Business Letters in English - Complete

《商务秘书实务》第2版习题答案Chapter 1: Introduction to the Secretarial Profession 秘书职业简介Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Business Etiquette 商务礼仪基础Chapter 3: Corporate Secretarial Ethics 秘书职业道德Chapter 4: An Overview of Business Writing 商务英语写作概览Chapter 5: Creating Business Letters in English 商务信函写作Chapter 6: Writing Memos in English 备忘录写作Chapter 7: Telephone Etiquette 电话沟通礼仪Chapter 8: Meeting Organization 组织会议Chapter 9: Presentation Development 开展讲座Chapter 10: Travel and Accommodation Arrangement 旅行和住宿安排Chapter 11: Business Entertaining 商务宴请Chapter 12: Balance Sheet Composition 制作资产负债表Chapter 13: Payroll Sheet Composition 制作员工工资表Chapter 14: Petty Cash Management 小额现金管理Chapter 15: Foundations of Human Resource Management 人力资源管理基础Chapter 16: Public Relations 公共关系基础Chapter 17: Marketing Research and Advertising Campaign 市场调研与广告活动Chapter 18: Writing Resumes in English 英文简历写作Chapter 19: Writing Job-search Cover Letters in English 英文求职信写作。

英语商函的书写范文Here is an English essay on the topic of "Sample Business Letter in English" with a word count exceeding 1000 words:Writing effective business letters is a crucial skill in the professional world. Business letters serve as formal and official modes of communication, conveying important information, requests, or propositions to clients, partners, or other stakeholders. A well-crafted business letter can make a lasting impression and significantly impact the outcome of a business transaction or negotiation.When composing a business letter, it is essential to adhere to a structured format and maintain a professional tone. The letter should begin with a clear statement of purpose, followed by a concise and informative body, and conclude with a call to action or a polite closing. Throughout the letter, the language should be clear, concise, and free of any ambiguity.One of the key elements of a successful business letter is the greeting. The greeting should be formal and appropriate for the recipient. Common greetings include "Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]" or "Dear [Job Title] [Last Name]." Avoid overly casual or informalgreetings, as they can undermine the professional nature of the communication.The body of the business letter should be well-organized and structured. Start with a clear and concise statement of the main purpose of the letter. This could be a request for information, a proposal, or a response to a previous communication. Provide relevant details and supporting information in a logical and coherent manner. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex language, and ensure that the message is easy to understand.When expressing requests or making recommendations, it is important to use polite and respectful language. Phrases such as "I would appreciate if you could" or "I kindly request that you consider" can help convey the message in a professional and courteous manner.Closing the business letter is just as important as the opening. The closing should reiterate the main purpose of the letter and provide a clear call to action, such as a request for a response, a meeting, or a specific follow-up action. Common closing phrases include "Sincerely," "Best regards," or "Thank you for your consideration."It is also crucial to include relevant contact information, such as the writer's name, title, and contact details, to ensure that the recipientcan easily reach out for further communication or inquiries.In addition to the formal structure and language, the overall presentation of the business letter is also important. The letter should be neatly formatted, with consistent spacing, margins, and alignment. The use of appropriate fonts, font sizes, and consistent formatting can enhance the professional appearance of the document.Moreover, the business letter should be proofread thoroughly to ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Even minor mistakes can undermine the credibility and professionalism of the communication.In conclusion, writing effective business letters requires a combination of technical skills, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of professional communication norms. By adhering to a structured format, using clear and concise language, and maintaining a polite and respectful tone, you can create business letters that effectively convey your message and leave a lasting positive impression on the recipient.。

