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HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH -------------------- CODE: 14 GRADUATION THESIS B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDY SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING FORMAL/BUSINESS LETTERS EFFECTIVELY FOR THE 2ND-YEAR STUDENTS Supervisor : Le Thi Vy, M.A Student : Hoang Thi Luong Hoa Date of birth : 10.01.1994 Course : K19A03 (2012-2016) Hanoi – 2016 Graduation Paper DECLARATION Title:SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING FORMAL/BUSINESS LETTERS EFFECTIVELY FOR THE 2ND-YEAR STUDENTS I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any others’ work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor. Hanoi, 15 April, 2016 Student Signature Supervisor Signature Full name Full name Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Graduation Paper ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At this stage of research accomplishment, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my supervisor M.A Le ThiVy for the useful comments, remarks and guidance through the learning process of this graduation thesis. Furthermore, I would like to thank all teachers at the Faculty of English of Hanoi Open University for the great and interesting lectures which give me a sound basis with useful knowledge for the fulfillment of this graduation thesis. Moreover, special thanks are given to my parents and all of my friends for all the material as well as moral support during my graduation thesis writing period. Hanoi, 15 April, 2016 Hoang Thi Luong Hoa Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Graduation Paper TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PART A: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1 1. Rationale .................................................................................................. 1 2. Aims and objectives of the study .............................................................. 1 3. Scope of the study .................................................................................... 1 4. Research questions ................................................................................... 2 5. Methods of the study ................................................................................ 2 6. Design of the study .................................................................................. 2 PART B: DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 4 CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ..................................... 4 1.1 An overview of letters ......................................................................... 4 1.1.1. Definition and history of letter .......................................................... 4 1.1.2. Formal/Business Letter Definition ................................................... 5 1.1.3. The importance of formal/business letters ........................................ 5 1.2. Formal/Business letter format ............................................................ 6 1.2.1. Parts of a complete formal/business letter ........................................ 7 1.2.1.1. Sender’s address ............................................................................. 9 1.2.1.2. Date ................................................................................................ 9 1.2.1.3. Reference line ............................................................................... 10 1.2.1.4. Recipient’s address ....................................................................... 10 1.2.1.5. Attention line................................................................................. 11 1.2.1.6. Salutation ...................................................................................... 11 Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Graduation Paper 1.2.1.7. Subject line ................................................................................... 11 1.2.1.8. Body.............................................................................................. 12 1.2.1.9. Complimentary close..................................................................... 12 1.2.1.10. Signature....................................................................................... 13 1.2.1.11. Enclosure ...................................................................................... 13 1.2.2. Margin and line spacing ................................................................. 13 1.2.3. Formal/Business letter layout ......................................................... 14 1.2.3.1. Block:............................................................................................ 14 1.2.3.2. Modified block:. ............................................................................ 16 1.3. American and British Formal/Business letter comparison ............. 17 1.4. Popular formal/business letters ........................................................ 18 1.4.1. The order letters .............................................................................. 18 1.4.2. The inquiry letters ........................................................................... 19 1.4.3. The complaint letters ....................................................................... 20 1.4.4. The adjustment letters ..................................................................... 21 1.4.5. The refusal letters............................................................................ 22 1.4.6. The resignation letters..................................................................... 22 1.4.7. The sales letters ............................................................................... 23 1.5. Summary ........................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER II. THE ANALYSIS OF SOME COMMON MISTAKES MADE BSTUDENTS IN WRITING FORMAL/BUSINESS LETTER IN BRITISH STYLE ....................................................................................... 25 2.1. Format mistakes .................................................................................. 