COMMERCIAL CORRESPONDENCE

THE UNIVERSITY OF DA NANG
COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
DEPARTMENT OF ESP

COMMERCIAL CORRESPONDENCE

Compiled by Phạm thị Quỳnh Như (M.A)

Danang, October, 2011

1


INTRODUCTION
Correspondence is a key aspect of the world of commerce and business. Clear, effective
correspondence is an important part of running an efficient business, and can promote
good relations. A course of ENGLISH COMMERCIAL CORRESPONDENCE is
intended for students of business and commerce who plan to make a career in the
business world. It aims to provide practical help in writing commercial correspondence
of all kinds, including letters, faxes, emails, reports, memos, application forms and
CVs.…
The course book is designed to give the learners, who will live and work in the world of
commerce, a basic awareness of commercial correspondence and working skills of
commercial writing: What to write and How to write.
This book is divided into 2 parts:
1. Business letters
2. Business documents
The first part presents the method of writing a business letter, the format and content as
well as typical types of business letters.
The second part deals with some popular kinds of documents used in commercial
environment such as e-mails, memos, reports, contracts and business plans.

I hope that the students of Business English will find the course book useful in their
study and their communication in international commerce. I do expect and appreciate
their comments, suggestions to make this course book better in its future editions.

2


CONTENTS
CHAPTER I

BUSINESS LETTERS

PART I

The format of letter

Lesson 1

The letter layout

PART II

The content of letter

Lesson 2

Structuring business letters

page 3

page 10

PART III

Kinds of letters

Lesson 3

Enquiry letters

page 18

Lesson 4

Letters of Replying to Enquires

page 23

Lesson 5

Letters of Complaint

page 30

Lesson 6

Letters of Adjustment

page 36

Lesson 7

Letters of Thanks

page 44

Lesson 8

Letters of Apology

page 47

Lesson 9

Invitations and Letters of Invitation

page 50

Lesson 10

Letters of Job Application

page 57

CHAPTER II

BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

Lesson 11

E-mails

page 62

Lesson 12

Memos

page 68

Lesson 13

Reports

page 73

Lesson 14

Contracts

page 75

Lesson 15

Business Plans

page 85

Appendix 1

page 88

Appendix 2

page 89

Appendix 3

page 90

Appendix 4

page 91

References

page 93

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CHAPTER I

BUSINESS LETTERS

PART I

THE FORMAT OF LETTER

Lesson 1

THE LETTER LAYOUT

I. PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. Sender’s address
In correspondence that does not have a LETTERHEAD, the sender’s address is placed in the top
right-hand corner of the page. It is also acceptable, but less common, to place it in the top lefthand corner. Punctuation is rarely used in addresses these days.
The BLOCKED STYLE is the most widely used. i.e each line starts directly below the one
above.
2. Inside address ( reader’s name & address )
The inside address is written below the sender’s address and on the left hand side of the page.
Example
Mr Douglas Cowles
General Manager
Cowles Engineering Co Ltd
12 Bracken Hill
Manchester
M60 8AS
When writing letter overseas, the name of the country should be shown on final line of this
section.
Mr Dough Allen
Eagle Press Inc
24 South Bank
Toronto
Ontario
Canada M4J 7LK
3. Date
The date should always be shown in full. In the UK it is usual to show the date in the order day /
month / year. No commas are used.
Example : 12 July 2003

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In some other countries the date is typed in the order month / day / year, often with a comma
after the month.
Example : July 12, 2003
4. Reference
Reference are often quoted to indicate what the letter refers to ( Your ref.) and the
correspondence to refer to when replying ( Our ref. )
The reference may either appear in figures, e.g 661 / 17, where 661 may refer to the number of
the letter and 17 to the number of the department, or in letters ( the initial of the writer and the
typist)
e.g. DS/MR, DS stands for Donald Sampson, the writer, and MR for his assistant, Mary Raynor.
5. Salutation
If the recipient’s name has been used in the inside address, it is usual to use a personal
salutation.
Ex: Dear Mr Leighton
If your letter is addressed generally to an organization and not to a specific person, the more
formal salutation “Dear Sirs” should be used.
Ex : Dear Sirs
If your letter is addressed to a head of department or the head of an organization whose name is
not known, then it would be more appropriate to use a salutation as shown here.
Ex : Dear Sir or Madam
6. Subject title ( Heading)
A subject title (heading) gives a brief indication of the content of the letter. It is usually placed
one clear line space after the salutation.
Ex : Dear Mrs Marshal
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – 24 AUGUST 2003
7. Body : This is the actual message of your letter
8. Complimentary close

