UNIT 1
LAYOUT OF LETTERS, FAXES AND EMAILS
1.1 Letters |
Be sure you know all these words. Click to learn how each word or phrase is pronounced:
layout [n] | : bố cục, cách trình bày |
letterhead [n] | : phần in đầu giấy viết thư (tên, địa chỉ...) |
look forward to (+ Noun phrase/Gerund) | : mong chờ |
in the mean time | : trong khi chờ đợi |
enclose [v] | : đính kèm, gửi kèm theo |
reference [n] | : số tham chiếu, việc tham khảo |
abbreviation [n] | : chữ viết tắt |
: người nhận thư | |
punctuation [n] | : cách chấm câu, dấu chấm câu |
correspondent [n] | : người trao đổi thư từ |
salutation [n] | : lời chào đầu thư |
: chức danh giao tế, xã giao | |
: kiểu hình khối | |
: kiểu viết thụt vào đầu dòng | |
clarity [n] | : sự rõ ràng |
consistency [n] | : sự nhất quán, trước sau như một |
: lời kết thư | |
stand for | : là chữ viết tắt của... |
on behalf of | : thay mặt cho... |
confidential [adj] | : kín, bí mật |
proofread [v] | : đọc và sửa bản nháp |
1.1.1 Letterheads
Letters between organisations are usually sent on letterheads. A typical letter sent from one company to another is shown below.
CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 1/A
1. 
2. | Office | Tel. +1 212 882 552 | |
International, Inc. | Fax +1 212 882 599 | ||
Email fjohnson@hartbrad.com | |||
www.hartbrad.com | |||
3. Your ref: H1796
4. Our ref: S4/92/fj 5. Date: 6. Mr Stuart Patterson
Operations Director
Southern Transport Services
7. Dear Mr Patterson
8. Thank you for your letter of 12 January regarding your company’s distribution
facilities in
9. | I will be visiting |
10. Yours sincerely
11. Frank JohnsonExport Manager
1.1.2 Layout of letters
1. Logo: Many companies have a logo on their letterhead.
2. Address and company status: Details of the company’s address and legal status. In the example, the abbreviation Inc means Incorporated. Different countries have other abbreviations that show the company’s status, e.g. Ltd, Pty, PLC, SA. Punctuation is unusual these days.3. Your ref: In Example A, H1796 is the file reference of Southern Transport Services. When replying you should always quote any references that have been provided.
4. Our ref: S4/92/fj is Hartley & Bradford’s file reference.
5. Date: The date should appear immediately below the sender’s address. It is often placed on the right hand side, although this is a matter of personal preference. (More details about dates in Unit 2.)
6. Addressee: The addressee’s name and full address, known as the inside address, appears after the sender’s address on the left of the page. It is often written like this:
a) Name of your correspondent (if known)
b) Job title, or department, of your correspondent (if known)
c) Name of the building (not always applicable)
d) Number and name of street (or road, way, avenue, lane, etc.)
e) City or Town
f) State (or other administrative district) and postcode (also ZIP code etc.)
g) Country
No punctuation is necessary for the postal address.
There are variations so use the form shown on the company’s letterhead. For example, many European countries put the street number after the street name.
Hot tip: If your correspondent is located in a country which uses postcodes (or ZIP codes), your letter and envelope should always show the code or it may be delayed. |
7. Salutation: This is the courtesy title and surname of the individual person you are writing to, e.g. Dear Mr Brown, or it can be an impersonal form of salutation, e.g. Dear Sir or Madam. (More details about salutations in Unit 2.)
8. Body of the letter: various kinds of letters will be looked at throughout the course.
9. Letter style: These days, nearly all organisations uses a block style of presentation, as shown above in Example 1/A. In the block style, all new lines from the inside address onwards are aligned to the left-hand side of the page. The position of the letterhead details is a matter of company preference.
