Chapter 1:
THE FORM OF A BUSINESS LETTER

PART I. Sample letters
1. Formal letter layout with fully-blocked letter, open punctuation

1.

RELIANCE HOLDING FINANCE GROUP
88 Martin Lane London EC2V 6BH United Kingdom
Telephone and Fax: 01-588 3782

2

TOCONTAP SAIGON

3 Your ref: LE/Inq.123

125 Nguyen Hue Street

Our ref: SC/RP

District 1
Hochiminh City
Vietnam

4 14 November, 20--

5

Attention: Mr. Nguyen Hong, Director

6

Dear Sirs

7

Re: Up-to-date list of addresses

1


8

We thank you very much for your letter of 11 November 20--,
asking for an up-to-date list of addresses of our branches.
We are pleased to enclose this brochure, showing the location
of all our branches and agencies at home and abroad.
We look forward to receiving your early reply.

9

Yours faithfully

10

(For RELIANCE HOLDINGS)

11


(Signed)

12

S.S. Carson (Mr.)

13

Sales Manager

14

Encl.
+01 copy of brochure

2


2. Less formal letter

THE HANOI PRODUCTION-SERVICES-IMPORT-EXPORT
CORPORATION
HoChiMinh City Branch
149 Ly Chinh Thang Street

Tel &Fax: 84-8-8359276

District 3

Cables: HAPROSIMEX Co


HoChiMinh City

Telex: 343235 HAPRO

Vietnam

Mr. J King

Your ref: JK/034

Managing Director

Our ref: NS/tl

Shiptons Cross Country Ltd
359 Motting Road Greenwich
London SE02AF United Kingdom

20 December, 20--

Dear Mr. King
Thank you for your letter of 15 December enquiring about our
Rubber.
I am pleased to enclose our latest brochures and price list. Please note
that the prices are CIF Saigon Port.
3


I hope that you will find our prices reasonable and our terms most

generous.
As we have received a large number of enquiries from all over Europe
in response to our advertisement, I would advise you to place an
immediate order due to limited supply.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely

(Signed)
Nguyen Sang
Sales Manager
Enc. Brochures & price list

4


PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

1. Letter head
Included name, address, telephone number of the sender, and may
contain a description of the business, trade- mark, telegraphic /cable
address, telex, etc.
Note: if the letter is sent to the other country, the name of sender’s
country must be added
E.g.:
FOOTSTEP PRODUCTIONS LTD
8 Driscoll House 19 Southampton Street London WC2E 7QG United
Kingdom
Telephone: 071-836-990
Or:
The


Vietnam

National

Machinery

Export

Corporation
Head office: 8 Trang Thi Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Cable address: MACHINOHANOI
Tel & Fax: 84-4-852265

2. References
5

and

Import


Initials, number or both. Addressee’s reference, where known, is
typed first.
The first initial is of the writer (usually in upper case) and the second
is of the typist. A file or department reference may also be included.
E.g.:
-------------------------Your Ref: JS/ mk
Our Ref: GBD/526
--------------------------


3. Date
Abbreviation may be used for Jan. Feb. Aug. ................... but do not
write the month in figures. No mention of town.
-------------------------------------------------E.g.: 14 January 2000; or September 2, 20--------------------------------------------------Note: using the comma: e.g: don’t use: “1 September 2001”, use:
“1 September, 2001”

4. Inside address

6


The name of receiver, his/her position (if known) name of his/her
company, company’s address (street, district, area, city/province,
country).
E.g.:
----------------------------------Mr. James Leighton
General Manager
Leighton Engineering Co Ltd
12 Bracken Hill
MANCHESTER M60 8AS
The United Kingdom
--------------------------------------

5. Attention line
may be used if you wish to address the letter to a particular member of
the company. This should be placed one clear line space above or
below the inside address, as preferred.
E.g.:
----------------------------------------------------------------For the attention of Mr. John Tyler, Sales Manager


Garden Supplies Ltd
7


24 Audrecia Street
Rotterdam
R45 9JT
Great Britain
----------------------------------------------------------------6. Salutation

British

American

Formal

Dear Sir (unknown man)

Dear Sir:

(unknown

Dear Madam (unknown woman)

Gentlemen:

person)

Dear Sir or madam or Dear

Sir/Madam (unknown sex)
Dear Sirs (to a department or a
company)

Less formal

Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms +

Dear Mr.