It is customary to end the letter in a polite way by using a complimentary close. The two most
common closes are “Yours faithfully” ( used only with Dear Sir / Sirs / Sir or Madam) and
“Yours sincerely” (used with personalized salutations).
Examples

5


TITLE
Dear
Dear
Dear
Dear
Dear
Dear
Dear
Dear

Sir
Sirs
Madam
Sir or Madam
Dr / Professor / General
Mr …..
Mrs …
Miss …
Ms …..

STATUS

COMPLIMENTARY

male – name not known
Organisation / Company
female - name not known
unsure whether male or female
medical / academic / military
married or unmarried male
married female
unmarried female
unmarried or married female

Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

9. Name of sender and designation
After the complimentary close 4 or 5 clear spaces should be left so that the letter can be signed.
The name of sender should then be inserted in whatever style is preferred. The sender’s
designation or department should be shown directly beneath his / her name. In these examples
note that the title “Mr” is never shown when the writer is male. However, it is usual to add a
courtesy title for a female, this is shown in brackets after her name.
Ex : Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

Parick Ashe

Lesley Bolan

PARICK ASHE
Chairman

LESLEY BOLAN (Mrs)
General Manager

When a letter has to be signed on behalf of the sender, it is usual to write “for” or “pp” in front
of the sender’s printed name, “pp” is an abbreviation for per procurationem, which simple
means “on behalf of”
Ex :
Yours faithfully
Shirley Johnson
p.p. EDWARD NATHAN
Chairman

10. Enclosures
The most common form of indicating enclosures is typing “Enc”, “Encs” “Encl.” at the foot of
the letter, leaving one clear line space after the sender’s designation.

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Ex :
Yours sincerely
LINDA PATESON (Mrs)
Marketing Manager
Enc.
Bill of lading (3 copies)
Insurance certificate (1copy)
Certificate of origin (1copy)

Bill of exchange (1copy)
11. Copies
When a copy of a letter is to be sent to a third party (usually someone in the sender’s
organisation) this may be indicated by typing “cc” (copy circulated, courtesy copy, or carbon
copy ) or “Copy” followed by the name and designation of the copy recipient. If there are two or
more copy recipients, it is usual to show these in alphabetical order.
Ex:
Copy
Ashley Ow Yong, General Manager
Candice Reeves, Company Secretary
Ravi Gopal, Accountant
If the writer does not wish the recipient of the letter to know that a third person is receiving a
copy of the letter, then “bcc” (blind courtesy copy or blind carbon copy) is used. This should not
be shown on the top of the letter, only on the file copy and bcc copy/ies.
Ex :
bcc Mr Gordon Clark, Chief Executive.

II. SAMPLE OF THE LETTER LAYOUT

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Letterhead
paper

Inside address

Reference
Opening Salutation
Heading (Subject)

Body of letter

Mr Alan Hill
General Manager
Long Printing Co Ltd
34 Wood Lane
London
WC1 8 TJ

Financial Times Prentice Hall
Edinburgh Gate
Harlow, Essex
CM20 2JE
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: + 44(0) 1279 623623
Facsimile: + 44(0) 1279 431059

ST/PJ

12 November
200--

Dear Alan
FULLY BLOCKED LETTER LAYOUT

This layout has become firmly established as the most
popular way of setting out letters, fax messages, memos,
reports- in fact all business communications. The main
feature of fully blocked style is that all lines begin at the lefthand margin.

