242 - It must include a statement of purpose of the present letter. For example: - I am writing to apply for the vacancy of…. - We would like to order the following items… - It may also include statements of additional information. For example: Agreeing to Requests I would be delighted to… Giving Bad News Unfortunately… I am afraid that… Enclosing Documents I am enclosing… Please find enclosed… Enclosed you will find… The body of the letter usually includes closing remarks to express a more personal wish or comment related to the aim of the letter. For example: Thank you for your help Please contact us again if… …we can help in any way. …there are any problems. …you have any questions. I/we will be pleased ………. to be considered for aninterview I/We will be very grateful …… to receive a trial order. I/We look forward to hearing from you. I’m looking forward to … (informal)
243 1.6 The closing or complimentary close ends the letter. American Style British Style Formal Formal Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Cordially yours, Cordially, Yours sincerely, (addressee’s name known) Yours faithfully, (addressee’s name not known) Less Formal Less Formal Very truly yours, Yours very truly, Yours truly, Yours sincerely, Yours truly, Best regards, Kind regards, Regards, After the Closing there are three things to identify the sender of the letter: 1.7 The signature 1.8 The identification of the sender’s name 1.9 The sender’s position or job title Note: When you begin a letter Dear Sir/Madam, you end with Yours faithfully. When you begin with Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms you end with Yours sincerely, Yours truly, or Best wishes (but not Yours faithfully) Table 8.1 The Closing or Complimentary Close
244 2. Optional Parts 2.1 References: It refers back to a letter, fax, quotation, order no., file of the sender and addressee respectively. 2.2 Subject Line: theme or subject. 2.3 Copy Notation: Names of the persons who receive a copy of the letter. 2.4 Typist’s Initials: Initials of the person who signs the letter and the person who types it. Exercise 1 – Salutation Identify the mistake in each sentence and correct it. Example: Dear Messrs Lewis and Ramsay Ltd., should be: Dear Sirs,/Gentlemen, 1. Dear Mrs. 2. April the 10, 1995. 3. Lewis and Co., West Road 13, Bristol BR 3 8HG 4. Sirs. Sinclair and Hughes. 5. Sales Manager Mr. Keith Morgan 2 Elm Street Santa Barbara CA 93106
245 8.1.2 Types of Business Letters These are two types of formats for business letters: the Block Format Letter and the Modified Block Format Letter. 1. A Typical Business Letter – Block Format (all parts flush left) Note that in the example above, all the parts of the letter except the logo are on the left side of the page. Your company name and address; the recipient's name, title, company, and address, the letter's main text; the sender's typed name and title; and the attachment, enclosures, cc. are all single-spaced. The company’s address, date and the recipients name must be double or triple spaced. You can also double space or triple-space between the letter's main text and the complementary close (which is usually the word "sincerely"). Leave about four lines for your written signature, and double-space or triple-space between your title and the ending lines. The main text is always single-spaced. Each paragraph is not indented but begins at the left margin. Double space between the paragraphs
246 Company Logo Your Company Name (company name & address can be centered) Your Company Address Date Recipient's Name Recipient's Title Recipient's Company Recipient's Address Salutation: Main text - Introduction - Body - Conclusion Complimentary close, Signature Sender's Typed Name Title Attachments:/Enclosures:/CC: Figure 8.4 Block Format
247 2. Another Business Letter - Modified Block Format (modified flush left): This letter format is slightly different from the first. The date, the closing, your signature, and your title are all lined up along the center of the letter. They are not centered, but if you drew a line down the center of the letter, these parts would all be flush against this line. The main text is different, also. Single-space the text and indent the first sentence of each paragraph. Do not double-space between paragraphs. With both types of business letters, you may leave more space between each of the parts. With shorter letters you may wish to leave 3 blank lines between each part. You may also wish to drop the top margin down. The idea is to achieve good visual balance. Always try to keep a one-inch margin at the bottom and on the right and left sides. Never mix the block and modified block formats.
248 Company Logo Your Company Name (company name & address can be centered) Your Company Address Date Recipient's Name Recipient's Title Company Name Recipient's Address Salutation: Main text - Introduction - Body - Conclusion Closing, Signature Sender's Typed Name Title Attachments:/Enclosures:/CC: . Figure 8.5 Modified Block Format.
