shown without -st or -th endings, and no full stops are used in abbreviations, contractions or acronyms (for example, Mr Jones, NATO. BSc or MP).
Figure 5