1. Business correspondence

2. Task
You want a new printer for your computer. You have seen an advertisement for the Solar EX43. The ad states that pensioners get a 50% discount on the price. Write a letter to Computer World and ask them if university students can also get a discount.
Write a complete letter, with addresses, date, signature, etc. (Invent any details necessary.)

3. General guidelines Organization: Paragraphs: length, topic
Information: order, completeness
Register:
Formal
No colloquial language
No contractions
Do not use direct language
Accuracy:
Check spelling, grammar, punctuation

4. LETTER LAYOUT: BLOCK STYLE
Where are the following in a business letter?
The addressee’s name and address
Writer’s address
The date
Dear ...
Subject heading
Yours ...
The writer’s name, title, department
How are the following written (punctuation, appearance)?
Dear ...
Subject heading
Paragraphs
Yours ...
The date
CORRECT 1ST LETTER

5. Dates What is this date: 11/04/2008?
US: month/day/year: November 4, 2008
GB: day/month/year: 11 April 2008
Avoid confusion: write the month!
April 11, OR April 2008

6. PARTS OF A LETTER Dear…. OPENING: to say why you are writing
MAIN MESSAGE: the details
CLOSING: talks about the future
Yours …

7. Greeting line Dear… NO COMMA!!! Dear Sir or Madam a company
Dear Sir unknown man
Dear Madam unknown woman
Dear Mr Smith man you know
Dear Ms Smith woman you know
Dear Mrs Smith married woman
Dear Miss Smith unmarried woman

8. Closing a letter Dear Sir or Madam Yours faithfully
Dear Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs Smith
Yours sincerely
Dear John
Best wishes
CORRECT 1ST LETTER

9. Electronic mail – General guidelines read p
Electronic mail – General guidelines read p. 68 and write 1 sentence tips
Opening and closing:
Dear ... and Yours ... personalizes the message.
Subject heading:
Always write one!
Upper/lower case:
Avoid capitalizing whole words.
Copying the original message:
Avoid, unless you have a good reason to do so.

10. Electronic mail – General guidelines
Attachment:
Mention what you are attaching.
Paragraphs:
Use them.
Style:
Semi-formal, no ‘emoticons’¸.

11. LETTER OF ENQUIRY
Purpose: To get information
Structure: p. 75

12. Opening phrases We are writing to enquire about/if…
We are writing in connection with…
We are interested in…and we would like to know…
If you are replying to an earlier letter:
Thank you for your letter/ /fax/call of (date) asking if.../ enquiring about…/ enclosing.../ concerning…

13. How would these messages start?
You want to know the prices of some airconditioners.
I am writing to enquire about the prices of your airconditioners.
You want to know if the company you are writing to organises business conferences in Malaysia.
I am writing in connection with business conferences. I would like to know if your company organizes conferences in Malaysia.
A company sent you a fax on 3 June. They want to know if you are going to a sales exhibition in London.
Thank you for your fax of 3 June asking about our attendance at the sales exhibition in London.

14. Ending phrases I look forward to receiving your reply/order…
Looking forward to hearing from you.
I hope that this information will help you.
Please contact me if you need any further information.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
CORRECT 1ST LETTER

15. Task
You want a new printer for your computer. You have seen an advertisement for the Solar EX43. The ad states that pensioners get a 50% discount on the price. Write a letter to Computer World and ask them if university students can also get a discount.
Write a complete letter, with addresses, date, signature, etc. (Invent any details necessary.)

16. Lindell’s address Computer World’s address 14 June 2010
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing in connection with your advertisement for the Solar EX43 printer in the Daily Paper of 20 April 2011.
Could you please tell me if the advertised 50% discount is only offered to pensioners or to university students as well?
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours faithfully
Steven Lindell

17. Firm, but polite language
Say please and thank you.
Avoid being direct: Your prices are not acceptable
We think your prices are rather high.
Ask, rather than order: You must send it straight away.
Please could you send it as soon as possible?
Use indirect questions: Can you reduce your prices?
I was wondering if you could reduce your prices.
Avoid blaming or accusing: You’ve made a mistake with my order.
I’m afraid there is a problem with the order.
Understate the point: There is a problem.
It seems we have a small problem.
Source: C-to-C, p. 12;

18. Rewrite these sentences to make them more polite.
Your company delivered the goods very late. This is very bad service.
I received your letter. I have sent the goods. You will get them on Tuesday.
Send me your price list. I need it now, so send it immediately.
Littlejohn, Company-to-company p. 13/exercise 1.9

19. Solutions
1) We have received the goods that we ordered from you (order no ...), but unfortunately these arrived very late. We would be grateful if, in future, you could ensure that our orders arrive on time.
2) Thank you for your letter. I have now sent the goods to the address you gave. You should receive them on Tuesday.
3) Could you please send me your price list for I would be grateful if you could send it as soon as possible, as we need the goods urgently.
Littlejohn, Company-to-company p. 13/exercise 1.9

20. Homework
RB, p. 76/ Task I (write a letter of enquiry)

21. Letter of complaint Making a mild complaint
Structure:
Dear ...
Say why you are writing
State the reason for complaining
Ask for action
(Closing)
Yours ...
Before this slide ask them to read p. 77 and say how a letter of complaint is organized. Then show them this slide.