(known

Surname

Brown:

person)

E.g.:

Dear Mrs./

Dear Mr. Brown

Miss/ Ms/

Dear Mrs./ Miss/ Ms Smith

7. Subject line (heading)


8

Smith:


This gives a brief indication of the content of the letter. It is usually
placed on clear line space after the salutation. It may also be omitted
E.g.:
Dear Mr. Leighton
ORDER NUMBER 4564

8. Letter body
Divided into 3 main pares: Opening/ main/ ending

9. Complimentary Close
Salutation

British

Dear Sir

Yours

Dear Madam

(formal)

American
faithfully Very truly yours
Yours very truly


Dear Sir or madam
Dear Sir/Madam
Dear Sirs
Dear Mr. Brown,

Yours

sincerely Sincerely yours

Dear Mrs./ Miss/ Ms (informal)

Cordially yours

Smith

10. For

9


When signing on behalf of an employer it is usual to write “For”; For
the letter to a person the first time you deal with, “FOR” should be
highly recommended It means on behalf of your firm
E.g.: For ABC Co./ for HOANGANH Ltd.

11. Signature
This is for the hand written signature of the writer

12. Typed signature

After leaving 4/5 blank lines for signature, the name of the sender
should be shown. “Ms/Miss/Ms” must always be added in brackets
after a woman’s name, “Mr.” may be added only for the first time.
E.g.: Nguyen Thao Van (Ms.); John Lennon (Mr.)

13. Position /Title
This shows the position or title of the writer
E.g.:
----------------------------

-------------------------

Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

GEORGE RAINE

MAI LAN (Miss)

Chairman

Sales Manager
10


----------------------------

--------------------------


14. Enclosure:
This indicates that an enclosure is being sent along with the letter.
(Enc. / Encl.)
E.g.:
Enc. A price list

15. Copies to be circulated
When a copy of a letter is to be sent to a third party (perhaps someone
in the same organization), it is usual to indicate this by typing “cc”
(carbon copy) followed by two spaces and the name of the recipient of
the copy. The usual position for this is at the foot of the letter after the
designation or after any enclosure indicated.
E.g.:
------------------------------------------cc Miss Thao Van, Chief Accountant
------------------------------------------If the writer does not wish the recipient of the letter to know that a
third person is receiving a copy of the letter, then “bcc” (blind copy
circulated) must be typed. This should be shown only on copies of the
letter and not on the original (top) copy.
11


E.g.: Bcc Mr. Keith Lawson, Managing Director

PART II. Vocabulary
1. Business glossary
Apologize
verb

say "sorry"


approach
noun

method or style of doing something

attitude
noun

outlook on life

by invitation
only

only those who are asked to come will be allowed
in

commence
verb

start

complimentary
adjective

free

concerns
noun

problems, issues


confidential
adjective

private

conscientious
adjective

cares about quality of work

12


contribution
noun

individual effort or support in a group

convenient
adjective

suitable, favourable, makes life easy

cooperation
noun

the act of working together

coordinator

noun

person who organizes something

dedication
noun

a lot of effort put into something

dependable
adjective

can be trusted

disregard
verb

ignore, pay no attention to

do not hesitate
phrase

don't wait

dropped
verb

fell to a lower amount

effective

adjective

produces a positive response

efficient
adjective

performs well

enclosed

included inside
13


adjective
encouraged
verb

persuaded or inspired

enquire (BrE)
inquire (AmE)
verb

looking for information

extravaganza
noun


exciting and rare event

formal
adjective

following set requirements

grateful
adjective

thankful

guarantee
verb

promise

impact
noun

effect

indicates
verb

shows

invoice
noun


document detailing purchases and money owed

latest
adjective

most modern

lay-off

take a job away from an employee (when
14


verb

employee is not at fault)

notice
noun

document that indicates a change or event

outstanding
balance
adjective

money still owed

pleasure
noun


enjoyment

postpone
verb

delay until later

preferred
customer

buyer who comes back often

present
verb

award something to someone

professional
adjective

exhibits suitable behaviour on the job

profound
adjective

deep

punctual
noun


always on time

reach me
verb

find and talk to me

records

files that keep track of business matters
15


noun
regarding
verb

being about

regret
verb

feel bad

reliable
adj

dependable


replacement
noun

someone who fills the position of another

representative
noun

a person who acts on behalf of another person,
company, policy...

