Practice – Writing skill

Letters of enquiry
A/ Look at the paragraph structure below for two
emails: an inquiry (request for information) and
the reply. Then write the correct paragraph
reference next to each sentence (a-j). (1 pt)
Inquiry:
1/ How you got the contact.
2 / Something about your company, and why you are writing.
3/ General request for information.
4/ Other specific/unusual questions.
5/ Close, perhaps including a reference to future business.
Reply:
1/ Thanks, referring to the date.
2/ Say what you are attaching.
3/ Highlight one or two key points.
4/ Answer any specific questions.
5/ Close, saying you are ready to answer any other
questions.

a) We are a distributor of kitchen products in a/ Inquiry 2

Hungary.
We are interested in… b/ Reply 2
b) I am attaching our current catalogue and c/
price list as a pdf file. ____________
c) I look forward to an early reply, and am sure
that there is a market for your products here d/
in Hungary. ____________
d) Could you also provide details of your
delivery times, and whether there is any e/
minimum order. ____________
e) Thank you for your emails of 4 June f/ ____________
inquiring about our products.
f) You will note that our line of MagicMix food g/
processors is on special offer. ____________
g) Please send us information about your
product range, including a price list. h/
h) We met last Thursday on your stand at the ____________
Munich Trade Fair. i/ ____________
i) If you need any further information, please
do not hesitate to contact me. j/ ____________
j) We dispatch the goods within 24 hours of a
firm order, and for first – time customers our
minimum order is €5,000.

A/ Look at the paragraph structure below for two

emails: an inquiry (request for information) and
the reply. Then write the correct paragraph
reference next to each sentence (a-j).

a. Inquiry b. Reply 2 c. Inquiry d. Inquiry e. Reply 1

2 5 4
f. Reply 3 g. Inquiry h. Inquiry i. Reply 5 j. Reply 4
3 1

B/ Put the paragraphs (a-e) in the emails below in the

correct order.
a) We are a Turkish company exporting to the EU, and
need a firm of lawyers in France to represent us on
some legal matters.
b) In particular, we would like to know your experience in
dealing with disputes between companies involved in
import/export.
c) I am emailing you off your website, which I found
through Google.
d) An early reply would be greatly appreciated.
e) We would be grateful for some information about the
legal services that your firm offers.

Paragraph order:
1. c 2. 3. 4. 5.

a) We feel sure that we will be able to represent your

interests here in France. May I suggest that I call you
at your convenience to discuss the matter further?
Please let me know when would be a convenient
time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 b) Thank you for your email of 4 December asking for
information about our legal services.
c) You will also note that we have represented several
Turkish companies, including one of Turkey’s major
textile exporters. Naturally, our experience in this
field includes resolving contractual disputes.
d) You will see that we give a list of our recent client,
and that the list includes many well-known company
names.
e) I am attaching a document that gives full details of
the range of service we offer.

Paragraph order:
6.b 7. 8. 9. 10.

B/ Put the paragraphs (a-e) in the emails below in

the correct order.
Paragraph order: Paragraph order:
1 c 6 b
2 a 7 e
3 e 8 d
4 b 9 c
5 d 10 a

C/ Rewrite the following email. Change the informal

expressions underlined with its more formal corresponding
expressions.

Re your order number J891(1), we received it this morning.

But you haven’t filled in(2) the sections on size and colour.
What exactly do you need(3)? These products are selling well
at the moment, and sorry to tell you(4) that the medium size is
temporarily out of stock. Shall I(5) email you when they
arrive?

C/ Rewrite the expressions underlined.

1 With reference to your order number
2 However, you have not filled in
3 Please let us know your exact requirements
4 We regret to advise you that
5 Would you like me to

Complete the email below with correct option, paying

attention to formality, tone of voice, and lexical choice.
Answer keys: only write the letter A, B or C.