Open punctuation is usually used with the fully blocked
layout. This means that no punctuation marks are necessary
in the reference, date, inside address, salutation and closing
section. Of course essential punctuation must still be used in
the text of the message itself. However, remember to use
commas minimally today; they should be used only when
their omission would make the sense of the message unclear.
Consistency is important in layout and spacing of all
documents. It is usual to leave just one clear line space
between each section.
I enclose some other examples of fully blocked layout as
used in fax messages and memoranda.
Most people agree that this layout is very attractive and easy
to produce as well as businesslike.

Closing Salutation
Signature
Name of sender
Sender’s designation
or department

Enclosure
Copy

Yours sincerely
Shirley Taylor
SHIRLEY TAYLOR (Miss)
Training Specialist
Enc
Copy

Aradeep Jethi, Publisher
Melia, Lakin, Acquisition Executive

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III. EXERCISES
Exercise 1
Match the following headings with the correct numbers :
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.

Reader’s name, position and address
Closing salutation (Complimentary Close)
Body of the letter
Enclosure
Opening salutation
Subject
References

Signature
Date
Letterhead
Writer’s name
Writer’s position
(1)……………………
(2)…………………………
………………………….
………………………….
(3)……………………
(4)…………………………
…………………………..
(5)………………………...
(6)…………………………
(7)……………………………………………………………………………………
…………..……………………………………………..……………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………
(8)…………………………
(9)…………………………
(10)………………………..
(11)……………………….
(12)………………………..

9

Exercise 2
Match the following functions with the name of the parts :
____1. This part identifies the writer, their address and telephone number. Most business
organizations use company stationery with this part printed.
_____2. This part is placed below the inside address.
_____3. This part identifies the letter’s purpose. It should be no more than six to ten words.
_____4. This is the writer’s greeting to the reader.
_____5. This part should match the form of address used in the opening salutation.
Exercise 3.
Read the following statements and decide which are true (T) or false (F)
a. If a letter begins with the recipient’s name, e.g. Dear Mr Ross, it will close with Yours
faithfully.
b. The abbreviation c.c stands for correct carbons
c. If you were writing a letter to Mr Peter Smith, the salutation would be Dear Mr Peter Smith.
d. In the USA, it is correct to open a letter with the salutation Gentlemen.
e. In the UK, a date written 2.6.05 means 6 February 2005.
f. If a secretary signs a letter and the signature is followed by p.p. Daniel
Harris it means that the secretary is signing on behalf of Daniel Harris.
g. The term plc after a UK company’s name, e.g. Hathaway plc stands for Public Limited
Corporation.
h. The term Ltd after a UK company’s name means limited liability.
i. If you do not know whether a female correspondent is married or not, it is correct to use the
courtesy title Ms instead of Miss or Mrs, e.g Ms Tessa Groves.
j. This address is an example of blocked style.
Peter Voss
Oberlweinfeldweg 33
5207 Therwil
Switzerland
h. It is impolite to close a letter Best wishes

Exercise 4
Match words from the jumbled letters and match them with the definitions
a. LBCDEOK YSETL
b. TERSGUANI CLOKB
c. ERFCNEREE
d. CSRULEENO

e. EPITVAR NAD FIDNAILTCOEN
f. BOJ TELTI
g. SURYO ELECISNRY
h. TTCMTHAEAN

1. Document enclosed with a letter.
2. Figures and /or letters written at the top of a letter to identify it.
3. Style of writing in which each line starts directly below the one above.
4. Complimentary close used at the end of a letter when the addressee’s name is known.
5. Phrase written on a letter intended only to be ready by the addressee.
6. Name and job title typed below a signature.
7. Separate document attached to an email message.
8. The name of someone’s job, e.g. Sales Manager, Chief Buyer.
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PART II

