Module Z

Business correspondence

3.1of lei

Format and composition

Corropimrii'HiT forms o I wish: elornum of all busings communication Although letters are slower tlinti t)i< ii lephone and other electronic apparatus *1 • « means of communicating, they arc relatively rlui.ip. are in printed format which unnblt the message to ho retained in a films >>><• 11 ,or future reference sophisticated equipment U iot required to produce and transmit them arid they cun bo independent of reading or tiansnnssion devices. Nevertheless, letters arc ln< re a singly subject to modern technolog) which is making their formatinn andtransmission needier

Some busmt letter . may le inform al, sim ilarlo personal letter^ "i.-n to someone you know well. B u t i . ' t i. ily. business letters tend tn bo formal lolii.v.iug ;tn accepted stylo and format.

It Is import!!ru for those involved in the formation of business correspondence to be ndept at compiling letters lor two reasons.Rrstls. the content of the letter must be clear and unambiguous for the message to bo dearly understood Secondly, the quality and form at of a business letter make an important impression on the person who receives It A well-worded letter, followinga recognised, accepted format, is more impressive than one that is poorly worded and unconventional. More detailed examination of letter format and composition is given later in tliis chapter.

The parts of a business letter

Letter headings

Most business letters have a printed letter heading or letterhead The heading is intended not only to give important information about the

Urm. but also to reflect the individuality of the business. The letter heading ami return nddres- will aim tn include some unique features to thf company logoi, but it w ill most rortainly contain most of the following

• name of the companylegal status. e.g partnership, private orpublic limited companyaddress

» telephone and fax numbers. Including dialling code

• e-mail address• names of directors (where applicable)• your ref for reference number of

addressee• our ref for reference number of

addresser,

\ii I'XEimpW >f a letter heading is shown inv. . tiy businesses include their letter

headn O' their computer software so that it is an Inatii illy incorporated into their letters as they are created. This saves them the costs Involved in printing headed paper.

kefeiencc numbers(Inference numbers are useful >n helping to identify a particular letter u a filing systen or computer lile. A It tte.r may show the reference number of the firm that is sending the letter. It m a, also contain the reference number of tin- • mipany to whon the letter is being sent

There are many methods of arranging reference numbers. A t\ picul system will include the initials of ilie originator of the letter (e.g. the manager), and the initials of the person who has keyed the letter, followed by the letter number Sometimes the reference w ill include the name (or abbreviation) of a particular department from which the letter has

Module 2 Communication

A A 1vk ! 1 A llA KO W 'A RE CYJM I'AN^ I IMITEt>

•M .* U V J %nn VV^no- am*

txampieclettr hfjdlnq.

b i « l sent F o r example. ATW /G C . ATW/liC/12. CI.AlMSTiC 12.

OateTin- ti. ,sn is tin* date the letter is sent, i.e20 lime 2007.

»ss of addresseev ui.f" %s,h* iv the person to whom the letter is

I •■ " All lines should begin at the margin-Mr» A < Mlivierre Blue Waters roint Salines St Goorge’s Grenada

sitlutiition Is tin* opening words of greeting a Inch h- ;;in tin letter. For example, Dear Strs.I • Mudiini. D* ar Ms Jones. Dear John.

h tad iia

i topic of tin* Viter ran be used as a ri. i Iimj* immediately below the salutation

I h^ i- I tin* person receiving the letter what it Is about a i a glance;

Dear Sirs

O JJirf Adm inistration I rontirmtion

- 1 ■•\-s tho various parts of a business letlor It i-. tii- body of tin- lellet that requires

the skill of composition by r*on w nunnthe letter, and it is this skill H i* many people find difficult to acquire Yet l ■. ! '.lowing simple rules effective lein is relau\fKstraightforward

One of the basic rules of w it mg a «ood business letter is to be very v and precis* ,'ibmit jh.' message it »** me ■ • convex \ good habit is to begin by Jus; sting b r ie f ly fc ic .il <*rder. tin points th ■ j.ur. .j jjj!In made and then \\ritt tin ' • r around th listed points.

It can be useful to initially draft the outline of the letter in rough. For first draft the wording can be kept very basic and simple, in normal everyday language. Subsequent drafts can be used to make the wording more precise and correct. At this stage a dictionary and a thesaurus are useful tools to assist the writer As you became more adept at composing letter* you will find loss need for initial drafts.

When composing letters It is often belter to assume that the render is not too familiar with the subject of the letter This encourages y ou to be more precise and careful in your choice of wording.

