5. Three of the four words in each line below are synonyms. The fourth is an antonym. Spot the intruder in each group.

1. frighten, calm, alarm, terrify.

2. conform, correspond, deviate, match.

3. enthusiasm, eagerness, zeal, indifference.

4. happy, miserable, distressed, pitiable.

5. forceful, weak, strong, mighty

6. Complete the text with words from the box.

language advances dictionaries vocabularies

translations example science include

Every year, thousands of new words are added to our _______. Our space program is an _______ of an activity that has added many entries to our dictionaries. In fact, English is now considered the major ________ throughout the world simply because scientific ________ have forced us to coin new words to support modern technology. Thus people are learning English because their own language does not ________ the terminology of American _________ and technology, making _________ into their own language nearly impossible. Since English is a living language, we who speak it must build our ___________ to keep up with the constant changes.

7. Complete the dialogue with the appropriate form of the verbs in brackets. More than one answer is possible in some cases.

A: Can you come to a meeting tomorrow at 10? We (discuss) _________ the plans for exporting the new model and we’d like to have your ideas.

B: I’m afraid I can’t. I (leave) _________ for France this evening. I (attend) _____ the Paris sales conference.

A: When (you, come back) __________?

B: Not till next week. I (stay) ___________ there over the weekend.

A: Well, I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time. I (tell) ________ the others that you can’t come.

Unit 9 Business-Letter Format and Letter Style

Almost everything that you use is available in a wide variety of styles or models. Clothing, for example, is available in a "Western Look," an "Italian Look," and so on. Therefore, when buying a suit or a dress, you try to select the style that meets your preference and that best reflects you.

The same is true of styles for business letters. There is no standard by which the appropriateness or inappropriateness of a specific style can be firmly established. However, some companies adopt one particular style, and employees are expected to use that style. In all other situations, the choices are for you to make from the styles discussed in this unit.

Since the differences among formats and styles concern the placement of letter parts, you will first review the various parts of business letters; then you will review the different arrangement styles of letters. In this way, you will be better able to present your ideas within an acceptable framework, leave the reader with a positive impression, and keep the reader's goodwill.

Letter Parts

The letter writer works with many letter parts: the address, the salutation, the message, and the complimentary closing, to mention some. These parts must be arranged in a sequence that will make the letter meaningful and will contribute to attaining the purposes of the message.

Usually a letter is divided into four sections. These sections, each of which contains several essential and a few optional parts, are the following:

1. The heading

2. The opening

3. The body

4. The closing

The Heading. Except in unusual situations – when proof of the mailing date is important, for example – envelopes are not retained and filed in business offices. Therefore, information that the reader needs to answer a letter must be included in a letterhead and date line. These are the essential heading parts referred to when the reply is written and, frequently, after the letter has been filed.

The Company or Organization Letterhead. Almost every company uses high-quality stationery with its name, address, and telephone number printed on it. These identifying items, and often such additional data as the names of the company’s top executives, its slogan, and so on, are referred to collectively as the letterhead. Some examples are shown above.

In addition to providing identification of the writer's company, the content and design of the letterhead help to project the company's image. While the reader is primarily interested in getting to the writer's message as quickly as possible, the letterhead is almost sure to be glanced at first. An opinion of the company may be formed (perhaps subconsciously) because of its letter – head: It's old-fashioned or it’s modern; it’s futuristic or it’s ultraconservative; it’s middle-of-the road or it's progressive; and so on.

For these reasons practically every company hires a professional artist to design its letterhead. Various styles and sizes of type and different layouts serve to project different images. Naturally, every company wants to make the most favorable impression that it can – even if only for a fleeting second in a reader's mind.

The Date Line. It is often very important to know when a letter was written –important to both reader and writer. With the flood of mail that every business office receives and sends, it is unwise to assume that you or your reader will remember the exact order of events related to a particular matter. Every letter should therefore carry a date line consisting of the month, day, and year.

There are two widely used date line styles – one for general business correspondence and one for military correspondence. In neither style is it acceptable to use a number to indicate the month – even if the letter is written to a military organization or an individual. Do not use st, nd, rd, tin, or d after the day of the month.

Business Military

February 3, 1985 3 February 1985

November 14, 1985 14 November 1985

Personal or Confidential Notation. A personal or confidential notation is typed below the date at the left margin to indicate that a letter is of a private nature. The notation may be typed in all-capital letters or initially capped and underscored.

PERSONAL or Personal CONFIDENTIAL OR Confidential

The Typed Heading. Office people become so accustomed to using printed letterheads, which are return addresses, that they sometimes forget to type this information when they write personal business letters on plain paper. A personnel manager once remarked: "I received a splendid letter of application today. I'd certainly hire that woman if only I knew her address."

For a typed heading, use one of the following forms:

932 Wyncrest Drive

Manchester, Missouri 63011 January 18, 1985

OR:

YOLANDE P. LADOWSKI