Dear Mr LooConsignment No. CCD32176We received the above consignment of half –inch multicore LAN cable from you this afternoon .However on checking the consignment we have discovered that one of the reels of cable (500) is missing, The bill of lading reference number is CC/3a.As you know, we have a number of industrial clients who urgently require this cable, and this mistake is causing a great deal of inconvenience, and my lead to loss of business.I should appreciate your looking into this matter and arranging for delivery of the required cable as soon as possible.Dear Mr JiWe received our consignment of 2,000 Grade …A‟3.5” High Density optical disks this afternoon .However, on checking the disks we have discovered that they do not function properly .They appear to be incapable of storing data for some reason. Therefore, I am afraid they are completely unusable.We had planned to state a promotion of these disks from Monday. In fact, we already have many advanced orders which we shall now have to postpone because of your poor quality control. This will cause us a great deal of inconvenience.I should like you to replace these faulty disks with fully-functioning Grade …A‟ disks within the next week. If you are unable to guarantee delivery for whatever reason, I should be prepared to accept a complete refund of the money which was paid for the order.Dear Mr LeeYou will remember that last month we ordered 24 Tanson GHz Pentium X Computers. When we discussed delivery dates, you assured us that you could deliver by 2 December. However, the goods are now two weeks overdue, and I have heard nothing from you to confirm a definite delivery late.We urgently need these computers to upgrade the administrative functioning of our offices, and your slowness is causing a great deal of inconvenience.I should appreciate your looking into this matter and arranging for delivery of these computers within the next three days.I am afraid that if you are unable to deliver within this period, we shall be compelled to cancel our order and purchase from another supplier.Dear Mr MakWe have just received the above invoice for a consignment of books which was delivered on 4 May 200-as part of our exhibition of contemporary Chinese photographers‟ work.However, your invoice states that the consignment contained 240 copies of China on the Move by Shui Man-hing, whereas, in fact, it contained only 200 copies, If you check our original order(No. 4378528-copy attached) you will see this was all we ordered.We trust you will arrange for a new invoice to be issued in the near future, as we shall be happy to settle this account as soon as possible.Dear Mr ChuaThe above shipment of 60 Videx Model L15 video cassette recorders with remote control was delivered on 25 March 200-, and was checked on delivery.I an afraid I really must complain about the quality of these machines. You appear to have supplied us with a product which falls far below the standard our customers expect. The L15 VCRs that you delivered were poorly finished and shoddy. What is more, they are certainly not as good as the demonstration models that I was shown when your representatives visited my shop in early February.This matter is causing us great inconvenience, since we have now included the L15 in our new catalogue and we are receiving a large number of enquiries about it. We shall now be faced with cancelling it from our catalogue, and explaining to customers that it is no longer available.I should like you to refund the money we have paid you for these machines. Alternatively, if this is unacceptable, I should beprepared to accept the L16 model as a replacement for the L15 at the same price.I look forward to hearing from you in the very near future.Dear SirWe received and invoice from you this morning requesting payment of Hk$399 as annual subscription to The Far East Economic Bulletin.It is true that we have been receiving The Far East Economic Bulletin for the past three months. However, we have written on two occasions to inform you that we do not wish to receive your bulletin.We should like to repeat that we did not order The Far East Economic Bulletin, and do not want it to be delivered, and we certainly do not intend to pay for it.We trust that in future you will check your records before sending out invoices and causing people this type of inconvenience.Dear Mr LeeI refer to your letter of 16 July regarding the standard of MicroComp‟s delivery service, Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention. I agree with you that delays in delivery are very damaging. Having checked with our transport company, it is clear that you have had to wait a long time for recent deliveries, and we, too, find this unacceptable. I really must apologise for the inconvenience you have been caused. I can assure you that we are currently considering switching transport company to avoid this type of error occurring again.We take all our