Part 1.

Ex. 1. Task: Any commercial letter is an official document, which has its peculiar format. It is
important to know that different organizations may have different format requirements for their
professional communication. Knowing the common layouts of commercial letters helps a translator
analyze a source text and create a target text, which will be easily read and understood. There are several
English commercial letter formats, but all of them can be subdivided into two basic groups: a block
(computer) format and various indented formats. Although the block format is somewhat more common,
(perhaps because it is easier), either one is acceptable. Using the block format, the entire letter is left
justified and single-spaced except for a double space between paragraphs. Another widely utilized format
is known as the traditional (type-writer’s) indented format. In this type, the body of the letter is left
justified and single-spaced. However, the date and closing are in alignment in the center of the page. All
conventional formats contain the same features:
1. Company’s name (addresser/sender)
2. The date of the letter
3. References
4. Complete name, title, and address of the recipient
5. Salutation
6. Body of the letter
7. Closing
8. Signature
9. Name and title (position) of the addresser/sender
10. Enclosures
11. PostScript
Scan two letters with different formats and guess which one has the block format and which one has
an indented format. Explain your answers.

Letter 1.
PERCY’S
1600 Main Street, Springfield, Kansas 12345
T.G. Ukraine
Danilevskyy str., 115, Kharkiv, 61008
Ukraine
Our Ref: G/f146 Your Ref: SD/jr

1st December , 2005

Dear Igor,

We received the application and the pictures. Thank you.

Your account has been approved and you may begin ordering any time. We will assign a
wholesale account number to you when your first order is received. You will need to include
the following information on your orders: Store Name, Account Number (when it is
assigned), Catalog, Item Number including color or size code, Quantity, Shipping
Instructions.
When your order is received we will enter it and send a proforma invoice for your review.
You may make changes to this order until payment is received with credit card or wire
transfer. After payment is received the order will be packed and shipped within 5 days.
Please, do not give payment instructions until you are ready to finalize your order.

I look forward to working with you.

 Yours sincerely,

Alex Moore
Export Coordinator
PERCY’S
phones: 417-873-5043
fax: 417-864-6558
e-mail: aamoore@basspro.com

Letter 2.

PERCY’S

1600 Main Street, Springfield, Kansas 12345

T.G. Ukraine

Danilevskyy str., 115, Kharkiv, 61008

Ukraine

Our Ref: G/f146 Your Ref: SD/jr

December 1, 2007

Dear Igor

We received the application and the pictures. Thank you.

Your account has been approved and you may begin ordering any time. We will assign a
wholesale account number to you when your first order is received. You will need to
include the following information on your orders: Store Name, Account Number (when it is
assigned), Catalog, Item Number including color or size code, Quantity, Shipping
Instructions.

When your order is received we will enter it and send a proforma invoice for your review.
You may make changes to this order until payment is received with credit card or wire
transfer. After payment is received the order will be packed and shipped within 5 days.
Please, do not give payment instructions until you are ready to finalize your order.

I look forward to working with you.

Yours sincerely

Alex Moore
Export Coordinator
American Rod & Gun
phones: 417-873-5043
fax: 417-864-6558
e-mail: aamoore@basspro.com
Ex. 2. Task: One should take into the account that the layouts of commercial letters in Great Britain, in
the USA and Ukraine differ considerably. Though it is not frequent nowadays that Ukrainian offices take
the layout accepted in those countries. However, the traditional ’Slavic’ letter composition is different.
Look at the scheme of the Ukrainian commercial letter and at the scheme of the English
commercial letter. Discuss the differences between their layouts.

Емблема фірми-відправника

Назва фірми-відправника

Юридична адреса фірми-відправника Адреса одержувача

Вид документа
Дата________ № _____
На №_______ від _____

Заголовок до тексту

Текст

Додаток

Посада особи, яка підписала Підпис ПІБ

документ

Печатка
 Company’s name

Company’s name References

(addressee/receiver)

Date

Text

Signature

Name and title of the

addresser/sender

Enclosures

Ex. 3. Task: The letter was rewritten by Mr Andrews, the Production manager of Cavelas Ltd., for so
many times that it became mixed up, and his own word processor failed to reorganize it. Consequently he
sent the mixed up letter to Hermes ltd., the Ukrainian company. Arrange the letter so that everything is in
the right place and write the revised version.
Cavelas Ltd.
222 Barwynne Road
Wynnewood, PA 52521

Enclosure: Form L3 Dear Ms. Semskaya: Looking forward to your next

order.

Production Manager Irina Semskaya Yours sincerely

Phone: (610) 222-5000 Sales Manager
Email: Hermes Ltd.
Iandrews@cabelas.com Pivnichna vulytsia17/2
Kyiv 02510
Ukraine

Iain Andrews 1 November 2007 Your ref: MS/22

Our ref: IA/88
We are pleased to announce new terms to our preferred customers. Until November
15, 2007, you can purchase any item in our catalog at 25% off the listed price if you
order within the next 15 days. To take advantage of this new discount, please submit
your order on the special form enclosed. Because of this discount, we do require
prepayment to save invoicing costs. We will, of course, accept major credit cards or
personal checks.

