Engl -06 Technical, Scientific and Business English

Business Letters terms as business correspondence

With business purpose a. to sell; b. to buy; c. to promote good business

relationship

to prosper in business and industry

Elements:
1.
Heading consists of the senders address and the dateline
2.
Inside Address name of the recipient, designation, company and business
address
3.
Salutation welcome part
4.
Body of the Letter details of the communication answer the question
why - a. purpose,
b. discussion/elaboration, c. conclusion, d. call for action, e. building of goodwill, f.
token of appreciation
5.
6.

Complimentary close/Ending - goodbye part

Signature name of the sender

Miscellaneous Elements:

Optional

1.
Reference line - sequential number of the letter used for filing
2.
Attention line recipient/s name if not present on the inside addy
3.
Subject line topic of the letter/title of the letter
4.
Identification notation/reference initials initials of the sender *all caps* and
initial of the typist *lower case*
5.
Enclose notation items placed inside the envelop
6.
Carbon Copy notation/distribution indication person/people who should
receive the letter other than the recipient
7.
Post Script items/details omitted from the body of the letter that needs to
be included
Point of contrast:

Purpose business relationship

Subject/Content business related topics
Format formal
Pont-of-view 2nd/3rd person
Style impersonal/objective
Language business parlance/commercialese
Objectivity objective
Parts basic/miscellaneous parts

Business letters can initiate communication with a prospect, a client or another

business. They can also be written in response to a request. Written on company
letterhead and following a block letter style, business letters may be written by
associates, managers and executives alike. They should sound professional and
contain no grammatical errors.
Company Memo
Memos are distributed in-office. Short for "memorandums," memos are usually sent
to inform staff members about changes in policy or to make other important
company-wide announcements. These are one of the least formal types of business
communication, but they should still feature dates, times and a signature where
possible. Memos are posted on bulletin boards, distributed to desks or sent via
email. They are very time-sensitive, requiring immediate attention.
Resume Cover Letter
Unless the prospective employer says otherwise, you should always include a cover
letter when submitting a resume as part of a job application. Briefly state your
qualifications and interest in the job in the cover letter, and refer the reader to your
resume for more details.
Fundraising Letter
Formatted like a standard business letter, a fundraising letter greets the reader with
a simple salutation followed by a colon. These letters ask potential donors for
funding. The letter provides a description of how much funding is needed and how it
would be used. These letters are friendly and supplicatory, and thank the reader in
advance for his generosity.
Proposal Letter
Proposal letters are an essential part of business correspondence. They are sent
from one company to another or to a governmental entity to propose providing a
product or service. These letters explain the benefits and costs, and attempt to
persuade readers to accept the proposal.
Acceptance Letter
If you are offered a position with a company, you may be sent a formal letter
indicating this. If so, an acceptance letter is an appropriate way to indicate that you
want the position, accept the terms and look forward to getting started. An
acceptance letter also might apply to a company's acceptance of another
company's offer to provide a product or service.
Resignation Letter
If a person is leaving a position in a workplace, she will often write a formal
resignation letter. This type of letter addresses the employee's supervisor and
acknowledges her plans to leave the organization. While there may be explanation
for the resignation, more often the employee will simply provide the date when the
resignation becomes effective. The writer may ask for a recommendation and
express thanks for the work opportunity.
Business letters
Business letters are the most formal method of communication following specific
formats. They are addressed to a particular person or organisation. A good business

letter follows the seven C's of communication. The different types of business letters
used based on their context are as follows,
Official letters can be handwritten or printed. Modernisation has led to the usage of
new means of business correspondence such as E-mail and Fax.
E-mail
Email is the least formal method of business communication. It is the most widely
used method of written communication usually done in a conversational style.
Memorandum
Memorandum is a document used for internal communication within an
organization. Memo may be drafted by management and addressed to other
employees.
Letter of Intent
A letter of intent spells out in detail the circumstances under which an agreement
between the writer and the reader would be made. It is not a contract; it merely
states the intent to enter an agreement.
Sales Letter
Written to persuade the recipient to buy a product or service, sales letters are
usually a part of a direct-mail marketing campaign and often are accompanied by
packets, brochures, illustrations and/or
catalogs.
Information Request Letter
In an information request letter, the writer requests information and explains why
he needs it and/or how it will be used.
Information Response Letter
An information response letter is written in response to a request. Its purpose is to
answer questions or provide requested information. It also may promote the
business's products or services.
Customer Claim Response Letter
In a customer claim response letter, the writer attempts to rectify the complaint
spelled out in the customer's claim letter. It should regain the recipient's confidence
in the business and promote it.
Order Request Letter
An order request is a letter in which a purchase is authorized. It lists the items being
ordered vertically and typically includes the quantity, order number, description and
unit price of each item.
Letter of Complaint
A letter of complaint will almost certainly result in an official response if you
approach it from a businesslike perspective. Make the complaint brief, to the point
and polite. Politeness pays off regardless of the extent of anger you are actually
feeling while composing this type of business letter.

