5. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is a contract? What is a treaty?

2. What is the normal method of enforcemt.

3. How can contracts be classified?

4. What are three basic elements in the formation of a valid contract?

5. What does a contract consist of?

6. In what case may an innocent party have the right to set the contract aside?

OFFER

If a contract is a legally binding agreement, the first question to consider s the method by which the court ascertains whether a contract is to be formed. The offer must express the definite intention on the part of the person or organization making it (called "the offerer") to enter into the con­tract with the person or organization to whom or which it is addressed (known as "the offeree").

An offer may be defined as a statement of willingness to contract on speci­fied terms made with the intention that, if accepted, it shall become bind-

ing contract. An offer may be express or implied from conduct. It may be addressed to particular person, a group of persons, or the world at large. Agenuine offer must be distinguished from an "imitation to treat"; i.e. where a party is merely inviting offers, which it then free to accept or reject.

An offer must be clear and contain the details of the contract; for exam­ple, if A asks В 'would you like to buy my car' and В replies 'yes', there is no contract because the offer did not include an essential detail, the price.

The offeree may choose to accept or reject the offer but once it is ac­cepted the contract is concluded and the parties are bound by its terms.

An offer may be withdrawn or revoked by the offeror at any time as long as it has not yet been accepted by the offeree. The offeror may revoke the offer even if he has given the offeree some time for acceptance. The purpose of giving the offeree a time-limit for acceptance is to indicate that the offer will lapse automatically if it has not been accepted before this time has expired.

If the offeree wants to ensure that the offer should not be revoked before a certain time has expired he may do so by obtaining an option from the offeror. An option is a seperate contract, made between the offeror and offeree, whereby in return for same consideration the offeror agrees to keep the offer open.

Notes

ascertain — устанавливать, определять, выяснять, удостоверять;

индивидуализировать (вещь, товар) ascertained — индивидуализированный (о вещи, товаре);

выясненный, установленный ascertainment — установление, определение, выяснение

— индивидуализация (вещи, товара) offer — оферта

offeror/offerer — оферент, лицо, делающее предложение enter into a contract — вступать в юридически обязывающий

договор

offeree — адресат оферты, лицо, которому делается предложение offer and acceptance — оферта и акцептирование оферты offer to the world/to a public at large — оферта, обращенная к

неопределенному кругу лиц invitation to offer — заявление к оферте; предложение сделать

оферту

invitation to treat — предложение вести переговоры о заключе­нии договора

make an offer — сделать оферту accept an offer — принимать оферту/предложение

reject an offer — отклонять оферту/предложение revoke/withdraw an offer — отозвать оферту statement of willingness to contract — заявление о готовности вступить в юридически обязывающий договор specified terms — точно определенные условия express offer — прямо выраженная оферта implied offer — подразумеваемая оферта lapse — истекать о праве expire — истекать о времени obtain an option — получать право выбора/опцион option — выбор, право выбора; усмотрение; дискреционнное

право; опцион consideration — встречное удовлетворение

Упражнения

*6. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих словосочетаний.

1. рассматривать вопрос; 2. определенное/точное намерение; 3. вступать в юридически обязывающий договор; 4. со стороны лица; 5. заявление о готовности вступить в юридически обязывающий договор; 6. точно определенные условия; 7. прямо выраженная оферта; 8. подразумеваемая оферта; 9. быть адресованной (об оферте) неопределенному кругу лиц; 10. быть связанными (о сторонах) условиями контракта; 11. получать право выбора/опцион