BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE IN ENGLISH

SEMINAR 1. Introduction to Business Correspondence in English

Questions for discussions:

1. Introduction to Business Correspondence in
English.
https://www.vedantu.com/commerce/business-
correspondence
2. The notion of Business Discourse.
3. Written communication in business.
4. Types of Business Correspondence.
https://www.toppr.com/guides/business-
communication-and-ethics/business-correspondence/meaning-and-importance-of-
business-correspondence

Practical assignments:

Task 1. Watch an Instagram video on writing a formal and informal letter. Then read
the two suggested letters. Point out phrases that shouldn’t be included into a formal letter.
Outline the phrases that are typical, in your opinion, for a business letter.
Later, during the course, we will come back to this letter and analyze the functions of
the structural parts of this mocking business email.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxBCymurDZU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

The whole world:

Dear Amazon,

Where is my package?

Kate
Britain:
Dear Amazon,

How are you doing? I am hoping that your children are doing great! How are your
parents doing? By the way, do you got any noise from the neighbors?

Anyway, I am aware that you are very busy right now, but I was just concerned about
my package that was supposed to come yesterday. Could you sort this out, please? That
would be absolutely lovely and thank you very much!
 Have a good day… in fact, have a good life!
Get yourself a husband. Actually… maybe a wife.

Kind regards,
Best wishes
Sincerely yours,
Katryna Kulp

"Where is my package?" - This phrase is too direct and lacks the formality typically expected in a business letter.

In the second letter ("Britain"), the following phrases should not be included in a formal letter:

"How are you doing? I am hoping that your children are doing great! How are your parents doing?" - These
personal inquiries are not appropriate for a formal business letter. I don’t think its acceptable to write these
phrases to such a huge company. They are not familiar to each other, she doesn’t even know to whom shes writing
to

"By the way, do you got any noise from the neighbors?" - This sentence contains informal language with "got"
instead of "have." It's not suitable for a formal letter.

"Have a good day… in fact, have a good life!" - While well-intentioned, this sign-off is overly informal for a business
letter.

"Get yourself a husband. Actually… maybe a wife." - These sentences are highly inappropriate and unrelated to
the purpose of a business letter. They should never be included in any formal communication.

Typical phrases – dear Amazon, Kind regards, Best wishes, Sincerely yours, Katryna Kulp

Task 2 A. Read about appropriate tone of Business Style. Compare and analyze the
stated expressions and examples. Then follow the 2 B task instructions.

Second to grammatical correctness, achieving an appropriate business style may be the

biggest problem for the writer of business letters.
A sure sign of an inexperienced writer, in fact, is the obvious attempt to sound too
"businesslike."
As per your request, please find enclosed herewith a check in the amount of $16.49.

Such expressions as "herewith" and "as per" contribute nothing to the message while
making the letter sound stilted and stiff.

The first step, then, to writing successful business correspondence is to relax. While
business letters will vary in tone from familiar to formal, they should all sound natural.
Within the limits of standard English, of course, you should try to say things in a "regular"
way:
As you requested, I am enclosing a check for $16.49.

If you resist the temptation to sound businesslike, you will end up being more
business-minded. The second version of our sample sentence is not only more personal
and friendly; it is also more efficient. It uses fewer words, taking less time to write and
type as well as to read and comprehend.
 With this initial piece of advice in mind, review the following list of words and
expressions. Then plan to eliminate these terms from your business writing vocabulary.

Expressions to Avoid in Business Letters

Instead of . . . Use . . .
advise, inform say, tell, let us know
along these lines, on the order of like, similar to
as per as, according to
at an early date, at your earliest convenience soon, today, next week, a specific date
at this time, at the present time, at this writing now, at present
check to cover check for
deem believe, consider
due to the fact that, because of the fact that because
favor, communication letter, memo, et al.
for the purpose of for
forward send
free of charge free
in accordance with according to
in advance of, prior to before
in compliance with as you requested
in re, re regarding, concerning
in the amount of for
in the event that if, in case
kindly please
of recent date recent
party person, a specific name
said not to be used as an adjective
same not to be used as a noun
subsequent to after, since
the writer, the undersigned I/me
up to this writing until now

Task 2 B. Consider the difference between these two versions of the same letter:

EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2

Dear Mr. Pendleton: Dear Mr. Pendleton:

With reference to your order for a We have received your order for a
Nashito camcorder, we are in receipt of Nashito camcorder but, unfortunately, must
your check and are returning same. return your check.

