Engl -06 – Technical, Scientific and Business English

Business Letters – terms as business correspondence

• With business purpose – a. to sell; b. to buy; c. to promote good business relationship• to prosper in business and industry

Elements:

1. Heading – consists of the sender’s address and the dateline2. Inside Address – name of the recipient, designation, company and business address3. Salutation – welcome part4. Body of the Letter – details of the communication – answer the question ‘why”… - a. purpose,

b. discussion/elaboration, c. conclusion, d. call for action, e. building of goodwill, f. token of appreciation

5. Complimentary close/Ending - ‘goodbye” part6. Signature – name of the sender

Miscellaneous Elements:

• Optional

1. Reference line - sequential number of the letter – used for filing2. Attention line – recipient/s name if not present on the inside addy3. Subject line – topic of the letter/title of the letter4. Identification notation/reference initials – initials of the sender *all caps* and initial of the typist *lower case*5. Enclose notation – items placed inside the envelop6. Carbon Copy notation/distribution indication – person/people who should receive the letter other than the recipient7. Post Script – items/details omitted from the body of the letter that needs to be included

Point of contrast:

• Purpose – business relationship• Subject/Content – business related topics• Format – formal• Pont-of-view – 2nd/3rd person• Style – impersonal/objective• Language – business parlance/commercialese• Objectivity – objective• Parts – basic/miscellaneous parts

Business letters can initiate communication with a prospect, a client or another business. They can also be written in response to a request. Written on company letterhead and following a block letter style, business letters may be written by associates, managers and executives alike. They should sound professional and contain no grammatical errors.

Company MemoMemos are distributed in-office. Short for "memorandums," memos are usually sent to inform staff members about changes in policy or to make other important company-wide announcements. These are one of the least formal types of business communication, but they should still feature dates, times and a signature where possible. Memos are posted on bulletin boards, distributed to desks or sent via email. They are very time-sensitive, requiring immediate attention.

Resume Cover LetterUnless the prospective employer says otherwise, you should always include a cover letter when submitting a resume as part of a job application. Briefly state your qualifications and interest in the job in the cover letter, and refer the reader to your resume for more details.

Fundraising LetterFormatted like a standard business letter, a fundraising letter greets the reader with a simple salutation followed by a colon. These letters ask potential donors for funding. The letter provides a description of how much funding is needed and how it would be used. These letters are friendly and supplicatory, and thank the reader in advance for his generosity.

Proposal LetterProposal letters are an essential part of business correspondence. They are sent from one company to another or to a governmental entity to propose providing a product or service. These letters explain the benefits and costs, and attempt to persuade readers to accept the proposal.

Acceptance LetterIf you are offered a position with a company, you may be sent a formal letter indicating this. If so, an acceptance letter is an appropriate way to indicate that you want the position, accept the terms and look forward to getting started. An acceptance letter also might apply to a company's acceptance of another company's offer to provide a product or service.

Resignation LetterIf a person is leaving a position in a workplace, she will often write a formal resignation letter. This type of letter addresses the employee's supervisor and acknowledges her plans to leave the organization. While there may be explanation for the resignation, more often the employee will simply provide the date when the resignation becomes effective. The writer may ask for a recommendation and express thanks for the work opportunity.

Business lettersBusiness letters are the most formal method of communication following specific formats. They are addressed to a particular person or organisation. A good business letter follows the seven C's of communication. The different types of business letters used based on their context are as follows,Official letters can be handwritten or printed. Modernisation has led to the usage of new means of business correspondence such as E-mail and Fax.

E-mailEmail is the least formal method of business communication. It is the most widely used method of written communication usually done in a conversational style.

MemorandumMemorandum is a document used for internal communication within an organization. Memo may be drafted by management and addressed to other employees.

Letter of IntentA letter of intent spells out in detail the circumstances under which an agreement between the writer and the reader would be made. It is not a contract; it merely states the intent to enter an agreement.

Sales LetterWritten to persuade the recipient to buy a product or service, sales letters are usually a part of a direct-mail marketing campaign and often are accompanied by packets, brochures, illustrations and/or catalogs.

Information Request LetterIn an information request letter, the writer requests information and explains why he needs it and/or how it will be used.

Information Response LetterAn information response letter is written in response to a request. Its purpose is to answer questions or provide requested information. It also may promote the business's products or services.

