Writing Business Letters

Contents
In this part, you will learn:
1. how to write a business letter
2. how to write a notice
3. how to write a memo
4. how to write an agenda
5. how to write minutes of a meeting
6. how to Write a Résumé

Writing a Business Letter
Supposing you have bought a defective laptop from a foreign company, what are you going to do then?
Most probably you'll decide to write to the company about your problems. In this case, you are supposed to write a formal business letter to state your case.

Writing a Business Letter
In real life there are various occasions on which we communicate with other social institutions, such as a company, school, or government agency. Such communication usually involves business letters. This chapter will teach you how to write an effective business letter so that you'll be able to communicate with other social institutions in a most appropriate way.

Writing a Business Letter
A. Understanding a Business Letter
A business letter is a letter often used to communicate with other social institutions, such as a school, hospital, department store, company, or government agency. It is widely used when we handle business matters with other people or organizations. Writing an effective business letter requires that you acquire good language skills and fully understand the style and format of business letters.

Writing a Business Letter
A formal business letter usually consists of six parts: heading, inside address, salutation, body, close, and signature. Sometimes, notations are included, but they are optional.
1. Heading
It gives your detailed address and the date on which the letter is written. You should write your address in English as follows:

Writing a Business Letter
Line 1: The doorplate number and the name of the road (or P .O. box )
Line 2: The name of the city or county
Line 3: The name of the province or state and the postal code
Line 4: The name of the country
Line 5: The date
Now read the following four samples and figure out how an address should be written in English.

Writing a Business Letter
Sample 1
17 Trumpington Street
Cambridge, CB2 1QA
U.K.
29 May, 2002

Writing a Business Letter
Sample 2
109 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
U.S.A.
September 15, 1999

Writing a Business Letter
Sample 3
The Dept. of English
Shanghai University
99 Shangda Road Shanghai, 200436
China
January 2, 2004

Writing a Business Letter
Sample 4
Spring International Travel Service (U. K.) Ltd.
68 Kenway Road
London, SW5 0RD
U.K.
26 December, 1998

Writing a Business Letter
Note: Special care should be taken when you write the date. All-figure dating, such as 04/03/03, is usually avoided in formal writing. For some readers, such dates are ambiguous. In Britain, it refers to the fourth of March, 2003, and is written as 4 March, 2003 or 4th March, 2003; in America, 04/03/03 means the third of April, 2003, and is written as April 3, 2003 or April 3rd, 2003.

Writing a Business Letter
2. Inside Name and Address
It refers to the addressee's name and address, including his or her full name, title, and address. This part can be dropped from private letters.
There can be various types of honorific titles, such as Mr. , Miss, Mrs., Ms., Dr. , Prof. , and Pres. (President).
If you are not sure about a person's specific name, you can use such a title as "The Sales Manager".

Writing a Business Letter
3. Salutation
The most typical form of salutation is: Dear + title + name. For example, you can write "Dear Prof. Smith" or "Dear Miss Chen". It is usually followed by a comma (in British English) or a colon (in American English)

Writing a Business Letter
If you are not sure about the specific name of the addressee, you can use such forms as:
(a) "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" when the sex of the person is known;
(b) "Dear Sir or Madam" when the sex of the person is unknown;
(c) "Dear Sirs" when it is a collective body;
(d) "To whom it may concern" when it is a letter of certification, recommendation, etc.

Writing a Business Letter
4. Body
It usually includes three components:
(1) the purpose of writing the business letter;
(2) the detailed message of the business letter; and
(3) the conclusion of the business letter.

Writing a Business Letter
5. Complementary Close
It usually takes the form of "Yours sincerely" or "Sincerely yours" followed by a comma.
It can also be "Yours faithfully" (in British English) or "Yours truly" (in American English)

Writing a Business Letter
6. Signature
It should be placed between the complimentary close and your printed name. If you want to indicate your title or position, put it below your printed name.

Writing a Business Letter
7. Notations
Notations are optional. There are usually three kinds of notations:
(a) P. S. (= postscript): An addition to the letter, below the place where you have signed your name. It is suggestive of some omissions that have been incurred when you wrote your letter.
(b) Encl. ( = Enclosure (s) ): Other files you want to attach to the letter, such as a résumé, a receipt, or a letter of certification.
(c) cc ( = carbon copy/copies ): Copies of this letter have been made for other departments or units.