249 Exercise 1 Here are the main messages from four letters. Choose the correct beginning and ending from sentences (A) – (H) and 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. G. I hope that this information will help you. H. Please feel free to contact me if you need any information about our other branches. Figure 8.6 Letter 1 Source: Littlejohn, 2000, p. 16
250 Figure 8.7 Letter 2 Source: Littlejohn, 2000, p. 17
251 Exercise 2 – Letters in Different Situations Study the letters in different situations below in groups and match the each situation with one of the letters below. A. Welcoming a Visitor from Abroad B. Refusing an Application C. Favorable Reference D. Letter of Congratulations E. Requesting an Appointment F. Accepting anInvitation G. Acknowledgement of Change in Meeting Date H. Permission Granted I. Declining an Invitation J. Confirming an Appointment K. Inviting a Speaker to a Conference Letter 1 _____ Dear Mr. Russell: Regarding the new contract which you sent to me last week, there are a number of points which I do not understand, and I would like to discuss these with you. I will be in Bangkok from 10 to 17 November, and will call you on my arrival i.e. 10 November to arrange a date and time which would be convenient for us to meet. I look forward to the opportunity of meeting you again. Yours sincerely,
252 Letter 2 _____ Dear Mrs. Violet: Thank you for your letter regarding the new contract. It will be a great pleasure to meet and to discuss this matter with you. I will be available on 12 November at 14.30. My secretary will call and confirm the day and time with you within a next few days in case the day and time is not convenient for you. Thus, an alternative appointment will be arranged. I will look forward to meeting you again. Yours sincerely, Letter 3 _____ Dear Mr. Luke, According to your request, we have changed your meeting with Khun Pongsaton on 12 June to 14 June at 11:00 a.m. I am pleased to be able to accommodate you in this manner, and Khun Pongsaton will be looking forward to your meeting on this newly appointed date. Yours sincerely,
253 Letter 4 _____ Letter 5 _____ REF: INT2001/1190 Dear Miss Ribbon, Thank you for your application to join XYZ. Unfortunately we cannot accept it as we received it after the closing date. If you would like further assistance please phone Training and Development no. 02-4135889 or if you are phoning from outside Thailand and this number is not available, please dial 662-335-9987. We would like to thank you for your time and interest in XYZ. Yours sincerely, KW/BS Mr. K Win A&B Company Ltd. 35-37 Old Street London YJ9 8II 22 May 2001 Dear. Mr. Win, We refer to your request of 20 May requesting permission to use our name as a reference in your transaction with the Kitty Supplier Limited. During the time we have done business together, you have been a very reliable customer. If your suppliers decide to approach us for a reference we shall be very happy to support your request for credit facilities. Yours sincerely,
254 Letter 6 _____ Dear Mrs. Oxford, In reply to your letter of yesterday, Ms. Thiri Wongsa-ard is both capable and reliable. She came to us 5 years ago to take charge of our Purchasing Department. She knows the trade thoroughly and does all the buying for her department with notable success. I know that for some time she has been looking for a similar post with a larger company. While we would be sorry to lose her services, we would not wish to stand in the way of the advancement which a company as your could offer. Yours sincerely, Letter 7 _____ Dear Mr. White, It was a great pleasure to receive your letter of 12 February and to learn that you are planning to visit Thailand in April. I am very pleased to welcome you and to do all I can to make your visit enjoyable and successful. I understand this will be your first visit to Thailand, and am sure you will wish to see some of our principal places of interest. A suitable program is something I can discuss when you arrive. I would also be pleased to introduce you to several firms with whom you may like to do business. When the date of your visit is settled, please let me know your arrival details. I will arrange to meet you at the airport and drive you to the hotel. You may be assured of a warm welcome. , Yours sincerely,
255 Letter 8 _____ Dear Mr. Mills: I would like to convey my warm congratulations on your appointment to the Board of Start Ltd. My fellow directors and I are delighted that the many years of services you have given to your company should at least have been rewarded in this way. We all join in sending you our very best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely, Letter 9 _____ Dear Dr. Wanchai, Our organization will be holding a conference at the Tower-Hotel in Bangkok from 19th – 20th September, the theme of which will be how to improve the productivity. Approximately 250 delegates are expected for this conference. We would be delighted if you would accept our invitation to speak on the subject of working conditions on 19th September from 13.30. to 15.00. We would be prepared to pay you the usual fee of 20,000 baht. For your information, a copy of detailed draft of the program is enclosed. You will be welcome to attend other sessions of the conference on that day. We look forward to hearing that you will accept our invitation. At the same time, please let us know if any visual aids will be required. Yours sincerely,
256 Letter 10 _____ Dear Mr. Kurt, Thank you for your letter inviting me to attend your conference on 19th September on the subject of working conditions. I am delighted to accept your invitation, and confirm that I will require the use of an overhead projector for my presentation. I hope this can be made available. I look forward to renewing my relationship with your organization at your conference. Yours sincerely, Letter 11 _____ Dear Mr. Kurt, I was very delighted to receive your letter of invitation this morning. Much as I would like to present at your conference on 19th September, I am sorry to say that I will be unavailable to do so, as I shall be abroad at the time. I must therefore regretfully decline your invitation. I do hope that the day will be a great success. Yours sincerely,