THE CONTENT OF LETTER

Lesson 2

STRUCTURING BUSINESS LETTERS

I. HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER
I. 1. GOLDEN RULES FOR WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS
1. Give your letter a heading if it will make easier for the reader to understand your purpose in
writing.
2. Decide what you are going to say before you start to write because if you don’t do this the
sentences are likely to go on and on until you think of a good way to finish. In other words,
you should always to plan ahead.
3. Use short sentences.
4. Use short words that everyone can understand.
5. Think about the reader. Your reader…..
……must be able to see exactly what you mean :
Your letter should be CLEAR
……must be given all the necessary information :
Your letter should be COMPLETE
…….is likely to be a busy person with no time to waste :
Your letter should be CONCISE
…….must be addressed in a sincere, polite tone :
Your letter should be COURTEOUS
…….may get a bad impression if there are mistakes in grammar, punctuation, spelling :
Your letter should be CORRECT.

I.2. PLANNING YOUR BUSINESS LETTER
It is your responsibility as a letter to know your purpose in writing and to send this
message clearly and courteously to the receiver. By completing the following seven steps as you
write a business letter, you are able to achieve this :
1. Decide on the purpose of the letter.
2. Decide what you want to say.
3. Write all the ideas in point form.
4. Order these ideas into a sequence appropriate to the type of letter.

5. Write the first draft using correct business writing style.
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6. Read the letter to ensure that you have achieved your purpose.
7. Rewrite if necessary.
Whether you draft your letter quickly or slowly and carefully, remember that the first and the
last sentences are not the most significant. For this reason, write them well, avoid clichés and
wordiness, and your letter will be effective.
I.3. ORGANISING A LETTER
THE 4-POINT PLAN
Many communications are short and routine. You can write or dictate them without any
special thinking or presentation. However, documents that aren’t so routine need more thought
and careful planning. This four-point plan suggested here provides a useful but simple
framework for structuring all written communications, and it is illustrated simply here.
Why are you writing?
Refer to a previous letter,
contact or document

Give information/instructions.
Ask for information.
Provide all relevant details.
Separate into paragraphs.
Ensure logical flow.

Action the reader should take.
Action you will take.
Give a deadline if necessary.

1. INTRODUCTION

(Background and Basics)

2. DETAILS
(Facts and Figures)

3. RESPONSE or ACTION
(Conclusion)

Sometimes all that is
needed is a Opening
simple oneII.1.1.
line closing sentence.

4. CLOSE
(A simple one-liner)

1. INTRODUCTION
The first paragraph will state the reason for the communication, basically setting the scene. It
may:
* acknowledge the previous correspondence
* refer to a meeting contact
* provide an introduction to the matter being discussed
Examples:
- Thank you for your letter of 12 July.
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- It was good to meet you again at last week’s conference.
- We wish to hold our annual conference at a London hotel in September.
2. CENTRAL SECTIONS (details)

This main part of the message gives all the information that the recipient needs to know.
Alternatively you may be requesting information, sometimes both. Details should be stated
simply and clearly, with separate paragraphs used for individual sections. This section should
flow logically to a natural conclusion.
3. CONCLUSION (Action or Response)
This section draws the message to a logical conclusion. It may:
* state the action expected from the recipient
* state the action you will take as a result of the details provided.
Examples:
Please let me have full details of the costs involved together with some sample menus.
If payment is not received within 7 days, this matter will be placed in the hands of our
solicitor.
4. CLOSE
A simple one-line closing sentence is usually all that is necessary to conclude a message.
This should be relevant to the content of the message.
Examples:
I look forward to meeting you soon.
I look forward to seeing you at next month’s conference.
A prompt reply would be appreciated.
Please let me know if you need any further information.
* Clauses such as these are incomplete and should not be used:
Hope to hear from you soon.
Looking forward to meeting you.
I.4. SOME MORE USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
1. Starting
Following ( our phone conversation today…)
In reply to ( your fax received …)
We are writing ( to enquire about…)
I am pleased ( to confirm…)
This letter is ( to thank you….)