Writing a Business Letter
8. Format of Business Letters
Usually, there are two formats of English business letters: the semi-indented style (混合式) and the blocked style (并列式).
According to the semi-indented style, the heading, inside name and address, salutation, complementary close, and signature are flush with the left margin. The body is also flush with the left margin, but the paragraphs in it are indented five spaces. Look at the following sketch: A

Writing a Business Letter
According to the blocked style, the heading, complementary close, and signature are flush with the right margin, whereas the rest components of the letter are flush with the left margin, including every paragraph of the body. Look at the following sketch: B

Writing a Business Letter
9. Envelope
It must be noted that an English envelope is addressed differently from a Chinese one. On an English envelope, the sender's address is placed at the top left corner, and the receiver's address lies right in the center.

Writing a Business Letter
An English envelope usually contains the following elements:
(a) Information about the receiver, such as his or her title, name, and address. It is placed near the center of the envelope.
(b) Information about the sender, such as his or her name and detailed address. It is placed at the top left corner of the envelope.

Writing a Business Letter
(c) Stamp: It is stuck to the top right corner of the envelope.
(d) Other information: It is placed at the bottom left corner of the envelope. There are three types of such information:

Writing a Business Letter
The nature of the mail, such as " Confidential, "Secret" , " Urgent , and "Immediate", etc.
The content of the mail, such as "Printed Matter", " Photos Enclosed", and " Sample"

Writing a Business Letter
Please read the following sample in order to get a better idea of what an English envelope is like :
To conclude, writing an effective business letter involves a good understanding of its six components, its format, and the way an English envelope is addressed. More importantly, the language you use in the body of the business letter should be correct, clear, concise, and courteous.

Writing an application Letter
Read the sample application letters to learn what an effective application letter is like.

Writing a Résumé
Supposing you want to find a part-time job and the boss wants you to produce a summary of your own life, what are you going to do then? Most probably you'll write a résumé. In fact, writing a good resume has become an important part of the job-hunting process. This chapter will teach you how to write an effective résumé so that you'll have a better chance of landing an ideal job.
land a job: succeed in obtaining a job, especially against strong competition (informal)

Writing a Résumé
A. Understanding a Resume
A résumé is a short written account of your education and past experiences. It is the mirror of your life and is often needed when you are looking for a new job.
A résumé is usually made up of four basic and indispensable components:
Indispensable: absolutely essential

Writing a Résumé
• Name, Address, and Telephone
• Experience
• Education
• Personal Data
Other optional components include Job Objectives, Foreign Languages Skills, Publications, Hobbies, References, etc.

Writing a Résumé
1. Name, Address, and Telephone
This is an important component of a résumé. Despite its simple content, it has a fairly rigid format. There are usually three types as follows:

Writing a Résumé
Type 1
Wang Daming
123 Beijing Rd, Apt. 505
Jing'an District, Shanghai 200040
The People's Republic of China
Telephone: [phone]

Writing a Résumé
Type 2

Writing a Résumé
Type 3
Wang Daming
123 Beijing Rd, Apt. 505
Jing'an District, Shanghai 200040
P.R.C
Telephone: 86 - 21 - 65506332

Writing a Résumé
An English address is usually written on three separate lines. The first line is the doorplate number and the street; the second line is the city, county, or province, together with the postal code; and the third line is the name of the country.

Writing a Résumé
2. Experience
Your experience is an important part of your résumé. It tells people how long you've been working, where you have worked, and what position you have held. You can also indicate the character of your previous work, your experience, abilities, expertise, etc. List your experiences in chronological order and begin them with the most recent. For example：

Writing a Résumé
2000-2004 M.A. in English and American Literature, Shanghai University
1995-2000 Teacher of English as a Foreign Language, Shanghai High School
1991-1995 B.A. in English, Shanghai International Studies University

Writing a Résumé
3. Education
This refers to your high school education and above. The items to be included are the name of the school, the duration, the major, and the degree obtained. Start your list with the most recent and with the highest degree.