It may be useful to divide the body of the letter into three parts to assist composition.

l Introduction this paragraph may refer to any previous correspondence and states briefly the reason why the current letter is being written

J Business cow ipon ritncc

A K H l.A H A R D W A R I C O M P A N Y ! IM 4 f |>

Akcl4 Muwe. Tuilo*1 Sirci' Hrtdptfoan. B*uWim I f U r W ' 1M 2J4S0 f c l t i ' 2J» 2 * ‘56»

o-mojJ iLelu- ». wiifi'jc«j Dircctorv Dav»J Yuudr (Managingi. Pctrr Lo?ik \nn Vtok©

>W fief

12 hm» ;i*>

■ f- v

npufr-nL--,»

■<ft ’ lUc M*«. iiiDj 1 I} I U - M • *--»

O' •

-Or«t-r»- ■ V»# i- . 1 -rfiUA54 £Uh> limt tu 7

• i#.-_=aj r»* utct - ifc »oii< ..J «4 i > t a c f K > ) t * r a n e t m i a * . < a r » w i f z u f « * < ; .

Ooemobn la« iK t f a in r w r ■ kail a IW Hi *

Tlii« mA i

t1rr.ni t» ”»tliel* nimijW

Tatuit-

naiory.jtfHy, —

Tin .nan t*x thr Ujk .j rt * M M tf i* m~ 1 bul map *c tt^su Oul oat•qKT'-r-Jlltfirt could brrrf till w .. t > >-fcr * «l«SlAUaia'

'Vvnm im Hi>nlilUid>.M famf*™ LmiiM

Aasjres-

“I W d /twdie

■DaivrfYoiii■ n( OUMftal

H-jie If me return Meres s different frorn that of the ieitertieao it tsaoc---- ■« mqc.Example of a typical business letter.

Main points this pan of the letter may consist of many paragraphs These will aim to state dearly and precisely the points this letter wants to make. In a way that will not be misunderstood by the receiver.

Conclusions: this paragraph nifty ‘•um u earlier parts of the letter, but w ill be mainh concerned with suggesting what action (if any) should follow the leiter

Comnllm*' IV inani" rio ting the letter Ithc com plim entary - lose) is determined by the w.v. if letter bogins (the salutation)A f<*r* .ii -it. r requires a formal close, a iv ,iii informal salutation has an informal < "inpllm entary close The most common forms of complimentary close used today art* Yours faithfully’ and 'Yours sincerely' (note the small T

Aii'l • I ii tlii* following manipltlt ol ilii'w

\ i i lulullon

I M-.tr Madnui |V*r Mr idiom l*u r l*Hiir

, nmphntrnlart,

Y«iur4 r.*»u»f»‘HyYi»up» rmihftiUy Yours faithfully Your* mih »'rrl) Vtiuf- siim’rHv

„ iijinc \iynJturc and portion>'«>• deilqftftUw)M any riij»*nu •> !»'• thn ■ oinpnny *. minm

, 41.11.1! ■ hi-low ill.- foni|>linn*nlnry Ho*'I Ins .. f.illnwod by Ihr id#nnnin> or tin*pftHWI

■onsihlv i..r tli.' Ii tn-t M ow ihr s|»m»' l«n i..i f tignnlurt. < an hi* InHudwl ll>" nainr of

. ... Initiator uf ill- kJUi r and tin* position III',li, liol.ls in (lit) company

Vmr> faiLtifVillyM i l IIMIIiVVAHI I n I II)

'D a v id 'If u t t d c

DAVID YUNDI IMuruiwing dircrtnr)

EfldAMl^MW l i n i " i n ' " i i i i r I*, .i-rii w i t h llii* It'll**r. fm

m ip l i* . 11 1 in in- " i ,i liw il lc l . a l N ' i i l im i in

v i i lo i i liy in l i j i i i ; ' t- ii r ' c in o r ' a l i i# ) ' , n i

• ttmn luft hnlti l i o i n et n i i l tc Ir l li -r In s h o w

ilmi m . o milling i>. imrloMni o r auiiKhnd

IhiM- i. ,i vurlnty uf myln.% yf pritsnnialinn or • "I"1 1 " Ii Mill-: O pi'll in ill floM'il |iUUi;lH«lloiJj III-.- t.. il. sfmi lilo(Ki (l and Indimind I hr most I'ominon lnrimit ■ hlockiul. Inn you will (hid It intcri'stliiK lo iuvrsUgatii th iw vnrioim stylos and •mn which you prH'nr

C heck list for le tte rs

• I*, ilin lr»ni»r uomplitiii?• 11 i Ii a lly Hliitn w lia l yon waul lo nay in

,i way tltai will nnl I" r ii..H| |>y tJurvci'lvni ’\r.. tlir r..llowiii^. . . i r i i ' ,j |mnrh ^ t.julilu-ss salutation. t.iiti; vr> rli^.-i 1,1lias tin- li tU'i hi'on si,If iliiiri* ah ' nnv imii Ji- * ilt«f> mdlrjili'il and pn** ni Is llii' niivftlnpc <uldri , rts u,„Insfdi* adilrms"