Resume Cover Letter

A cover letter that accompanies a resume should revel in its brevity. You should take
as little time and as few words as possible to accomplish one task: persuading the
reader to anticipate reading your resume. Mention the title of the job for which you
are applying, as well or one or two of your strongest selling points.
Letter of Recommendation
A recommendation letter allows you to use a few well-chosen words to the effect of
letting someone else know how highly you value a third party. Resist the temptation
to go overboard; approach your recommendation in a straightforward manner that
still allows you to get the point across.

Letter of Resignation
An official letter of resignation is a business letter that should be fair and tactful. Be
wary of burning any bridges that you may need to cross again in the future. Offer a
valid reason for your resignation and avoid self-praise.
Job Applicant Not Hired
In some cases you may be required to write a business letter that informs a job
applicant that he was not chosen for an open position. Offer an opening note of
thanks for his time, compliment him on his experience or education and explain that
he was just not what the company is looking for at the present time.
Declining Dinner Invitation
Declining a dinner invitation is a topic for a business letter that, if not done tactfully,
may result in a social disadvantage. Extend your appreciation for the invitation and
mention that you already have an engagement for that date. Do not go into detail
about what the engagement is.
Reception of Gift
It is very polite to return a formal business response letting someone know that you
have received her gift. Extend a personalized thanks to let her know that you are
exactly aware of the contents of the gift. If possible, it is a good idea to include a
sentiment suggesting that you have put the gift to use.
Notification of Error
When sending a business letter that lets the receiving party know that an error has
been corrected, it is good business sense to include a copy of the error in question if
there is paperwork evidence of it. Make the offer of additional copies of material
involved in the error if necessary.
Thanks for Job Recommendation
A letter of thanks for a party that helped you get a job should be professional and
courteous. Above all else, avoid the temptation to go overboard in offering your
thanks. Be aware that your skills also helped you land the job and it was likely not
handed to you as a result of the third party.

Information Request
A business letter that requests information should make the request specific and
perfectly understandable. It is also a good idea to state the reason for the
information request. Extend advance appreciation for the expected cooperation of
the recipient.
Other examples:
Letters of inquiry
Letters of claim/complaints
Letters of application
Letters of approval/dismissal
Letters of recommendations
Letters of sales

Technical Writing
Proposal Reports written offer to solve a technical problem; specified plan of
management for a certain sum of money; both business and research proposals
Aspects:
I.
Executive Summary - summarizes the contents of the proposal: for top
Executives
II.
Technical Proposal - gives a detailed explanation of the solution to the
technical problem
III.
Management Proposal description of the organizational structure; people incharge of implementing the proposed solution: for Managerial positions
IV.
Cost Proposal details pertaining to the cost: for Finance department
V.
Resources Volume/proposal details about work force: for Human Resource
Department
Recommendation Reports - suggestions/recommendations of courses of actions
Progress Reports - presents the development/progress of the undertaking/project at
a certain period of time
Oral reports spoken words
Academic Reading and Writing
Prose paragraph
Poerty uses a different type of language; has measurements

Literary writing - the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet
(especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect); "the writing
in her novels is excellent"; "that editorial was a fine piece of writing"
Examples:
a.
Novels multiple setting; many characters; many themes; complicated plot
b.
Short Story single setting; few characters; simple theme; simple plot
c.
Parable presents moral in a biblical fashion
d.
Fable has animals as characters; moral lesson at the end of the story
e.
Legend deals with origin of something
f.
Myth involving gods and goddesses and/or supernatural beings
g.
Folktale deals with folklore of people belonging to an ethnic group
h.
Fairytale has fairies among its characters
i.
Epic narrative poetry; of great length; deals with exploits and adventures of
a hero
j.
Ballad a short narrative poem; deals with a single incident; meant to be
sing/sang
k.
Play/Drama narrative prose/poetry; intended to be performed in stage