customers‟ comments seriously. With this in mind, we are more than happy to make special arrangements to have your order (no.735228) delivered in the next three days.Please accept my aplologies once again for the inconvenience.Dear Mr TsaiI refer to your letter of 10 October regarding the standard of the 3.5” high density optical disks we supplied to you recently. Thank you very much for bringing this matter to our attention. We agre with you that strict quality control is very important. Having checked with our suppliers, it is clear that they mistakenly sent us a consignment of faulty disks. Apparently, the damage was caused during the production process, and the suppliers are currently recalling all of batch 761b.I really must apologise for the inconvenience you have been caused, I can assure your that in future we shall do all we can to avoid this error occurring again.We take all our customers‟ comments seriously. With this in mind, we are more than happy to replace the faulty disks, I shall arrange for a replacement consignment to be sent to you immediately, and would be grateful if you could return the faulty disks to us. We shall, of course, reimburse freight charges.Please accept my apologies once again for the inconvenience.Dear Mr AboeI refer to your letter of 18 December regarding delivery of your order for 24 Tanson 1GHz Pentium X Computers. Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention.According to our Accounts Departments, although we discussed delivering the above computers by 2 December, in fact we did not get your order until 18 December- the same day as your letter of complain, I am afraid the delay in delivery has been due to our not receiving the order for two weeks.I regret, therefore, that we cannot guarantee delivery before New Year. As I mentioned earlier this month , this time of year is very busy for us. However, as it is clear that you have been inconvenienced by this unfortunate situation, we are prepared to offer you the loan of 24 Tanson Pentium II (450MHz) computers until such time as we can deliver your order.If this arrangement is acceptable to you, Please contact me by return so that I can make the necessary arrangements.Dear Ms WanReference is made to your letter of 27 May 200-regarding our invoice (P5643/9). I appreciate your bringing this matter to my attention.Having checked with our suppliers, it appears that a mistake has been made on this occasion, and that you have been sent an invoice with incorrect details. The reason for this is that we have recently introduced a computerized stock control system, andthere have been a number of “teething problems”. A revised, correct, invoice is attached for your convenience.I hope you have not been too inconvenienced by our mistake, and that you will continue to honour us with your custom.Dear Mr GohI refer to your letter of 27 March 200-regarding the standard of the VCRs we supplied to you recently. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.It seems that you are not satisfied with the quality of the Videx Model L15 video cassette recorders, your fell that they were poorly finished and shoddy, and not of a satisfactory standard for your customer.I have discussed the matter with our Sales representatives, Mr Li and Mr Chen, to whom you spoke earlier this month at your shop, and they tell me that you checked the L15 very thoroughly before deciding to purchase and were aware of the standard of its workmanship.I regret to inform you, therefore, that we cannot give you a refund, In this case, the goods are of saleable quality, so a refund is out of the question.However, here at Videx, we feel strongly that your satisfaction is our top priority. So, in order to make up for some of the inconvenience you have suffered, we should like to offer you the chance to buy the L16 at an unbelievably low price. If you return the 60 Model L15 videos to us within the next week (in perfect condition), we can offer a 5% discount off the list price of the L16.Please contact me as soon as possible to tell me if this arrangement is acceptable to you.Dear Ms LeungI refer to your letter of 10 November 200-bringing to my attention the fact that we have been sending you The Far East Economic Bulletin for the past three months without your having subscribed to it. Thank you for writing to inform me of this. Having checked with our subscription checks, it appears that two mistakes have been made. First, we should clearly not have been sending you the bulletin. Secondly, it follows that you should not have been billed.One thing surprises me : that you could receive The Far Economic Bulletin for three months and not have fallen in love with it !We feel so certain that you will in the end, that, as a gesture of goodwill on our part, we hope you will accept another six months‟ subscription free of charge.Normally, our subscriptions run like clockwork. This must be the exception which proves the rule!。