3.2 Paper am !opes

Tliori' arc (IIITrnml typo ol i , i i-Iu(i-i| i„qnnllly aim! ti'>'- You should , is,. y»,iirv .|fwill) Ihi'in lind iindiM-.lanil 1. 1| <,h«iuli|hi- nsril I I I I I'Kiunplit, llii’i 'i*111 '• mill'lliNind. panhmiml, llinisy. mu i n. and \i |{ jiapi-r (ih i l arhou ri'ipiiri-dl

AO M l K 118V nvn

At

A/

AJ

A*JlOmm

ASato* I4»mm

A7

Thr mo-.l common '.i/rt ol p.ip'1' u*ed ," 1 butlneu cornr.poftdioc« 410 A'. and Af».

C7/A1(Mu> i«fc«

fi-,ufr . ISO eflvtlopet ian KCommod.it* A4 and Af> p4pcr with j minimum of foldl.

Measurement and sizesl'up» r i • rnoiisured in reams \ renin .'iOII •ihcnl.s, irrespective «*t ih»- ii/.e of III*- paper. Both paper and envelopes generally conform to International Standards Organisation (ISO) sl/i . Paper I* standardis'd m wh/it are known International \ sl/rs AO. AI AZ A t A4 AS. A6. A7. AO Is the Inrjpist *«I/,#r ;irid A7 tin- smallest AI is half the a/'1 of AO and A2 ih half the si/* of Al and so

on (sue I I Ih most I'liiniiiiiti *l/es ofpnper used fin hiisitmss rorrrspondwire arc A l and AS, and the choir.it hntwimn thev will depend on how much information the Inttr-r contains

I hen lire aJso ISO envelope *l/e>. that ar»- .inted to partir ular ••!/<■■. of paper I In sr airninmodnt*- paper with a minimum of folds, keeping Un­completed letter neat Hi* are shown IIINfurr 3 A.

I l u v n u nwmpondcfic*

VMMT»iw» itjtnid miiiiupn

hKk*

A4

Ci

71

C3

hild«d twk*

C6

hjkJrd twKt .net

C5V6

fottcotwceC7/6

• iu '? ISO envelope can accommodate AA and Ab papci with a minimum of

Measurement and sizesPaper is measured in reams, A ream contains S<Hi sheets. irrespective of the .size «*f th* paper Both paper anti envelopes generally conform to International Standards Organisation tISO) sizes Paper is standardis»Ml m v.hat nr* known as international \ sizes AO. A l. \2 . A3. A4. A5. A6. A7. AO is tin- largest size and A7 the smallest A I is half tin -ii/e of AO and A2 is half the size of Al and so

r»n I see I The. most common siz*s ofpaper used fur business correspondence are A4 and and the choice between these will depend on how much information the letter contains.

There arc also ISO envelope sizes that are suited to particular sizes of papa* Huttt MCOinflKMtetft paper with a minimum of folds, keeping Un­completed letter rieat These *n shown in

Module 2 Communication

I Ih» niirtl i iiinliHinly uwkI ?>!/<*» of fflivnlol*’* w * 5

Hr* 17 («an * 25 cm (15 I <» 2 o.in x 22,'* cmHi 11 rm * M an

i of envelope address1/ . ii "riM /opi’ is incorrectly nddrossed rids can fnu.se (IiiIjiv mid inconvenience A correct (iii.st/il .vHress I'nuhl ciinsist of the following

M s D vkiiim M urrayWindchlmcs5th Avenue Amity l.odgeKendezvnusflh rU l church

Name of addressee Name of house Name of street Locality Parish

In many cnuiitn.-s n postcode or zip code Is usrd This Is n summary of an address that is readily convened inio machine-readable language which enables mail in be electronically sorted ll usually rnfiNivLs * if ii group of letters and numbers which form the last |jart> of an address The postCndr assists in the auUimatir sorting of mail

Standardised letters

An alternative Mild more n. I I<i|H'ratinx this sy*I,,|n *'•,Ht(.n by drawing sund.n.l icomputer t " ' " '1and drawing names and «■! > (|nln|,asn input 111*' Innldt' totter

ii< thitfl ill ntwiurrj “ jdiH from M tudord I. tuT

• from nnuUuT• "O lo the

3.4 Proof-reiAn important aspect of cm 1 isproof-reading. that is. reading ......igh it dr/ifi t.>check f<»r errors or the need fur m mlmetu*If tlw) proof-reading is being doi ... that someone else will incorporate ihe corrections (I.i'. carryout ihr? keying I. there in a numberof standard signs that an- .....I to indicate iln-rhangos that need In bn made in the draft fheso generally consist of a sign placed in the text to show where tin- correction should lie Incorporated, and an Instruction in the margin to show what change is required \ sample r*| the correction signs used frequently is shown in Figure J.5.