I am writing (1)_____ Promotional Products in relation to

your recent complaint. I was very concerned to learn about
the problems you experienced and the (2) _____ of our sales
staff. (3)_____ everything that happened, and thank you for
bringing it to my attention. (4)_____ I will (5)_____.
(1) A. for (3) A. We’re apologize for
B. on behalf of B. I’m sorry for
C. about C. Please accept my
apologies for
(2) A. unprofessional conduct (4) A. I’ll make sure that
 B. You can be sure that
B. unfortunate behaviour C. You have my assurance
that
C. unacceptable attitude
(5) A. resolve the matter to
your satisfaction
B. sort out the problem
C. do whatever you want
(6)_____ send replacement items immediately, at our
expense, and I will personally make sure that the order is
correct. (7)_____ we will also send you a credit note to be
used against any items in our catalogue. I have already
spoken to the sales staff involved (8)_____ and we are
making sure that in the future all customer complaints are
dealt with in a polite and helpful manner.
Once again, I hope you will accept my apologies for the
inconvenience caused. I very much hope you will continue
to use our services in the future. (9)_____(10)_____ on my
direct line given below.
(6) A. We will (9) A. If you have any further
B. I’ll queries
C. We may B. For any other
complaints
C. If there’s anything else
(7) A. To make up for the (10) A. please call
mistake B. do not hesitate to
B. To compensate for the contact me
inconvenience C. just telephone me
C. As a friendly gesture
(8) A. about what happened
 B. about the accident
C. regarding the incident

Correct the 10 errors in the following section of a report.(

There may be more than one error in each sentence.)
6. Recommendation
There are a number of option we could consider, as
follow:
6.1 Exchange
We should return the microwave to the shop and ask
them if we can buy a more bigger one, and only pay
the extra. I suggest try this first.
6.2 Purchase of a New Microwave
If the shop will not take back the old microwave, I
recommend to buy a new one, and keeping the old one
in another part of the office for the staffs who are not
like the present location. Alternatively, we could sell
the old microwave second hand.
6.3 Queuing System
We could let the staff to arrange a system for different
staff to use the microwave at different time.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
II. WRITING
A. Situation:
You work as the Regional Manager of Value
Superstores, whose address is: Value House,
Chiswell Road, Arpington AP3 6PK. Three months
ago your firm started an on-line shopping service for
customers. The packing and delivery of all on-line
orders are the responsibility of Supplies Direct
Company of Burley Business Park, Canley BH2
6EF. Recently you have received a large number of
complaints from customers by letter and telephone.
They complain that items from their orders have
been missing when the order has been delivered.
Some have written to their local newspaper about
the problem.
Task:
Write a letter of between 150 and 200 words to the
Manager of Supplies Direct Company, Mr Fergal
Reilly, telling him about the problem. Point out that
you expect an immediate improvement in the
service, as mistakes may affect future customer
confidence. Ask for a quick reply and what steps he
will take to put matters right. Tell him that you will
 be making checks on deliveries over the next few
weeks.

Complete the email below with the words from the box.
list credit well-known prepared
size terms units reach
guarantee order latest discounts

Dear Ms Newman
Thank you for sending your current catalogue and price (1)
_________ last week. We are interested in purchasing 5,
000 (2) _________ of product ref TG67 and 2,000 of
product ref K800. However, there are one or two things
we would like to clarify before going ahead with a firm (3)
_________.
 1/ Do you give any (4) _________ on the order of this (5)
_________ ?
2/ Would you be (6) _________ to let us have the goods on
(7)
_________ ? Our normal (8) _________ of payment are
60 days after delivery, and we can of course supply a bank
(9)
_________ .
3/ We can find no mention of delivery times in your
documentation. We need these items by the end of
October at the (10) _________.
If we can (11) _________an agreement on these matters, we
are sure that we can do more business with you in the
future. We are a (12) _________ company that has been in
the market for over twenty years.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Pavel Wikiewicz
1. list 7. credit
2. units 8. terms
3. order 9. guarantee
4. discounts 10. latest
5. size 11. reach
6. prepared 12. well-known
B. The report below has six paragraphs. Each paragraph
has one mistake. Correct the mistakes.
SP Wholesalers plc
To: The Board of Director
From: Derek Logan, Sales Director
Date: 15 October 2016
Subject: Introduction of Internet sales