Writing a Résumé
If you have attended some training courses, you may as well specify their nature and the hours spent. For example,
2001-2002 Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Two semesters of graduate-level study in English & American Literature
Eight hours per week (evenings and weekends)

Writing a Résumé
4. Personal Data
This includes your sex, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, marital status, and health conditions. You may also specify your height, weight, and personal hobbies. Personal Data can be placed at the end of your resume or at the right top corner of the first page of your resume. For example,

Writing a Résumé
Wang Dawei
123 Beijing Rd #505
Jing'an District, Shanghai 200040
P.R.C
Tel-86-21-6613332
Date of Birth: May 23, 1969
Place of Birth: Shanghai
Sex: Male
Nationality: Chinese

Writing a Résumé
Please bear the following principles in mind when you write a résumé:
• List your data reasonably
• Use precise wording
• Make careful revisions

Writing a Résumé
A résumé or C.V. (Curriculum Vitae). is a brief introduction of oneself with a list of one's qualifications, written in a special format. Normally, a résumé includes: (1) personal information such as name, sex, age, mailing address, E-mail address, phone number, and so on (2) educational background; (3) work experience and referees; and (4) skills summary.

Challenge Yourself

Challenge Yourself
There is a story presented a universally acknowledged professor in the field of negotiation.
Fill in the blanks with proper words to complete the story.

Squabbling
Squabbling: to engage in a disagreeable argument, usually over trivial matter.

The Original Story
“Recently two of my sons were squabbling over some apple pie, each insisting that he should have the larger slice. Neither would agree to an even split. So I suggested that one boy cut the pie any way he liked, and the other boy could choose the piece he wanted. This sounded fair to both of them, and they accepted . Each felt that he had gotten the square deal.”

A Notice
Car Mileage
All car mileage claims for November should be completed and sent to Betty Lee by December 4th.
Claims received after this date cannot be included in employees’ December pay checks.
Peter Burton
Service Manager
November 23rd

A Notice
Component of a notice:
Notice (optional)
The subject
Body
Name of the person who writers the notice (optional)
Job title of the person who writers the notice (optional)
Date

Formal Invitations
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary
of the founding of Mianyang Teachers’ College
The President, Mr. Yuan Sijia,
Would like to invite Prof. and Mrs. Allan Moss
to a Reception on Monday, September 5, 2005 from 11:30 to 13:30 at the Guest House
R.S.V.P.
Tel.[phone]
(regrets only)

Formal Invitations
Mr. and Mrs. Wang Shuocheng
request the pleasure of your company
to say farewell to Mr. Frank Johnson
at a diner at Purple Garden
on Thursday, 2nd May, 2001 at 6 p.m.

Decline an Invitations
Mr. and Mrs. @@@
Will regret saying that a prior engagement prevented them attending
So thank Mr. @@’s kind invitation for the@@

An exercise
Words and Expressions:
ceremony cordially Fair fax floor forward promotion R.S.V.P. note Venue

An exercise
Carrefour Nanfang Store
1 invites
Mr. Victor Huges to
the Nanfang Wine 2
Opening 3 with Tasting and 4 Sales
5 : Food Junction
Third 6 of Carrefour Nanfang

An exercise
1666 Humin Road
Date: Monday, April 20th
Time: 8 p. m. — 9 p. m.
Please 7: All guests will be able to buy nearly 20 8 wines at special prices.
We are looking 9 to welcoming you.
10 before April 18th
By 11 : 64510654 or Tel: [phone]

Memo (Memorandum)
Elements of a memo
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Message:

Agenda
An agenda is a list of the items to be discussed at a meeting.
A meeting without an agenda is like a ship without a captain; you have nothing to guide you and you have no excuse to get back on track if "Loud Howard" decides to hijack it to tell you about his bunions.
Bunions: painful swelling 炎肿

Agenda
A good meeting agenda will also serve as a guide to participants, making the meeting more efficient and productive. And a good meeting agenda is short and simple.
An effective meeting agenda, which states what activities will take place during the meeting, serves various important functions:

Agenda
It forces the meeting leader or group to think out what needs to be accomplished
Provided ahead of time (as it should be), the agenda lets people know what to expect and allows them to prepare as necessary
It provides a blueprint or path for the meeting to follow
It reminds people of what there is left to cover if time gets to be an issue

Agenda
Here is a meeting agenda template with explanations regarding key sections:
The header is particularly useful if participants belong to various groups /organizations, or if the agenda will be made public record:

Agenda
Organization Name
Group Meeting Agenda
Location
Date
Starting and Ending Time

Agenda
The body of the agenda lists the actual items to be covered during the meeting. When possible, use actionable words such as approve, discuss, adopt, announce to let participants know what is expected of them. At the end of each item is a suggested time allotted (adding up to an hour and a half long meeting), but in reality time allotted will depend on your group’s particular circumstances.