.! Mu businesses a considerable volume• •• nrrospondonce *.»*nt out consists ol iw.'ii) ftters (sometimes called form

letters* I his means tlm general content of • ,my letters is similar, and only a small dei'ii. •imque composition Is needed. Fore.\aui|<l> ile same letter (sometimes called a circular' nn-. he required to be sent out ir«T»--if ■/ ii mnJI shot) to all the customers nr s.ili r. p re-n motives of tile firm Under •>u< h rin um >Miic.i s it is unnecessary and H •■conrjmlc tn m ate an individual h'tter In '!*• • rase* it can Ik useful to have a complete

■Mrdi <ed letter formed For example, a .itnpiiuy that is frequently having to urge

clb.-uts to p.i. outstanding Invoices might have standi) -I I- v t - numbered 1.2 and 3,each becoming stronger in the wording used to r.quest }•, >iiiiint Ih< first letter could bo a gentle reminder, the second more insistent and the third threatening legal action.

3.5 Abbreviations used in business

The letters SOS have a special significance recognised throughout the world Similarly, few people will hesitate to interpret the letter* TV or the sign ft. because they are well-known abbreviations

There are many abbreviations that are commonplace in business today and the number grows year by year, so much so that it would be impossible to include more than just a sample of them here Some of the more basic abbreviations used in business are grouped under collective topic heading*, in f iguir t, However, it may be useful for you to create your own extended list of abbreviations and add to it as you discover new examples that art relevant to your studios

J Buimm correspondent#

ln*nu' ion M*rfc in t»Kt

Markinmargin

N o in Invtivu^ion M «r i in Maih in margin

W bS i

104*ur*!*-, •

mu v# uu ivt •mut? ■*•n«»*l |.Y-n» 9

IWrtWQKtf

tUtMKWR Ofmifft y d w n '1»

(9*1 rid « !tVautfi

■» MCrtfrll

m tllW-IIOpi•wtquWHtmiinwrii ' /' tw K lin

»MinordunatMOUnlit

irulnf ifwi»ciif!\' lot- t»l I_!_4

.tndtaf n> • slow up L dc*Iv•0UCJtUr1i*f*«ntMijcirii/v.uidi

■«U0*S nnrdl

HI mo* diftnge10 up*'

uMlei i.na»ar'j<rtvi to tc irl = =

ornl/ot uv»

(cm )li-Krt m«ce beiMwto mnh

trrurrftV wank1 unintwJ

— »Q'lTlIt* (it ip»f» !tl be

wt m o'itMriQet*bolflrypc

muler cfSKWIKftl to It «»l O(di*ng*0 v w w w

tt.nl omtm piflb J T - Z _ r - [_

wuM*

©

ch.inge upt to fcliW'CJtr

fflOrdr Chaixtmiii »o bnnamj^d

nm on mo nr* fMOgroiilU

Of irt#

ujbwtuttot insert full Map otifcclfrvrf po<nt

Ahrougn^clUMcxm O

irafopow (change 1—T~1Ihcwdei e#! b«twwt*ct»fiid«n i_j—|dwnctvn or Vrtjfdl 01 rtonjl

0< w

Figure 3.S Some of the most frequently used correction signs.

3.6 Reference sources

There are u varloly of reference sources that are published and readily available for use by office workers, frequently tn book form Some of these are mentioned at appropriate places in this book; for example, earlier m this chapter we mentioned the tieed to refer to a dictionary arid a thesaurus when composing letters, and reference to telephone directories w ill be found in Chapter 6 on telecommunication It would be impossible tu include all of the possible sources of information, hut a summary of the main references is given here

Spelling and usage

Dictionaries

A good dictionary goes beyond provision of guides to spelling and definitions. Il also

provides pronunciations and notes and guidance on points of grammar, syntax and idiom

Thesaurus

A thesaurus contains a collection of words far more comprehensive than a dictionary The words are arranged in groups according to their meaning A word is looked up in the index at the back of the book where it is accompanied by a number The number directs the user to oilier places in the book whore ihe word can be found, with a lisl or words of similar meaning