I beg to inform you that, as a As a manufacturer, we sell only to

manufacturer, our company sells dealers, with whom we have very explicit
camcorders to dealers only. In compliance wholesale agreements.
with our wholesale agreement, we deem it
best to refrain from direct business with
private consumers. Nevertheless, we sincerely appreciate
your interest in Nashito products. We are
For your information, there are many therefore enclosing a list of retailers in
retailers in your vicinity who carry Nashito your community who carry a full line of
camcorders. Attached please find a list of our camcorders. Any one of them will be
said dealers. happy to serve you.

Hoping you understand. Sincerely yours,

Yours truly,

Task 3 A. Read on the layout of a business letter. Then follow the further instructions.

Complete Business Letter Layout

1. LETTERHEAD: This, of course, is printed and supplied by your employer. It is used
only for the first page of a letter.
2. DATELINE: The date on which the letter is being prepared is typed a few lines below
the letterhead.
3. INSIDE ADDRESS: The address of your reader is typed as it will appear on the
envelope.
4. ATTENTION LINE: This is not always required. It should be used when the letter is
addressed to a company or organization as a whole, but you want it to be handled by a
specific individual at the company or within the organization. It should be underlined or
typed in capitals.
5. SALUTATION: While "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam," ''Dear Madam or Sir,"
"Gentlemen," "Gentlemen and Ladies" are acceptable in cases of extreme formality, you
should otherwise use an individual's name whenever it is known. When the reader's name
is not known, the person's title is the next best term in a salutation. “To whom it may
concern” – is another general formal impersonal option.
 6. SUBJECT LINE: Like the attention line, this is often omitted, but its inclusion is a
courtesy to your reader. By alerting him to the content of your message, you enable him to
decide whether the letter requires immediate attention. It should be underlined or typed in
capitals.
7. BODY: This is the actual message of your letter.
8. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSING: This is a polite, formal way to end a letter; standard
forms are "Yours truly" or "Truly yours," "Sincerely yours," "Respectfully yours," etc.
Excessively familiar closings should be avoided, except in special situations. "Best
wishes," for example, could be used when the reader is well known to you. Expressions
such as "Fondly" or "Love" should, obviously, be reserved for private correspondence.
9. COMPANY SIGNATURE: Another item often omitted from less formal
correspondence, it should be used when the signer of the letter is writing as a spokesperson
for the company, not as an individual. Since this information appears in the letterhead,
some companies omit it altogether.
10. SIGNER'S IDENTIFICATION: Printed four lines below the previous item to allow
space for the signature, this includes the signer's name and any relevant titles.
11. REFERENCE INITIALS: Consisting of the signer's initials in capitals followed by a
slash or colon followed by the lowercase initials of the person preparing the letter, this
item serves as a reminder of who prepared the letter.
12. ENCLOSURE REMINDER: Consisting of the word "enclosure" (or "enc" or
"encl"), or the word "enclosure" followed by a list of the enclosed items, this is a practical
courtesy to prevent your reader from discarding important matter with the envelope.
13. "CC" NOTATION: Also a courtesy, this tells the reader who has been sent a
"carbon" copy of the letter.
 Brief Business Letter Layout
There are 7 parts to a brief business letter:
1. Heading
2. Recipient's Address
3. Salutation
4. Body
5. Closing
6. Signature
7. Enclosures

The correct order of parts in a business letter is:

Heading - includes the business name if not already on letterhead

Recipient's Address
Salutation - always begin with Dear and be mindful of the appropriate title
Body - state the main point in the first paragraph
Closing - use an appropriate closing and appropriate title
Signature - skip four lines after closing for a written signature
Enclosures - include the number of enclosures or list by name

Additionally you might watch a presentation on types of Formal Lettre Layout

variations:
https://studylib.net/doc/9971950/the-forms-and-mechanics-of-business-letters

The Forms and Mechanics of Business Letters

Business letter layout e.g. 1 Business letter layout e.g. 2

(blocked letter style) (intended style)
 Task 3 B. Match the parts of the business letter with their definitions and the examples.
Then write the numbers and letters in the correct places of the letter blank.