Chapter One Business Letters (商务信函)1.1IntroductionBusiness letter is the most frequently used form of communication. Business executives are supposed to write good business letters as to carry out business routine efficiently.All business letters have two main functions. One is to ask for and give a reply to an enquiry, offer, order or complaint. The other one is to keep a record of all the important facts for ready reference. An effective business letter will say what the writer wants it to say clearly and simply.A business letter that is neat, easy to read, and present a professional image will leave a good impression on the reader.1.2Writing Guide1.2.1The Essentials of Business Letter Writing——7 “Cs” principlesClarity清晰: Try to express yourself clearly. Keep in mind the purpose of the letter; Use appropriate words in correct sentence structures; A void ambiguous sentences. Conciseness简洁: Say things in the fewest possible words. Try to avoid wordiness or redundancy. Courtesy礼貌: Not mere politeness. Always keep in mind the person we are writing to, see things from his point of view, visualize him in his surroundings, see his problems anddifficulties and express our ideas in terms of his experience.Consideration体谅: It emphasizes Y ou-attitude rather than We-attitude.Keep the reader’s request, needs, desires, as well as his feelings in mind.Correctness正确: Appropriate and grammatically correct language, factual information and accurate reliable figures, as well as the right forms and conventions.Concreteness具体: Make the message specific, definite and vivid.Completeness完整: Provide all the information and data necessary for a specific issue.1.2.2 The Structure of business lettersLetterhead 信头The letterhead indicates the name, address, telephone, fax number and E-mail address of the company sending the letter. Many companies use letterhead stationery. If letterhead stationery is not available, you can type the heading, which includes a return address, and leaves about a two-inch top margin.Reference 编号The reference may include a file number, department code or the initials of the signer followed by that of the typist of the letter. Type the reference number below the letterhead in short form as“Our ref.:”for the sender’s reference number, and “Y our ref.:”for the recipient’s. The purpose of this is to facilitate filing of the letter, link it with previous correspondence.Date 日期There is no rule for the date placement. If you use letterhead stationery, place the date one to three blank lines beneath the letterhead. If without letterhead, place the date immediately below the return address. Writing date in English goes in two styles:American Style-- The standard order: month, day, year. Example: September 12, 2008.British Style --The standard order : day, month, year. Example: 12 September, 2008.Mailing or In-house Notation 邮递方式Mailing notation shows the specific means of delivery for the convenience of verification. Besides there are two other commonly used forms of mailing notation, e.g. by courier and by EMS. Type them two lines below the date and in all capital Letters.Mailing notations: e.g. “special delivery”, ”airmail”, ”registered mail”, “certified mail”In-house notations: e.g. “personal”, “confidential”.Inside name and address 封内名称及地址It should include some or all parts of the following: the name of the recipient, the department name, company name, suite or room number, street address, city, postcode, state/province and country. It appears on the left margin and usually starts two to fourlines below the date. It appears exactly the same way as on the envelope.Precede the addressee’s name with a courtesy title (such as Mr., Ms. or Dr.) The person’s job title can be placed on the same line of the person’s name, or on the line below.e.g.: （1）Mr. Dick Eaton, President （2）Ms. Patricia T. HigginsAssistant V ice PresidentIf the name of a specific person is unavailable, you may address the letter to the department, followed by the name of the company.e.g.: （1）Customer Service DepartmentAcme Construction CompanyAttention Line 主送，The attention line is used to name the specific individual the letter is addressed to. It is usually placed between the inside address and the salutation or within the inside address and centered over the body of a letter in the indented style. Its abbreviation is Attn.. It suggests that the sender hopes the letter receives the immediate attention of a certain person or a specific department. Salutation 称呼The salutation is the polite greeting with which a letter begins. Place it twolines below the inside address. The salutation should correspond to the first line of the inside address, The customary formal greeting in a business letter is “Dear Sir”or “Dear Madam”used for addressing one person; and “Dear Sirs”, “Dear Mesdames” or “Gentlemen”for addressing two or more people. If the addressee is known to you personally, a warmer greeting such as “Dear Mr. Smith”is preferred. Quite often now companies are owned and /or managed by women, and it is more and more customary to use the greeting: Dear Madam or Sir, if you are not sure whether the letter will be read by a man or a woman. If the addressee is a group, use “Ladies and Gentlemen”. Or you may use a polite description, such as “Dear Friends”, “Dear SPA supporters”. End the salutation with a colon, or a comma.Subject Line/Caption 标题或事由The subject line is the general idea of a letter. It calls recipients’attention to the topic of the letter. It is often inserted between the salutation and the body of a letter, usually two lines below the salutation. It is also useful as a guide for filing. Some companies omit the word “Subject:”, some replace it with “Re:”or “re:”(meaning “regarding”), and some underline the subject line. The following forms are commonly used:SUBJECT: SALES CONFIRMATION NO. 5678 FOR 300MT OF SOYBEAN OILSubject: Sales Confirmation NO. 5678 for 300Metric Tons of Soybean OilBody 正文This is the most important part of a letter. It