resignation
noun

the act of leaving a job position

respected
adj

considered good and honest

retirement
noun

a permanent leave from the workplace (usually due
to aging)

senior staff
noun


employees who hold high positions or have been
working at the same place for a long time

severance
noun

money paid to make up for a separation

sharp
adverb

exactly (in reference to time)
16


skyrocketed
verb

went up higher very quickly

stock
noun

share in ownership

struggle
verb

work at with difficulty


sufficient
adj

enough

support
noun

financial help

T.B.A

To Be Announced

versatile
adj

with a variety of skills and abilities

welcome
adjective

(happily) permitted to do something

2. Punctuation
Apostrophe

Dấu móc lửng

Exclamation mark


Dấu chấm than

Semicolon

Dấu chấm phẩy

Dash

Dấu ngạch ngang

Hyphen

Dấu gạch nối

Asteric

Dấu hoa thi

Ellipsis

Dấu ba chấm, three dots ( … ) used to show that
17


a word or words have been left out
Quotation marks

Dấu ngoặc kép


Inverted commas

Dấu ngoặc kép

Speech marks

Dấu ngoặc kép

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PART III. Exercises
I. Fill in the blanks the missing words about parts of a letter
1. -------s are referred to those paper, document, price-list, catalogues,
samples etc that are enclosed or attached with the business letter. The
-------s should be clearly indicated in the letter as to how many paper
or documents have been enclosed in the letter.
2. .------- refers to the left over information to be incorporated in a
letter and can be written at the end of the letter in a blank space
available on a paper or letter head. It should be done by writing words
‘P.S’ and should be signed by authorized signatory. It is advisable to
avoid writing the .-------in a business letter.
3. If sender prefers to specify any specific .------- of posting a letter
like ‘Registered Mail’, ‘Registered A.D’, ‘Urgent’, ‘Confidential’ or
‘Express’, then it has to be written or typed at the top of the letter
heading or in blank space available on the right hand side after the
date. These notations or mailing .------- should bear prominence in a
letter and should be written with red ink or with bold letters.
4. If the sender wishes to draw .------- of a particular person or officer
then it can be addressed as “FOR PERSONAL .------- OF…” at the

top of the letter or in the blank space available after the date.
5. If we prefer to deliver the same letter to other person or office then
we prefer to take out its .------- .-------and write the notations as
under:
Copy to --Or
19


C.C. to --Or
Copy forwarded to ---

6. The business letter is closed with a suitable and fitting .------sentence and consists of a .------- suggestion from sender’s side about
future course of action. It should be impressive, congenial and friendly
so that it leaves a good impression on the reader.
7. The .------- sentences consists of few words in the beginning of a
letter and they are of great importance to both sender and receiver of
the letter.
8. The ------ of a letter refers to collection of lines or paragraphs of
information included in a business letter.
9. ------ heading is referred to giving short title given to the
--------matter of a business letter. ( the same word for the 2 blanks)
10. Two spaces below the final paragraph of the letter, a traditional
------- line, generally "sincerely" or "respectfully," ends the letter. If
the situation calls for a warmer tone, the ------- might be "cordially,"
"best wishes," or "regards." ( the same word for the 2 blanks)
11. A four-line space allows room for a written ------- immediately
below the closing, then the sender's full name is typed, with the full
business title (sometimes with the department or division as well) on
the next line.


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12. The typical letter uses one to three ------s to provide the
information relevant to its purpose. Each ------ should cover a single
topic or point. ( the same word for the 2 blanks)
Key 1. enclosure . 2.postscript 3.direction 4.attention 5.carbon
copies 6. closing, closing 7.opening 8.body

9.Subject 10.closing

11.signature 12. paragraphs

II. Translation: Vietnamese – English translation
1. Hàng cần được đóng trong

1. The goods should be packed in

thùng carton 3 lớp thích hợp

seaworthy 3-layer/ply cartons

cho vận tải xa bằng đường biển. suitable for long sea voyage.
2. Mỗi mặt hàng cần được bọc

2. Each item should be wrapped in

trong giấy cứng tách riêng bằng

strong paper/ by hard material,


lớp phân cách. 12 chiếc được

separated by dividers , 12 pieces are

đóng trong một thùng hàng thưa packed in a steeled-hooped wooden
bằng gỗ được nẹp sắt ở gốc.

crate.

3. Trên mặt đối diện của mỗi

3. On both opposite side of each

kiện hàng, những chỉ dẫn sau

case, the following

phải được ghi bằng mực không

indications/markings should be

phai: trọng lượng cả bì, trọng

marked in weatherproof ink: gross

lượng tinh, kích cỡ của kiện

weight, net weight, measurement


hàng.

(the size, length or amount of sth)
/dimension (a measurement in
space, for example the height, width
or length of sth: )

4. Những mã hiệu sau phải

4. On both consecutive sides of
21


được ghi trên hai mặt liền nhau

each case, the following symbols

của mỗi kiện hàng: hình mũi

should be marked the arrow for

tên để chỉ chiều đặt đúng của

right laying of the goods, the glass

kiện hàng, chiếc li chỉ hàng dễ

indicating the fragile nature.

vỡ.

