Text 1. Formal and informal style

Unit 4. Business correspondence

Task III. Think over these questions and discuss them in group.

1. Do you send and receive many faxes or do you rely on e-mail?
2. What are faxes particularly used for?

Business letters, sent from one company to another, or to clients and customers, are generally written in a very polite, formal style. However, it is not only letters that are written in this way: the first contact between a company and a business partner is generally written in formal style, even if it is an e-mail. Subsequent correspondence between people who know and like each other often becomes less formal.

Standard phrases:

Business letters are often include standard sections – as opening sentence referring to previous correspondence or starting the reason for writing, a closing sentence, etc. There are fixed phrases for these, as well as for the different things you can do in a letter (give news, give information, apologize, etc.). These phrases often use longer, more formal words instead of short ones with a similar meaning.

Task I. Which style, formal or informal, would you use for the following:

1. Writing to a customer you know well to summarize a meeting

2. Writing to someone you don’t know to apply for a job

3. Writing someone you have known for years to apply for a job

4. Complaining to a valued business partner about contractual terms that have not been respected

5. Writing to a long- time business partner with a renewed contract

6. Apologizing to a customer for bad service

7. Apologizing to a colleague for missing a meeting

8. Congratulating a member of a staff for their good results

Task II. Can you think of any phrases to use for the following actions?

1. Starting letter (referring to previous meeting or correspondence)

2. Explaining the reason for writing

3. Giving bad news

4. Giving information

5. Giving bad news

6. Apologizing

7. Ending a letter.

Task III. Classify the following standard phrases. Which of these actions (1-7) above could they be used for?

Do not hesitate to contact us again if you need further assistance.
Further to our meeting last Friday
Further to your inquiry, we are pleased to enclosed
I regret to inform you that
I am just writing to confirm
I wish to advise you that according to the terms of our agreement
If you have any further questions, please contact us
We are pleased to announce
We are writing to give you further information about
We are writing to inform you that
We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by
We look forward to hearing from you
With reference to your inquiry of 15^th May, I am enclosing details of
Thant you for your letter of 14^th June

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