expresses your idea, opinion, purpose and wishes, etc. It usually begins one or two lines below the salutation. Lines within a paragraph should be single-spaced and double-spaced between paragraphs.Complimentary Close 结束敬语The complimentary close is purely a matter of custom and a polite way of bringing a letter to a close. It appears one or two lines below the last line of the body. Capitalize the first word and end with a comma. The main words in complimentary closure are as follows: sincerely, faithfully, cordially, respectfully and truly. These words may appear in any of these combinations: Y our sincerely, Sincerely yours.Signature 签名The writer’s signature consists of a handwritten signature and a typewritten signature. Type the name under the complimentary closing, leaving enough blank lines (usually leave three blank lines) to sign your name. Never “sign”with a seal or stamp. Then type the signature identification and title. The writer’s signature should be placed between the complimentary closure and the typed signature.Multiple-Page Letter Heading 多页信的标题When typing a multiple-page letter, use letterhead for the first page. The following page or pages should have the same quality, size and color as the first page. The multiple-page heading bears the name of the recipient or his/her organization, the pagenumber, and the date.Reference Initials 主办人代号Consisting of the signer’s initials in capitals followed by a slash or colon followed by the lowercase initials of the person preparing the letter, this item serves as reminder of who prepared the letter. It should be placed at the left margin, two or three lines below the signature. When you type your own letter, don’t use initials. When the signature block includes the writer’s name, use only the typist’s initials. Reference initials are usually given in the form of “author’s initials/typist initials”, or “author’s initials: typist initials”.Enclosure Notation 附件When there is something enclosed with the letter, type the word “Enclosure”, or an abbreviation of it （Encl.）in the bottom left-hand, a double spaces under the reference initials, with a figure indicating the number of enclosures, if there are more than one.Y ou can use any of the following styles:Encl. :Enclosure:1. Purchase Order No. 12342. Check No. 123Carbon copy Notation 抄送When you send a copy of the letter to a third person, place a notation directly below the enclosure notation or reference initials. The copy notation is indicated with “C.C.”, or “c.c.”which is a holdover from the days of carbon copies. Many companies are now using “P.C.”(for photocopy).Postscript/P.S. 附言If you wish to add something you forget or for emphasis, you may usually add the postscript two lines below the carbon copy notation. Postscript may be preceded by “P. S.”, but this is not strictly necessary. In business letters, postscript is not commonly used, while in personal letters, it frequently appears. This item is usually used in the informal styles of letters.The adding of a P.S. should, however, be avoided as far as possible, since it can appear as afterthoughts, indicating a lack of planning. But studies show that postscripts are one of the first things people read and remember, especially when it is handwritten. It sometimes serves the purposes as a message that requires emphasis, or as a personal note.Look at the following example to see where the different parts go in a business letter.P.S.: Y ou get 5% discount if you book the space by the end of this month.1.2.3 The Formats of a business letterThere are various ways in which the component parts of a business letter can be laid out on the page. Choice of letter format is a matter of individual taste, but it is better to follow established practice, to which the business world has become accustomed. A good plan to make correct practice habit is to adopt one form of letter format and stick to it. The three main formats are as follows.1. Blocked Format With this letter style, all letter parts begin at the left margin. Because this style can save the typist’s time, so it has come to be much widely used and preferred now. The loss of clarity occasioned by the absence of indentations may be made good by increasing the number of separating line-spacing between paragraphs.2. Semi-blocked Format Like blocked format, all letter parts begin at the left margin, except the dateline, complimentary closing, company signature and writer’s identification, which are set against the right-hand margin. They are placed in this position for filing and reference purposes. It is also named as a modified blocked format.3. Indented Format The indented format may follow the same layout as either the blocked or semi-blocked formats, but will differ in that the paragraphs will each be indented by four or five spaces. It is a traditional format, especially in Britain.1.2.4 The Format of envelopes The envelope should match the stationery in color and style. Most companies have the return address in the upper-left corner of the envelope, giving the sameinformation as the letterhead. Otherwise you must type or write your return address the same way as you do for the inside address, usually in smaller typeface than the name and address of the receiver.Name and address of the receiver is always single-spaced with all lines aligned on the left, and they should be in all capital letter, with no punctuation at the end of each line. The order in writing the address is from the smallest division to the largest, just opposite to the Chinese custom in writing addresses.The in-house notation is placed three lines down the return address and is in all capital letters. The stamp is put at the upper right corner of the envelope with mailing notation, if there are any, given in all capital letters below the stamp.The format of the address on the envelope can be in blocked or indented style, but it is better to keep the same format with the inside address of the letter.1.3 Letters for example。

