TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUẢNG BÌNH
KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ
------------------

GIÁO TRÌNH
(LƯU HÀNH NỘI BỘ)

TIẾNG ANH THƯ TÍN THƯƠNG MẠI
(DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH CAO ĐẲNG TIẾNG ANH)

TÁC GIẢ: PHẠM THỊ HÀ

NĂM - 2017


Introduction

This material contains 7 units, each unit deals with one type of letter which
relates to issues of business correspondence such as layout of a business letter,
inquiry letter, response letter, comfirmation letter, and complaint letter... It is
hoped to provide the learners with a general knowledge of business. All units
have been carefully graded, following both a structural and notional syllabus.
Moreover, since the units highlight important and useful topic areas. The
material can be used to focus students’ attention on specific topic. They are also
used to supplement the writing skill of letters. In this way, the units will serve
both to reinforce learning and to motivate students.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO

69

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UNIT 1.

LAYOUT OF LETTERS

I. Introduction
Correspondence, whether by letter, fax or email, is an essential element of
international business, in which English is generally recognized as the language of
communication. However, correspondence is not simply a matter of communication; it
is, in effect, a substitute for a face-to-face meeting. Good correspondence helps to
build and sustain business relationships, and its presentation creates an impression of
you, as the writer, and of the company you represent.
II. Letterheads
Letters between organizations are usually sent on letterheads. A typical letter sent
from one company to another is shown below.
CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 1/A
1.
2.

Hartford and
Bradley

Office Suite 307


Australia
7. Dear Mr. Patterson
8. Thank you for your letter of 12 January regarding your company’s distribution
facilities in Australia.
9. I will be visiting Sydney in early March and will contact you shortly to
arrange an appointment in order to discuss our requirements in greater detail. I
look forward to meeting you and, in the meantime, I am enclosing a copy of
our standard agency contract for your reference and consideration. Please let
me know if you require any further information.

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10. Yours sincerely
11. Frank Johnson
Export Manager
III. Layout of letters
1. Logo: Many companies have a logo on their letterhead.
2. Address and company status: Details of the company’s address and legal status. In
the example, the abbreviation Inc means Incorporated. Different countries have other
abbreviations that show the company’s status, e.g. Ltd, Pty, PLC, SA. Punctuation is
unusual these days.
3. Your ref: In Example A, H1796 is the file reference of Southern Transport Services.
When replying you should always quote any references that have been provided.
4. Our ref: S4/92/fj is Hartley & Brad ford’s file reference.
5. Date: The date should appear immediately below the sender’s address. It is often
placed on the right hand side, although this is a matter of personal preference. (More
details about dates in Unit 2.)
6. Addressee: The addressee’s name and full address, known as the inside address,
appears after the sender’s address on the left of the page. It is often written like this:

I will be visiting Sydney in March and will contact you in the near future to arrange an
appointment in order to discuss our requirements in greater detail. In the meantime, I
am enclosing a copy of our standard agency contract for your reference.
I look forward to meeting you.
Yours sincerely
Frank Johnson
Export Manager
Whichever style you choose, clarity and consistency are essential. Don’t forget to
leave a space between paragraphs.
10. Complimentary close: The appropriate phrase should appear at the end of a piece
of correspondence, after the body of the letter, but before the signature block, e.g.
Yours sincerely, Yours truly. (More details about complimentary closings in Unit 2.)
11. Signature block: Your signature should always be handwritten immediately below
the complimentary close, followed by your printed name and, if applicable, your job
title or department. Punctuation is not necessary. (More details about signature blocks
in Unit 2.)
* Other features of letters
i) Enc: - if a letter is accompanied by documents, Enc, meaning Enclosures, is often
written below the signature block, and the types of document listed, as follows:
Enc: Standard trading conditions (2 copies)
Contract (1 copy)
Certificate of insurance (1 copy)
ii) p.p. - this stands for per pro, a Latin phrase which translates as for and on behalf of.
If p.p. appears immediately before the name of the sender in the signature block, it
means that somebody, probably a secretary or an assistant, signed the letter on the
sender’s behalf.
iii) c.c. - this stands for carbon copy. It may appear at the end of a letter followed by
the name of the people who will receive the copy, e.g. c.c. Mrs L. Green, Accounts
Dept. It is used so the reader is aware that copies of the letter have been distributed for
information purposes. The same abbreviation is used for faxes and emails.

9. reference
10. courtesy title

a. The title that appears before a person’s name.
b. The short form of word.
c. To read and correct a piece of written work.
d. A phrase that usually appears at the end of a piece of a
correspondence.
e. Letters and/ or figures used for identification.
f. Marks used in writing that divide sentences and phrases.
g. Family name.
h. The words used to address the person you are writing to.
i. Printed stationery which shows the name and address of an
organization.
j. communication in a written form.