36 2.2. Planning mistakes ................................................................................ 38 2.3. Language mistakes .............................................................................. 39 2.4. Summary .............................................................................................. 44 Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Graduation Paper CHAPTER III. SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING A FORMAL/BUSINESS LETTER EFFECTIVELY .................................. 45 3.1. Suggestions ........................................................................................... 45 3.2. Summary .............................................................................................. 50 PART C: CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 51 REFERENCES Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale English is a universal language. People from different nations learn English and consider it as a medium for them to communicate. There is no doubt that English is exactly the most popular language in the world. In addition, English is the language of communication between the people from different cultures. Moreover, English is the language of science and technology.Thanks to the popularity of English, most of the schools, colleges, universities worldwide have added English into their curriculum as one of the major subjects. In learning English, beside speaking skill, listening skill and reading skill, writing is one of the most important. And writing formal letters is one of the compulsory skills on university curriculum. Second-year students, however, seems to be so equivocal about the ways to write them. This actuality needs examining to give the best advices and suggestions to achieve the effective writing letter skill. 2. Aims and objectives of the study This study aims to analyze the reality based on the research and give several effective pieces of advice as well as suggestions for the 2nd-year students in writing formal letters. In addition, the hitches concerned would be cleared up and mentioned in the study. 3. Scope of the study In fact, writing formal letters is necessary for all ages at every grade. At the younger ages, we could write some simple letters such as invitation, congratulation or apology letters, etc. At the elder ages, we could learn how to write letters in a higher level that require more details. Eventually when we Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 1 have grown up, writing letter concerning to work or jobs is an essential skill. However, the study only focuses on discussing the 2nd-year students’ problems in writing formal letters. 4. Research questions Some questions made to clear up the problems needing tackling are: - What is a formal/business letter? - How important a formal/business letter is? - What are the requirements in writing a formal/business letter? - What are the common difficulties in writing formal/business letters for 2nd-year students? - What are the solutions for students writing formal/business letters effectively? 5. Methods of the study A host of methods have been applied to complete this graduation paper: Collected references, books and websites related. Moreover, this research on writing formal letters is carried out by analyzing methods and comparative methods in the hope that learners could realize and understand the best way to improve it. A survey questionnaire is conducted for the 2nd-year students with a point of view to find out their recognition, attitudes, evaluation of the matter and the difficulties they encounter. Besides, information in the research was collected from many sources so that learners will get broad knowledge in order to apply successfully into their study. 6. Design of the study The study includes three parts: Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 2 Part A is the Introduction. This part is the routines required for a graduation thesis, namely rationale, aims and objectives, scope, research questions, methods and design of the study. Part B is the Development which includes three chapters: Chapter I is the Theoretical background. This chapter refers the theory of letters in general and formal letters or business letters in particular such as definition, layout, format, etc. Chapter II is the Analysis of some common mistakes made by students in writing formal/business letter in British style. This chapter provides the analysis of some common mistakes made by students while writing a formal/business letter in British style. Chapter III is the Suggestions for writing a formal/business letter effectively. This chapter recommends several suggestions and solutions for students to have better formal/business letter writing skill. The last part is the Conclusion. This part is the summary of all the presented study in the previous parts. It is followed by the reference used in the thesis. Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND This chapter refers the things concerning the theory of letters in general and formal letters or business letters in particular. Students could find out the exact answers for their questions in the format and layout of formal/business letters. Several popular kinds of formal/business letters are mentioned as well 1.1 An overview of letters 1.1.1. Definition and history of letter A letter is a written message from one party to others containing information. Letters guarantee the preservation of communication between both parties. They bring friends or relatives closer together, enrich professional relationships and provide a satisfying means of self-expression. Letters contribute to the protection and conservation of literacy, which is the ability to write and read. ( Blake and Bly , 1993) Historically, letters have existed from the time of ancient India, ancient Egypt and Sumer, through Rome, Greece and China, up to the present day. During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, letters were used to selfeducate. Letters were ways to practice critical reading, self-expressive writing, polemical writing and exchange ideas with like-minded others. For some people, letters were seen as a written performance. For others, it was not only seen as a performance but also as a way of communication and a method of gaining feedback. Letters make up several books of the Bible. Archives of correspondence, whether for personal, diplomatic, or business reasons, serve as primary sources for historians.