Commercial Correspondence

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
 COURSE INTRODUCTION

 Instructor: Trần Thị Nguyên Hà

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes, FTU
Handphone: 0900
Email: trannguyenha@yahoo.com
 Duration: 10 weeks
 Workload: 2 classes/week (or 1 class/week)

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
 CoURSE INTRODUCTION

Materials
1. Oxford Handbook of Commercial
Correspondence – A. Ashley
2. The Language of Business
Correspondence in English –
Nguyễn Trọng Đàn

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
 COURSE INTRODUCTION

Objectives
 To provide practical help for students of
business and commerce in writing commercial
correspondence, mainly letters and emails.
 To explain how to write clearly and effectively,
and point out the do’s and don’ts within the
specific areas of business writing.

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
 COURSE INTRODUCTION

Areas covered
 Letter layout, content  Orders
and style  Transportation
 Emails  Complaints and
 Enquiries and replies adjustments
to enquiries  Resumés
 Offers/ Quotations  Application letters

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
COURSE INTRODUCTION

Assessment
 Attendance, homework: 10%
 Mid-term test: 20%
 End-of-term test: 70%

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
Commercial Correspondence
Unit 1

Letter Layout, Content and Style

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

Commercial Correspondence
 Letter Layout
Main parts:
1. Sender’s address 7. Subject title
2. References 8. Body of the letter
3. Date 9. Complimentary close
4. Inside address 10. Sender’s identification
5. Attention line 11. Enclosures
6. Salutation 12. Copies

Faculty of English for Specific Purposes

8 Commercial Correspondence
 Bredgade 51
1 Sender’s
DK 1260
address
Copenhagen K
DENMARK
 Usually: top right-
hand corner
 Begins at left
margin (Full-Block
format)
 No punctuation
 No company’s
name when non-
letterhead page is
used. Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
9 Commercial Correspondence
 Compuvision Ltd Warwick House
1 Sender’s Warwick Street
address Forest Hill
London SE23 1JF

Telephone +44 (0) 20 8566 1861

Facsimile +44 (0) 20 8566 1385
Email staff@comvis.co.uk
www.comvis.co.uk
In company’s
letterhead:
Formatted in
various ways British Crystal Ltd

GLAZIER HOUSE – GREEN LANE – DERBY DE1 1RT

TELEPHONE: +44 (0) 1332 45790 – FACSIMILE: +44 (0) 1332 51977
Email: jayn@crystal.com - www.britishcrystal.com

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10 Commercial Correspondence
 Bredgade 51
2 References DK 1260
Copenhagen K
DENMARK

Your ref. 6 May 20__

 At least one blank Our ref. DS/MR

line below the

sender’s address ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD
 Begins at left 29-31 Broad Street
Birmingham B1 2HE
margin in Full-Block Tel. 0121-542 6614
format.
DS/mr

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11 Commercial Correspondence
 ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD
2 References 29-31 Broad Street
Birmingham B1 2HE
Tel. 0121-542 6614

 Can show: DS/MR

• Initials of writer/

PA or typist
DS/MR or DS/mr ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD
• Filing reference
29-31 Broad Street
Birmingham B1 2HE
(date, dept. no.
Tel. 0121-542 6614
or order no.)
661/17

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12 Commercial Correspondence
 Bredgade 51
3 Date DK 1260
Copenhagen K
DENMARK

Your ref. 6 May 20__

 At least one blank Our ref. DS/MR
line below the Date: 11 May 20__
sender’s address or
reference ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD
29-31 Broad Street
 Begins at left margin Birmingham B1 2HE
in Full-Block format. Tel. 0121-542 6614
 Always be shown in DS/MR
full:
September 7, 20__
14 August 20__; or
August 14, 20__
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13 Commercial Correspondence
 ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD
4 Inside 29-31 Broad Street
address Birmingham B1 2HE
Tel. 0121-542 6614

 One to ten blank DS/MR

lines below the
date and always 12 November 20__
begins at the left
margin; Mr Gordon Wood
G Wood & Sons
 Each piece of info 36 Castle Street
is on a separate Bristol BS1 2BQ
line;
 No punctuation.
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14 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Inside address

Surname known
 Write it as first line of the inside address
 Include:
• Courtesy title: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Dr, Prof.
• The person’s full name (or with initials for
given names):
Mr John Smith or Mr J.E. Smith
NOT: Mr Smith (without initials or first name)
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15 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Inside address

Name not known

 If you only know the person’s job title, you
can use that in the inside address, e.g.
The Sales Manager, or The Finance Director
 Alternatively, you can address to a particular
department: The Accounts Department
 Or you can address to the company itself:
Compuvision Ltd, or Messrs Collier
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16 Commercial Correspondence
 5 Attention line

 Alternative to the recipient’s name or job title

in the inside address.
 Should be underlined or printed in bold or
CAPITALS, e.g.
For the attention of the Sales Manager
ATTENTION: MS TERRY ROBERTS
 A blank line below the inside address.
 From left margin or in the middle of the page.
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 6 Salutation