257 8.2 Addressing Envelopes Writing envelopes correctly is very important. Names and addresses must be carefully typed; otherwise, the letter and the information it contains may not reach its destination. Language Focus Envelopes contain two types of information: essential and optional. 1. Essential Parts Marvin Milner 75 East Seaview Ave. San Diego, CA 92305 David M. Moore Fox & Fox Inc. 960 Fulton Drive Washington, DC 22063 U.S.A. a) Sender’s full name & address b) Addressee’s name c) Company’s name d) Street address e) City, State or Region, Zip Code or Post Code f) Country Figure 8.8 Essential Parts Source: Millan & Toselli, 1997, p. 81
258 Note: Street number comes before thestreet name. The name of the country is included only if it is necessary. If you don’t know the name of the addressee, use the name of the business organization. Example: Brown and Sons (American) Messrs. Brown and Sons (British) On envelopes the forms Mr., Mrs., Miss and Ms. do not precede the addressee’s name. However, in the letter they do. 2. Optional Parts Exercise 1 Say if these salutation and closing match. Correct the items that do not match. …………….. …………….. REGISTERED CONFIDENTIAL Attn: Mr. A. Jackson Other postal indications (Sample Copy, Printed Matter, Please Forward, Please Hold) Reference to a specific person, written in lower left hand corner or below the name of the company Mailing indications such as Air Mail, etc. Figure 8.9 Optional Parts Source: Millan & Toselli, 1997, p. 82
259 Writing Exercise 1 Organize the information below and address the envelopes according the instructions. a) To: Queen’s Road/ The Neon Light Co./292/W1 3TF/ Sample Copy/ London From: Temple Street/ 28/ Kent/ James Hall/ TN1 1 LQ b) To: Richard Murray/ U.K./ Riverside Road/ Southampton/248/SO1 1ZB From: N.Y. /Home Service Inc./ Madison Avenue/456/ New York/ 10014 c) To: 10156/The Faculty of Economics/ MO./ Nelson Street/ 293/ Jefferson City/ Attn: The Dean From: New York/Albert Wayne/10017/31st Street/24/ N.Y. d) To: Pacific University/Dean of the Faculty of Economics/CA 95616/San Francisco/ Frank Wilson/U.S.A. From: Charles Jackson/12/ Cambridge/ Holton Road/CB2 1RP
260 ……………. ……………. …………………… …………………… …………………… ……………. ……………. …………………… …………………… …………………… ……………. ……………. …………………… …………………… …………………… ……………. ……………. …………………… …………………… …………………… 1. 2. 3. 4.
261 8.3 Electronic Mail Correspondence is increasingly sent by electronic mail thesedays. Electronic mail is commonly known as e-mail. E-mail messages are usually less formal than letters, but follow the same format as letters. Generally, e-mail messages are used for informal correspondence between people who already know each other. Letters are still used for more formal business communication such as applications, enquiries and replying to complaints. Reading Exercise 1 Read the following tips about using e-mail for business correspondence and answer the questions that follow. Business E-mail Netiquette 1. Originating e-mail When sending someone an e-mail message for the first time, say where you got their e-mail address from or mention the web page name or URL if you e-mailed from a web page. Many business people have more than one page on the internet and knowing from where or why you are contacting them is helpful. In addition, always put something in the Subject box. Messages that arrive with no Subject will probably be treated as “junk mail” and deleted. Do not send ‘attachments’ (files attached to an e-mail message) with your e-mail unless and until your correspondent has indicated that they will accept it. Ask first! 2. e-Mailheads and Signatures Create an e-mail company letterhead for formal proposals, contracts, offers, and other messages. Keep it short - 3 lines are enough. Use it whenever it is necessary to make it clear that the message is from your company, rather than from yourself, such as an offer to purchase. Also, create a signature. Keep it short and concise. Include your e-mail address in case the signature gets separated from the header. Here's an example:
262 To: [email protected] From: John Doe ([email protected]) Subject: Work Proposal ---------------------------------------------- M y C o m p a n y, I n c. ---------------------------------------------- Message............ Message................... Message.......................... John Doe ([email protected]) ---------------------------------------------- Visit our web page at http://www.myco.com/ ---------------------------------------------- 3. First names and Titles If your correspondent uses your first name, then by all means use theirs. But, should you be the first to do so? Many people do not want such immediate informality in a business situation, especially in the international arena. Business people in many countries find the friendly nature of Americans, for example, somewhat over-bearing at first. Options 1. If you are the first person to make contact and want to keep it formal, use a title (Mr., Ms, with or without the full stop). For international e-mail, err on the side of caution and write formally. 2. Or, send your first message without a salutation. If you are not sure what to use, use nothing. 3. When replying, be guided by your correspondent's signature. If they have signed a single name (probably their given name), you may address them accordingly. If both given and family names are used, it is safest to reply formally. 4. Some business communications quickly take on the flavor of a personal chat - in which case, first names are appropriate. Others remain on a formal level - in which case, retain the formal address. 5. Consider age and rank, too, if it can be discerned from the correspondence. Outside North America, people in a position of authority and people of mature years expect a certain amount of respect from their juniors. 4. The Message Like business letters e-mail messages should short and to the point. When replying, you will often be replying to only part of the received message. Maintain the thread, by all means, but save space by not returning the whole message, only the part to which you are replying.