(Kazhdan,1991) Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 4 1.1.2. Formal/Business Letter Definition Formal letters refer to those which are used in a formal situation to discuss or exchange the opinions of the sender and the recipient. Formal letters are used mainly in business field, between people, organizations or companies which involve in trading certain goods or services. A business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication. (Guffey, Loewy, Rhodes and Rogin, 2010) Writing a business letter is about developing that trade, so it is important to remember that a business letter is an official document. There are many other communication between people and companies, for instance telephone conversations, emails, meetings, presentations, contracts, orders and invoices. A business letter is the most powerful communications tool for providing structured and considered information in a formal way. 1.1.3. The importance of formal/business letters Formal letters should be used on many different occasions, including job interviews, job offers and rejections, and even resignation.The way you communicate in a professional setting says a great deal about you even before Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 5 the first personal interaction; from a simple formal letter, a reader takes clues about your education, awareness of standard practices and attention to detail. Formal letters are important because they serve as a formal method of communication between people, specially in business. They provide valuable information and they serve a legal purpose. Furthermore, formal letters which are used in business (business letters) promote and sustain good will, good relationships are formed and maintained through effective communication. Properly written business letters give a positive impression of a company or individual. The effects that various formal letters can have on their audience are as varied as their purposes. For instance, many letters are written to persuade someone to do something. Letters also can call people to action. For instance, in a company, the leader might draft a piece of correspondence meant to inspire her employees to meet a particular business goal for the year. Business letters are the life blood of communication for any business. There are manytypes of business letters in use. Many people thought that business letter would be a thing of thepast once the email and other technology seep into the offices. This notion has so far beenproven false.Business letters are still in wide use and their importance has not been diminished tothe slightest.(A. Kumar,2014) 1.2. Formal/Business letter format Bertha J. Naterop (1978) states that Business Letters are intendedfor students of commerce, for all people working in business and other areas. It is clear that whoever you are: an executive, a departmentmanager, a salesman or a secretary, etc., youhave to write formal letters. The letter tells a lot about the writer and the organization he or she represents. It will make the very first impression which plays an important role in your Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 6 success in any discussion. The preparation in writing a business letter should be careful. There are some particular important things we had better understand while writing a formal or business letter of our own. 1.2.1. Parts of a complete formal/business letter There are many parts in a complete formal/business letter and all formal/business letters have certain elements in common. However, formal/business letters, nowadays, are written in traditional way with full information or in modern way which the content of the letters focus on the main purpose only and skip several parts in comparison with the traditional one. The following format is a complete formal/business letter format with full information in the traditional way: Sender’s Company Name Address Mail/Telephone number Date Ref.: (Reference) Recipient’s Name Recipient’s Title Recipient’s Company Address Attn.: (Attention line) Dear….. (Salutation) Subject: (Subject line) (Body of the letter) Complimentary close Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 7 (signature) Sender’s name Sender’s title Encl.: (Enclosure) In a more modern way, people could prune the unnecessary parts and keep the compulsory ones to make a concise formal/business letter which focusing on the main content and purpose as stated above. Therefore, the modern formal/business letters have the following form: Sender’s Company Name Address Contact information Date Recipient’s Name Recipient’s Title Recipient’s Company Address Dear….. (Salutation) (Body of the letter) Complimentary close (signature) Sender’s name Sender’s title Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 8 It is easy to realize the standard parts of a business letter: Sender’s address, date, reference line, receiver’s address, attention line,salutation, subject line, the body, complimentary close, signature and enclosure. Several of them appear in every letter, others appear only when desirable or appropriate. 1.2.1.1. Sender’s address In sender’s address, the sender has to show the logo, name and full address of the organization which he/she represents. The address should be written clearly with street, district, state, city and ZIP code or post code. Besides, the connection information such as telephone number, fax number, the company website and email address should be added as well. (Lesikar R.V., 1991) For example:MANOR HOUSE HOTEL Farmham Green Warnside Upminster UB23 Tel: 123456789 Email: [email protected] 1.2.1.2. Date It is the date on which the letter is written. There are two conventions in use: The standarddateline in the U.S is month/date/year while European dateline is date/month/year. The name ofmonth is often written in full and the numeral indicating the day is without st,nd,rdorth.