22. Letter of complaint – State the reason for complaining
Giving bad news
Unfortunately, ...
I am afraid, ...
We are sorry to tell you...
We regret to inform you...
This is the relevant language I want to teach them for letter of complaint.

23. Letter of complaint Making a mild complaint
Make a mild complaint:
A company has sent you a bill for the wrong goods.
Say what is wrong (give the bad news)
Request action
Unfortunately, you sent us a bill for the wrong goods. Please could you send us the correct bill as soon as possible?
First show them the top half of the slide, ask them how they would say this and then show them this solution.

24. Make mild complaints
Your new photocopier has broken down five times in the last week.
Two temporary secretaries do not speak English. You have to write to the agency who sent them to you.
Everybody should write a solution for each of these situations.

25. Making a mild complaint
We are sorry to tell you that the photocopier that you sold us has broken down again. We would appreciate it if you could come and repair it without delay.
Unfortunately, the secretaries you sent us do not speak English. We would be grateful if you could send us two new secretaries as soon as possible.
orally

26. A letter of mild complaint: fill in the blanks
Dear Mr Onaka
Invoice no. 5654AH
_______________ the above invoice for an MX3 photocopier.
We received this machine yesterday. __________, it is not the model we ordered. It is much more expensive. ____________________send us the correct photocopier and arrange for collection of the one you sent in error.
___________________________
________________
Steve Label

27. Dear Mr Onaka
Invoice no. 5654AH
I am writing in connection with/ I am writing to complain about the above invoice for an MX3 photocopier.
We received this machine yesterday. Unfortunately, it is not the model we ordered. It is much more expensive. We would be grateful if you could send us the correct photocopier and arrange for collection of the one you sent in error.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Steve Label

28. Making a strong complaint: structure Match up the right side with the left
Say why you are writing
Say what is wrong
Give further reasons
Demand action
Give a warning (if necessary)
Unless we hear from you within seven days, we will take legal action.
It is now over 6 months since we placed this order and we are still waiting for the cabinets.
We must insist, therefore, that you deliver them immediately.
I am writing in connection with the above order for filing cabinets.
I should also like to point out that we already paid for the cabinets. 28

29. Making a strong complaint: structure Solution
Say why you are writing
Say what is wrong
Give further reasons
Demand action
Give a warning (if necessary)
D. I am writing in connection with the above order for filing cabinets. B. It is now over 6 months since we placed this order and we are still waiting for the cabinets. E. I should also like to point out that we already paid for the cabinets. C. We must insist, therefore, that you deliver them immediately. A. Unless we hear from you within seven days, we will take legal action.

30. A strong complaint: put the sentences in order
I must insist, therefore that you take immediate action to improve the quality of your services.
Dear Sir or Madam
I hope it is not necessary to remind you that this is the second time I have complained about your employees.
I am writing in connection with your contract to clean our offices.
Yours faithfully
Twice this week, I have found your workers asleep when they should be working.
H. Wilson

31. A strong complaint: Solution
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing in connection with your contract to clean our offices.
Twice this week, I have found your workers asleep when they should be working.
I hope it is not necessary to remind you that this is the second time I have complained about your employees.
I must insist, therefore that you take immediate action to improve the quality of your services.
Yours faithfully
H. Wilson

32. Apologising: the structure
Dear…
Acknowledge the receipt of the original letter of complaint
Apologise
Give a reason for the problem
Say what you are doing to correct the mistake
Apologise once again
Yours …
Signature
Name (position)

33. 4. Giving a reason
This is owing to... / due to.../ as a result of ... / because of ...
E.g.: decrease of all salaries by 10% - fall in sales
We are forced to decrease all salaries by 10%. This is as a result of a fall in sales.

34. Give reasons Delay the delivery of goods – strike by airline pilots
Cannot deliver your new order – we have not received your payment for the last order
Cancel the meeting today – a lot of the staff have been ill

35. Solutions
We have been forced to delay the delivery of goods. This is due to a strike by airline pilots.
We are unable to deliver your new order. This is due to the fact that we have not received your payment for the last order.
We had to cancel today’s meeting. This is owing to the fact that a lot of the staff have been ill.