263 Don't use “smileys” (:-) ;-) :-/ etc.) These are fine for personal notes but are quite inappropriate for business use. The meaning of your words should be contained within the words themselves, and not need additional explanation with funny faces! 5. International Considerations Keep messages short, but do not let meaning suffer. Short, plain sentences are easier for someone reading in a language other than their mother tongue. In some parts of the world, the written language is very formal and quite different from the spoken language. Therefore, for international business e-mail, write in a formal tone. It's easy and natural to progress from formal to friendly, but it weakens your position to have to step backwards from friendly to formal. In many countries people in authority and older people expect a certain amount of respect from people who contact them. Don't spam (sending the same message to hundreds or thousands of e-mail addresses in the hope of hitting a few interested people). Don't send long junk. In North America, freedom is your highest ideal: in most other parts of the world privacy is held in higher regard! 6. Unsolicited e-mail, Junk, and Spamming Unsolicited e-mail - or junk e-mail - is the electronic equivalent of junk postal mail and direct mail selling. Just as junk postal mail is considered by many to be annoying and wasteful, junk e-mail is more so. But, at least with postal mail, you can throw the envelope away unread. With junk e-mail, you have to take time to read it to find that you didn't want to. It is therefore time-wasting and inconsiderate. But business acknowledges that direct mail works! How can you satisfy the need to get new customers, which by definition must be strangers to your business, and at the same time be polite. Remember our first rule: “... show consideration for the other person...” We believe that any business solicitation can be condensed to one sentence. It is unnecessary, counter-productive and quite rude to send many pages of details before confirming that the recipient is interested. Spamming is inconsiderate. It displays selfishness and total disregard for the 99%+ that are annoyed and inconvenienced by it. So, if you must send unsolicited e-mail in your search for new customers... 1. Only send one-line solicitations, followed by “e-Mail for details.” People who want details will reply, those that don't, won't; 2. Use proper bulk e-mail software that suppresses the list of names; or put the list of e-mail addresses in “Bcc” (stands for blind copies) to protect the privacy of your audience. “Cc” lets all recipients see the full list of addresses. Apart from the privacy angle, it's frustrating to receive a one-line message preceded by 5 pages of e-mail addresses! 3. Put your own e-mail address at the top of the list, as a quality check, so you can see what everyone else is receiving; 4. End with your full name and a short, one-line signature. Figure 8.10 Business E-mail Netiquette Source: Business E-mail Netiquette (Online), 2005
264 Questions 1) When you send an e-mail message to someone who doesn’t know you what should you tell them? _____________________________________________________________________________ 2) What is something that you should surely include with your message? _____________________________________________________________________________ 3) What is something you surely should NOT include? _____________________________________________________________________________ 4) What information can be included in the e-mail letterhead and signature? a. ______________ b. _________________ c. __________________ d. __________________ 5) Is it best to use a formal title or just a first name when contacting someone for the first time? _____________________________________________________________________________ 6) What’s the most important thing to remember about the message? _____________________________________________________________________________ 7) When you are communicating with someone who doesn’t use English as a first language what should you remember? _____________________________________________________________________________ 8) What is “spam”? _____________________________________________________________________________ 9) If you do decide to use e-mail to search for new customers what should you remember? _____________________________________________________________________________
265 8.4 Review Activities Pair work Work with a partner to arrange the following letter correctly. Every piece should fit the proper layout of a formal letter. Dictation Work with a partner. Choose a letter from this unit and dictate it (read it out loud) to you partner who must write it down. Make sure all the words are spelled correctly using the language structures and spelling system that you learned in Unit 3.After you have finished you can change roles and use a different letter. 31st Street 21 July 1992 New York NY Very truly yours, I am writing to apply for the vacancy of Assistant Director. I am referring to your advertisement dated 18 July 1994. Dear Sirs: I believe I have qualifications for that position. Sinclair Hughes International Consultant Office. My name is Donna Foster. PO. Box 744102 Cincinnati, OH 22872
266 Conclusion In this unit, writing business letters and addressing envelopes have been presented. The learners have practiced writing business letters and addressing envelopes by studying the layout, types of business letters, and the example letters from different situations. In addition to this, they have learned about using electronic mail for business correspondence. Follow-up Activities Group work Bring business letters written in your native language. Share them with your teacher and classmates. a) Write down the main differences and similarities with respect to: date, salutation, body, closing, punctuation. b) Classify them according to their aim or purpose. c) Make a list of these purposes.