(Lesikar R.V., 1991) For example: 9.6.2016 9-6-2016 9/6/2016 Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 9  British Style: June 9 2016 American Style: Sep. 6 2016 1.2.1.3. Reference line On occasion, the writer may wish to include such information as the file number of theproject, case or order that the letter refers to. (Nelson, 2013) For example:Our ref: BG7146 Your ref: ........... 1.2.1.4. Recipient’s address The recipient’s address identifies the recipient of the letter. It comprises the name andaddress of the person or the firm to whom the letter is written to. The first line of the recipient’saddress contains the name of the recipient preceded by an appropriate courtesy title such as Ms.,Mr., Dr. The address of the organization where the recipient works should be fulfilled with street, district, state, city and ZIP code. (Lesikar R.V., 1991) For example: Dr. A.B. Browns Professor University of New York Office of Admissions P.O.Box 757480 New York 99775-7480 Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 10 1.2.1.5. Attention line This part is not always required. It should be used when the letter is addressed to an organizationas a whole, but the writer wants it to be handled by a specific person from the organization. Anattention line (starting with Attention or Attn.) may take any of the following forms.(Nelson, 2013) For example:Attention: Dr. Henry Attention: Director of Marketing 1.2.1.6. Salutation The style of salutation should follow what in the first line of the recipient’s address. If in the recipient’s address, the recipient is addressed by name, the salutation should be: “Dear Mr./Ms. +surname”. For example:Dear Ms. Smith, Dear Mr. Smith, If that first line contains a job title such as Human Resource Manager, then use “DearSir/Madam”. When you do not know whether the recipient is a man or woman, you may use a titleappropriate to the context of the letter.(Lesikar R.V., 1991) For example:Dear Customer, Dear Homeowner, 1.2.1.7. Subject line The subject line is most commonly used in simplified letters. It announces the subject of theletter and appears immediately below the salutation. Typed in Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 11 all-capital letters, it may start with“Subject:” or “Re:” (an abbreviation for regarding).(Lesikar R.V., 1991) For example: Re: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM 1.2.1.8. Body According to Jen Nelson (2013), the form of the main subject is not of any rule; however, it should be neat, easy readingand not too complex. Moreover, the presentation of the body should be unified for readers to read and understand correctly and easily. The style of the subject layout may be straight ortapped depending on your habit, and there is usually a space between two paragraphs in thestraight type. In general, letters include one or more than one paragraph. Each paragraph should focus on the maincontent which normally stands in the first position of the paragraph: • The first paragraph introduces the reason or purpose of the letter. • The second paragraph develops clearly the reason. • The last paragraph shows the writer’s attitude towards the subject. 1.2.1.9. Complimentary close This is a polite, formal way to end a letter. The complimentary close should match the toneof the salutation.(Lesikar R.V., 1991) • If you know the name of the recipient, you could use: - Sincerely (American Style) - Sincerely yours (American Style) - Yours sincerely(British Style) • If you do not know the name of the recipient, you could use: Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 12 - Very truly yours(American Style) - Yours truly(American Style) - Yours faithfully (British Style) 1.2.1.10. Signature The signature block often consists of theseelements: thewriter’s handwritten signature, his or her full name and job title.(Locker, 1992) For example: Yours sincerely DEvans Dirk Evans Customer Service Manager 1.2.1.11. Enclosure The enclosure is used to indicate that something is attached to the letter. Such a notationhelps recipients confirm that all the enclosures are included when receiving the letter (Bovee, 1992). For example:Encl.: Security Alarms brochure 1.2.2. Margin and line spacing Normally, the English business letter is horizontally centered. The margins around the letter should be an inch at least. (Wolf, M.P and Kuiper.S, 1984) Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 13 Dateline 1 blank line below the last line of sender’s address Recipient’s address 1-10 blank lines below the dateline Attention line 1 blank line below the receiver’s address Salutation 1 blank line below the last line of the receiver’s address Subject line 1 blank line below the salutation Body 1 blank line below the salutation (single-space withinparagraphs; double-space between paragraphs) Complimentary close 1 blank line below the last line of the body Signature block 3 blank lines below the complimentary close Enclosure notation 1 blank line below the reference initials 1.2.3. Formal/Business letter layout The letter layout is the way of arranging all the basic letter parts. Sometimes a companyadopts a certain format as its policy; sometimes the letter writer isallowed to choose the mostappropriate format.There are two major letter layout styles common used for the English business letter according to Derek O. Brien (2012): 1.2.3.1. Block: This is the most modern of the formats and the one most widely used. Since everyline of the block style letter begins at the left margin, this format saves typing time. Block format tends nonverbally to suggest efficiency. The evenness of the left margin projects a neat, orderly image.This Hoang Thi Luong Hoa – K19A03 – (2012 – 2016) Page 14
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