Agenda
Welcome/Introductions/Warm-Up Activity
Doing one of these is particularly helpful for groups that don’t get together often. It is also a good way of getting the meeting started while not making late-comers miss anything substantive. (10 min)
Approve/adopt previous meeting minutes
Obviously, only necessary if minutes are kept. (5 min)

Agenda
Discuss the topics at hand.
This will usually be broken up into several parts, and will take up the bulk of the meeting. This is where you would include items like “Review annual budget” or “Brainstorm fundraising ideas” or “Hear report from Finance Committee”. (60 min total)
the bulk of: the main part of

Agenda
Announcements
This is often kept to the end of the meeting, but because new information can sometimes change the focus of a meeting, it may be useful to have announcements early on. (10 min)
Decide on time and agenda for next meeting. (5 min).

Agenda
Sample agenda and Minutes of Meeting

How to Write Meeting Minutes
What is the purpose of minutes?
Minutes are written as an accurate record of a group's meetings, and a record decisions taken. They are useful because people can forget what was decided at a meeting if there is no written record of the proceedings. Minutes can also inform people who were not at the meeting about what took place.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Who writes the minutes?
It is normal practice for one person at each meeting to be given the task of writing the minutes. It may be the same person each meeting, or the task may be rotated.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
What do the minutes contain?
Before each meeting an agenda should be drawn up, detailing the matters to be discussed at the meeting. A set of minutes should normally include the following information:

How to Write Meeting Minutes
time, date and place of meeting;
list of people attending;
list of absent members of the group;
approval of the previous meeting's minutes, and any matters arising from those minutes;
for each item in the agenda, a record of the principal points discussed and decisions taken;
time, date and place of next meeting;
name of person taking the minutes.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Tips for Writing Minutes of Meetings
Identify what the meeting is about.
Review the agenda including the names of attending participants in order to become familiar with the context of the meeting. The more you know about the upcoming discussions and participants, the more effective your notes will be.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Use the agenda to format the minutes.
Before the meeting begins, prepare a template with the agenda and leave plenty of space for notes. Remember to include all relevant information, the date and time, agenda, participants, time adjourned, next meeting date, etc. Prepare an attendance checklist especially if you are not familiar with the group or committee.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Where possible, the notetaker should not be a participant.
Be impartial and objective. It is very difficult to take minutes of a meeting that you are expected to participate in. As notetaker you are not in charge of the meeting, the chairperson is. Your focus must be on capturing the discussion of the meeting, not on leading the discussion.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Writing minutes is not the same as transcribing.
Keep your minutes brief and to the point. The minutes of a meeting should be a snapshot of discussions and decisions. Effective minute taking does not mean you are recording every word that was said, this could lead to missing important points.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Attach any documentation given out at the meeting.
If any materials or brochures were distributed at the meeting, include copies with the meeting notes.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Type up minutes as soon as possible.
It is good practice to put together a draft of the minutes as soon as possible, while it is still fresh in your mind. The longer you put this first draft off, the greater the probability of forgetting something crucial.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Proofing
Be sure to check and double-check your draft before sending to the participants. Keep all rough notes until the minutes have been approved.
Record meetings if possible.
If possible, use a tape recorder to record the meeting and then prepare your notes from the recording.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Step-by step approach to writing meeting minutes
Keeping track of minutes when attending a meeting is important. The minutes recorded can lets one know what took place during the meeting. Think about it, if there were no minutes recorded then how will one be able to keep abreast of the topics discussed in regular or client meetings.
First things first
First, remember to bring a pen and notebook to the meeting.
second, writes down who is attending the meeting
Third, the meeting must have some kind of purpose, choose one. For example, this meeting deals with How to generate more clients.

How to Write Meeting Minutes
Fourth, don't try to write down everything that is said, focus on only the important (key) points in the meeting.
Fifth, note agreements and any special planning that is taking place. Basically, write down who is talking, what they are talking about, and when they said they were going to do something.
Sixth, if you miss or get confuse about anything simply ask. Ask to have your draft read back to you or for some type of contact information.
Seven, again, if you are confused by anything, ask someone right away even before the meeting is over.