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Common abbreviations 1. abbr. - abbreviation, abbreviated 2. acad. - academic, academy 3. adj. - adjourned, adjustment 4. adm., admin. - administration, admiral 5. app. - appended, appendix, appointed 6. approx. - approximately 7. assn. – association 8. bk. - bank, block, book 9. bkg. - banking 10. bldg. - building 11. blvd. - boulevard 12. bur. - bureaus 13. c.a. - chartered accountant, chief accountant, commercial agent, consular agent, controller of accounts 14. cal. - calendar 15. cap. - capital, capitalize 16. cc / cc. / c.c. - carbon copy 17. chap. - chapter 18. chm. - chairman 19. cir. /circ. - circular, Latin circa = about 20. co. - company, county 21. c.o. / c/o - care of, carried over 22. c.o.d. - cash on delivery, collect on delivery 23. com. - commerce, commercial, commission(er), committee 24. conf. - conference 25. cont. - containing, contents, continue, continued 26. corp. - corporation 27. cr. - credit, creditor 28. deg. - degree(s)
374 29. dep. - department, departure, deposit 30. dept. - department 31. diag. - diagram 32. dir. - director, directed by 33. disc. - discount 34. distr. - distribution, distributed by 35. dist. - district 36. doc. - document 37. dpt. - department 38. dup., dupl. - duplicate 39. ea. - each 40. econ. - economic, economics, economy 41. ed. - edited, edited by, edition, editor 42. enc., encl. - enclosed 43. esp. - especially 44. est. - established, estimate 45. et al. - Latin et alibi = and elsewhere, Latin et alii, et aliae - and others 46. etc. - Latin et cetera = and others 47. exch. - exchange 48. exec. - executive, executor 49. ff., fol. - following 50. fig. - figure 51. fin. - finance 52. fr. - from 53. fwd. - foreword, foreword by 54. gen. - general 55. gloss. - glossary 56. govt. - government
375 57. hr - hour(s) 58. ht. – height 59. i.e. - Latin id est = that is 60. imp. - imports, imported 61. inc. - including, income, incorporated 62. inst. - institute, institution 63. intl. - international 64. intro. - introduction, introduced by 65. ltd. - limited 66. mach. - machine, machinist 67. mdse. - merchandise 68. mfg. - manufacturing 69. mfr. - manufacture, manufacturer 70. mgr. - manager 71. misc. - miscellaneous 72. mo. - month(s) 73. natl. - national 74. n.b. - Latin nota bene = mark well, take notice 75. no. - number 76. orig. - original, originally 77. p. / pp. - page, pages 78. pct. - percent 79. p.d. - Latin per diem = by the day 80. ppd. - postpaid, prepaid 81. prod. - produced by, producer, production 82. pt. - part, payment, point, port 83. pub. / publ. - public, publisher, publication, published by 84. qtd. - quoted 85. ques. - question
376 86. qr. - quarter 87. quot. - quotation 88. rec. - receipt, recipe, record, recorded 89. ref. - referee, reference, reformed 90. reg. - region, registered, registrar, regular, regulation 91. rel. - release 92. rev. - review, reviewed by, revision, revised, revised by 93. sec., secy. - secretary 94. ser. - series 95. [sic.] - thus in the source (exactly as quoted) 96. sec. / sect. - section 97. sp. - special, 98. sub. - substitute 99. sup. - supplement, supply, supplier 100. supt. - superintendent 101. tel. - telegram, telegraph, telephone 102. temp. - temperature, temporary 103. trans. / tr. - translated by, translation, translator 104. treas. - treasurer, treasury 105. usu. - usually 106. vers. - version 107. v.p. - vice president, vice principal 108. vs., v. - Latin versus = against 109. wpm - words per minute 110. yr - year 111. writ. - writer, written b
Tape Scripts Unit 1 1.1 Job Advertisement SL: Hey! Look at this. Here’s an advertisement for a Personal Assistant. JL: Here’s another one- Inventor Plus. Have you heard of them? SL: No, but I have heard of Compact Systems. They’re supposed to be very good to work for, and computer companies are my line exactly. JL: Are you going to apply for it? SL: I think., I will. Look at this, it says, ‘Must provide two references and a statement of what makes a good PA or secretary.’ JL: What do you think, what does it mean? SL: I don’t know. Perhaps it means like filing systems. SL: Can you think of anything else? JL: Well, you could say something about receiving visitors. ‘A good Personal Assistant must ensure that she does so in warm, friendly and courteous manner. SL: I agree, you mustn’t create a bad impression. JL: Well, that’s two things. What else? SL: I know! A good PA must also distribute their work fairly to other typists. JL: And what about telephone manner? SL: Yes, of course. You have a good telephone manner. JL: And their personality in my previous workplace we had to wear business attire. SL: OK, that’s the fifth one: a good PA must be presentable. Can youthink of any more? JL: No, I think, those are the most important points. 1.3 Resumes or Curriculum Vitae (CV) PM: Personnel Manager HM: Marketing Manager
278 PM: Hilary Beacham PM: Come in. Ah, good morning Miss Beacham. Thank you for coming. HB: Good morning PM: Please sit down. HB: Thank you PM: Can I introduce you to Alice Everett, our Marketing Manager. HB: How do you do? MM: How do you do? PM: And I am Sheila Polson, the Personnel Manager. So, Miss Beacham, did you find us easily this morning? HB: Yes, it’s an easy route from where I live in Southtown. PM: And do you have your own car? HM: Yes, I have PM: Good. Can we check on a few of your personal details? You were born in 1953, is that right? HB: Yes, 3rd September 1953 to be exact. PM: And you’re single HB: Yes, I am. PM: OK, can we move on to your education now? You’ve got four ‘O’ levels including English language? HB: That’s right. PM: Thank you very much, Miss Beacham. Alice, would you like to continue? MM: Yes, certainly. Miss Beacham, can you tell us a little bit about where you have worked before? HB: Well, my last job was with Format. MM: And you were a PA there? HB: Yes, that’s right. MM: When did you start with them? HB: Two years ago. MM: I see. So why did you decide to leave?
