Chapter 2 Presentation of Letters Faxes, Emails
Section 1 Introduction
With the availability of more options for delivering messages, students need to be aware of appropriateness of their choice of medium (letters, faxes, emails, etc.). Letters are seen to be formal, and emails informal, with faxes somewhere in between.
First contacts are usually made through more formal postal letters or faxes, whereas emails are used for follow-up contacts. But there are also exceptions. In some countries (e.g., USA, Finland, etc), emails have assumed almost all the tasks of business letters and made postal letters secondary. When you receive an email as the first contact, feel free to email back instead of switching to a letter reply just to be formal.
Under pressure of time, emails and faxes can be right choices. With regard to communicative purpose, postal letters are appropriate for confidential message, whereas emails and faxes are suitable for ordinary messages (i.e., making requests and supplying info.)
Whatever medium you choose to send your message, your aim should be to ensure a high standard in all important areas: layout styles (formats), structural frames (parts), grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Attention to these details will help create and enhance goodwill towards yourself and the company you represent. This chapter aims to introduce the basic techniques and skills of presenting your business correspondence up to the highest standard.
Section 2 Layout Styles (Formats) and Structural Parts
of Letters, Faxes, Emails
2.1 Structural parts: obligatory& optional
2.2 Layout styles (Formats)
2.3 Grammar, spelling & punctuation
2.1 Structural parts: obligatory & optional
Obligatory parts:
(1) Letter head (Sender’s Company Name and Address, 信头)
(2) Date
(3) Receiver’s name & address
(4) Salutation
(5) Subject
(6) Body of the Letter
(7) Complimentary Close
(8) Signature
Optional parts:
(9) Enclosure
(10) Carbon copy/CC
(11) Postscript/P.S.
(1) Letterhead
(Sender’s Company Name and Address)
(2) Date
(3) Receiver’s name & address
(4) Salutation (e,g., Dear Mr. xxx)
(5) Subject
(6) Body ( ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(7) Complimentary()
(8) Signature
(9) Enclosure
(10) CC to XX
(11) Postscript
2.2 Layout styles (Formats)
There are three commonly used formats for English business letters:
The block form
The modified block form
The indented form
The following are examples of the three formats.
Letter head
(Sender’s Company Name and Address)
June 1, 2005
Int’l Investment Ltd.
77 Pearl Road,
Swanton, Manchester,
English
Attn: xxx
Dear Madam,
Re: …….
………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………
Yours sincerely
Zhou Hua
Manager
The block form
Letter head
(Sender’s Company Name and Address)
June 1, 2005
Int’l Investment Ltd.
77 Pearl Road,
Swanton, Manchester,
English
Attn: xxx
Dear Madam,
Re: ……
………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………..
Yours sincerely
Zhou Hua
Manager
The modified block form
Letter head
(Sender’s Company Name and Address)
June 1, 2005
Int’l Investment Ltd.
77 Pearl Road,
Swanton, Manchester, English
Attn: xxx
Dear Madam,
Re: …….
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
Yours sincerely
Zhou Hua
Manager
The indented form
2.3 Grammar, spelling & punctuation
Poor grammar, misspelled words, lack of punctuation or improper use of it, may destroy the effectiveness of your message. Poor words and misspelled words are hard to read and often cause confusion.
Sloppy messages do not give a very favorable impression of the writer and the writer’s company. Even though email is often informal, correctness still counts.