2. Which of the statements is True, and which is False?
1. A company’s logo contains details of their address.
2. The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means Included.
3. It’s important to use the postcode in the address.
4. It’s not necessary to use a salutation.
5. The abbreviation Enc. at the end of a letter means Enclosures.
6. Spell-check can’t correct grammatical errors.
7. There should be a comma after each line of the inside address.
8. Letters should always be addressed to an individual.
9. Signatures should be handwritten.
3. Writing: Arrange these addresses into the correct order – use block style
a) 40 Oxford street/ Claims Manager/ London W1A 4AK/ Commerce Tower/ Mr. J.
Brown/ Acme Insurance Ltd/ United Kingdom
b) NY 1100/ Executive Vice-President/ 2700 Grand Avenue/ USA/ Schmidt Finance


UNIT 2.

PRESENTATION AND CONTENT

I. Details of the presentation
In Unit 1, we looked at terms used to describe the arrangement of different parts of
business correspondence. We will now look at ways of presenting information to the
reader.
1. Date: The month should be written in full, not in figures. The date can be written
with or without the abbreviations 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. For example:
1st April 2006
1 April 2006
01 April 2006
8th June 2006
8 June 2006
08 June 2006
Whichever form you use, be consistent, and do not change from one form to
another. Remember that the date should be the day on which the correspondence is
sent, not the day you started writing it.
Hot tip: If you receive correspondence about an important date which is shown in
figures, check the date with the sender.
2. People’s names and courtesy titles: In Vietnam, the name sequence is family name
followed by given names, e.g. Nguyen Dinh Thanh. In other countries, the sequence
may be given names followed by surname, e.g. John Michael Brown or J.M. Brown.
When you know the name of the person you are writing to, it should appear as the
first line of the inside address. You can use the person’s given name and surname, or
initial(s) and surname, preceded by the appropriate courtesy title. For example:
courtesy title



+



given name
John
Mary

Hot tip:
People’s names are important, so always check the spelling.
3. Other forms of address:

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a) You may know the job title of the person you are writing to, but not the person’s
surname. In Example A, the inside address would therefore appear as:
The Operations Director
Southern Transport Services
Note the use of the definite article The, which is not used if the person’s surname is
known, e.g.
Mr Stuart Patterson
But
The Operations Director
Operations Director



Southern Transport Services

and first names do not follow the courtesy title in the salutation:
Dear Mr. Patterson
NOT
*Dear Mr. Stuart Patterson
NOT
*Dear Mr. S. Patterson
b) If you get to know a person well, you can use their given name, e.g. Dear Stuart. If
in doubt, it is advisable to use the more formal salutation with the courtesy title and
surname.

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c) If you don’t know the name of a person, or whether they are male or female, use
Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Sir / Madam (NAmE: Ladies and Gentlemen).
d) Dear Sirs (NAmE: Gentlemen) can be used if you write to a company. This
salutation, however, is now often regarded as old-fashioned, and could cause offence if
the recipient is a woman.
e) If you write to a man, but don’t know his name, use Dear Sir.
f) If you write to a woman, but don’t know her name, use Dear Madam. This
salutation can be used for both married and unmarried women.
g) Punctuation: a comma can come after the salutation, but it’s not necessary. In
Name, a colon may be used instead of a comma, e.g. Dear Mr Brown:
Hot tip: When writing to a company you wish to do business with, avoid using
Dear Sir or Madam. Such correspondence often goes straight in the bin, or it may
be deleted. Make an effort to find out the name of the person you should contact. If
you can’t obtain a name, think about which department is most likely to deal with
your correspondence, and address it accordingly.
5. Complimentary closing:
a) Yours sincerely - if the salutation uses a person's name (e.g. Dear Mr Brown, Dear

person is male or female
Madam
5 to a man in the more formal way
Dear Mr. Smith Yours sincerely
6 to a woman in the more formal way
Dear Ms Smith Yours sincerely

