BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

INTRODUCTION OF BUSINESS
NATURE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Why English?

- English has become the internationally BUSINESS ENGLISH

accepted language of nearly all fields of - In general, Business English is a form of
knowledge. English specially suited to international
- It is recognized and understood by people trade, commerce and finance. As such,
almost everywhere in the world. Business English is the kind of English
- With more than 350 million people around typically used in:
the world speaking English as a first Business meetings
language and more than 430 million Sales presentations
speaking it as a second language, there Negotiations
are English speakers in most countries BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
around the world. Business reports
- In some cases people with inadequate Executive summaries
proficiency in English need to be taught to Vocabulary
handle specific jobs. - Clearly, many of the English words used in
- To fulfill the needs of these learners specific business are specialized and would not be
courses were designed and introduced, understood even by many native English speakers.
ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is one Part of studying Business English is to study the
of them. vocabulary of business, which may itself be further
specialized by activity or industry.
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES Functional Language
- English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a - Another aspect is the study and practice of the
learner-centered approach to teaching language and language skills needed to conduct
English as an additional language, which various typically business functions such as running
focuses on developing communicative a meeting, negotiating or making a presentation in
competence in a specific discipline such English.
as academics, accounting, business, IT,
teaching, and engineering. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
- It is a skill subject, not a content subject
English Terms Specific Job/Occupation - It focuses on the acquisition of procedural
● Tarmac Aviation knowledge, not on the acquisition of
● Cash Flow Business/ Accounting declarative knowledge.
● Scalpel Medicine - To gain mastery of the topics covered by the
● Beam Engineering subject, you should perform something
● Pedagogy Education similar to what you usually do in general
● Proceedings Law English – speak, listen, read and write- to
● Toque Culinary learn the language.
● Demand Economics Business Letters
● Baroque Architecture - The hallmark of a well-written business
● Norms Social Science letter is that its objective is clearly
● Bandwidth ICT understood by its reader.
- Successful writers help their readers do this
BUSINESS ENGLISH / BUSINESS by limiting the scope or the amount of
CORRESPONDENCE information included in their
Why is English so Important in Business? correspondence
- English is the language of business and
communication worldwide. ELEMENTS OF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
- English is the most widespread spoken and 1. OBJECTIVE
written language in the world “What do you want the reader to know or do, or be
- English is the language of the internet. able to do after reading your letter?”
- English tops the internet in number of users The answer needs to be specific and detailed.
and is also a top language in tech. If the objective is too general, it will be difficult, if
- English is the language of pop culture. not impossible, to present a credible argument or a
- Be aware of common cultural nuances to compelling reason to read the letter.
better communicate at work and be
understood.
 2. READERS OR AUDIENCE QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS
“How can you help them understand your CORRESPONDENCE
objective?” 1. Courteousness
Knowing who your readers are and what they need We do not understand why you were not satisfied
from you are crucial to satisfying your objective. with our product.
It will also determine the scope of your writing task. Accept our apology for failing to satisfy your needs.
Target your audience and get to know a few things
about them. A business letter is your official ambassador of
Know the hierarchical status of different readers. goodwill. Make use of it as a tool to build a
Once you have a clear understanding of your pleasant professional image of your business or of
audience, you can already determine your scope, yourself. Extending basic courtesy in your letter
write effectively, and help your readers understand through the words you use brings more good to
your objective. your business.

3. CONTACT PERSON 2. Consideration

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for contacting their associates or employees. You
will be expected to follow them. In business letter writing, consideration can be
Be especially nice to people who answer the shown by emphasizing the “YOU” attitude which
phone. They can either help you or hang up on you, means writing in the perspective or the point of
and possibly all future communications will be view of the readers.
directed through them. It is your reader’s needs and interests that are of
paramount importance.
4. TONE
The tone of voice used in the text must fit the 3. Correctness
recipient of the letter. There complementary passes insure them of
It should reflect the relationship between the writer first-class service in the hotel
and the reader and suit the purpose for which the Their complimentary passes ensure them of
letter is intended. first-class service in the hotel
Your TONE will create the right impression. This
will help your reader understand your letter and its Grammatical errors and mistakes in letter parts,
underlying objective. formats, and even layouts may have disastrous
Always put your readers first. effects on your letter.
Read what you have written as if you were the Treat names and positions as “hot spots” in your
recipient. letter.
Be prudent by double-checking or verifying these
5. STYLE facts whenever you write a business letter.
Writing style pertains to the matter in which words
are used rather than to the substance they carry. 4. Clearness
Style can be categorized as: FORMAL or As per your request, please find attached
INFORMAL. herewith…
Your reader and purpose for which you are writing As requested, I have attached…
comprise the particulars of the task and will
determine the appropriate degree of formality. Clarity of a business letter is achieved when the
The vocabulary will be familiar and its rhythm will reader understands its purpose quickly.
be that of the naturally spoken words while still A clear letter is well organized and its thoughts
adhering to proper structural (grammar and flow logically from the opening line to the last line.
punctuation) conventions.
5. Completeness
6. POINT OF VIEW Please make payment on or before the end of the
Writers inform their readers of the relationship they month.
have with the material and in the text by their use of Please make the cash payment to our BDO
personal pronouns. account #129099 on our before the 30th of the
The selection of pronouns designates their point of month.
view and degree of personal involvement.
Your reader will need to know exactly whom you A complete business letter contains not only the
are including, and those whom you have included basic components or parts of a business letter but
need to be advised of the fact and asked for their more importantly, all the facts and information
consent. necessary to get your message across to the
Make no assumptions on this. You do not want to reader.
misinterpret yourself or be misrepresenting others.
 6. Conciseness 4. Salutation
I will appreciate the time you will spend in writing - The salutation is an expression of courtesy
down your opinions about our service in this to and respect for the addressee or reader
questionnaire and mail it back as soon as possible of the letter. It is typed two spaces below the
to us using the return envelope. inside address. Two of the most common
Please answer our service questionnaire, sign it, generic salutation are as follows:
and mail it back to us immediately using the return
envelope.

