Types of English Writing & Skills Lecture 2 Business Writing: Letters, momentum

Types of English Writing & Skills

Lecture 2Business Writing: Letters, momentum

Business English

• English used in offices is not quite the same as everyday English. It is somewhat formal in style because it is usually used between two persons who are more concerned about business rather than the maintenance of their personal relationship.

• To do business, it is most important that the other party understands clearly what you want to say. To be a writer in clear business English, you can resort to the following to skills: detail and format.

Detail• People believe a good businessman is a person who

pays sufficient attention to details. Similarly, your attention to the details of what you want to write can ensure the quality of your writing. Compare the following two sentences from business letters.

• (1) It is my pleasure to inform you that your application has been approved….

• (2) I am happy to inform you that your application for our MA program has been approved….

• The mention of the detail of the application has at least two implications: the writer is considerate in that he supplies sufficient information so that there will be no mistake in the purpose of the correspondence, and the writer is professional because of his miss-nothing manner.

Format

• Format in business communications saves people time and increase efficiency. People in practice found that certain forms served most of the purposes and hence the appearance of format in business writing.

• We are all familiar with the forms of business letter, which consists of head, logo, sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, reference, salutation, body, closing, signature, and enclosure. The body of a letter also follows some format.

Format

• Paragraph 1: purpose of the letter. You should tell the addressee what this letter is for. Some detailed information about the cause of this letter should also be mentioned, but should not be too much. The paragraph should not be long; most people write the paragraph in just one sentence.

• Paragraph 2: detail of the letter. Here you should provide detailed information about the issue of the letter: its possible causes, present condition, facts you discover, etc.

• Paragraph 3: measures to be taken or suggestions made. This part is about something in the future.

Sample: Business letter Dear Mr. Fan,

According to the repot of our credit department, your balance of $9023.00 for household electrical appliances supplied to you on December 6 last year and January 6 this year is overdue on February 6.

We sent you detailed statements of account on December 28 last year and Janua

ry 28 this year, but as these may not have reached you, you are taking this opportunity of sending you a further copy of this statement. If you have settled this account since receiving our most recent statement, please ignore this reminder and accept my apologies for troubling you further in this matter. If, however, you have not yet settled this account,we greatly appreciate your prompt payment of this sum. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely, (signed) Zhang San Manager

Exercises

• 1. Your client has written to you for the confirmation of the delivery of the item he has ordered. Reply to his request.

• 2. You work in a foods production company. A customer of your company complained that she found a piece of metal in the package of potato chips. Write to her in answer to her complaint.

Memo

• Memo is the shorthand for memorandum, a note that can be formal or informal circulating usually within the organization. It can be used to keep a written record, to instruct to take actions, to inform of decisions, to explain policies, to answer a request, to remind of events, etc.

Memo:Audience and Purpose• Memos have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems a

nd they solve problems. They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new information like policy changes, price increases, or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.

• Choose the audience of the memo wisely. Ensure that all of the people that the memo is addressed to need to read the memo. If it is an issue involving only one person, do not send the memo to the entire office. Also, be certain that material is not too sensitive to put in a memo; sometimes the best forms of communication are face-to-face interaction or a phone call. Memos are most effectively used when sent to a small to moderate amount of people to communicate company or job objectives.

Memo:Parts of a Memo

• Heading Segment• Opening Segment• Context• Task Segment• Summary Segment• Discussion Segments• Closing Segment

Heading Segment• The heading segment follows this general

format:• TO: (readers' names and job titles)• FROM: (your name and job title)• DATE: (complete and current date)• SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)

• Make sure you address the reader by his or her correct name and job title. You might call the company president "Maxi" on the golf course or in an informal note, but "Rita Maxwell, President" would be more appropriate for a formal memo. Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "Clothes" as a subject line could mean anything from a dress code update to a production issue. Instead use something like, "Fall Clothes Line Promotion."

Opening Segment• The purpose of a memo is usually found in the

opening paragraph and includes: the purpose of the memo, the context and problem, and the specific assignment or task. Before indulging the reader with details and the context, give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be about. Choosing how specific your introduction will be depends on your memo plan style. The more direct the memo plan, the more explicit the introduction should be. Including the purpose of the memo will help clarify the reason the audience should read this document. The introduction should be brief, and should be approximately the length of a short paragraph.