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This fax is ( to give you details of …)
I am writing ( to find out if it would be possible to …)
We are interested in … and we would like to know…
With reference to …
Regarding ( our meeting today…)
Further to ( our letter of July 18, we wish to inform you that…)
I have read ( your advertisement in…and…)
If you are answering a business letter. You can start :
Thank you for your letter of (date), concerning…
We have received your letter of (date), enquiring about…
Many thanks for your letter of enquiry dated December 12.

2. Ending
Here are some ways to end a business letter :
I look forward to ( receiving your reply / order / products…)
Looking forward to (hearing from you)
We look forward to (doing business with you)
We look forward to (your accepting our offer)
I wish to (take this opportunity to thank you for your sincere cooperation)

If you gave some information in the letter, you can close :
I hope that this information will help you.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Please contact me if you need any further information.
Please let me know if you need any further information.
For additional information, please…
Don’t hesitate to contact me…

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II. SAMPLE OF A BUSINESS LETTER
Institute of Secretaries
Wilson House, West Street, London SW1 2AR
Telephone 020 8987 2432
Fax 020 8987 2556
Miss Ong Lee Fong
15 Windsor Road
Manchester
M2 9GJ
12 May 2004
Dear Lee Fong
2004 SECRETARIES CONFERENCE, 8/9 OCTOBER 2004

Opening (give a
brief introduction)

Details (separate
paragraphs, flowing
logically)
Leave one blank
line everywhere
except the signature
space

As a valued member of the Institute of Secretaries, I have pleasure in inviting you
to attend our special conference to be held at the Clifton Hotel, London on

Tuesday/Wednesday 8/9 October 2004.
This intensive, practical conference for professional secretaries aims to:
• increase your managerial and office productivity
• improve your communication skills
• bring you up to date with the latest technology and techniques
• enable networking with other secretaries
The seminar is power-packed with a distinguished panel of professional speakers
who will give expert advice on many useful topics. A programme is enclosed
giving full details of this seminar which I know you will not want to miss.
If you would like to join us, please complete the enclosed registration form and
return it to me before 30 June with your fee of $ 50 per person.

Conclusion (action
expected from the
recipient)
Close (a simple
closing statement)

I look forward to seeing you again at this exciting conference.
Yours sincerely
Louise Dunscombe
LOUISE DUNSCOMBE
Conference Secretary
Encs.

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III. EXERCISES
Exercise 1

Match the following actions with the standard phrases.
a. Starting a letter (referring to previous meetings or correspondence)
b. Explaining the reason for writing
c. Giving bad news
d. Giving good news
e. Giving information
f. Apologizing
g. Ending a letter
h. Promise a solution
i. Requesting for information
j. Thanking
1. Do not hesitate to contact us again if you need further assistance.
2. Further to our meeting last Friday…..
3. I would like to know about…
4. Further to your enquiry, we are pleased to enclose…
5. I regret to inform you that….
6. I am just writing to confirm ….
7. If you have any further questions, please contact us.
8. We are pleased to announce ….
9. We are writing to give you further information about…
10. We are writing to inform you that…
11. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by…
12. We look forward to hearing from you.
13. With reference to your enquiry of 13 May, I am enclosing details of…
14. Thank you for your letter of June 14.
15. Please accept our apologies for
16. I would be grateful if you could inform us…
17. I am happy to tell you that…
18. I am sorry to announce that…
19. I would like to apologise for…

20. We are sorry for…
21. We assure you that this will not happen again
22. Could you please send me some further details of…
23. I would like to thank you for…
24. Regarding your enquiry dated…
25. We shall do everything in our power to settle the problem.
Exercise 2
Here are the main messages from four letters. Choose the correct beginning and
ending from sentences a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h, then add “Yours faithfully / sincerely” or “Best
wishes”.
a. Thank you for your telephone call today, enquiring about our prices.
b. Looking forward to seeing you.
c. Thank you for your letter of 16 February, concerning Arabian Electronics.
d. I look forward to receiving your order.
e. Thank you for your telephone call today.
f. Thank you for your fax of 18 July, concerning your forthcoming visit to Hong Kong.
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g. I hope that this information will help you.
h. Please feel free to contact me if you need any information about other branches.
Dear Madam
1……………………………………
We are happy to tell you that the above mentioned company has always paid our bills on time.
We have never had any problems with them.
2……………………………………….
Ms R.J.Smith
Manager