5. Hàng cần được đóng kỹ

5. The goods should be carefully

lưỡng trong các thùng gỗ để

packed in wooden crates to avoid

tránh những thiệt hại có thể xảy

possible damage with full/ duly

ra với những chỉ dẫn đầy đủ ghi

indications marked on the surface

trên mặt ngoài của bao kiện.

of each case.

6. Để hạn chế tổn thất trong quá 6. In minimizing damage in transit (
trình vận chuyển đến mức thấp

to reduce to the minimum ), each

nhất, mỗi mặt hàng phải được

unit has to be packed in one

đóng trong một túi xốp kín khí,


carefully battened carton to avoid

12 chiếc được đóng trong một

the movement of the contents.

thùng carton có chèn lót cẩn
thận để tránh xô lệch bên trong.
7. Chúng tôi cho rằng thùng

7. We suppose slight carton boxes

carton nhẹ được gia cố bằng

strengthened with wooden liner will

ván lót sẽ đáp ứng yêu cầu của

meet your requirement and will be

chúng tôi và sẽ rẻ hơn thùng gỗ

much cheaper/ more economical

cứng nhiều vì thùng carton

than strong wooden cases because

không phải trả lại.


it’s not necessary to return it.

8. Mỗi chiếc bình được boc

8. Each pot is wrapped in soft paper

bằng giấy mềm trước khi đặt

before put in box with decorated

vào trong từng hộp có bìa trang

cover. These boxes, then, are
22


trí. Những chiếc hộp này sau đó packed in strong carton boxes , 12
được đóng trong thùng carton

pieces are packed in one box.

cứng : 12 chiếc một thùng tách
riêng bằng lớp phân cách có
nếp gấp.
9. Những chiếc thùng thưa được 9. The crates are lined with
bao lót bằng giấy k thấm nước .

watertight (that does not allow


Nắp đậy được đóng chắc bằng

water to get in or out:) material.The

đinh và thùng hàng được đay

lids are secured with nails and the

nẹp bằng dây kim loại.

boxes are strapped with metal
band.

10. Để tiết kiệm cước phí,

10. To minimize freight, we suggest

chúng tôi đề nghi đóng hàng

that the goods have to be packed in

trong thùng thưa có gia cố, một

consolidated crates, such a tight

thùng kín bằng kim loại như quí case as suggested by you is not
ngài đề nghi sẽ không kinh tế.

economical.


III. Matching
Match words from box A with phrases from box B with the same
meaning. Then use the words in box A to complete the sentences
below.
1. Prospectus a. a complete list of items, for example of things that
people can look at or buy
2. Brochure

b. a statement of how much money a particular piece
of work will cost
23


3. Booklet

c. a copy of sth, usually smaller than the original
object, something such as a system that can be copied
by other people

4. Catalogue d. a small magazine or book containing pictures and
information about sth or advertising sth
5. Quotation e. a formal offer to supply goods or do work at a stated
price
6. Tender

f. a public event at which things are sold to the person
who offers the most money for them

7. Model


g. a small thin book with a paper cover that contains
information about a particular subject

8. Auction

h. single example of sth, especially an animal or a
plant

9. Specimen l. a class or group of people or things that share
particular qualities or features and are part of a larger
group
10. Type

m.a book or printed document that gives information
about a school, college, etc. in order to advertise it

1.m 2d 3g 4a 5b 6e 7c 8f 9h

10.l

1. We are inviting ------- for the provision of training courses for staff.
2. The stores will be put up for ------- by the parent company.
3. The latest ------- will be on display at the motor show.
4. The first ------- you get is rarely the most competitive.
5. The company sells home furnishings through/via an online -------.
24


6. The company has outlined its plans for expansion in its -------.
7. It is the first car of its ------- to have this design feature.

8. The aquarium has some interesting ------- of unusual tropical fish.
KEY:1.tenders 2.auction 3.models 4.quotattion 5.catalogue
6.prospectus 7.type 8.specimens

IV. Read the following statements and decide which are True and
which are Fault
1. If you do not know how a female recipient prefers to be

T

addressed, it is best to use "Ms."
2. Keep your sentences short, and try to use conjunctions F
such as ‘and, but, however as much as possible
3. If you feel your correspondent’s comments are unfair, try F
to respond quickly to protect your rights and save your face.
Try to to reply to a rude letter in the same tone.
4. Ignoring the tone could result in a message that sounds

T

aggressive, tactless, curt, rude, sarcastic, or offensive to
your recipient.
5. Your message should sound sincere, while written in the

F

most formal way. Write naturally as if you are having a
conversation.
6. Type the date of your letter one to eight lines below the


2 to 6,

letterhead. Three are standard.

F

7. List the names of people to whom you distribute copies,

T

in alphabetical order. If addresses would be useful to the
25