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6. Signature block: Your printed name should always appear below your handwritten
signature. If applicable, your job title or department should follow. In Example A, the
name Frank Johnson is written, but this could also appear as F. Johnson, possibly
followed by the appropriate courtesy title in brackets, i.e. F. Johnson (Mr.). Unlike
Vietnam, given names are gender specific in many countries. That is to say, a name
such as Frank can only be male, whereas Susan can only be female. Nearly all given
names are gender specific, although there are some exceptions.
Hot tip: If in doubt about whether a given name is male or female, check on the
internet. Some good dictionaries also have this information.
7. Faxes and emails:
a) Faxes: Although faxes tend to slightly less formal than letters, it is advisable to
follow the same conventions as letters for the salutation and complimentary close.
b) Emails: Emails tend to be the most informal method of communication, but the
same conventions for letters should be used until a business relationship has been
established. Some abbreviation (TLAs) are generally accepted, such as FYI (for your
information), NRN (no reply necessary), but if you’re not sure then use the full written
form. Emoticons (or smileys) such as :-) and :-( should not be used in business emails.
c) Capital letters: Do not write emails or faxes in capital letters, or use other devices
for emphasis. Let the reader decide what is important.
Hot tip: Don’t be too informal if you don’t know the recipient well.

is a man.
6. Emoticons should be used to make emails seem friendlier.
2. Circle the best answer
1. Letters should always be addressed to a/an…..
A. individual

B. organization

C. department

D. all answers are correct

2. If the salutation is Dear Sir or Madam, the complimentary close can be…..
A. Yours faithfully

B. Yours sincerely C. Best regards

D.Best wishes

3. The ……paragraph of my correspondence should give the reason for writing.
A. last

B. middle

C. second

D. first

4. ….. means the words used to address the person you are writing to.
A. surname

C. after

D. below

8. How many main parts does a business letter include”
A. 9

B.10

C.11

D.12

9. The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means.

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A. Included

B. Incorporated

C. Including

D. Incorporation

10. When replying you should quote any ….. that have been provided.
A. date

B. address

ENQUIRY LETTERS

I. Factors for consideration
When making a written enquiry, remind yourself of the advice in Unit 1 and ask:
• What is the purpose of my correspondence?
• What response would I like to receive?
In order to answer these questions when making enquiries, there are a number of
factors to consider, all of which relate to presentation and content. These include:
• Your relationship with your correspondent, i.e. whether you have had previous
contact with the organization or individual.
• The location of your correspondent, i.e. whether in Vietnam or overseas.
• Whether you are enquiring about goods or services.
• Whether your enquiry is simple or complicated.
II. Content
1. Opening paragraph: Asking for general information, catalogues, etc.
When requesting general information, there is no need to provide background
information about your organization, unless you think it might help. You may be
interested in a specific product or service; if so, your enquiry should mention this fact.
Here are some examples:
a) Would you please send me your latest catalogue of laptop accessories?
b) Would you kindly supply your current catalogue and price list of educational
books? We are particularly interested in material suitable for teenage learners.
c) I would like to know if you have brochure that gives technical information about the
KWM food processor. I am particularly interested in the weight and dimensions of the
‘Supreme’ model.
d) I am enquiring about ‘English for Tourism’ courses in Singapore next year. Would
you please send me details of the syllabus, and the course fees for overseas students?
Other useful phrases for an opening paragraph are:
a) I am writing to enquire about....
b) We would like some information....

order at the end of this month, could you guarantee delivery within 30 days?
3. Opening paragraph: Enquiring about a potential business relationship
i) If you have not previously been in contact with your correspondent, you should give
a brief introduction to your organization.
a) Bettafruit is a major producer of top quality canned fruit in Vietnam....
b) We are a leading textile manufacturer located in Binh Duong, Vietnam....
c) Vietpharm represents a number of reputable pharmaceutical manufacturers, and we
are now seeking to expand our product line...
Hot tip: Draw attention to your company’s status, or that of your
correspondent. In the example openings (a) and (b), the writers use top quality
and leading, and in (c) the writer acknowledges the addressee’s reputation
(reputable).
ii) If somebody recommended you to write to a particular company, you should
mention the fact. Alternatively, you should mention where you heard about the
company.
a) I attended the recent European Trade Conference in Hanoi, where I spoke to Mr
Rudi Voller of the Swiss delegation. He suggested that I write to you about our
extensive range of fruit and vegetable products.....

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b) We were advised by Mrs Kathy Kendall, of the New Zealand consulate in Ho Chi
Minh City, that you were looking for suppliers of high quality children’s wear....
c) We recently learned from an article in the Saigon Times that your company wishes
to develop its market in South East Asia....
d) We understand that you are the representatives for Excel Hotels International in
South East Asia. We would like to introduce our company to your principals with a
view to establishing a service partnership.
4. Middle paragraph


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Dear Sir or Madam
Would you kindly send us your current catalogue and price list as soon as
possible.
We are particularly interested in lightweight plastic shelving, suitable for use
in a hotel kitchen.
We would appreciate your prompt reply.
Yours faithfully
Tai Ling Chun (Ms)
Catering Manager