The Sales Department research team came to the following

conclusions on the issue of Internet sales. Further
statistical and technical data can find in the full report
(pages 4-30).
Market
Internet sales have expanded steadily in our markets in
recent years for three main reasons: (1) the range of goods
we can offer in a virtual warehouse environment, (2)
convenience, and (3) increased security with the
development of digital signatures. The main area of
expansion – over 21% in the period concerned- has been
in clothes, especial children’s clothes covering the age
groups of 4-11 years (see statistical analysis on page 9).
With regard to sales of linens and general furnishings, there
has been a 6.7% increase in sales over this period. We
would like to monitor this over the next 12 months to see
how these market develop (see pages 28-9).
Finance
If we concentrate on the garment area of the market,
supplying all age groups, we estimate an increase in our
annual budget of 4.8%, which includes administration,
warehouse, expanding stock, advertising, and the capital
need for new technology. This will increase our present
turnover in this area by 7% over a two-year trial period
(see pages 15-18).
The Finance Department suggests that this increase in capital
investment should come from share issues rather than
loans because, in the case of the latter, increase interest
rates will reduce profits.
Conclusions
With our main competitors already in this market, and it
potential for international sales, we recommend that we
should implement a new Internet strategy as quickly as
possible. I would suggest a meeting before the end of this
financial year.

Answer:
Mistakes/ errors Corrections
1 can find - can be found
2 especial - especially
3 these market - these markets
4 need - needed
5 increase - increasing
 6 it - its

II. WRITING
Write a letter of invitation.
You represent an organisation called South-East Asian
Business Associates, which will hold a conference next
year. Write a letter to Dr Vladimir Sarkowski inviting him
to be a keynote speaker. Dr Sarkowski is author of a book
The New Way – Business in the 21st Century, so you
think he will have an important message for your
members.
Offer to pay all expenses – airfare and accommodation
(five-star hotel in Singapore, three nights). Inform Dr
Sarkowski about the conference and your organisation.
(You can refer to an enclosed brochure giving further
details.)
Write about 150–180 words.
• Conference title: New Trends in Business
• Dates: 3–4 February
• Place: to be held in Singapore
• Number of delegates expected to attend: 1,500–2,000
• SE Asian Business Associates: 5,000 members, owners
and managers of businesses in South-East Asia
South-East Asian Business Associates
Dr Vladimir Sarkowski
927 Stabu Street
Riga
Latvia

Dear …
Dear Dr Sarkowski
Invitation to speak at our conference: ‘New Trends in
Business’

On behalf of the South-East Asian Business Associates,

we would like to invite you to be a keynote speaker at
our conference on ‘New Trends in Business’, to be held
in Singapore on 3rd and 4th February next year.
As author of The New Way – Business in the 21st Century,
we believe you will have an important message to
communicate to our members.
We are a group of 5,000 business owners and managers
from countries in South-East Asia (please see the
enclosed brochure for further details about our
organization). We expect 1,500 to 2,000 delegates to
attend the conference.
We will be happy to pay all your expenses, including air
travel and accommodation at a five-star hotel in
Singapore for three nights.
We hope this conference will be of interest to you and
look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely

(150 words, not including opening and closing phrases)

B. Report Writing (150-180 words)

You work at OBAMAT Office Furniture Company, 123 Le
Thanh Ton Street, HCM City. Ms Linda Bentley has been
 working as a salesperson in your office for a probationary
period of two months and your office manager, Mrs. Julia
Wilson, has asked you to write a report on her work,
ability, relationship with colleagues, reliability and any
other relevant points.

