商业信函的格式.docx

1、商业信函的格式Essentials and Forms of Business Letter-writingA business letter is written for the purpose of requesting or conveying information, making arrangements for business activities or dealing with matters concerning business negotiations. What one writes should be free from grammatical blemishes,

2、and also free from the slightest possibility of being misunderstood. Clarity, conciseness and courtesy are the essential qualities of business letters. Moreover, complete contents, correct information and language, concrete ideas and consideration for the customers needs are also important.Although

3、a less conventional and friendlier style is preferred nowadays in business letter writing, it is still better to follow a set standard determined by custom as the business world has become accustomed to such established practices. Layout of a Business LetterThere are two main templates for layout. T

4、he conventional indented style (See Example 1) takes in five or six spaces in the first line of each paragraph, which makes the letter easy to read. The blocked style (See Example 2) now appeals to most readers for all the typing lines begin at the left-hand margin. To make the letter compact and ti

5、dy, the spaces between paragraphs should be increased. However, now there is a third template for layout. The modified blocked style (See Example 3) avoids the inconvenience of paragraph indentations in the indented form and the loss of clarity occasioned by the absence of indentation in the blocked

6、 style.Whichever style is used, it is a good plan to adopt one form of layout and to stick to it.Example 1 - Indented FormSt Gangsgatan 143 Stockholm, 105 45 SwedenTelex: 53892 SHELEC SS Our Reference No. H/WT008Tel: 46-8-738-6000 Your Reference No. Fax: 46-8-738-6016 E-mail: hwlee Date: 30th March,

7、 20-Messrs. William & Warner105 Roller RoadSydney, AustraliaAttention: Mr. Donnason, Marketing Dept.Dear Sir,Re: Shipping Advice of FreezersWith reference to your order No. F256 of February 5 for 1,000 sets of Freezers, were pleased to inform you that the goods have been loaded on board the s/s “Pea

8、ce”, which is sailing for your port on April 1st.Weve sent a telex to the above effect this morning. Please insure the goods as contracted and make preparation for taking the delivery. We are now making out the necessary documents for negotiation.We assure you that our goods will be found satisfacto

9、ry upon arrival at your port. We also hope that we can close more business with you in the future.Yours faithfully,The Electrolux Corp.Horis De WolleyHoris De Wolley(Manager)Example 2 - Blocked Form1 J&J Plaza New Brunswick,NJ 089333 U.S.A.Tel: 732-524-0400Fax: 732-525-0622E-mail: carrieDate: 22nd J

10、uly, 20-Soft Health Care Product Corp.Room 2301 Yili BLD,35 Nanjing Road, Shanghai, ChinaAttention: Mr. Wang , Import Dept.Dear Sir,Re: SHAMPOO Weve received your letter of July 10th enquiring about our JOHNSONS Baby Shampoo With Natural Lavender, but unfortunately, the stock of this product is runn

11、ing low due to the heavy demand. But we will inform you as soon as the new supplies come up.We sell a wide variety of Babys Shampoo. All of them are made of the NO MORE TEARS formula. For your reference, we enclose an illustrated catalogue of our shampoos and we hope you will find it interesting.We

12、hope that we can close business to our mutual advantage in the future.Yours faithfully,Johnson & Johnson Doris FergosonDoris Fergoson(Manager)Example 3 - Modified Blocked FormSAMSUNG ELECTRONICS310 Taepyung-ro 2-ga, Chung-guSeoul, 100-102, KoreaTel: 82-2-3706-1114 Our Reference No. ODL-11E-mail: qsl

13、 Your Reference No. Date: 23rd December, 20-Shandong Science & Technology Co. Ltd. 21/F Bright Plaza138 Jinni Road, JinanShandong, ChinaAttention: Mr. Zhou Jun, Import Dept.Dear Sir,Re: Our Offer for PDA Type III-HThank you for your interest in our latest Personal Digital Assistant Type III-H.As req

14、uested, we offer you 500 sets of PDA at USD140 per set FOB Inchon for shipment in February, 20-. We require payment by L/C.Because there is an increasing demand for this product, our price is non-negotiable. We look forward to your reply.Yours truly,Samsung ElectronicsLavis KimLavis Kim(Manager)Part

15、s of a Business LetterA business letter consists of seven principal parts:1. The letterhead2. The reference and date line3. The inside name and address4. The salutation5. The body of the letter6. The complimentary close7. The signatureSome letters may contain miscellaneous matters, which are optiona

16、l parts as shown below:8. The attention line9. The subject line10. The reference notation, or the identifying initials11. The enclosure12. The carbon copy notation13. The postscriptThe following sample letter illustrates the position of each part mentioned above.Example 4 - Parts of a Business Lette