Context

• The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are solving. You may use a paragraph or a few sentences to establish the background and state the problem. Oftentimes it is sufficient to use the opening of a sentence to completely explain the context, such as,

"Through market research and analysis...“

Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.

Task Segment• One essential portion of a memo is the task statement w

here you should describe what you are doing to help solve the problem. If the action was requested, your task may be indicated by a sentence opening like,

"You asked that I look at....“ If you want to explain your intentions, you might say, "To determine the best method of promoting the new fall line, I will...."

Include only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers in the context, but be convincing that a real problem exists.

Summary Segment

• If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate summary segment. However, this section not necessary for short memos and should not take up a significant amount of space. This segment provides a brief statement of the key recommendations you have reached. These will help your reader understand the key points of the memo immediately. This segment may also include references to methods and sources you have used in your research.

Discussion Segments

• The discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo, and are the parts in which you include all the details that support your ideas. Begin with the information that is most important. This may mean that you will start with key findings or recommendations. Start with your most general information and move to your specific or supporting facts. (Be sure to use the same format when including details: strongest to weakest.) The discussion segments include the supporting ideas, facts, and research that back up your argument in the memo. Include strong points and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended actions. If this section is inadequate, the memo will not be as effective as it could be.

Closing Segment

• After the reader has absorbed all of your information, you want to close with a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to take. Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and how you can make those actions easier. For example, you might say,

• "I will be glad to discuss this recommendation with you during our Tuesday trip to the spa and follow through on any decisions you make."

Exercises:

• You are Dina Hu, an employee at Strait Food Company. You have received a call from a client asking for a quote for Jinhua Hams. Write a memo to Robert Smith, your manager about the quote.

Dina: Hu: Strait Food Company. Good morning. Dina Hua speaking. Can I help you?

Chen Shengde:Yes. Good morning, Miss Hu. May I speak to the manager, please?

Dina Hu: I’m afraid the manager isn’t here at the moment. Wo shall I say is calling?

Chen Shengde: My name is Chen Shengde, Assistant Manager of Jinhua Ham Company. I’m calling from Jinhua, Zhejiang,China.

Dina Hu: Oh, I’m glad to get a call from you. I’m his secretary. Would you like me to take a message?

Chen Shengde: Yes, please.

Dina Hu: Well, I’m ready. Go ahead, please.

Chen Shengde: We’ve received your inquiry about supply and price of Jinhua hams. According to your request, I’m quoting you as follows: we can supply superior hams, packed in standard export cardboard cartons.the quantity is five thousand metric tons. The price is US $ xxx per metric ton, free alongside ship, Ningbo.

Dina Hu:How about delivery and shipment?

Chen Shengde: Two weeks after we received the letter of credit, we’ll send them by the first available ship sailing to your country direct.

Dina Hu: What about payment?

Chen Shengde: 100% by irrevocable and confirmed letter of credit to be opened n our favor through one A1 bank in Singapore and to be drawn at sight.

Dina Hu: OK. I understand. Now, may I repeat the main points?

Chen Shengde: Yes, please.

(Dina Hu repeats)

Chen Shengde: All correct. We’re expecting an early order from you. Thank you.Good-bye.

Dina Hu: Thank you. Good-bye.

To: Robert Smith,Manager From: Dina Hu, Secretary

Subject: Reply to Our Inquiry for Jinhua Hams

Date: June 25, 2007

There was a call for you from Chen Shengde, Assistant Manager of Jinhua Ham Company. He says they have received our inquiry about supply and price of Jinhua hams. He quotes as follows:

1. They can supply to us superior hams,packed in in standard export cardboard cartons. The quantity is five thousand metric tons.

2. The price is US $ xxx per metric ton, free alongside ship, Ningbo.

3. Two weeks after they received the letter of credit, they will send them by the first available ship to our country direct.

4. 100% by irrevocable and confirmed letter of credit to be opened in their favor through one A1 bank in Singapore and to be drawn at sight.

Please call me (ext. 8970) if you have any questions.

Micro skill 3: Nominalization

• The use of nouns, especially abstract nouns, can greatly increase the formality of writing. Compare the following two sentences:

• (1) We have been friends for a long time, and I am sure he will listen to me.

• (2) Our long friendship is a good reason for mu influence on him.

• The second sentence is more formal and concise than the first one. Though the use of the nominalization usually regarded as bureaucratic, the problem with beginners is that they are generally not formal enough when they should be.

Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences using nominalization.

• 1. They built up many factories which poured out a lot of pollution. The pollution polluted the town. The town used to be a scenic spot in the neighborhood. Now many people would not come here for a visit.

The pollution poured out from numerous factories in the region turned this once scenic spot into a dirty place and scare many visitors away.

• 2. Is printed book no longer important? Some people say yes. But it is difficult to say so.

• It is hard to reach an agreement among people on the remaining importance of printed books.


• 3. After the college entrance exam, my parents and I did not agree with each other about where I should study. My parents wanted me to study in the city my home was in. But I wanted to study in another city.

• The college entrance exam ended when my family disagreement started on the destination of my educational exploration—local school according to my parents versus an off-home institute as my choice.


• 4. When you drink tea, you can find that it is very Chinese.

• There is everything Chinese in tea.


• 5. That day it was raining hard, and people could not see very far because of the heavy rain. And that caused the traffic accident.

• The heavy rain blurred the sight and led to the traffic accident.


• 6. If you want to study well, you need to study hard.

• Persistence is the foundation of achievement in study.

• Hard work ensures good scores.



• 7. He went to the library everyday and read many books. That was why he was awarded with a scholarship at the end of the semester.

• His unfailing visit to the library day after day and extensive reading there accounted for the award of a scholarship at the end of the semester.


• 8. In this school, he can come to know a lot of people who can later become important in different places, and that will help him a lot when he runs his own business.

• In this school the acquaintance with various prospective VIPs will certainly become his resources he can resort to when he runs his own business.


• 9. People cut down trees in the upper valley of the river, and when there is a heavy rain, it turns into a flood.

• The falling of trees in the upper valleys of the river is the cause of a flood when there is a heavy rain.


• 10. Students would like to choose courses that are up-to-date, interactive and can make them think.

• Students would like to choose courses that are of modernity, interaction and thought-provoking.

Micro skill 4: Definition • Another trick to make yourself eloquent is to define the id

ea you mention. Look at the following two examples:

(1) Xiamen University is a good school in China.

(2) Xiamen University, the only key university in China’s Special Economic Zones, is a good school.

The italicized part in Sentence 2 is a definition of Xiamen University. The definition has at least two functions here:

Function 1: it provides specific information about the school. It increases informality of the sentence.

Function 2: ?

Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences using the technique of definition.

• 1. He had no regret of buying this dictionary.

He had no regret of buying this dictionary, a product of that famous scholar’s life long effort.


• 2. He walked reluctantly into the room where there were already some twenty students waiting for the lecture of College English.

He walked reluctantly into the room where there were already some twenty students waiting for the lecture of College English, a course with the most credits as well as the highest failure rate in the school.


• 3. Very soon Beijing decided to host the Olympic Games as soon as possible.

• Very soon Beijing decided to host the Olympic Games as soon as possible, a cherished dream that was believed to inspire the whole nation.


• 4. Some students hate CET-4.

Some students hate CET-4, whose certificate is difficult to get, yet is a must in job markets when they graduate from college.


• 5. He found that Pu’er Tea became popular in the south of Fujian.

• He found that Pu’er Tea, a very different kind of tea from Oolong Tea, became popular in the south of Fujian, the origin region of the latter.


• 6. He was annoyed at the failure of his computer.

• He was annoyed at the failure of his computer that he had just fixed at a cost he believed to be unreasonable.


• 7. He couldn't understand why people in the village here made such a fuss over the digital camera he was using.

• He couldn't understand why people in the village here made such a fuss over the digital camera he was using, a very popular instrument for a traveler like him in his city.


• 8. AIDS causes widespread fright all over the world.

• AIDS, a deadly disease that emerged in the 80’s of last century, causes widespread fright all over the world.


• 9. Many students demonstrate great interest in taking TOEFL or IELTS.

• Many students demonstrate great interest in taking TOEFL or IELTS, two English proficiency tests that provide scores for enrollments in the US and British universities.


• 10. From the 1980’s on, traditional “hard” subjects began to give ground to ‘softer’ subjects.

• From the 1980’s on, traditional “hard” subjects such as math, physics and chemistry began to give ground to ‘softer’ subjects such as economics and managements.

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Types of English Writing & Skills Lecture 2 Business Writing: Letters, momentum