Addressing people you do not know their names:

Dear Sir
Dear Madam
Dear Sir or Madam (or Dear Sir / Madam)
Dear Sirs
(to address a company, not a specific person)

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 6 Salutation

Addressing people you know their names:

 but do not know them well: use title &

surname, do not include initials or first names:

Dear Mr Smith / Dear Miss Lee
NOT Dear Mr J. Smith or Dear Mr John Smith
 and you know them well: use just first name
(without title): Dear John / Dear Mary
Note: A comma after the salutation is optional.
In American English, a colon is used instead.
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 7 Subject title

 Directly after the salutation and separate from

it by a blank line.
 Can be from the left margin or in the middle
 Can begin with or without “Re:” or “Subject:”
 Should be underlined or printed in bold or
CAPITALS
International Conference – 24 August 20…
or Re: ORDER NO. 8901/6

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 8 Body of the Letter

 The actual message of your letter

 Leave a line space between paragraphs

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21 Commercial Correspondence
 9 Complimentary close

Two most common closes: when letter begins:

 Yours faithfully Dear Sir
Dear Sirs
Dear Madam
Dear Sir or Madam

 Yours sincerely Dear Mr Smith

Note: A comma after the Dear Mrs Bolan
complimentary close is Dear Caroline
optional, but consistent with Dear Sam
the
22 salutation.
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
Commercial Correspondence
 10 Sender’s identification

 Type name and job title below handwritten

signature.
 Can give either your initials or full name
DAVID JENKINS D. Jenkins
Chairman General Manager
 Add a title for a female in brackets before
or after the name
Lesley Bolan (Mrs) (Ms) B. Kaasen
Sales Manager Director
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23 Commercial Correspondence
 10 Sender’s identification

 Write your job title or department directly

beneath your name
 When signing a letter on behalf of the
sender, write “pp” or “p.p.” or “for” in front
of the sender’s printed name, e.g.
Yours faithfully
Shirley Johnson
pp Edward Nathan
Chairman Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
24 Commercial Correspondence
 11 Enclosures

 A line space below the sender’s identification

 Consisting of the word: “Enc.” or “Encl.”
followed by a list of the enclosed items, e.g.
Enc. Bill of Lading (3 copies)
Insurance certificate (1 copy)

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 12 Copies

 At least a blank line below the sender’s

identification or the Enclosures
 Consisting of the word: “C.C.” or “Copy”
followed by the name/s and designation/s of
the copy recipient/s, e.g.
C.C. Ravi Gopal, General Manager
Candice Reeves, Accountant

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26 Commercial Correspondence
 Continuation
pages Page no. 2

Include at top of page: 12 November 20__

 Page number
 Date Mr Gordon Wood
 Name of addressee

Leave 3 or 4 blank lines

before continuing
Take at least 3 or 4
lines of typing over to a
continuation page.
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 Letter Layout
Format styles
 Full-block(ed)
 Block(ed)
 Semi-block(ed)

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 Letter Layout
 Full-block format:
 all letter parts begin at the left margin;
 paragraphs are not indented;

 paragraphs are separated by double

spacing.

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29 Commercial Correspondence
 Letter Layout
 Block format:
 The sender's address, date, references,
and closing part are to the right of the
center, or may end at the right margin.
 Attn and subject lines may be centered, or
begins at the left margin, or indented 10
spaces from the left margin.

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 Letter Layout
 Semi-block format: the same to the Block
format with one change:
 Paragraphs are indented.

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31 Commercial Correspondence
 Structuring the body
4-Point Plan
1. Opening or Introduction
2. Central section (details)
3. Conclusion (Action or Response)
4. Close

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32 Commercial Correspondence
 Structuring the body
1. Opening or Introduction (state the reason)
• acknowledge previous correspondence
• refer to a meeting or contact
• provide an introduction to the matter being
discussed.
E.g. Thank you for your letter of …
Further to our telephone conversation today,…
I am interested in holiday No. J/M/3, the
South Vietnam tour.
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33 Commercial Correspondence
 Structuring the body
2. Central section (details)
• Give information to the recipient
• Request information

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34 Commercial Correspondence
 Structuring the body
3. Conclusion (Action or Response)
• State the action expected from the recipient
• State the action you will take as a result of the
details provided
E.g. Please let me have full details of the costs
involved.
If payment is not received within seven days,
this matter will be placed in the hands of our
solicitor.
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35 Commercial Correspondence
 Structuring the body
4. Close
Usually, a simple one-line closing sentence
E.g. I look forward to meeting you soon.
A prompt reply would be appreciated.
Please let me know if you need any further
information.
Incomplete sentences like these should not be used:
Hope to hear from you soon.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
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36 Commercial Correspondence
 Content and Style
1. Remember your ABC (Accurate, Brief,
and Clear)
2. Be courteous and considerate
3. Include all relevant details
4. Use active, not passive voice, when
possible
5. Be consistent
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37 Commercial Correspondence
 1 Remember your ABC