You may find other styles, such as indented, which means that the first lines of new paragraphs are further in from the left than the other lines, as follows:
Dear Mr Patterson Thank you for your letter of 12 January regarding your company’s distribution facilities in I will be visiting I look forward to meeting you. Yours sincerely Frank Johnson Export Manager |
Whichever style you choose, clarity and consistency are essential. Don’t forget to leave a space between paragraphs.
10. Complimentary close: The appropriate phrase should appear at the end of a piece of correspondence, after the body of the letter, but before the signature block, e.g. Yours sincerely, Yours truly. (More details about complimentary closings in Unit 2.)11. Signature block: Your signature should always be handwritten immediately below the complimentary close, followed by your printed name and, if applicable, your job title or department. Punctuation is not necessary. (More details about signature blocks in Unit 2.)
1.1.3 Other features of letters
i) Enc: - if a letter is accompanied by documents, Enc, meaning Enclosures, is often written below the signature block, and the types of document listed, as follows:
Enc: Standard trading conditions (2 copies)
Contract (1 copy)
Certificate of insurance (1 copy)
ii) p.p. - this stands for per pro, a Latin phrase which translates as for and on behalf of. If p.p. appears immediately before the name of the sender in the signature block, it means that somebody, probably a secretary or an assistant, signed the letter on the sender’s behalf.iii) c.c. - this stands for carbon copy. It may appear at the end of a letter followed by the name of the people who will receive the copy, e.g. c.c. Mrs L. Green, Accounts Dept. It is used so the reader is aware that copies of the letter have been distributed for information purposes. The same abbreviation is used for faxes and emails.
1.1.4 Addressing the envelope
i) The address that appears on the envelope should be the same as the inside address.
| Hot tip: Ensure that a return address is shown on the envelope. If it comes back to you, the addressee may have moved or gone out of business. |
1.1.5 Spelling and grammar
1.2 Halfway Test |
Letters: Which of the statements is True, and which is False? Mark T or F in the box.
1. A company’s logo contains details of their address.
2. The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means Included.
3. It’s important to use the postcode in the address.
4. It’s not necessary to use a salutation.
5. The abbreviation Enc. at the end of a letter means Enclosures.
6. Spellcheck can’t correct grammatical errors.
1.3 Faxes |
Words & Expressions:
Be sure you know all these words. Click to learn how each word or phrase is pronounced:
attachment [n] | : tài liệu gửi kèm |
as soon as possible | : càng sớm càng tốt |
propose [v] | : đề nghị, đề xuất |
original [adj] | : nguyên bản |
sensitive [adj] | : nhạy cảm, tế nhị |
1.3.1 Introduction
Fax (/fæks/) is an abbreviation of facsimile, which means an exact copy of something. Although email has largely replaced the fax, it is still a useful and rapid means of correspondence, especially for sending documents that do not scan easily or which are unsuitable to be sent as an email attachment.
1.3.2 Layout of faxes
Some companies use their normal letterhead, and others use a special fax form. A typical fax sent from one company to another is shown below.
CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 1/B
Southern Transport Services Tel: +61 (0) 2 680 0222 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 (0) 2 680 0222 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Fax: +61 (0) 2 680 0233 Email: spatterson@southtrans.co.au www.southtrans.com FAX MESSAGE Pages 2 To Mr D. Nguyen From Stuart Patterson Company Danang Distribution Subject Hartford & Bradley Fax no. 84 511 800333 Date Dear Mr Nguyen I have received a letter from Frank Johnson of Hartford & Bradley, a copy of which follows for your reference.We will have to meet as soon as possible to discuss your part in the distribution network. I would also like to look at your facilities in Danang, so I propose being there for a couple of days, week commencing 20 February, together with my managing director, Mr Peter Lindsay. Please confirm your availability at that time. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely Stuart Patterson Operations Director c.c. Mr P. Lindsay |
1.3.3 Other features of faxes
Hot tip: a) Documents sent by fax are not original and may not be accepted as valid by some organisations. b) You should consider security issues because fax machines are often placed in open offices. When faxing confidential or sensitive material, ensure that only the addressee can read it. |
1.4 Emails |
Words & Expressions:
Be sure you know all these words. Click to learn how each word or phrase is pronounced:
retain [v] | : giữ lại |
brochure [n] | : tập sách thông tin, quảng cáo |
sympathy [n] | : sự thông cảm, thương cảm |
associate [n] | : người cộng tác |
accommodation [n] | : chỗ ở |
depot [n] | : trạm |
convention [n] | : quy ước, thông lệ |
junk mail / SPAM [n] | : thư quảng cáo |
1.4.1 Introduction
i) Email (electronic mail) has rapidly become the preferred method of business correspondence, although the traditional postal service, sometimes referred to as snail mail, is still necessary for certain types of correspondence. Documents which require completion and signature, or which are to be retained by the recipient, are usually sent by post or courier. Brochures and other types of written material are often sent in the same way, although email attachments can also be used.