Communication references

Telephone directoriesTelephone numbers are listed In alphabetical order for business subscribers and those private subscribers who choose to be listed Subscribers

o t i t n u i

r c

m% cr> o b x p r h u n d r e d

a m dtoyroany• to ttn v n

n e i K W l

t t f o r m m p *

w '-JU astit)trmtm

r * -> r a r t t . c u r r e n t i r o n t f l

■'rnrea H a b iU ry

| r o * m o r u m o n i n d u m

j t - a m . . m , y t*

i wC u P i r : : t i r 4 e d < O T 'W n > '

t f t x v v x u j

v o u f - w l a y u n f t

T O A D I H O

a . i a 1 ' s i > a o n as p o H l b l e

c f : .v . a n e f r u ^ t

d . t r a t t, h s u i * - K « a r o ' i s i g f x

C O O a c i s n o e i w B r y

C V 10 t * » n w r o i o r e o r

e a o f e c r c o a i x ) o m i i a t o r a e u n r p t e d

e » - « o r i s p r ie s a t s e l l e r ’s p re m ia * *

f io . o f n j e o r . 3 0 iF 0 ( s n i p )

f r e e o f c h a r g e

f r w o n n i l

V4>- p a g e i . ( c n p e f t a i f cf)P A p a n e p o s t

• C C O O K T S

» / < a x o u r c

0 ’S c a r r i e d c< iM b e ia m e #n / t f c - o j t f r t « w m

t W g j j h ? r e r v n f t l

c i r r t e r i f o r w a r d

0 c ' e c i t c f

O t . C M t O T

Some abbreviations commonly used in • What ot hers can you discover?

ui choose not to bo listed in thi> directory, in which case thnlr telephone numbers are

.1 : l»i ex-directory or unlisted and ran only nr obtained from tin* subscriber Many telephone dirttt tories contain separate listings for liu .mi sm's (and display entriesj. and sunn* countries operate special business directories printed on yellow paper and referred to as Yellow Pages telephone directories are dealt with in Chaptei <■ m telecommunication.

Internet

The Internet Ii is Oucome th- biggest and most rmnpreheri'ilve referenre sonrcu avadable in

modern tunes The rapid *c. .Hows to ihrnKist enormous range of infoi ’ i and datahas made it the most widely u; r. f«nmce in,he world, and the rang-* o t. .itmn that canbe accessed through it »pp« • itless.

Schedules\ schedule is a plan or Usliup "uormatlonl-'or example, a travel schedu .how variousstages In a journey Other t\p» nedule iu*ys h o w production or deliver* pi.. - financialpredictions. In some ways an .can alsobe said to be an example ol a ale that liststhe format that a meeting will !■ ••

The Post Office GuideMost countries have a publication describing tin* main services offered by the postal authority TltK book is essential to the mail room or any other part of the organisation regularly involved m posting letters and packages Hie book is usually- updated regularly, but care is needed to record any interim changes in rates or regulations.

Travel references

The ABC World Airways Guide

This is published monthly and it contains full timetables of all regular air services throughout the world It includes details of passenger fares and cargo rates, airline ticket offices and travel agents, as well as information related to international travel requirements such as passports, visas and health regulations

The ABC Shipping Guide

Published bimonthly, this reference book gives information regarding shipping lino timetables, ports contacted and passenger fares l-'or cargo information most businesses make direct contact with a shipping line or its agents

Maps

Maps are of course au important part of any travel arrangement, as are schedules and itineraries.

Pec

• itand trr.p rutin p< pV wbo .in* alive

• htbfrtit ’ ' “ l x n rtf id.

•

people world a lit

6 c r

Office v

Published in 'ekl) this contain-* information about gox.mme.t d«*crecN ami amendment*, to existing Irgisl*: on varanties in the puhlic servtoappointments of pubhc scnains and other offinai information from government. Including the courts and the registry

Trade journals

Many trade associations publish their own journals which give information regarding developments, codes of practice and other information that is of particular interest to people involved in specific areas of business

Pear's CyclopaediaPublished annually this is a small version of the full volumes of encyclopaedia. It is divided into sections and provides information on world events, important people, law. central

jpov* m m r m . f o r r t g n p h r a s e * f f rM * . I h i - w

>*nJnfc. cooktfy. sparrs, domestic p« • • (U-d M Ti - v Iv r ‘tx "ul evt*n,\iay inf nu»i u»

This lV An tnuual pui-licution %%hlvh jfMwis .%r.rldwid»’ nfc»rm»U» :i tnd statistic* on

bj« Vs such »* the governments of countrie* hroiifthotJt thr Avirtd. population. language* NiUt al strpci'iivs. names of >tovi rnmeni

rial' prut*, irtion and indusu - and tiiermuvmai tr.idi data It aIso give* facts

such *}■ tide times and eligi*us i il nd.tr* the law. ethical *n huurence and many oUior subjects_______

Published annually. thi> reference book mutant* a variety of information of particular interest to exporters The information contained includes statistical tables for commodities Mich as cotton and sugar and information about international organisations INATO, OKBC,I NO), types of government, population and land area, education, justice, finance, money and banking, defence, production, commerce, communications, weights and measures and diplomatic representati* »■**