Dear Mr Hugo

3…………………………………………
We sell three kinds of water heaters.
The prices are Dfl.450 (150 litres), Dfl680 (200 litres) and Dfl.740 (250 litres). I enclose some
brochures.
4………………………………………….
Jan van Oos
Sales Manager

Dear Peter
5………………………………………………
I am sorry that I was not in the office when you rang, but here is the information
that you wanted. The address of our branch in Singapore is 54 Liu Fang Road, Jurong Town,
Singapore 2262. The manager is Mr S Rushford.
6………………………………………………
John Blake
Marketing Manager

Dear Ms Wilson
7……………………………………….
I would be very happy to meet you in my office, on the day you suggested, 1 August, at 11 a.m.
8……………………………………..
F G Bending
Representative, South East Asia.
………………....................................................................................................................
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Exercise 3
Put the sentences in the right order to make a letter
a. Stephanie Strahh

b. Thank you once again for improving your quote, and
c. Dear Mr Laporta
d. and payment at thirty day from today
e. I look forward to receiving the goods in due course
f. The price agreed was $ 1000 (ex VAT), with transport cost of $ 90
g. You promised delivery within thirty days
h. Yours sincerely
i. I am writing to confirm my order for on Literature table (180 cm), a two drawer filling
cabinet in cherry and one Clio chair.
j. Following our phone conversation today,
Exercise 4
Match the phrases or sentences with those below so that they are more effective.
1. We refer to your letter of 21st June.
2. As spoken in our tele-con today
3. Please revert to me soonest possible.
4. Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
5. The cause of your complaint has been investigated.
6. Arrangements have been made for a repeat order to be dispatched to you immediately.
7. The seminar will be conducted by Adrian Chan.
8. We can’t do anything about your problem
9. Your television guarantee’s is up, so you will have to be pay for it to be fixed.
10. I am writing to complain because I was very unhappy with the way I was treated in your
store today.
A. I hope to hear from you soon
B. Thank you for calling me this morning
C. I have arranged for a repeat order to be sent to you today.
D. Please give me a call if you have any questions
E. Adrian Chan will conduct the seminar
F. Thank you for your letter of 21st June
G. Your television guarantee’s has ended, so unfortunately you must bear the cost of any

repairs.
H. I was most unhappy with the standard of service I received in your store today.
I. I have looked into this matter.
J. Unfortunately we are unable to help you on this occasion.
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PART III

KINDS OF LETTERS

Lesson 3

ENQUIRY LETTERS

An inquiry letter is used to ask for more information concerning a product, service or other
information about a product or service. These letters are often written in response to an
advertisement that we have seen in the paper, a magazine, a commercial on television when we
are interested in purchasing a product, but would like more information before making a
decision. Inquiries are also written to ask for business contact information to develop new
business.
I. HOW TO WRITE AN ENQUIRY LETTER
1. OPENING :
* Telling your supplier what sort of organisation you are.
- We are an electronics company based in …
- Our company is a subsidiary of … and we specialize in…
- We are a producer of …in … and we are interested in…
* How did you heard about the company you contacting ?
- We are interested in…as advertised recently in…
- We were given your name by …

- You were recommended to us by ….
- We were advised by …. that you are supplying …
- We were impressed by ……. displayed on your stand at…
- We have learned from…
- We have obtained your …from…
- It has come to our attention that…
- Our attention has been drawn to your…
- I was interested to see your advertisement for…
* Requesting information :
- Could you please send me some further details of …
- I would be grateful if you could …
- We would appreciate it if you could inform us…
- We would like to know ( about / if )…
- I am writing to inquire…
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- I would welcome information about…
* Requesting action
- Please could you …..

as soon as possible.