36. Write a letter of apology
Mr. David Hawkins has sent you an on 15 May, complaining that his company has not received the payment for the new cabinets that you have ordered. Apologize to him and explain that you have sent the payment to the wrong account. Promise to send them the check today.

37. Dear Mr Hawkins
Order 285
Thank you for your dated 15 May.
We are extremely sorry that you have not received our payment before now.
Unfortunately, we sent the payment to the wrong account two months ago.
I have arranged for a cheque to be sent to you today.
With apologies once again
Yours sincerely
Peter Townsend
Purchasing Section

38. HW
RB, p. 78 – Write a letter of apology

39. Making a strong complaint: structure
Dear …
Say why you are writing
Say what is wrong
Give further reasons (make a point)
Demand action
Give a warning (if necessary)
Yours…
Signature, name, title

40. Make a strong complaint - put these sentences in the right order.
We booked and paid for an advertisement on the front page of the Friday edition of The Times.
I am writing to complain about our advertisement which appeared in your newspaper on 10 July.
I would like to remind you that this is the third time that this has happened.
If you do not do this, we will be forced to take all our advertising business to one of your competitors.
As we are regular advertisers in your newspapers, I must insist that you repeat the advertisement this Saturday, on the front page, free of charge.
However, the advertisement did not appear until Saturday, and only on page 4.

41. Making a strong complaint
Say why you are writing:
B. I am writing to complain about our advertisement which appeared in your newspaper on 10 July.
Say exactly what is wrong:
A. We booked and paid for an advertisement on the front page of the Friday edition of The Times.
F. However, the advertisement did not appear until Saturday, and only on page 4.
Make a point connected with this:
C. I would like to remind you that this is the third time that this has happened.

42. Demand immediate action:
E. As we are regular advertisers in your newspapers, I must insist that you repeat the advertisement this Saturday, on the front page, free of charge.
Give a warning:
D. If you do not do this, we will be forced to take all our advertising business to one of your competitors.

43. You work at Central Bank Consultants, 16 Hyde Towers, Hong Kong
You work at Central Bank Consultants, 16 Hyde Towers, Hong Kong. The people who rent the offices next to you play very loud music all day, even though the contract says that ‘music is not allowed’. It is impossible for you to work.
Write a full letter
Dear Sir or Madam
Put a heading
Say what you are writing about (noise)
Explain exactly what is wrong.
Make a point connected with this (the contract)
Demand immediate action.
Give them a warning.
Close the letter.

44. Solution Dear Sir or Madam Noise disturbance
I am writing to complain about the loud noise from your office.
We rent the office next door to you, and all day you play very loud music. It is impossible for us to work.
I should like to remind you that the contract for the office says that ‘music is not allowed’.
I really must insist, therefore, that you stop making this noise immediately.
If you do not do this, I will be forced to contact the landlord.
Yours faithfully
Beth Saunders
Central Business Consultants

45. Common mistakes – Things to remember
Dear Mr Smith – Yours sincerely
Dear Sir or Madam – Yours faithfully
Paragraphing!!!
Don’t forget to say why you are writing.
Keep it short.
Write the date correctly: 10 January 2013

46. How would you write these dates?
Jan. 16th, 2006
23rd March 2007
6/11/08 (UK)
(USA)
16 January 2006
23 March 2007
6 November 2008
7 September 2006

47. Practise! Practise! Practise!

48. Functions: Match the function with the appropriate sentence
The reason for writing
Giving good/ bad news
Saying what you can/ cannot do
Giving reasons
Requesting action
Apologising
Requesting information
Making a mild complaint
Making a point
I should like to point out that…
We are (un)able to…
This is as a result of…
We would like to know if…
We are extremely sorry for –ing/noun
I am writing in connection with
Unfortunately, we have not yet received the filing cabinets…
Please could you…
I am pleased to tell you that…
1f, 2i, 3b, 4c, 5h, 6e, 7d, 8g, 9a

49. Rewrite this letter so it sounds more polite.
Mr Steven Jones!
You haven’t paid my consultation fee. I worked for you 6 months ago and I still didn’t get the money. I already wrote to you once before, but you ignored me. I need to be paid because I also have bills to pay and my family needs to eat. 
I want you to send me the money in 3 days. If you don’t put my money on my account within a week, I will sue you!!!
Good bye, Peter Allen

50. Dear Mr Jones
I am writing in connection with my unpaid consultation fee.
I was contracted by your company 6 months ago, but I still have not received the agreed payment.
I hope it is not necessary to remind you that I have already contacted you about this problem 2 months ago (6 September 2012), but so far I have not received a reply.
I must, therefore, insist that your company transfers the payment to my account within 3 days. If no payment arrives within a week, I will be forced to take legal action against your company.
Yours sincerely
Peter Allen
Big City Legal Consultants