17、r1. China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Imp & Exp Corp.8 Jianguomen Nei DajieBeijing 10005, ChinaTelephone: 86-10-6526-8888Fax: 86-10-6527-6028E-mail: carl2. Our Ref.Your Ref.Date: 15th November, 20-3. Messrs H. Ronald & Co.556 EastcheapLondon, E.C. 3, England8. Attention: Import Dept.4. Dea

18、r Sirs,9. Aquatic Products5. We thank you for your enquiry of 5 November.In compliance with your request, we are sending you herewith a copy of our illustratedcatalogue and a quotation sheet for your reference. All prices are subject to our confirmation for our aquatic products have been selling wel

19、l this season. Therefore, we would suggest that you advise us by a fax in case of interest.We await your early favorable reply.6. Yours truly,China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Imp & Exp Corp.7. Sig. _ (Manager)10. QS/AN11. Enclosures12. cc our Shanghai Branch Office13. P.S. We require paym

20、ent by L/C for a total value not exceeding USD50,000.1. The Letterhead (The Heading)This part, often already in printing, expresses the personality of a company that writes the letter, and contains the name of the company, its business type and addresses (postal address, telephone number, fax number

21、, telex number and e-mail address). Sometimes, even the logo, names of Chief Executives or icon of products are printed in the heading.It is important to note that a postal address in English is written from the specific to the general:Example 5 A UK addressAir Environmental Mechanical Equipment Lim

22、ited2076 West Main StreetDevon, EX14 0RAU.K.Example 6 A USA addressThe Betty Mills Company60 East 3rd AvenueSte 230San Mateo, CA 94401USAExample 7 A Chinese address in EnglishSinochem Jiangsu Import and Export CorporationJiangsu International Business Mansion,50 Zhonghua Road, Nanjing210001, P.R. Ch

23、inaSometimes the telephone number, fax number and e-mail address are put at the left margin below the postal address. Usually the reference and date are put in the same lines but at the right margin to build a neat appearance (See Examples 1 and 3).Good quality stationery and a neat, well-balanced l

24、etterhead will enhance the prestige of the writers company.2. The Reference and DateMost letterheads provide for reference letters and numbers. When one firm writes to another, each will give a reference to avoid confusion. References are quoted to indicate what the letter refers to (Your Ref.) and

25、the correspondence to refer to when replying (Our Ref.).The date line is usually typed between the letterhead and the inside name and address. In British letter style, however, it is normally put two line-spaces below the inside address and above the salutation.Example 8 Date line of American style

26、Interstate Products, Inc.511 Interstate CourtSarasota, FL 34240USADate: April 4, 20-Shandong Foreign Trade (Holdings) Corporation Limited51,TAIPING ROADQINGDAO, 266001CHINAExample 9 Date line of British style OFFICE SYSTEMS PTY. LTD.124 Oak Street Tel (61-2)419 3209Chatswood Fax (61-2)419 4011Englan

27、d E-mail info.ukAqueous Technologies 291 Caxton StreetSante FeU.S.A18 November, 20-Dear Sir or Madam,The date should be typed in full; either in British style - D/M/Y (i.e. the order of day, month, then year) or in American style - M/D/Y (i.e. the order of month, day, then year). Figures like 11/12/

28、20- may easily cause confusion. Either cardinal or ordinal numbers can be used. A comma must be put before the year with American style.Example 10 - Dates1. 2nd May, 20-2. 2 May, 20-3. 2 May 20- (Comma can be omitted)4. September 21st, 20-5. September 21,20-3. The Inside Name and AddressThis is the

29、name and address of the person to whom the letter is written. It is usually put at the left-hand margin, which helps to give the letter a tidy appearance.Courtesy titles used for addressing correspondence are Mr., Mrs., Miss and Messrs. Messrs, an abbreviation for the French word “Messieurs”, is use

30、d occasionally for two or more men (Messrs. Holmes & O. Hardy) but more commonly forms part of the name of a firm with a persons name (Messrs. Laurel & Co.).Like the address in the letter head, an inside name and address should also be written from the specific to the general4. The SalutationThe sal

31、utation is a complimentary greeting with which the writer opens his or her letter. Its particular form depends on the relationship between the writer and his or her correspondent. To some extent, it settles the form of the complimentary close. The two must always be in keeping.Dear Sir is used to address a man and Dear Madam to a woman, whether single or married. Dear Sir or Madam (Dear Sir/Madam) can be used to address a person of whom you know neither the name nor the sex.Dear Sirs, Dear Sirs or Mm