- We would be grateful if you could…

without delay.

- We would appreciate it if you could…

immediately.

- I am particularly interested in….Would it be possible for you to supply us with…
- If you can supply suitable goods, we may place regular orders for large quantities.
2. CLOSING
- We hope to hear from you in the near future.
- We would be grateful for an early reply.
- We hope that you can offer us…
- We would therefore need your assurance that…

II. SAMPLES OF ENQUIRY LETTERS
SAMPLE 1
Rich Lucky Trading Company
345, Nathan Rd, Kowloon, H.K.
1 September 2009
Hi-fashion Garment Ltd
Unit 398
Shek Kip Mei Industrial Estate
Dear Sir or Madam
Sales enquiry
We are a chain of retailers based in Kowloon and are looking for a manufacturer who can
supply us a wide range of sweaters for the men’s leisurewear market. We were impressed by
the new designs displayed on your stand at the Kowloon Menswear Exhibition last month.
As we usually place large orders, we would expect a quantity discount in addition to a 20%
trade discount off net list prices.
If these conditions interest you, you can meet order of over 500 garments at one time,
please send me your current catalogue and price list.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
K.K. Chan
K.K. Chan

Merchandiser

20


SAMPLE 2
Golden Gate Engineering
Prince Square, Prince Street, Kowloon
Dear Sir or Madam
Enquiry about Quality Control Course
I am writing to enquire whether your company could offer a course on Quality
Control for our managers.
I saw your advert in the HK Daily on Friday, 28 August 2009, and the Quality
Control Training Course (Ref.: QC 101) mentioned in the advert might be suitable
for us. I would like to know if it is possible for you to offer a 3-month training course
starting before or, at the latest, on Wednesday, 16 September 2009, for a group of
20. Could you send us some information about the teaching staff and the possible
schedule for this course.
I am looking forward to receiving your reply.

Yours faithfully,

III. EXERCISES
Exercise I.
Match the clauses on the right with the appropriate ones on the left.
a. Referring to our letter of 3rd April
b. Thank you for your letter of 4th
August
c. I note your comments
d. I understand your reasons

e. We would very much hope
f. When you are in this country
g. Perhaps you would be good enough
to write and suggest a date and time

1. When it would be convenient for you to call
2. Perhaps you would like to call at this branch for
a full discussion of your requirements
3. We would be most glad to provide banking services
4. That we could offer the services you require
5. Concerning your present situation
6. Regarding the possibility of opening a bank account
with us
7. For changing your present bank account

Exercise 2
Put the following sentences in order so as to make a letter.
A. When I am in New York in October, I will call at your bank
B. I got your name and address from a friend in New York
C. Please mail me details about your banking services
D. Dear Sir,
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E. Thank you for your attention
F. He also said you have the best services in New York
G. I would like to open a bank account in New York
H. He told me you are a very good bank
I. Also I need a list of the companies in New York
Exercise 3

Complete the letter with the following phrases. Two phrases are not used.
A. to be affected

B. a sample of

C. I should appreciate

D. be suitable for

E. would you please

F. During a recent visit

G. In what colors

H. what special preparation

I. is familiar with

J. would it be possible

K. I think

L. I look forward

Dear Sir/ Madam
(1)_______________ to the Ideal Home Exhibition I saw (2)_________ your
plastic tile flooring. (3) __________________this kind of flooring would
(4)_____________ the ground floor of my house, but I have not been able to
find anyone to who (5)____________________ such tiling.

(6) _________________give me the following information:
1. (7)__________________would be necessary for the under flooring?
2. (8)________________and designs can the tiles supplied?
3. Are the tiles likely (9)_______________ by rising damp?
4. Would it be necessary to employ a specialist to lay the floor? If so, can you
recommend one in my area?
(10)________________your advice on these matters.
Yours faithfully

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Exercise 4
Write a letter requesting information based on each of the following entries :

A.

