全国出国培训备选人员英语水平考试（BFT）写作2 Business Letters.ppt

* * Business Letters The business letter is the most basic and most important kind of communication used in modern business. Letters are written to buy and sell goods, to welcome new customers, to ask for information, to answer inquiries, to request or to make adjustments, to collect overdue accounts, to make complaints, and to build a friendly attitude toward a company and its products. Letters are also written to apply for jobs or study. Business Letter Format The standard business letter is composed of four parts: the heading, the opening, the body, and the closing. Heading The heading is put at the top of the page. It consists of the address of the sender and the date. Almost every company uses business stationery with its name, address and telephone number printed on it. If you use business stationery, you will have to type only the date. If you don’t use a printed letterhead, you include only the address and the date, not the writer’s name or the telephone or fax number. Dateline It is very important for a letter to include a dateline, consisting of the month, day and year. The date is placed below the printed letterhead or the address. (Note the difference in Chinese.) Three styles are accepted: American style: January 7, 2004 British style: 7 January, 2004 Australian style: 7 January 2004 Note that the full form should be used. Sometimes it is necessary to include a file reference for clarity. The usual place for the file reference is three spaces below the dateline. e.g. Your reference (file): 94—201 Our reference (file): Ex—168—A Opening The functions of the opening are to direct the letter to a specific individual, company, department, or whatever, and to greet the reader. It includes the inside address, attention line (optional), the subject line (optional), and the salutation. Inside address The inside address should repeat the name and address on the envelope, so that it clearly identifies the receiver of the letter