Accurate
 Check facts carefully (titles, names, dates,
references, prices, measurements…)
 Proofread thoroughly (tenses, spelling,
grammar, punctuation, enclosures…)

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38 Commercial Correspondence
 1 Remember your ABC

Brief
Keep sentences short and use simple
expressions.
It’s better to use the second way of
expression in the following examples:
o We would like to ask you to…
 Please

o I have pleasure in informing you

 I am pleased to tell you
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
39 Commercial Correspondence
 1 Remember your ABC

Brief
o We do not anticipate any increase in prices
 We do not expect prices to rise

o I should be grateful if you would be good

enough to advise us
 Please let me know

o We would like to express our regret at being

unable to fulfill your requirements.
 We are sorry we cannot meet your
requirements. Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
40 Commercial Correspondence
 1 Remember your ABC

Clear
 Plan before you start writing. Make sure you say
everything you want to say, and in a clear
sequence.
 Use simple English.
 Avoid formality and familiarity.
 Do not use abbreviations that your reader may
not understand.
 Write numbers in words as well as in figures.
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41 Commercial Correspondence
 2 Be courteous and considerate

 Should not be so simple that it becomes rude.

 Avoid using short forms like “I’ll” or “don’t”
 Understand and respect the recipient’s point of
view.
 If you feel some comments are unfair, be tactful
and try not to cause offence.
 Reply promptly to all communications. If you
cannot, write a brief note and explain why.

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42 Commercial Correspondence
 2 Be courteous and considerate

Instead of Write
We cannot do anything Unfortunately we are unable to
about your problem. help you on this occasion.
Your television’s guarantee Your television’s guarantee has
is up, so you will have to ended, so unfortunately you must
pay for it to be fixed. bear the cost of any repairs.
you’ll get your money back the loan will be repaid
prices have gone through prices have increased rapidly
the roof
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
43 Commercial Correspondence
 3 Include all relevant details

Instead of Write
My flight arrives at 3.30 My flight BA121 from London
on Wednesday. Heathrow should arrive at
Singapore Changi Airport at
1530 on Wednesday 12 June.

Our Sales Manager will Mr John Matthews, our Sales

contact you soon. Manager, will contact you
soon.
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
44 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Use active, not passive voice

Active voice: more personal, natural and

focused: more interesting and clearer.
Passive voice: creates a distance

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45 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Use active, not passive voice

Instead of Write
Arrangements have been I have arranged for a
made for a repeat order to repeat order to be sent to
be despatched to you you today.
immediately.
The cause of the complaint I have looked into this
has been investigated. matter.

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46 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Use active, not passive voice

Passive voice, however, would be more

appropriate in some occasions as follows.
 Giving extra emphasis to a particularly
important noun.
Instead of: All the leading hotels in Singapore
recommend our service.
Say: Our restaurant has been recommended by
all the leading hotels in Singapore.
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47 Commercial Correspondence
 4 Use active, not passive voice

Passive voice, however, would be more

appropriate in some occasions as follows.
 Placing focus on the action not the actor.
The noise was heard all over the island.
 When you want to hide something or tact is
important.
An unfortunate mistake was made.
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48 Commercial Correspondence
 5 Be consistent

 In layout
 In language style
 In details
Instead of: I confirm my reservation of a single
room on 16/7 and a double room on 17 Oct.
Write: I confirm my reservation of a single room
on 16 July and a double room on 17 October.
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49 Commercial Correspondence
 Practice 1
Answer the following questions

1. What are the important parts of a business letter?

2. Where and how do you write the date? Give
examples.
3. Where do you write the inside address?
4. How do you write the inside address when you
know the recipient’s surname? Give an example.

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50 Commercial Correspondence
 Practice 1
Answer the following questions

6. When do you write “Dear Sir” or “Dear Sirs” in the

salutation?
7. How do you address a person in the salutation when

you know his/her name? Give examples.

8. How do you end a letter which begins with “Dear Sir
or Madam”?
9. How do you end a letter which begins with “Dear

Mrs Brown”?
10. What does the signer do to let the recipient know
that the signer is male or female? Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
51 Commercial Correspondence
 Practice 2: Write a letter in the block
format with the following details

 Ngày viết: ngày hôm nay

 Người gửi: Thang Long Garment Export Co., 264 Minh Khai
Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
 Người nhận: J.C. Gilbert Ltd, Columbia House, Aldwych,
London WC2, UK
 Ký thư là ông Nguyễn Nam, chức vụ Giám đốc Kinh doanh.
 Nội dung thư: Được biết về J.C. Gilbert Ltd qua quảng cáo
của họ trên tờ “Textile World”, và đề nghị họ gửi các mẫu
thiết kế áo len nữ mới nhất. (Viết ngắn gọn)
 Tham chiếu: NN/tb (hoặc chữ cái đầu tên anh/chị)
 Chủ đề: Mẫu thiết kế áo len nữ Faculty of English for Specific Purposes
52 Commercial Correspondence