英文商务信函范文（English Business Letters）English Business Letters: 0 pointsTags: letters, essays, EnglishAnswer: 1 browse: 212 question time: 2011-03-21 06:24Where can I download the sample essay?A total of 0 comments... Related information: trade correspondence study notes - 3.Doc more information "the best answer the answer she said, does not let's review report, pulling the wrong in my family.Moon Song water[Master] i. starting languageA. establishing trade relations1. we are willing to establish business relationship with your company.2. we hope to establish business contact with you.3. our company deals with the import and export business of electronic products, and hopes to establish business relations with you.Example sentence：1.We are willing to eatablish trade relations with your company.2.Please allow us to express our hope of opening an account with you.3.This Corporation is specialized in handing the import you. and export business in electronic products and wishes to enter into business relations withB. self recommendation1. please let us introduce ourselves, we are...... The leading trading company.2. our company has been engaged in this business for many years and enjoys a high international reputation.3. our products are of first-rate quality, and our clients have always regarded the company as the most reliable company.Example sentence：1.Let us introduce ourselves as a leading trading firm in...2.Our company has been in this line prestige. of business for many years and enjoys high international3.Our products are of very good quality and one. our firm is always regarded by our customers as the most reliableC. promotional products1. we come from...... Knowing your name, I wonder if your company is interested in this series of products.2. our newly developed...... We are pleased to inform you that it has been put on the market.3. we look forward to becoming your company...... Supplier。