You have the following helpful points after asking several

people who work closely to her for their opinion in
addition to your own observation when working with Ms.
Bentley:
 work – very accurate and neatly presented
 capable of handling various situations which occur
during the working days
 be able to work independently with creation and
intelligent
 time keeping – always on time and she would appear to
be very reliable
 can work well with everyone in the office
 not thoroughly master of negotiation skills, especially
in sale situations
You may get some conclusion(s) and recommendation(s):
 good candidate to be a senior staff in sales department –
vacancy
 should be offered full-time employment
 should be trained more on customer service, especially
on sales negotiation.
A. Situation:
 You work as the Regional Manager of Value
Superstores, whose address is: Value House, Chiswell
Road, Arpington AP3 6PK. Three months ago your firm
started an on-line shopping service for customers. The
packing and delivery of all on-line orders are the
responsibility of Supplies Direct Company of Burley
Business Park, Canley BH2 6EF. Recently you have
received a large number of complaints from customers by
letter and telephone. They complain that items from their
orders have been missing when the order has been
delivered. Some have written to their local newspaper
about the problem.
Task:
Write a letter of between 150 and 200 words to the
Manager of Supplies Direct Company, Mr Fergal Reilly,
telling him about the problem. Point out that you expect
an immediate improvement in the service, as mistakes
may affect future customer confidence. Ask for a quick
reply and what steps he will take to put matters right. Tell
him that you will be making checks on deliveries over the
next few weeks.
B. Write a short notice based on the following prompts.
Organize the message content, layout, and use your
own words to get the most effective notice possible.
Your notice should be around 150 words
 You are Administrative Manager of ABC Trading Co.
Ltd.
 You want to inform all employees about the company’s
year-end buffet party.
 The party will be for all employees and his/her family.
Employees need to register with the Department Head
latest 30 November. You then need to confirm the banquet
three weeks before the event date.
 The Management will also offer awards to Best Employee
of the Year of each department in this party.
 There will be a karaoke contest for company employees.
Prospective contestants will register to Ms. Elen Truong,
Assistant to Admin Manager latest 25 November. Winners
of the Third, Second, and First Prizes will receive a travel
package for two to Thailand, Singapore and Dubai.
 Time and place of event: 6:00 pm, Sunday 25 December,
at Rose Garden Palace, 52 Pasteur Street, District 1,
HCMC.

Answers:

---- The end ----

Answer :
A/ Look at the paragraph structure below for two
emails: an inquiry (request for information) and
the reply. Then write the correct paragraph
reference next to each sentence (a-j).

a. Inquiry b. Reply 2 c. Inquiry d. Inquiry e. Reply 1

2 5 4
f. Reply 3 g. Inquiry h. Inquiry i. Reply 5 j. Reply 4
3 1

B/ Put the paragraphs (a-e) in the emails below in

the correct order.
Paragraph order: Paragraph order:
1 c 6 b
2 a 7 e
3 e 8 d
4 b 9 c
5 d 10 a

C/ Rewrite the expressions underlined.

1 With reference to your order number
2 However, you have not filled in
3 Please let us know your exact requirements
4 We regret to advise you that
5 Would you like me to

ANSWER KEYS
I. THEORY IN BUSINESS WRITING
A. Complete the email below with the words from the
box. (3pts)
Answers – 0.25pt/ correct answer
1. list 7. credit
2. units 8. terms
 3. order 9. guarantee
4. discounts 10. latest
5. size 11. reach
6. prepared 12. well-known
B. The report below has six paragraphs. Each
paragraph has one mistake. Correct the mistakes.
(1pt)
Mistakes/ errors Corrections
1 can find - can be found
2 especial - especially
3 these market - these markets
4 need - needed
5 increase - increasing
6 it - its

Dear Dr Sarkowski
Invitation to speak at our conference: ‘New Trends in
Business’

On behalf of the South-East Asian Business Associates, we

would like to invite you to be a keynote speaker at our
conference on ‘New Trends in Business’, to be held in
Singapore on 3rd and 4th February next year.
As author of The New Way – Business in the 21st Century,
we believe you will have an important message to
communicate to our members.
We are a group of 5,000 business owners and managers from
countries in South-East Asia (please see the enclosed
brochure for further details about our organization). We
expect 1,500 to 2,000 delegates to attend the conference.
We will be happy to pay all your expenses, including air
travel and accommodation at a five-star hotel in Singapore
for three nights.
We hope this conference will be of interest to you and look
forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely

(150 words, not including opening and closing phrases)

Answer keys: only write the letter A, B or C.

1B 2A 3C 4C 5A 6A 7B 8C 9A 10 B

II. LANGUAGE AND WRITING SKILLS (0.15pts x

10 = 1.5 pts)

Errors Corrections
1 6. Recommendation 6. Recommendations
2 Option options
3 Follow follows
4 more bigger bigger
5 suggest try suggest trying
6 recommend to buy recommend buying
7 Staffs staff
8 are not do not
9 to arrange arrange
10 Time times

III. WRITING (3.5pts x 2 = 7 pts), in which:

- Layout : 0.5 pts
- Content: 1.5 pts
- Style and tone : 0.5 pts
- Language accuracy: 1 pt