Contents 1
Unit 1 Elements of a Good Business Letter 1
1 What Is a Good Business Letter? 3
2 The Layout of a Business Letter 5
Exercises 24
Unit 2 Promotion Communications 29
1 What Is a Good Sales Letter? 31
2 Selling a Product 35
3 Selling a Service 38
Exercises 41
Unit 3 Request Letters 45
1 What Is an Effective Request Letter? 47
2 Requesting Detailed Information About an Advertised Product 50
3 Requesting Information About Availability of a Product 53
4 Requesting Information About an Advertised Service 56
5 Requesting Information About Discounts 58
Exercises 61
Unit 4 Response Letters 65
1 Responding to Requests for Detailed Information About an Advertised Product 67
2 Responding to Requests for Information About an Advertised Service 71
3 Responding to Requests for Information About the Availability of a Product or Service 73
Exercises 79
Unit 5 Special Repuest Letters 83
1 Asking for an Appointment 85
2 Asking for Advice 88
3 Asking for Free Products 90
4 Requesting Reproduction Franchise for Commercial Use 93
Exercises 96
Unit 6 Responding to Special Request Letters 101
1 Responding to Requests for an Appointment 103
2 Responding to Requests for Advice 106
3 Responding to Requests for Free Products 109
4 Responding to Requests for Reproduction Privileges for Commercial Use 111
Exercises 115
Unit 7 Letters from Customers to Suppliers(Ⅰ) 119
1 Placing an Order 121
2 Canceling an Order 123
3 Thanking a Supplier for Service 126
4 Complaining About Unsatisfactory Services or Products 129
Exercises 139
Unit 8 Letters from Suppliers to Customers(Ⅰ) 145
1 Informing a Customer About the Shipment of Goods 148
2 Informing a Customer That You Are Unable to Fill His Order 151
3 Thanking a Customer for an Order 154
4 Expressing Gratitude for Support 157
5 Explaining/Apologising for Problems 159
Exercises 176
Unit 9 Letters from Customers to Suppliers(Ⅱ) 181
1 Asking for Permission to Return Purchased Goods 183
2 Asking for Easier Payment Terms 186
Exercises 194
Unit 10 Letters from Suppliers to Customers(Ⅱ) 197
1 Responding to Requests for Permission to Return Purchased Goods 199
2 Responding to Requests Concerning Payment Discount 202
Exercises 211
Unit 11 Collection Letters 215
1 Elements of Persuasion in Collection Letters 217
2 Types of Collection Letters 219
Exercises 230
Unit 12 Interoffice Letters(Memorandums) 233
1 Formal and Informal Memorandums 236
2 Request,Confirmation,and Procedural Memorandums 238
Exercises 247
Unit 13 Employment Communications 251
1 Writing Job Application Letters 253
2 Writing Résumés 255
3 Writing to Job Applicants 259
4 Accepting and Declining a Job Offer 262
Exercises 264
Unit 14 Business Invitation and Responses 267
1 Writing an Invitation 269
2 Making Responses to Invitations 273
Exercises 277
Unit 15 The Writing of Advertisements 281
1 Advertising and English Advertisements 283
2 Linguistic Features of Advertising English 286
3 Practice of Copywriting 301
Exercises 306
Unit 16 Classification and Structure of Business Reports 309
1 Classification of Business Reports 311
2 Basic Elements and Structure of Business Reports 313
Exercises 328
Unit 17 Procedures of Writing a Formal Business Report 333
1 Determining and Defining the Topic 335
2 Collecting Data 336
3 Presenting Findings and Analysing the Report Problem 336
4 Presenting a Conclusion 342
5 Making Recommendations and Anticipating Effects 343
6 Writing Style 344
7 Different Types of Business Reports 348
Exercises 361
Unit 18 Business Contracts 367
1 Types of Business Contracts 369
2 General Principles in Writing and Understanding a Business Contract 377
3 Components of a Business Contract 379
4 Relevant Laws 389
5 Stylistic Features of Business Contracts 391
6 A Sample of a Contract 394
Exercises 404
Keys 405