ii) It’s sometimes better to send long letters by post, although you could also send an email that says it’s on the way. Similarly, messages of sympathy, congratulation, etc., written to a business associate, are best sent by letter. Many employers require job applicants to submit a handwritten letter.iii) Advantages of email: the most obvious advantages of email over other forms of communication are speed and simplicity. It’s a rapid and effective method of international communication that’s easy to use, and which is accessible almost anywhere in the world.
iv) Disadvantages of email: because of the amount of junk mail, or SPAM, that circulates, many organisations use filters that automatically delete emails sent from an unrecognised address. An introductory email from your company may therefore never be read by the addressee. Also, email should not be used to send confidential or sensitive information, unless you are certain that the recipient uses a security system that prevents unauthorised reading.
1.4.2 Layout of emails
A typical email sent from one company to another is shown below:
CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 1/C
1. | From: | ddhanoi@dng.vnn.vn |
Subject: | Your visit to | |
Date: | ||
To: | spatterson@southtrans.co.au | |
Cc: | ddtransportdept@dng.vnn.vn | |
1 Attachment, 212 KB |
Thank you for your fax of 20 January. I can confirm that I will be available in
I will ask our Transport Manager, Mr Doan Van Loc, to arrange a visit to our three distribution depots in
I look forward to meeting you and Mr Lindsay and, in the meantime, please advise me if you require any further information.
3. Sincerely
Nguyen Dinh Thanh
Managing Director
1. The email header gives essential information about the message. In our example, Mr Nguyen has sent a copy of the email to his Transport Manager (Cc: ddtransportdept@dng.vnn.vn) for information purposes. You will also find a Bcc facility, which stands for Blind carbon copy. Use this if you do not want the email recipient to know who else has received copies.Managing Director
2. Although emails tend to be less formal than letters, the same conventions can be used. In this example, Mr Nguyen uses the same salutation and complimentary close as in Mr Patterson’s fax.
3. Signature block: In the same way as letters, a signature block can appear after the complimentary close. A copy of your signature can be added if you have the software.
1.4.3 Spelling and grammar
Use spellcheck, but remember the limitations and advice described in section 1.1.5.
SUMMARY • Ensure that you are sending your correspondence to the right place:Letters: Check that you have the full postal address and use the postcode or ZIP code. Faxes: Check that the fax number is correct. Check the international dialling code; some countries have different codes for telephone and fax numbers. • Use your correspondent’s file reference, if known. • Faxes and emails can sometimes be read by people other than the addressee. Think about security issues when sending confidential or sensitive material. • Faxes and email attachments may not be accepted as valid original documents, especially when a signature is required. • Spellcheck and proofread everything before finally sending your valuable correspondence. |
1.5 Unit Review |
1. There should be a comma after each line of the inside address.
2. Letters should always be addressed to an individual.
3. Signatures should be handwritten.
4. c.c. at the bottom of a letter means colour copies.
5. It may not be a good idea to fax confidential information.
6. Faxed documents are as good as original documents.
7. Emails can be used for all types of correspondence.
8. Emails are often less formal than letters, so correct spelling is not as
important.
Answer Key
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