HansardThis publication contains a record of debates In the I K government

«Wn-. at

n j5 to do

notr of il

u V\hal r> o r o f c

* rd im m * lb»• m r a m H» p r w u l * rn H * rto

t A h . * . com w ir » P*> wuropncun!^ rt ti M M M n m n w u w *1"- r' f,f*thiHjtfh rtertnmk nMnmumrtW ho* m paMed dramatical!**

I Why !• H important that lrtu*r» should t»unamhttfuou*'

I in whil wnu could the qualit) and format »d a lett* ■ m ilr *n iniprr >»k>n oil the personfrfrivmj! H"

4 W Im i » WrtiiT h«*»d and « lw i iiifoniuiUon doe* it O M ttlif

5 t xpUin i .t. h of th» following parts of uloiter

I refermrr number N *ddr»««»Ml body of a letter

6 V ur friend h.m iM t fi appointed lo u now Job.. u v. ii u.viilvt* her in thi* composition of

• - :--n»T> Wrtu a (Lst of tip?* to helpbar

’ . the difference between the' ■ « tt-r nod • fi»» complimentary clo*e of >• n« unhiding Mumpto to clarify your

8 (»iv» .i\ 'lifTrrtnt example* of reason* why a Innt»if . . w m iiVI noad to pul thr* latter* tO M 'al Uw bottom of a Inter

9 'N hat 1. nv'nnl by IS O *i/»*» of pu|>rf arid rm«‘(opf** W riii »i .i/, H arr* most frequently

fl in filtsioi ** • krr»%|MiiulcnrMv10 VVb*t. r» standard » rd M tarT \S7iy do >«hj

think « alM» rcf«m>d to m a form tatter?11 Why t% ft »iup<m<r or • word prorewir-

btts*»d ») «inn jiartiriilari) tuilrd in standardised totter formation?

12 l Apialn thr term* rirruiar and mall *hot

« u riq n y t r i o f 1 if ft in

14 tthai to ttoe pm pnti o f i reading*1$ rakr four t>pK»l b •

«btr* bo* tbr> am kl 111KfllrfKt>

ll>n» Irtl—

t il Why do you Hunk aflbw *< rv>«4rumrnitonal rrfrrrnc*.* v mr ■ Ab«*n nmijmu-r b aw l rrv»un r %.»readily• w M to ?

17 Compare a dirtionary aunn«»a nferroo* nourre.» i |m i> hi'g on tii«.,r *iuulanbe* and their difT«r»-.).. „

Write ji sajnonoo for each of tl ,,u usHiathis chapter to %lnm that you undrrxtand thnr meaning in n husinrss nmn-xi t t <!t>rliur thr key words In your srntmrc %

1 |)/)taba*c2 Unambiguous3 Draftu 1-ni‘losuro5 Soft warn6 iti'aui7 Message8 I-ogo9 Allbreviatinns10 lormul

yJ tu rn practice

( hoot* flxu: corwct an«»Hi‘r from the alterwativna lp\en

1 Tho moal common ftAlutatlon u«m1 In formal tnniiiw Ictti'r^ it ia (fear Tomb Your* ftinn*rrlyc Your* faithfullyd lw*ar Sir*

For formal b a s in s Inter* tin* niort commonly uswd complimentary cIom» ts a Dear Mr fames b Yom • faitfif i\ c Your-* tinrendy d D*\ir Sir

Ihn in j: iim » i*" •MthiUiUon Ik 'n r Ms Naylor Iho most , |)pr<ipr:.ib' complimentary wutiJtJ ! •a Your** ‘.iiithflilly b Yul 'ii f ly c Your *»I % d W ilf' In »\ In

77m* most • nrrunmi size of paper used for buslnt I"!** and similar documents isa A2 b A3c A Id A5

n ii' rnnJn purpose of a thesaurus is lo lisl a correct spellings b alternative words and phrases c common errors matli in Inner writing d appmpriati ways of addressing

people

►tructurtd questionsThe following questions are divided into subsections of varying degrees of difficulty.

Answer the pan* ot the qo< Uions yon ire«bU l«>

1 The romiKiiiy that you *orV for ha* d« kieti to lend a -tandard latter to nil ft* • nstoim - •.

draft shown in fn»m thi roughI

subsequently inserted n numb i ».f rorrrc-Uum which must he lnoor;K)rakHi. and you will h»vi‘ to do Dim. The question* given htdv are related to tile proposed CtrculuJ intb-ra What It a mail shot? i2jb Suggest one form of salutation that could

he incorporated into this U tter, and an appropriate complimentary clo . to go

c How doe a circular letter differ fromother letter*” |2|

d In what ways could ihe use of a computer word-processing package make the task you hai e to do easier, and make future sim ilar letter* easy to compile'* (4)

e W rite out the draft letter shown in. incorporating .ill the 10 corrections

your boss has Indicated. ( lin

You work m I he buying office of a firm culled Macaluso I'rading l td The linn recolved the letter shown as from the AkelaHardware Company

a Identify ihe addressee and the addresserof Ihe letter shown [2 )