3/A iii)
Dear Sir or Madam
My daughter is hoping to study ‘English for the IT Industry’ in Melbourne for
six months next year. Could you therefore send me a prospectus for your
college?
I would also like some information about your ‘Homestay’ accommodation
programme for students. My daughter is 20, and would prefer to stay with a
family who have children of a similar age.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours faithfully
Le Thi Minh Chi (Mrs)

These three examples of enquiries could be sent by letter, fax or email. However, a
salutation is not necessary for an email, and the complimentary close could simply be
Thank you, Many thanks or Thanking you in advance.
2. Asking for more specific information or details

19 January 2006
Our ref. DOA/149/HVM
Mr S. Lee
Sales Manager
Cavendish Publications
PO Box 818
Causeway
Hong Kong
Dear Mr Lee
Thank you for sending your catalogue so promptly. We are interested in the
following titles:
Title
Modern Architecture
Industrial Design
Workplace Lighting

ISBN
0 521 78617 4
0 899 33188 7
0 899 33188 7
1 414 82553 1

We usually purchase books in quantities of 50 or more, so please advise us of
the discount that would apply. We pass on the price of the books at cost price
to our students, so please quote your most competitive price.
An early reply would be appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Prof Nam Hoang
Dept of Architecture


ShowMaster Electronics
12-14 Mihanma Chatan-Cho
Kameda-Machi
Niigata 950-01
Japan
For the attention of the Sales Department
27th April 2006
Dear Sir or Madam,
According to your advertisement in the latest edition of ‘Super Sounds’, the
ShowMaster home entertainment system will be available throughout the
ASEAN region in June 2006.
Would you please let me know who the main distributor in Vietnam will be?
In the past I have encountered problems with technologically advanced
electronics because of poor after-sales service. Could you please advise me
of your company policy in this respect, especially where warranty repairs are
involved?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Nguyen Loc (Mr)
Proprietor

3/B iii) In this example Mr Thanh replies to Mr Scarlatti by email. His company has
approved the product but they need some further information before confirming the
order.
Read the email and answer these questions:
a) In which country is Mr Scarlatti located?
b) What two things does Mr Thanh need to know before he confirms the order?
c) What does CIF mean?
d) What sort of terms are ex-works and CIF?
e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 3/C
3/C i) In this example, Mr Phuoc writes an introductory letter about the services his
company can offer. Note that Mr Phuoc has obtained a person’s name rather than
simply addressing his letter Dear Sir or Madam. At this early stage he takes care not to
overload Mr Chatuchak with information. The letter is concise but positive, and
encourages Mr Chatuchak to make contact.
Read the letter and answer these questions:
a) Has Mr Phuoc been in contact with Mr Chatuchak before?
b) Is the correspondence about products or services?
c) What has Mr Phuoc sent with his letter?
d) What are the two positive words or phrases that Mr Phuoc uses in the second
paragraph?

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EXIM Distribution Company
557 Le Loi st Danang
www.exim.com
Our ref: TVP/D05/119
29 May 2006
Mr P Chatuchak
Marketing Director
Dateline Courier Services
Unit 8, Cargo Terminal
Don Muang International Airport
Bangkok
Thailand
Dear Mr Chatuchak
We operate a major distribution network from our secure facility at Danang International


1. not long ago

…………..

2. an event at which companies display their products

…………..

3. considering other options

…………..

4. a particular region or country that buys goods

…………..

VICOTEX
422 Pasteur st HCM City
www.vicotex.com.vn
Ms Stella Courtney
Modern Elegance Pty
48-54 Queen Street
Sydney NSW 2020
Australia
Dear Ms Courtney
I recently met Mr Frank Dawson at a trade fair in Hanoi organised by
the Australian Chamber of Commerce. He mentioned that Modern
Elegance would shortly be reviewing their contracts with suppliers of
finished clothing articles, and I am therefore writing to introduce my

• Don’t use contractions in business correspondence.
• Don’t overload your correspondence with information.
• Make it easy for your correspondent to reply by quoting references.
• Ask for samples.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount, but ask politely.
• Make sure you understand any prices quoted.
• Use appropriate Incoterms.
• If use abbreviations or initials, make sure your correspondent understands them.
• Close your correspondence with a polite phrase.
IV. Exercises:
1. Match words and phrases with the definitions.
1. Quantity discount
2. Warranty
3. Leading
4. Competitive price
5. Prospectus
6. Distributor

a. A price that’s as good as, or better than others
b. A suppliers of goods
c. A lower than normal price for buying a large number
d. An agreement to replace or repair something that’s faulty
e. Information about school
f. Important

2. You have decided to start your own business. Invent your own convenience
service and write a letter to your bank manager asking for a loan.
Your letter should include all of the following:
A short paragraph saying why you are writing.
- A brief business plan. For example, what will your company be called? What