- •Business Letter Writing Strategies (plus Practice)
- •1. Beginning a letter
- •‘We are writing in connection with …’
- •2. Ending a letter
- •3. Giving good/bad news.
- •4. Saying what you can and cannot do.
- •5. Giving reasons.
- •6. Requesting action.
- •7. Apologising.
- •8. Making a mild complaint.
- •9. Making a strong complaint.
- •10. Making a letter more personal.
- •Ideas in writing can be connected in three different ways:
- •Practice
- •1. Group the following expressions according to the part of the letter they mark – opening, body of the letter, closing:
- •2. Fill in the table with the appropriate expressions given below:
- •3. Group the following expressions into two columns according to the information they present – positive or negative :
- •4. Match the expressions in English with their Russian equivalents:
- •5. Give English equivalents instead of the Russian word combinations in brackets:
- •6. Match the phrases with the intentions they express:
- •7. Here are some ways to begin a request letter:
- •8. You can start a response letter:
- •10. Here are some ways to give good/bad news:
- •11. Here are some ways to say what you can and cannot do
- •12. Fill in the gaps in these openings with a suitable phrase to make a letter more personal.
- •13. Use appropriate phrases to start the sentences for them to make sense.
- •14. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order.
- •15. Make up correct sentences of the phrases given below, make all necessary changes. Translate the sentences into Russian.
- •16. Fill in the blanks with the prepositions where necessary. Translate the sentences into Russian.
- •17. Join the two parts of these sentences so that they make good sense:
- •18. Underline the correct word in each bracket.
- •19. Use the gerund instead the verbs in brackets and fill in prepositions where necessary.
- •20. Make the given business letter correct: open the brackets and put the verbs into a correct tense from.
11. Here are some ways to say what you can and cannot do
We are able to ...
We have been forced to ...
We are unable to ...
A company has written to you to ask you to reduce your prices and to ask you if you will accept payment in Russian roubles. How will you give them the following information?
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You cannot lower your prices.
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You have had to raise your prices because the government has increased the sales tax.
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However, you can give them a discount of 5% if their order is for more than $5,000.
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With regard to their second question, you cannot accept payment in Russian roubles but you can accept US dollars or German marks.
12. Fill in the gaps in these openings with a suitable phrase to make a letter more personal.
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______________________________ to talk to you on the telephone this morning.__________________________ to hear that you are enjoying your new job.
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______________________________ your letter. _________________________ to hear that you have had so many problems in your office.
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______________________________ to see you at the conference last week. ______________________________ that we didn't have enough time to talk.
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______________________________ that you could not come to the meeting on Saturday. I am sure that you would have found it quite interesting.
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______________________________ to meet you yesterday. I found many of your ideas very interesting.
13. Use appropriate phrases to start the sentences for them to make sense.
Example: to increase prices – fall of the rouble
We have been forced to increase our prices. This is owing to the fall of the rouble.
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to delay the delivery of the goods – strike by airplane pilots.
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to increase all salaries by 10 % - rise in sales.
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to cut all salaries by 10% - fall in sales.
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cannot deliver your order – we have not received your payment for the last order.
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to cancel the meeting – a lot of staff have been on holiday.
14. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order.
a) please/for ten o'clock/arrange/could/an appointment/you
b) if you/we/send us/as soon as possible/would/the goods/be grateful/could
c) pay our bill/we/without delay/appreciate it/you could/would/if
d) are the same/confirm/please/you/could/your prices/that
e) tell us/we/exactly when/appreciate it/if you/would/could/you will arrive
15. Make up correct sentences of the phrases given below, make all necessary changes. Translate the sentences into Russian.
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Please/ accept/ our apologies/ the delay/ answer/ your inquiry/ concerning/ the annual meeting/ shareholders.
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… receipt/ your/ letter/ dated 7th March/ we/ write/ confirm/ we/ require/ technical report/ next/ month.
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…/ response/ your invitation/ conference/ I/ submit/ you/ materials/ your consideration and comment/ your earliest response/ be appreciated.
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Allow/ to congratulate/ you/ in connection/ Independence Day/ wish/ success.