Mr. XX, Hudco Trading,56 Outram Rd#14-03, Tan Boon Liat Bidg, Singapore 031006,
Singapore, Fx : 2217185, email to hudco@ bigbiz.corn; solar products, garden lights, low
voltage halogen lamps.

B.

Mr. XX, Young Classic Design, 34 Fletching Rd, Clapton, London, E59 PQ, United
Kingdom, email to younged @ bigbiz,corn; handbags, travels & luggage,costume.

C.

Mr.XX, Stayoung Import Inc. 12 Robinson Rd,Texarkana, Txas,75501, USA, emai to
stayoung@ bigbiz. Corn, cosmestic, beauty supplies, tattoo machines, accessories, small leather

goods.

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Lesson 4

LETTERS OF REPLYING TO ENQUIRIES

A reply letter is usually a response to the communication that you have received from a
person or business. When replying to a letter or inquiry from clients, associates, customers or
colleagues, it is important that it is in a formal format and this makes a good impression crucial.
It should then mention key points discussed in letter received. This helps to remind the
recipient you understood his or her message and understand his or her position. Never use first
names unless you are friends or colleagues and your first name was used in the original letter.
Then address the question, inquiry or complaint that was in the received letter. If you are unable
to answer the question, then direct the person to someone who does have the answers. Offer
your assistance to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible.
I. HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF REPLYING TO ENQUIRES

* OPENING : Thank the writer for his / her enquiry
- Thank you for your enquiry of …. ( date )…………. in which you ask about….
- I would like to thank you for your enquiry of …( date ). And I am pleased to tell you that we
would be able to supply you with the…
- We were pleased to learn from your letter of .(date) that you are impressed with...
- Thank you for your letter, NJ 1691, which we received this morning.
- Thank you for your enquiry dated …regarding….
- Thank you for your letter of …As requested we enclose…
* Confirming that you can help
- We have a wide selection of ….. that will appeal to the market you specified.

- Our factory would have no problem in producing the…… you asked for in your enquiry.
- We can supply from stock and will have no trouble in meeting your delivery date.
- I am pleased to say that we will be able to supply the …………….. you require.
- We can offer door - to – door delivery services.
* Selling your product
- When you have had the opportunity to see the samples for yourself, we feel sure you will
agree that they are of the highest quality and to see a wide selection online, go to w.w.w
- Once you have seen the ….in operation we know you will be impressed by its trouble free
performance.
- We can assure you that the ….is one of the most outstanding machines on the market and our
confidence in it is supported by our five –year guarantee.

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* Sending catalogues, price list, samples
- Please find enclosed our current catalogue and price list
- We enclose our booklet on the…. and are sure you will agree that it is one of the finest
machines of its kind.
* Arranging demonstration and visits
- We have enclosed full details of the…., but a demonstration would be necessary to show you
its full capabilities. We therefore suggest that you visit our centre in …, where the equipment is
set up, so that you can see the machine in action.
- As the enclosed booklet cannot really show the effectiveness of this system, we would be
happy to arrange for our representative to visit you and give a demonstration. If you are
interested in a visit, please fill in the enclosed pre-paid card and return it to us.
- The enclosed catalogue will give you an idea of the type of …. we produce, but may we
suggest that you also visit our agent’s showrooms where you can see a wide range of units ?
The address is …
* CLOSING : Always thank the customer for contacting you

- Once again we would like to thank you for writing. We would welcome any further questions
you might have.
- Please contact us again if you have any questions, using the above telephone number or email
address.
- We hope to hear from you again soon, and can assure you that your order will be dealt with
promptly.
- We look forward to receiving a trial order from you.
- Any orders you place with us will have our prompt attention.
- We shall be pleased to send you any further information you may need.
- Please let me know if you need any further details.
- I hope this suggestion/information will be useful to you.

- I hope this information will prove useful to you.
- I hope that this information will help you to make decisions on your order.
- I look forward to receiving your confirmation of …
- I look forward to doing business with your company in the future…
- Please feel free to contact me again if you have any further queries on …
- Please do not hesitate to contact me on 27615432 if I can be of further assistance.

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