L

advise/ We arc writing to TeW you a special^fomotiena/ of/ <T/I offer we are giving tcjexisting customers over the next

noHfh (ip ) /t-week^ |as from the begjfring of next month we are */

_______ adding footwear to our range of products.

^An Illustrated brochures included with this letter, gtidprice In t/

and we are sure that you will find the prices v**ry C ^ O0 / (S )(£ 4 W )c o m p e t it iv ^ o r |one[jusT|month from the i ntroduction of ^T rT )

■/ j the new(R)inge we are offering existing customers a 1Q%

, which is/( discount^additlonal to our standing 25% trade discount (jttis )

f >.7 Corrected letter draft.

fU U W V A A / V A / lA A A A A V 'A A M

A r *Ih rttZ -•«r * V -H ^ tA(.

***• ***£ -*nt emits- „;fl- i «Sc. 4mf? 5rv»*-»4*!^W

*4m. *» •ft -^W •*» ^ J* i..ff~ct^xvf -k jm. <** ^r'^ i

. ~ £ fc - W J +** tlm. (** W"*3air-* rr*. J«** ^

^ ~ -*c * " ~ 3

Refer 10 thr data shown ^ by

Instructions for draft ietter.

i :ila;ji the meaning of the parts shown a<. Our r«-f.' and 'Your re f' shown on the

i (2) What is the purpose of including the

rs fines' shown at the bottom of the(2)

•iif .i brief description of four methods of communication that the Akela

•■ad implies the company uses |4I ■r boss i» tli- chief buyer. Mrs T

• She has left you the rough notes 1 .3 as instructions toiVtter!«.' go to \kela Trading ■'ii a draft letter following Mrs

'iructions. using the correctlayout

Safe* h\ reji

Nani*’ Ahmed

f-M B.m n • n Q i«nd£ Daniel

• fc n .crick > 11 G> nialcs

(10)

‘•s: January to June

$•; 000

5 \ c n o - 0,000 20,000 18.000

45.00028.000

Area4 132756

10 June and 't follow.! *•» r*'-order

1 produce *

general T»- of daia

II,•\. as used

U)i.issificauoa

1H

>ates| 0}

a*a\ ed using gram and

'■r displaying141

reprcsentauvrs from then answer th«- questions Wiihm these. yoo an* r • . .the data m various wa> > v graph «Hh an appropn.it.

a What would you %.i purpose of collecti.v gi\en here?

b What is the purp» here?

c Which order or ni*c used In this listing

d Re-order this datai numerical order > iii geographical or.:

e This data could also l.< a pictogram. What is .» w hat are its limitation* data?

f Take the data givei h. < :id draw up a horizontal bar graph i alphabetical order, incorporating an appropriate key of your choice. (fy

t in which reference bonk would you find the regulations for sending packages through the post? (2)

j Kefer to Whitaker's Almanack or another suitable reference source for the following information:

i the name of the capital of \ustralinii the address of the French limbassv

in London. (21

List four reference books that you would be likely to use when composing letters. (21Explain different circumstances under which three of the four books selected may be used. (3)In w hich reference books would you look for the following informationi an alternative to the word

’organisation*ii a verbatim report of a debate in

parliamentHi the times of a scheduled flight to

Washington. DC, USA. 131

f iti f» t (ii ■ fftrik intry for thi* followh'*ittf'rfniMibn

( hi 'orgAMo,iiiJuft* )>• «|x h'nrttfloUnhiiM ^M u i l tft* *l» rl«tlM*n Irsriglfii of

Wfim i tiM t»lnml r/f imt> «uvh W lu t r j'f* Om <ufn» k ill' NM Uif (4l

mI Iri r Uoov- * rnfof» t>»#i

I " f \t'M V*| nt v o . i l 'l

(41

f.m * for ym t

1 If- , ' •' r . ■ o I./ • fitU */f hi. hi , I < rr i. n JtfUrrtMNMl lrn h» Jlo * « •«fl »•** v mH* r<f jr/w f r W x l f » rri* «o f * f r m ( H f rluW .