Conciseness means short but complete. It is

compact.
Everything is expressed in the least possible
number of words without sacrificing clearness or 5. Body
completeness. - The body of the letter may have three
subparts, namely, the introductory
7. Concreteness statement, statement of details, and
Immuno X is the best multivitamin. concluding statement. It begins two spaces
Immuno X is a complete multivitamin with essential below the salutation. However, if there is a
minerals, ginseng extract, and amino acid. subject line, the body must start two spaces
below the subject line.
An effective business letter allows its readers to
experience what is being described to them through 6. Complimentary Close
their senses. Concrete and specific words are - The complimentary close is a cordial and a
better descriptors than abstract and general terms. graceful way of closing your letter. Only the
A concretely worded business letter is more first letter of the first word is capitalized in a
emphatic, thus making it more appealing and complimentary close. This is typed two
convincing to the readers. spaces below the last line of the body.
Some of the commonly-used forms of
COMPONENTS OF BUSINESS complimentary close classified according to
CORRESPONDENCE their degree of formality.
Essential Parts of Business Correspondence
1. Heading
- The heading or the letterhead bears the
corporate or registered name and logo or
trademark of the enterprise. It contains the
business address, contact numbers, and
official website and e-mail address of the 7. Signature Block
company. The letterhead is seen at the - The signature block authenticates the letter
topmost part of the business letter. to be that of the writer. The writer’s name is
typed four to five spaces below the
complimentary close.

Optional Parts of Business Correspondence

2. Dateline ● Attention Line (Attn.: )
- The dateline is the exact date when the ● Subject Line (Re: )
letter is written. On a letterhead, the dateline ● Enclosure Notations (Encl. : )
is entered two or three spaces below the ● Carbon Copy Notation (cc: )
last line of the printed letterhead. It may be ● Blind Carbon Copy Notation (bcc: )
typed left or right of the paper depending on ● Postscript (P.S. )
the format used. As a rule, the dateline is ● Mailing Notation
not abbreviated or written as numbers.
W: Jan. 28, 2010 or 1-28-10 or 1/28/ 2010
C: January 28, 2010 or 28 January 2010

3. Inside Address
- The inside address contains the full name Company Logo (LETTERHEAD)
and position/ designation of the person you Distinctive Graphic
are writing to, his/ her organizational Appropriate Simple in form
affiliation, and his/ her corporate address. It Practical
is typed two or three spaces below the Still convey an intended message
dateline.
FORMATS OF BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE 3. Semi Block Form
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE Semi-block is similar to full block but has a more
- Composing an actual written business letter, informal appearance. All elements are left-aligned,
and making sure the business letter format except for the beginning of each paragraph, which
is correct, can seem antiquated, and yet it is indented five spaces. Paragraphs are separated
remains more vital than ever for small by a double line space.
business owners.
- Whether you need to write a cover letter to
persuade someone to read a report,
introduce yourself to a potential customer or
express thanks, a well-crafted business
letter can stand out. Written letters remain
an important—and perhaps even
crucial—part of every small business
owner’s communications strategy.
- Various studies have suggested that
paper-based communications may be more
memorable and enriching than those
shown on screens, such as email.

1. Full Block Form

Full Block format features all elements of the letter
aligned to the left margin of the page. It has a neat
and simple appearance. Paragraphs are separated
by a double line space.
4. Indented or Traditional Form
Indented style is “quite outmoded but still popular in
some countries. This layout indents each line in the
inside address. The same indention pattern is
followed in every line in every paragraph.

2. Modified Block Form

Modified block differs from block style in that the
date, sign off, and signature lines begin at the
center point of the page line.. Depending on the
length of the letter, paragraphs may be separated
by a single or double line space.
 5. Hanging Style
A hanging letter style is when a paragraph is
indented so that the first line hangs over the rest.
This layout indents each line in the inside address.

6. Memorandum Style
The format of a memo is much simpler. You write
“Memo” or “Memorandum” at the top, followed by a
To line, a From line, a Date line, a Subject line, and
then the actual body of the message.