Customer Claim Response LetterIn a customer claim response letter, the writer attempts to rectify the complaint spelled out in the customer's claim letter. It should regain the recipient's confidence in the business and promote it.

Order Request LetterAn order request is a letter in which a purchase is authorized. It lists the items being ordered vertically and typically includes the quantity, order number, description and unit price of each item.

Letter of ComplaintA letter of complaint will almost certainly result in an official response if you approach it from a businesslike perspective. Make the complaint brief, to the point and polite. Politeness pays off regardless of the extent of anger you are actually feeling while composing this type of business letter.

Resume Cover LetterA cover letter that accompanies a resume should revel in its brevity. You should take as little time and as few words as possible to accomplish one task: persuading the reader to anticipate reading your resume. Mention the title of the job for which you are applying, as well or one or two of your strongest selling points.

Letter of RecommendationA recommendation letter allows you to use a few well-chosen words to the effect of letting someone else know how highly you value a third party. Resist the temptation to go overboard; approach your recommendation in a straightforward manner that still allows you to get the point across.

Letter of ResignationAn official letter of resignation is a business letter that should be fair and tactful. Be wary of burning any bridges that you may need to cross again in the future. Offer a valid reason for your resignation and avoid self-praise.

Job Applicant Not HiredIn some cases you may be required to write a business letter that informs a job applicant that he was not chosen for an open position. Offer an opening note of thanks for his time, compliment him on his experience or education and explain that he was just not what the company is looking for at the present time.

Declining Dinner InvitationDeclining a dinner invitation is a topic for a business letter that, if not done tactfully, may result in a social disadvantage. Extend your appreciation for the invitation and mention that you already have an engagement for that date. Do not go into detail about what the engagement is.

Reception of GiftIt is very polite to return a formal business response letting someone know that you have received her gift. Extend a personalized thanks to let her know that you are exactly aware of the contents of the gift. If possible, it is a good idea to include a sentiment suggesting that you have put the gift to use.

Notification of ErrorWhen sending a business letter that lets the receiving party know that an error has been corrected, it is good business sense to include a copy of the error in question if there is paperwork evidence of it. Make the offer of additional copies of material involved in the error if necessary.

Thanks for Job RecommendationA letter of thanks for a party that helped you get a job should be professional and courteous. Above all else, avoid the temptation to go overboard in offering your thanks. Be aware that your skills also helped you land the job and it was likely not handed to you as a result of the third party.

Information RequestA business letter that requests information should make the request specific and perfectly understandable. It is also a good idea to state the reason for the information request. Extend advance appreciation for the expected cooperation of the recipient.

Other examples:Letters of inquiryLetters of claim/complaintsLetters of applicationLetters of approval/dismissalLetters of recommendationsLetters of sales

Technical Writing

Proposal Reports – written offer to solve a technical problem; specified plan of management for a certain sum of money; both business and research proposals

Aspects:

I. Executive Summary - summarizes the contents of the proposal: for top ExecutivesII. Technical Proposal - gives a detailed explanation of the solution to the technical problemIII. Management Proposal – description of the organizational structure; people in-charge of implementing the proposed solution: for Managerial positionsIV. Cost Proposal – details pertaining to the cost: for Finance departmentV. Resources Volume/proposal – details about work force: for Human Resource Department

Recommendation Reports - suggestions/recommendations of courses of actions

Progress Reports - presents the development/progress of the undertaking/project at a certain period of time

Oral reports – spoken words

Academic Reading and Writing

Prose – paragraph

Poerty – uses a different type of language; has measurements

Literary writing - the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect); "the writing in her novels is excellent"; "that editorial was a fine piece of writing"

Examples:a. Novels – multiple setting; many characters; many themes; complicated plotb. Short Story –single setting; few characters; simple theme; simple plotc. Parable – presents moral in a biblical fashiond. Fable – has animals as characters; moral lesson at the end of the storye. Legend – deals with origin of somethingf. Myth – involving gods and goddesses and/or supernatural beingsg. Folktale – deals with folklore of people belonging to an ethnic grouph. Fairytale – has fairies among its charactersi. Epic – narrative poetry; of great length; deals with exploits and adventures of a heroj. Ballad – a short narrative poem; deals with a single incident; meant to be sing/sangk. Play/Drama – narrative prose/poetry; intended to be performed in stage