279 HB: Well, perhaps you heard that the company went into liquidation earlier this year. MM: Yes, we heard about it. PM: So what did you like about that job? HB: Well, my job was PA to the Marketing Manager. What I enjoyed most was coming into contact with customers and suppliers both face-to-face and on the phone. MM: And where did you work before Format? HB: Ideal Systems. MM: And how long did you work for Ideal Systems? HB: For ten years, as a secretary. PM: And why did you leave that job? HB: Well, I felt that I needed a change. I think I had learnt all I could there. MM: Going back to Format. Who did you work for there? HB: A man called Peter Smith. Do you know him? MM: We’ve met. OK, That’s enough on work experience. Do you have any word- processing experience? HB: Yes, as a secretary at Ideal Systems I used a word-processing system designed by the company. It was called ‘Word’. MM: And what about at Format? That was also a computer company, wasn’t it? HB: Yes, that’s right. MM: So how much experience do you have of working in computer companies? HB: Well, two years at Format and ten at Ideal Systems. Oh, and I also had some work experience with a software company while I was at college. PM: What secretarial qualifications did you get while you were at college? HB: Well I’ve got two secretarial qualifications. I’ve got RSA Stage 3 Typing. PM: So your typing should be pretty good? HB: Well, in fact I didn’t do much typing at Format. I’ve got an RSA in shorthand. PM: And which qualification exactly? HB: The RSA 100…so 100 words per minute.
280 PM: Fine. And one final question. If we decided to offer you the job, when could you start? HB: Oh, I could start immediately, or as soon as you wanted me to. PM: Fine. I think that’s everything. Have you got any questions? HB: Well, I would like to know…. Unit 2 2.1 Making office staff Personal Manager: Ah, good morning, Sheila. How are you? Sheila : Very well, thank you. How about you? Personal Manager: Yes, I’m fine. First of all I think we should go round and meet some of the staff you’ll be working with. Let’s start with your boss, Maria Rice. I’m sure you’ll still remember her from your last interview. Now, you’ll be working with her for the first two months. Sheila: Yes, I see. Marketing Manager: Good Morning! Come in. Personal Manager: Good morning, Maria. I’m just tripping Sheila our new staff around the company, before she starts working with you. Marketing Manager: Good morning, Sheila. Nice to see you again. Sheila: Good morning, I’m glad to meet you too. Personal Manager: Now, you’ll start working with Maria next week. George will take care for everything you need in the company. Marketing Manager: Fine. So, I’ll look forward to seeing you next week, Sheila. Sheila : Yes, I’m looking forward to working with you, Mrs. Rice. Personal Manager : Good. Let’s move on to the General Office. ……………………….
281 Personal Manager : Good morning, everyone. Can I have a few moments of your time? I’d like to introduce our new staff. First of all, I’d like to introduce you to our Office Manager. You’ll be spending today and tomorrow with her. Sheila : Pleased to meet you, my name’s Sheila Crown Office manager : How do you do? I’m Christine Adams Personal Manager : Sheila. Let me introduce you to Mr. Brown, this is Sheila. Sheila : How do you do? My name’s Crown. Sheila Crown. Personal Manager : George Brown. Personal Manager : George is Mrs. Rice’s Personal Assistant. He’ll be showing you how everything works before he leaves us at the end of the week and you take his place. Let’s move on, shall we? Sheila, this is Helen Wright. Secretary (Helen) : Hello, Sheila. How are you doing? Sheila : Fine, thanks, Helen. Personal Manager : You know each other, do you? Sheila : Yes, very well. Helen is one of my best friend. Personal Manager : Anyway, as you probably know, Helen is one of the secretaries. And Miss Holiday….. Filing Clerk : Hello, my name’s Sally. Sheila : Nice to meet you. Mine’s Sheila. Filing Clerk : I’m the filing clerk. Personal Manager : Sheila, this is Karen Williams. Maria Rice has two secretaries working with her, and Karen is one of them. Filing Clerk : Nice to meet you. Personal Manage : I think this is all for the moment. Now, let’s Take a look at the office equipment. Christine, could you show to Sheila some of the equipment .
282 2.2 People in the company MARIA : I think I’d better take this opportunity to explain to you exactly who is who in the company. You‘ll need to know to whom you will go to if you need to contact a particular manager. Let’s start right at the top: David Burton is the Managing Director and his personal Assistant is Mary Wilkins. The company is divided into four departments: Production, Personnel, Marketing and Finance. OK? SHEILA : Yes. MARIA : Let’s deal them one by one. Michael Stott looks after Production, and his title is Production Manager. Suchat Wijit works as his Personal Assistant. Then there are two secretaries. Is that clear? SHEILA : Yes. MARIA : Moving on to Personnel, we’ve got Maria Jones, and her title is Personnel Director, Jane Hargreaves works for Sheila Crown as Personal Assistant. And then there are two secretaries in the department. OK? SHEILA : Yes, fine. MARIA : As you know, I’m the Marketing Manager and for the next two months youare going to work as my Personal Assistant. Helen Wright and Karen Williams, the two secretaries in the department, will report to you. Is that clear? SHEILA : Yes. MARIA : And finally………..Paul Cummins is responsible for the Finance Department. His PA is Judith Walker. And then there are three secretaries in the department. You’ve met one already, I think. So that’s a brief overview of the structure of the company. Do you have any questions?....
