Unit 5 Letters, e-mails, Memos
“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas”
Dr. Zinus Pauling (1901-1994), American Chemist
Starting up
Work in groups. Discuss the questions:
What do you enjoy about using letters and e-mails?
Is it important to give the best impression to the letter or e-mail reader?
What do you dislike about using e-mails or letters?
Could you compare the relative merits or communicating in writing with face-to-face communicating?
Is it necessary that reader can exactly see what you mean in your letter or e-mail?
Does a dull or confusing lay out make a letter or an e-mail difficult to read?
What kinds of letters and e-mails do you know?
Do you feel angry when getting letter or e-mails with spam?
Reading
Background information
There are five important parts in a typical business letter or e-mail. In a letter or an e-mail, the emphasis is on a high quality appearance. Letters or e-mails have to be word-processed accurately on the company’s headed paper with a smart, clear layout. Important documents or valuable items can be sent by registered mail or they can be sent by courier.
E-mail (electronic mail) is a way of sending messages between computers. The message on a screen and can be printed out if necessary. E-mails can have a formal business style or a very informal style, similar to spoken English. The semi-formal style in similar to a standard business letter, but less formal and usually shorter. The ending is Best wishes rather than yours sincerely. This style is best used when you are sending an e-mail to somebody who is outside your company, or whom you do not know very well. The focus is on giving or asking for information quickly.
The informal style is most suitable for e-mails within your company and for people whom you know well. The greeting is often Hi, Hello or even How are you? Cheers is a common ending or sometimes the ending is omitted. Sometimes the writer will only use small letters. This style is much closer to spoken than to written English. Sometimes people use abbreviations of words if they want to save time:
CU = see you
tkx = thanks
RUOK? = are you OK?
Internal mail within a company or between branches of the same firm is usually in the form of Memos: these may be brief handwritten notes or longer, word-processed letters. Most firms use special memo pads for internal messages. A memo to a senior English-speaking member of staff may need as much care as a letter to a client. The style that is used depends on the practice within the company and on the relationship between the people involved.
Memos are used only inside the company. They should include the following heading: To/From/Date/Subject. They should be short and include only useful information.
Points should be arranged in logical order. In longer memos it is normal to number the different points. Memo style is formal or neutral. You can end with your initials or a signature.
A fax is a facsimile copy of a document which is transmitted by normal telephone lines to another fax machine. Some faxes are exactly like letters, some are printed on special fax forms rather like memos, others are simply handwritten messages. Faxes have the following headings: To/From/Fax number/Date/Number of pages/Subject. The style of the fax can be formal, as in a business letter, or informal. This depends on who you are writing to. Points can be numbered for clarity. Regards is often used for the ending. More formal endings (yours sincerely/yours faithfully) are also acceptable, if you prefer.
Give your letter, e-mail or memo a heading it will make it easier for the reader to understand your purpose in writing.
You should always plan what you are going to write.
Use short sentences.
Put each separate idea in a separate paragraph.
Number each of the paragraphs it will help the reader to understand better.
Use short words that everyone can understand.
Think about your reader. Your reader must be able to see exactly what you mean. Your letters, e-mails, memos should be clear.
Your reader must be given all the necessary information. Your letters, e-mails, memos should be complete.
Your reader is probably a busy person with no time to waste. Your letters, e-mail, memos should be concise. Your letters, e-mails, memos must be written in a sincere, polite tone and they should be courteous. Your reader should not be distracted by mistakes in grammar, punctuation or spelling. Your letters, e-mails and memos should be correct.
If there is a line space between each paragraph, the new paragraph needn’t be indented.
**********************************
Mr. Heinrich von Trotta 26 Rue de Glion
Schneemans AG 1 2 1820 Monterux
Hapsburger Platz 1 Vaud Canton
80333 Munich
3 4 3 May 201_
Dear Mr von Trotta 6
Re: Invitation to speak at next conference 5
On behalf of European Business Associates we would like to invite you to be a keynote speaker at our “Responsible Technologies for the Global Economy” conference planned for 19-21 October next year.
European Business Associates is Europe’s leading business-oriented media production company. We broadcost business programmes for television and radio throughout the European Union, including Business Tod@y every morning from 07.00 on CNM.
We would be very pleased if you would present for us at the conference. As Europe’s leading manufacturer of environmentally friendly high-tech equipment, we belive you could help many other companies move in the same direction.
We hope this invitation is of interest and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely 7
Ms Brigitte Sea 8
Events Manager 9
Encs. Conference brochures
cc: Jean Thornett-Smith
Senior Director
1 – Receiver’s name and address
2 – Sender’s name and address
3 – Salutation
When you know the name of the recipient:
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss von Trotta.
Note: in AmE Mr., Mrs., and Ms include a full stop/ period, e.g. Mr. von Trotta
When you don’t know the name of the recipient:
Dear Sir or Madam (BrE)
Dear Sir or Madam: (AmE)
4 – Date
5 - Heading
6 – Body of latter
It is good idea to put the main point at the beginning of the letter. People read the first paragraph carefulli, but not always everything else.
Use the pronoun we when writing for your company. This is more formal than I.
7 - Endings (BrE)
When you know the nameof the recipient:
Yours sincerely
When you don’t know the name of the recipient:
Yours faithfully
Endings (AmE)
Yours truly,
Sincerely
8 - Sign the letter with both first and second names.
9 - Then print your name and position under the signature.