项目一交易磋商一、教学目标1.了解外贸函电的目的及作用。

2.了解“询盘”相关的基本商务知识、写作要求和内容要点3.分析信例总结并掌握函电格式的构成。

4.了解“发盘”相关的基本商务知识、写作要求和内容要点。

5.了解“还盘”相关的基本商务知识、写作要求和内容要点6.了解“建立业务关系”相关的基本商务知识、写作要求和内容要点。

7.了解“包装”相关的基本商务知识、写作要求和内容要点。

二、课时分配本项目共6个任务，安排12课时。

三、教学重点在本项目中，我们通过我国一家外贸公司与国外公司在业务磋商方面的信件往来，来掌握该项目的基本知识；会用学到的相关格式和内容表达，独立完成该环节的信件书写，并学会相关的词组句子、重要表达、实践知识等。

理解“建立业务关系”函电书写的内容、格式、步骤以及典型的表达。

理解“询盘”函电书写的内容、格式、步骤以及典型的表达,理解“发盘”函电书写的内容、格式、步骤，以及典型的表达, 理解“还盘”函电书写的内容、格式、步骤，以及典型的表达。

四、教学难点熟悉函电写作的7C原则。

掌握“还盘”的信件书写，结合格式、步骤、内容等方面，完成信件书写。

掌握“包装”的信件书写，结合格式、步骤、内容等方面，完成信件书写。

掌握“建立业务关系”的信件书写，结合格式、步骤、内容等方面，完成信件书写。

掌握“发盘”的信件书写，结合格式、步骤、内容等方面，完成信件书写。

掌握“询盘”的信件书写，结合格式、步骤、内容等方面，完成信件书写;五、教学内容任务一建立业务关系任务描述：在该任务中，练习者要从一名外贸公司出口部门业务员的身份出发，以“建立业务关系”为主题，运用下文中所学到的相关格式和内容表达，独立完成一份写给对方公司的信件。

