Writing letters

You have learned how to write official letters before (for details consult Part I which you used in the 2^nd year). Just to remind you of the structure of a standard remember that the major parts of the letter include:

1. Letterhead (usually a return address)

2. Date (remember the differences between the British and American ways of writing dates)

3. Your recipient’s address (including the name and the professional title (if any), the company or organization name, etc.)

4. An opening greeting (addressed to the same person as in 3)

5. Subject of the letter

6. The main body of the letter

7. A parting (depending on the form of address)

8. Signature (including your title)

9. Enclosures (if any).

If you send copies to a third party or parties, you should notify the recipient. You indicate it at the end of the letter like cc: Prof. J.Smith.

It is also possible to include a Postscript if you want to express an additional request or draw your recipient’s attention to some very important point. It is indicated by a special mark P.S. and is placed on the left below the body of the letter. In case you need to attach any supplementary materials or documents to the letter, you should indicate each document separately at the end of the letter like.

Tasks and Activities

Assignment I. Name the typical forms of address for a formal business letter Name the suitable closing phrase which goes together with the corresponding greeting. Here are some samples of the standard phrases. Where do they belong in the structure of the letter?

a. Dear Sir/Madam,

b. Yours faithfully,

c. Dear Mr. Deaver,

d. Yours sincerely,

e. Best wishes,

f. Yours truly,

g. Dear Professor Lowell,

h. Yours, Mike Linley

i. Dear Mr.Chairman,

j. Respectfully yours,

Assignment II. When you need, let us say, some advice, information or service you write a letter of request or inquiry. You studied the essentials of such types of letters last year. Examine the list of expressions provided below and choose those which are suitable for expressing the purpose of your letter asking for some advice, information or service:

a. I’d be very grateful to you if/for …

b. I’m sending you …

c. I’d appreciate it greatly if/for …

d. I fully understand that …

e. if you could provide me with …

f. I very much regret …

g. I am trying to find …

h. I would be very much obliged to you …

i. It’s a great pleasure to receive …

j. It is worth discussing …

Assignment III. Assume that you are writing a letter to a professor at some other university (you may use any imaginary names or titles) to ask for some information necessary for your report, research project, term paper or diploma. Your letter should include all major parts. Use the expressions from the previous assignments.

Assignment IV. Here is the letter of application in which the author of it is applying for the job and provides the details of his qualifications and achievements. Some words and word collocations in the letter are missing. Fill in the gaps from the list provided below choosing the best word that completes the sentence.

Anton S.Archipov 20-110 Tverskaya str. 220000 Minsk/Belarus   Mr.R.T.Young Director Human Resource Management Fuse & Simon Chemicals 2557 Tenth Street 06887Jackport, Wi Novel Drugs Research Department   Dear Mr.Young, I am applying for the position of Junior 1) ___ Fellow of the Novel Drugs Department which was advertised in the newspaper (BDG, May 10, 2011) and the Internet.   I am a 5^th year student of the Chemistry Faculty at the Belarusian State University. My grades have been rather high and I expect to 2) ___ in June 2012 with the diploma with honours.   I have three years of 3) ___ working part-time as a laboratory assistant at the Department of Analytical Chemistry. During that time I have worked on a number of projects concerning 4) ___ and design. It has given me a lot of opportunity to develop my practical 5) ___ and ability to work independently and as a 6) ___ member.   I have attached my CV which gives a brief description of my 7) __. I will be glad to come for an 8) ___ any time in the afternoon. I am ready to begin work right after my graduation. I look 9) ___ to your 10) ___ and hope I can be of help for your company well-known for its success and image.   Sincerely,   Anton S.Archipov   Encl.: CV  

1. a) study b) research c) investigations

2. a) graduate b) finish c) complete

3. a) job b) experience c) knowledge

4. a) drug abuse b) drug application c) drug analysis

5. a) skills b) competition c) training

6. a) crew b) team c) gathering

7. a) qualifications b) qualities c) characteristics

8. a) report b) conversation c) interview

9. a) after b) forward c) for

10. a) reply b) replay c) report

Assignment V. You are provided with a letter expressing regret that the author of it is unable to attend the conference to which you have been invited. Some words and word collocations in the letter are missing. Fill in the gaps from the list provided below.

H. Silayeva 22-61, ul. Makayenka, 220000 Minsk/Belarus 20.02.20XX Dr. M. Murrey Chairman of the 1) ___ Nanoscience Conference 20XX Institute of Nanotechnology Urb. Cortijo Viejo (Puerto Calero) 35570 Lanzarote (Spain)   Call for Abstracts and Papers   Dear Dr. Murray,   Thank you very much for 2) ___ to attend the upcoming 3) ___ to be 4) ___ in June 10-13, 20XX and deliver a paper 5) ___ Supramolecular Nanomaterials: From Design to Reality.   I regret 6)___ you that I shall not be able 7) ___ the conference as I have other obligations during June. So I shall not be coming to the meeting myself but I shall be 8) ___ to you if you could 9) ___ the abstract of my paper which you will find 10) ___ to this letter.   Thank you very much for your 11) ___ and your kind consideration of my request. I look forward to 12) ___ from you soon.   Yours sincerely,   Helen Silayeva Assistant Professor Department of High-molecular Compounds

a) publish

b) to attend

c) understanding

d) the invitation

e) conference

f) hearing

g) grateful

h) attached

i) held

j) Organizing Committee

k) on

l) to inform

Assignment VI. In your future career you may be faced with the circumstances when you are supposed to ask for information or service, inform other people about something, or express your gratitude, etc. Think on the following possible situations and write a letter on a subject of your choice.

1. Write a letter (request/inquiry letter) to a contact person at another university (the title and the names may be fictional). Ask him/her to send you some information which you need for your project (scientific article, term or diploma paper, etc.).

2. Write a letter (request/inquiry letter) to the author of the article which you have read in the Journal of … (use real or fictional name) and which is of great interest to you. Ask him/her for more details and information on the subject.

3. Write a letter (acceptance letter) to the Chairman or Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Conference on … (use an imaginary title) to which you have been invited. Express your gratitude and assure that the abstract on your presentation and paper will be sent on time.

4. Write a letter (a letter of decline/regret) to the Chairman or Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Conference on … (use an imaginary title) to which you have been invited but cannot attend. Express your regret and state the reasons for not being able to attend.

5. Write a letter (cover letter) to the admission office of a college or university which you would like to enter (use real or fictional name). Provide the information about your academic and scientific interests and the papers you have included (enclosures).

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