283 Unit 3 Exercise 1 Receiver: Thornton & Thiennes Associates. Good morning. Caller: Good morning. I’d like to speak to someone about the MCM Machine, please. Receiver: Hold on a moment, sir. I’ll put you through to the Sales Department. Caller: Could I have the name of the Sales Manager? Receiver: It’s Mr. Phillips. Exercise 2 Receiver: K&S Corporation. Good morning. Caller: May I speak to Mr. Finns? Receiver: I’m afraid he’s away on business, sir. Caller When will be back? Receiver: Next Monday. Can I take a message? Exercise 3 Secretary: Good morning, ICI. Mrs. Lilly: Good morning. Could I speak to Mr. Jensen, please? Secretary: Oh, I’m sorry, he is out now. Can I do anything for you? Mrs. Lilly: That’s all right, thank you. I’ll call again. Exercise 4 Secretary: Good afternoon. Jones Wood Co., Ltd. May I help you? Caller: Hello. Is Mr. David there? Secretary: He’s not in at the moment, I’m afraid. Who’s calling please? Caller: Lisa, Lisa Williams. Secretary: Shall I ask him to call you back? Caller: Yes, please. Secretary: All right I’ll tell him to call you back as soon as he gets in. Caller: Thank you. Goodbye. Secretary: Goodbye.
284 Exercise 5 Getting a Wrong Number Secretary: 420 976 Caller: Can I speak to Mr. Rose, please? Secretary: I’m sorry there’s no Mr. Rose here. I think you’ve got the wrong number. Caller: Oh! I’m sorry. Goodbye. 3.1.1 Call procedure Exercise 1 1) Secretary : Mr. Hamilton is on the line, sir. He’d like you to attend a meeting in Brussels next Tuesday. Is that all right with you? X : Could you check my diary? Am I free on Tuesday of next week? Secretary : Yes, sir. Tuesday would befine. x : O.K. Tell him I’ll be there at 8:00in the morning 2) Secretary : Mr. Hussein’s secretary called this morning, sir. Mr. Hussein wants us to give him a 5% discount on his last quotation. Do you want me to call him back? X : Let me talk to the Sales Manager first. Secretary : Yes, sir. Do you want me to put you through to him? X : Yes, please 3) Secretary : The general manager called. He wants you to cancel the Purchase Order he signed this morning. Would that be possible? X : I don’t think so. I sent it by fax this morning. Secretary : Shall I call him back and let him know? X : No, No thanks I can manage. I’ll do it. Put me through to him, please.
285 4) Secretary : Mr. Stuart is calling from Mac Pherson’s. He’d like you to join them for a meeting. Would it be possible? X : Let’s see. What time is it? Secretary : It’s ten past twelve, sir. X : O.K. Tell him I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Exercise 2 1 Boss isn’t in 2 Please call back. Secretary : Good afternoon. Jon wood co. Ltd. May I help you? Caller : Hello. Is Mr. David there? Secretary : He’s not in at the moment. I’m afraid who’s calling please? Caller : Lisa, Lisa William. Secretary : Shall I ask him to call back? Caller : Yes. Secretary : All right I’ll tell him to call you back as soon as he gets in. Caller : Thank you. Goodbye. Secretary : Goodbye. 3.1.2 Numbering Exercise 2 1. 041 456 9567 2. 22 39 49 02 3. 69 60 51 233 4. 236 42 84
286 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 1. 341952 84 2. 201 495 67 3. 12 18 980 4. 605 210 313 5. 21 29 209 Exercise 5 1. 9.30 2. 2.45 3. 15.15 4. 23.30 5. 11.45 3.2 Taking and Leaving the messages Exercise 3 Conversation 1 Reception : Southern Mississippi Corporation. Good morning. Caller : Good morning. Mr. Dean Jenkins, please. Reception : I’m sorry, Madame, Mr. Jenkins’s not in. Would you like to leave a message? Caller : Yes, please. Tell him I’m calling from Mr. Fillmore’s office to confirm the appointment for tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. Receiver : Could you repeat the time, please? Caller : Tomorrow morning at 8:15. Receiver : All right, Madame. I’ll tell Mr. Jenkins as soon as he arrives. Conversation 2 Secretary : Good morning, Mr. David’s secretary speaking. Caller : Good morning. I’m Lisa from Bogwood Co. Ltd. Can I speak to Mr. David? Amsterdam 20 67 02 22 Brussels 2 514 67 00 Copenhagen 1 56 48 66 Dublin 1 51 88 44 Frankfurt 69 80 455 Helsinki 0 356 081
287 Secretary : I’m sorry madam. He was out on business. Caller : When he will become back? Secretary : Around 3 p.m. madam. Can I take a message? Caller : Yes, tell him I won’t be able to meet him on Friday. Secretary : Don’t worry madam. I’ll tell him when he comes back. Caller : Thank you. Good-bye. Secretary : Good-bye. Exercise 4 Message 1: To Mr. Jackson from Mis Cooper. Coming to meeting at 9.30 on Friday. Send her BIO 92 Doc by fax. Message 2: To Bob Castaneda from Sylvia Conway. Meet her at Henry’s Bar this evening at 8 o’clock. Call back on 249 68 34 to confirm. Message 3: To Mrs Pandros from Mr Strasser. Send doc numbers 382A and 382B by fax. Conference in Athens on 18 December. Message 4:To Mrs Henderson from Mr. McCall. Coming to New York 7th May. Flight number TW670. Arrive 16.40 Kennedy Airport. Message 5: To Malcolm MacDonald from Joseph Evans. Can’t come to Glasgow 20th July. Coming 25th to 30th. Change date of meeting From 22nd to 26th . 3.3 Answering Machines a) “This is Thomas Ferguson. I’m not in the office (or at home) at the moment. Please leave your message after the signal.” b) “Flight Information. This is Southern Airways. Flight 507 from Bostonis arriving at 17:35. Flight 930 from Athens arriving at 13:55. Flight 321 leaving for Florence at 14:45. Flight 878 leaving for Buenos Aires at 4:50. If you want any further information, please dial 201. Thank you for calling us.” c) “This is S.C. Chemicals. If you know the extension number, please dial it after the beep. If you do not know the extension number you’re calling, wait on the line for the operator. She’ll be with you in a minute.”