知识储备I. The Purpose and Functions of Business LettersThe purposes of communication are to obtain complete understanding between the parties involved，and elicit the responses required. Generally speaking， the functions of a business letter are to ask for or to convey business information， to make or to accept an offer， to deal with matters concerning various businesses.Usually， there are certain essential requirements for a good business letter， which can be summed up in the Seven Cs， i.e. Completeness，Concreteness，Clearness/Clarity，Conciseness，Courtesy，Consideration， Correctness. These Cs often go hand-in-hand.II. The Basic Parts of Business LettersSee the letter first and find out how many parts are included in this letter：Guangdong Foreign Trade Development Corp.779 East Dongfeng Road，Guangzhou， ChinaCable Address： 5527 GFTDC Telex： 44388 GFTDC CNSeptember 15， 2010H. J. Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.245 Lombart Street，Lagos， NigeriaDear Sirs，We learned the name of your company from the Bank of China， Guangzhou /Guangzhou Branch of Bank of China.We are specialized in exporting the Chinese light industrial products， which enjoy good reputation in the world market for a long time.Enclosed please find a catalogue for your reference， and we look forward to entering into business relationship with you.Anticipate your early reply.Yours Sincerely，Liu MingLiu MingSales Manager of Export DepartmentIn sequential order of completion， a business letter basically consists of the following 13 parts.（7 of the 13 parts are basic and necessary.）（1） Letterhead（信头）As the first and most obvious part of a business letter，the letterhead expresses a company’s personality. It helps to form one’s impression of the writer’s firm. Styles vary considerably， but they all give similar information and include the essential particulars about the writer — name， address， zip-code， telephone number， telegram fax number and e-mail address of the company. It is usually designed and printed in the center or on the left margin at the top of the page. （2） Reference Number（参考号/发文编号）The reference number is generally used as a useful indication for filing and consulting for both sides， so it must be easily seen. It mayinclude a file number， a contract number， an L/C number or the initials of the signer and the typist’s initials. If you find the reference number in the incoming letter you need to take the form as “your ref.” and “our ref.” in your reply. The position of the reference number is often one or two lines below the letterhead.（3） Date（日期）Every letter should be dated. Never send out a letter without a date. If you are giving information， such as shipping or delivery or appointment dates， it is vital that the date should be correct. The position of the date is often one or two lines below the reference number or letterhead （if there is no reference number）.September 8， 2007 — American form8th September， 2007 — British form（4） Inside Name and Address（信内地址）It consists of the name and address of the receiver. It appears exactly the same way as on the envelope. Inside name and address are always put at the left margin at least two lines below the date.Ms. Sarah Davis姓名The Sales Manager职务The Space Engineering Co.，Ltd. 公司名830 W. Lauridsen Boulevard 小地址Port Angeles， WA 98363大地址USA国家名（5） Salutation（称呼）The salutation is the polite greeting with which a letter begins. It should be placed two lines below the inside address. There are many forms of salutation in a business letter. The customary greeting in a business letter is “Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss ...（姓）”，“Dear Sirs”or “Dear Madam or Sir”.（6） Subject Line（事由标题）The subject line is often inserted between the salutation and the body of the letter. The subject line helps to attract attention to the topic of the letter. It is especially useful if two companies have a lot of correspondence with each other on a variety of subjects， as it immediately tells what the letter is about. It is also useful as a guide for filing. It can begin with or without “Re：” or “Subject：”. Sometimes， you can see the subject line is underlined. e.g.Re： Sewing MachinesSubject： Sewing MachinesSewing Machines（7） Body of the Letter（正文）This part contains the actual message of the letter. It should begin two lines below the subject line or two lines below the salutation if there is no subject line. Usually， it is divided into three parts： opening，actual message and closing. The body of the letter should be carefully planned and paragraphed. The opening is to give the reason of writing and often refers to previous correspondence. The actual message is to specify the writer’s concrete purposes， requirements and wishes. The closing is to express thanks and anticipations for future actions or plans. Sometimes the closing may be used to sum up the message and to suggest the writer’s requirements to the receiver.（8） Complimentary Close（结尾敬语/套语）The complimentary close is merely a polite way of bringing a letter to a close. It is usually placed two or four lines below the last line of the body of the letter. There are many different complementary closes that show respect， but it should match the salutation. The most common sets of salutation and the complimentary close are as follows：Yours faithfully，Yours sincerely，（9） Signature（落款签字）The signature is the signed name or mark of the person writing the letter or that of the firm he or she represents. All letters must be signed and a letter should be signed by hand， and in ink. Unsigned letters have no authority and a letter “signed” with a rubber stamp is a form of discourtesy. Usually， the name of the signer is typed below the signature because many handwritten signatures are illegible， and then followed by his or her job title or position. If the writer represents a certain institute， the name of the institute will be printed above the signature.e.g.The Overseas Co.， Ltd. institute（Signature）signatureJohn Bellname of the signerGeneral Manager， Sales Department position（10） Reference Notation（经办人代号）Sometimes， the reference notation， which is also understood as identification mark，can also be placed two lines below the typed signature. The reference notation usually shows only the initials of the typist， but it can also be made up of the initials of the person who dictated the letter. The initials of the dictator are usually in capital letters. The two sets are separated by a colon or a slant, such as for Bill Clinton （manager） and Nancy Brown （secretary）. The following examples are acceptable forms of the reference notation：BC： nbBC/nb（11） Enclosure Notation（附件）If any documents such as catalogues， price lists， order， copies of fax are sent with a letter， it is necessary to add enclosure notationto remind the receiver. The enclosure notation is usually placed two lines below the signature at the left margin. The marking may be in any of the following ways：Enclosure： 3 copies of ...Encl. 3 cataloguesEnc. 1 invoice Encls： as stated（12） Carbon Copy Notation（抄送）When copies of the letter are sent to others， you need to use the carbon copy notation below any enclosure notation at the left margin. It is used to show that the letter has been sent to someone relevant. The marking may be in any of the following ways， c.c./cc/bcc—blind carbon copy. e.g.c.c. Mr. J. Cooper（13） Postscript（附言/注）A postscript is used to emphasize a point to which the writer wants to draw the reader’s attention. Sometimes， the postscript can be added by some executives in pen and ink for the purpose of adding a personal touch to their typewritten letter. The marking word of postscript is P.S. and should be placed at least two lines below any other notation and flushed with the left margin.Of all the 13 parts， seven are standard， principal and necessary. The seven parts include the letterhead， the inside name and address，the date， the salutation， the body of the letter， the complimentary close and the signature. The others are optional parts which may be unnecessary for some letters and chosen as the writer wishes. Some letters may contain one or more of the optional parts， depending on the different situation of each writing requirement.注： The Basic Layout of Business Letters1. Letterhead（信头）*2. Reference Number（参考号/发文编号）3. Date（日期）*4. Inside Name and Address（信内地址）*5. Salutation（称呼）*6. Subject Line（事由标题）7. Body of the Letter（正文）*8. Complimentary Close（结尾敬语/套语） *9. Signature（落款签字）*10. Reference Notation（经办人代号）11. Enclosure Notation（附件）12. Carbon Copy Notation（抄送）13. Postscript（附言/注）注：带“*”号为信件必备部分。