I. enclosure a) the main message of a letter body 8

II. body b) sender’s name or surname in written form signature 3
III. inside address c) day, month and year of sending the letter date 7
IV. signature d) all the information about a sender letterhead 4
V. letterhead e) all the information about a receiver inside address 6
VI. date f) greetings salutation 1
VII. salutation g) sender’s status in a company official position 10
VIII. final comment h) something you add to your letter (copies or other documents)
IX. closing phrase enclosure 9
X. official position i) a phrase you sign your letter final comment 2
j) a phrase you use to show your desire to receive the answer from the
one you write to closing phrase 5
 1) Dear Madam,

5) I am looking forward to hearing from you

2) Faithfully yours,
Hanna Datsenko

3)
6) 22 Tupikova
Kyiv, 01003
Ukraine
4) BRIGHT FUTURE LTD.
12 Bright Street 7) 24 November, 2010
Beijing 34567
China 9) The list of our products
Tel.: 890-123-45
e-mail: future@ukr.net 10) The Vice-President

8) We found out about your company and the services you offer from your site. And we are aware to
inform you that our organization is interested in making and developing a separate branch dealing
with the problems of pets of Chinese children. As we looked though all the firms, companies and
organizations working in this sphere, we have chosen your company because of high quality of your
work and demands to your personnel. So, we would welcome the opportunity of our meeting and in
case of your agreement we would make all the appointments for cooperating. In this connection we
also would like to hire your team as consultants for our managers from R&D department.

Task 4. Complete the layout with the parts of the letter in the correct order.

1. Eagle press
2. December
 3. Allen sons
4. Dear sirs
5. I understand
6. Yours sincerely
7. James

Task 5. Analyze the order of signing an envelope. State the meaning of the information
on the envelope.

The ZIP Code in the mailing address.

The addressee.
The street name in the mailing address.
The ZIP Code in the return address.
The town the letter comes from.
The sender’s company name

Task 6. Match the numbered information on the envelope with its meaning below.
 a. The sender’s name.
b. The street name in the return address.
c. The addressee’s company name.
d. The town the letter comes from.
e. The addressee.
f. The ZIP Code in the mailing address.

Task 7 (additional assignment). Read an advice on letter-writing from the XIX century
celebrity. Share your opinion on which steps are practical nowadays.

Letter-Writing Advice
from Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll is best known as the author of Alice in
Wonderland, but he was also an avid letter writer, especially
personal letters to friends and colleagues.
In 1890, he wrote a small pamphlet with his advice on how to
write better letters. An abbreviated and slightly edited version
appears below.
Some of his advice, dated and charming, will give the twenty-
first century reader a chuckle. But much of the author’s letter-
writing advice is still relevant and useful more than a century later.

Part 1. How to Begin a Letter

If the letter is to be in answer to another, begin by getting out that other letter and
reading it through, in order to refresh your memory, as to what it is you have to answer,
and as to your correspondence’s present address.
Next, address and stamp the envelope. “What! Before writing the letter?”
Most certainly. And I’ll tell you what will happen if you don’t. You will go on writing
till the last moment, and, just in the middle of the last sentence, you will become aware
that time’s up!
Then comes the hurried wind-up-the wildly-scrawled signature . . . the hastily-fastened
envelope, which comes open in the post . . . the address, a mere hieroglyphic . . . the
horrible discovery that you’ve forgotten to replenish your stamp supply . . . the frantic
appeal, to every one in the house, to lend you a stamp . . . the headlong rush to the post
office, arriving, hot and gasping, just after the box has closed . . . and finally, a week
afterwards, the return of the letter, from the Dead-Letter Office, marked “address
illegible.” Next, put your own address, in full, as the top of the note-sheet. It is an
aggravating thing — I speak from bitter experience — when a friend, staying at some new
address, heads his letter “Dover,” simply, assuming that you can get the rest of the address
from his previous letter, which perhaps you have destroyed.
Next, put the date in full. It is another aggravating thing, when you wish, years
afterwards, to arrange a series of letters, to find them dated “Feb. 17”, “Aug. 2”, without
any year to guide you as to which comes first. And never, never put “Wednesday,” simply,
as the date. That way madness lies!
 Task 8. Follow the attached links and watch ironical sketches on how business emails
and text messages might look like in real life. Name some types of formal emails that
you’ve seen in the videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sipisc-EA7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poqaP9UTUrY

P.C.

In case of questions, don’t hesitate to contact me via mail

kateryna.rybakova@knlu.edu.ua or via Telegram messenger 380509982579

Sincerely yours,

PhD, senior lecturer

K. Rybakova