2 V , f t « » r . h i p u t "

lb “ I yr/fi rm »U(r s fn m i tlMl f t f k t * PAfp %I A r*«inf«mi) llwii lU r l lu l if# Ir.n# i t i i r

ytiut I « A««omrMii> rvnM om l mi*! k in lM | >*m r ln#n in M * m4**ttMny i<t-i U»i« ill* Kill p r m h r t <lf/pp»d

II 'fun w M i to »n rnlv^rilM wwiI In h m *tp*fiitr itrnliny. HppUt nlkJM Uir (hr poriiitm <*1 rrffMSH junior IjuU ju * a *lr*fi *»f thr M/lvr-rtiv in im l

ill f * . »«f ftottf 1MH rt» M U>4» *?»» -vhMJAM fl m n ii U tt*

M l . wh h jiM ili

pMttn'<t\ Ul tin M ^ M r r

fi»nr « l**» « 4(Ul «orf f h«s hr iKht in •

Itlt*rvffl4tl r M'nV* m "tjinrJufrl lH(r«r thftl rm i I*

{** r • */ri®|iu r| M ir i« nt Vi r »/h of Hi*-fwrri fist* t) l mirlitlMh • wh-. will *tii »Kl mu ftltm frfW tf 45 >»inut«* Intm ftfc A fcMMlfeft im (| w ill I * ru t l**Mf

Ii I MftUill m htfh AfrJ-• ■ <*- r.f ,*itlf ■tmt'fo/tl M I1 7 v. Ill rliMO/< jf It, w > U f So ('••’ -.'.nftJltr H

« fr fV 'lM how N f«. Ip t/W * otilri lo r h n -l ■ ul* t ) » fti/j|ib iU0 hUliuft trf jrour iHlr-rv

4 Of, rif y « » i f r r M lw * , tW O ^ M * ;»*W#* r fh/ifi > m l« •Jr'itft t., Mi fi « coftft* *»m/tor fO > « i r « Iln *rr <«; * #(*" tl/l* to iirwJrrtAlr awifptfrtrftto tHull'd to tfv i^filiofi *rf lltltJm*)* li'llf if* W fHH l l im o t It r r ■ iHUrf

r*ifit«i)iiliiv /<>nr bDlpftll »lp», W m « « « y IftrtiHU1 W/fnr- * /.mnf*lrm Ifyoti think ih*y woidd al y*/ur r (film hi I Ion f

.Module 2

Business correspondence

3 of

Corrr- jn»M(i'' n i! •briiii ii basii «*h*im i i- l ull busin»'>- • ' Vltlmm!*! 11*slow: !. tr'-'phom Hill MM -If- IH'III'appnr :i .ms of * I l i t i '< .*(.*»»• nunare ni.itiv* iy .h.-ap, art in primed I'on-.-nwhir! I I..- thr iiw*!->a$J<’ i«. ii-u .'l.iiiiMd ill a lillll.' i\ SI < nl ( " ■ I'lllUri- !!■' '•••i'i vophlsix-Utod equipment is not required product- nd transmit them and they hi hi* independent of reading or transmission devues. Nevertheless. |ett> • - arc increasingly subject to modern tcrchuology which is making their formation anil transmission speedir-

Some business letters may 1>«' Inform al. ainui&t to personal letters written to someone you kiii.sv well But gt iorally, husuu1 >s letters tend t<i . formal ; < Styk ■format.

It is impon .mi foi iii«.si iiu-Ki-d in I he formation " i .>i!*-• t- - rn; t< poudeuce to he adept at compilm . Ii iter- lor twp reasons.Firstly, the roni.mt of tin letter must be clear and unambiguous for the message «•• hi- cl* fly understood Secondly, the quality and format of a business letter make an important impression on the person who receives it. A well-wordi'd letter, following a recognised, accepted format, is more impressive than one that is poorly worded and unconventional. More detailed examination of hitter format and composition is given later in this chapter.

The parts of a business letter

Letter headingsMost business letters have a printed letter heading or letterhead. The heading Is intended not only fo give important information about the

firm, but Also to rvlled the individuality of the business The I- tter in .iding ami return nridrr* w ill aim tn include -onn unique featurr •. t«- g ib. Company logo), but It w ill most rertatnlv T»mati most of tin following^

name «»f the companylegal status, e.g partnership privau< or public limited companyaddress

• telephone and fax numbers, including dialling code

» e-mail address• names of direi tors (where applicable^• y oui ref. —for reference number of

addressee• tiur re I for reference number of

addressor.

An eviruplr if a letter heading is shown inMany busi rssi include their letter

head in ictr computer software so that it is mtomiitii ally incorporated into their letters .is they are created I Ins saves them the costs involved In printing headed paper.

Reference numbersHoferenco numbers are " -ft u helping to identify a particular I"' u i filing systen or computer file. A I. r i may show th> reference number <>t he firm that is ••tiding tin- letter. It rim ii • contain the reference number of tin "mpany to whom the letter is being sent

There an i my methods i arranging referem mmhers. A t pical system will lnrludi‘ lie initials ot Lite originator of the le!i. r(e .g tin ii. igor), and the initials of tlie pci son win. 11 Keyed tin- letter, followed by the letter number. SomeLimes the reference will include the name lor abbreviation) of a particular department from which tin* letter has