288 Exercise 1 1) General information-no tone This is All Africa Export Ltd. Our office is closed at the moment. We’re open from 9 am to 6pm-Monday to Friday. Thank you for calling. 2) Office closed-with tone This is Duqueanes International. Our office is closed at the moment. Please leave your name and phone number and we’ll call you back when we open. Please speak after the tone. 3) ‘Holding’ message- no tone Thank you for calling Tran Global Airways. Your call is in queue. Please hold on until one of our agents is available. We’re sorry to keep you waiting…. 4) More informal message- with tone This is John Bach’s office. I’m not in at the moment. Please leave your name and number after the tone; I’ll call you back as soon as I can. . Thanks for ringing. 5) Message to fax- no tone This is Agri-Cutura. The office is on holiday for two weeks. We re-open on Monday the 18th . If you have an urgent message, you may fax us at 26 28 70 - that’s fax number 26 28 70.
289 Unit 4 4.1 Greeting and Introductions Exercise 1 Conversation Visitor : Good morning. My name is Paul Phillips. May I speak to Mr. William Smith? Secretary : I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Smith isn’t in. What can I do for you? Conversation Visitor : Excuse me. Can I talk to Mr. James Harrison? Secretary : I’m afraid Mr. Harrison is in a meeting at the moment. Your name, please? Visitor : Paul Phillips. Secretary : Would you like to wait, Mr. Phillips? Mr. James will be available shortly. Conversation Visitor : Excuse me, could I see Mr. Johnson? Secretary : May I have your name, please? Visitor : Tom Blackburn, from New Instant Technology. Secretary : Please sit down. He’ll see you in a minute. Conversation Visitor : Good afternoon. I’d like to see Miss Geraldine Robinson. Secretary : Your name, please? Visitor : Albert Morrison. Secretary : Just a moment, Mr. Morrison. I’ll see if she can see you right now.
290 Language Focus Exercise 1 1. Visitor: Good morning. I’m Chris Pattison. How do you do? Secretary: How do you do? 2. Visitor: I’m Paul Gerard. I have an appointment with Mr. Jensen. Secretary: How do you do Mr. Gerard? Visitor: How do you do? 3. Visitor: My name’s Jim Delton, from Fremantle. Secretary: Mr. Delton. Nice to meet you. Visitor: Nice to meet you too. 4. Visitor: Good morning. I’m Helen Lawrence. Secretary: Miss Lawrence. Oh, we’ve talked on the phone so many times. Pleased to meet you. I’m Ann Gibson. Visitor: Pleased to meet you too, Miss Gibson. Exercise 2 Conversation 1 Visitor : Good morning. I’m John Stone. Secretary : Mr. Stone? How do you do? I’m Mr. Hill’s secretary. Visitors : How do you do? Secretary : Could you wait a few seconds, please? I’ll tell Mr. Hill that you’re here. Conversation 2 Visitor : Good morning. I’m Dale Gardiner. I have an appointment with Mr. Adam. Secretary : It’s very nice to meet you. Mr. Gardiner. I’m Mr. Adam’s secretary. Visitors : Nice to meet you too.
291 Secretary : Come on in, please. Mr. Gardiner, this is Mr. Adam. Mr. Adam : How do you do? Visitor : How do you do? 4.2 Office Hospitality Conversation 1 Visitor : Good afternoon. I’m Sandra Cariya. I have an appointment with Mr. Jackson. Secretary : Good afternoon Miss Cariya. Mr. Jackson will see you in a minute. Can I take your coat? Visitor : Yes, please. Thank you. Conversation 2 Visitor : Good morning. I’m Eric. Mr. Jackson is waiting for me. Secretary : I’m afraid Mr. Jackson in a meeting at this moment, but it won’t take long. Take a seat, please. Visitor : Thank you. Secretary : Would you like a cup of coffee while waiting? Visitor : I’d love one. Thank you. Conversation 3 Visitor : Good morning. May I see Mr. Jackson? Secretary : Do you have an appointment, sir? Visitor : I’m sorry, I didn’t know….. Secretary : May I have your name, please? Visitor : Richard Logan, from King Ltd. Secretary : I’ll see if he’s available at the moment, Mr. Logan. Would you like to take a seat? Visitor : Oh, yes. Thank you.