We hope these new terms will make our products more attractive to you.
Ex. 4. Task: Company’s name, also called “letterhead” as a part of a company’s stationery, contains the
name of the company, emblem, address, telephone/fax numbers, its website or e-mail if any. Due to
cultural peculiarities, the ways to write an address are different in Ukrainian and English cultures.
What are these differences?
Ex. 5. Task: The name of the company is often followed by the type of organizing business.
Match the English names of organizing world business with their Ukrainian equivalents.
Sole proprietorship (Br.), Individual Спільне підприємство
proprietorship ( Am.)
Limited Partnership (Br.), General Partnership Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю
(Am.) закритого типу (ТОВ)
Public Limited Company -Plc. Відкрита компанія з обмеженою
відповідальністю
Private Limited Company, Limited liability Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю
company – Ltd. (Br.), Close Corporation or C-
corporation (Am.)-Inc.
Joint Venture - JV Індивідуальне приватне підприємство (ПП)

Ex. 6. Task: Salutation is an integral part of a commercial letter and generally accepted form of
politeness. Absence of salutations and wrong usage of them break the etiquette of commercial letter
writing and may be considered as disrespect of an addressee. Due to cultural differences English and
Ukrainian salutations do not lexically agree.
1. Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following English salutations: Dear Mr Ivanov, Dear Madam,
Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs.
2. Provide English equivalents to the following Ukrainian salutations:
Шановний пане Браун, Шановні панове, Вельмишановна пані Хелен, Шановний Джоне
Ендрюс.
3. Read the information below about the forms of salutations accepted in Ukrainian and English
commercial letters and check your answers.
I. In English commercial letters salutations are used as follows:
– to a company: Dear Sirs
– to an individual whose name you do not know: Dear Sir or Madam, Dear sir, Dear Madam
– to a person, whose name you know: Dear Mr Brown/Dear Ms White/Dear Mrs Fox
– to a friend: Dear Helen.
Addressing a male person English correspondents usually use Mr, an unmarried female- Miss, a
married one – Mrs, if the marital status of the woman-addressee is not clear Ms is used. Nowadays
business ladies try not to declare their marital status, they prefer Ms to Mrs. Addressing a married
couple they use Mr and Mrs. After a salutation comma is used or not depending on a commercial letter
format.
II. The most common forms of salutations in Ukrainian commercial correspondence are:
Шановний (ім’я, по батькові)!
Шановна (ім’я, по батькові)!
Шановний пане/пані(ім’я)!
Шановні панове!
Шановні колеги!
Вельмишановний пане (ім’я, по батькові)!
In Ukrainian salutations are used in vocative case. To use them in nominative case is
considered to be abnormal. In Ukrainian commercial letters a salutation may be placed in the following
ways:
– it is written on the left with an exclamation mark following it, then a new paragraph begins with a
capital letter:
Шановний Миколо Степановичу!
 Із вдячністю підтверджуємо отримання листа-відповіді...
– it is written in the center with an exclamation mark following it, then a new paragraph begins with a
capital letter:
Шановний Миколо Степановичу!
Підтверджуємо отримання Вашої телеграми...
– it is written on the left with a comma following it, next line begins with a small letter:
Шановний Миколо Степановичу,
на підтвердження нашої попередньої домовленості повідомляємо...

Ex. 7. Task: Dates in the block and indented English and Ukrainian letter formats are usually given in
different ways.
Define the letter format of the following dates: а) 7 June 2003; 2nd October 2001; August 7, 2003; 7th
December 2003; 1 October 2005; November 4, 2005; 1st March; b)10 грудня 2004; 17.12. 2005; 5 січня
2003 р; 20.05.2001.
In the USA in both letter formats the date is often written like this: 10.16.2004 or 10/16/2004 which
corresponds to 16 October 2004. Therefore, it is necessary to keep in mind that the month stands first,
then the date and the year.
Ex. 8. Task: Commercial letters belong to official style. They are characterized by certain stylistic
features.
1. Look through the letters in ex. 1. What linguistic means of official style are used in them?
2. Read a brief description of stylistic features peculiar to Ukrainian and English commercial
letters. Discuss them in groups. Fill in the table below using the information of the text and
your knowledge.
Stylistic features of English commercial Stylistic features of Ukrainian commercial
letters letters

Stylistic features of commercial letters.

Commercial letters are crisp and succinct rather than creative; specificity and accuracy are typical
for them. Personal pronouns (like I, we, and you) are important in letters . In such documents, it is
perfectly appropriate to refer to yourself as I (я) and to the reader as you (Ви). When stating a person’s
opinion I (я) is used; when presenting company policy, we (ми) is used.
Commercial letters are written in a sincere, polite tone. The message should be clear for the
addresser not to be misunderstood.
Commercial letters are characterized by the usage of set phrases (clichés), which make the
information easier for comprehension by an addressee. Terms, abbreviations, contractions are typical for
these letters. Simple extended sentences are preferable. Direct word order is necessary. But sometimes
inversion is used to draw a reader’s attention to some information. Imperative sentences are avoided.
Impersonal sentences are used in Ukrainian commercial letters, but not in English ones. Infinitive
constructions are frequently used in English commercial letters and Participial constructions are typical
both for English and Ukrainian letters. The Present Indefinite, Present Perfect, Future Indefinite are
common for English commercial correspondence. In Ukrainian letters present, past and future tenses are
used.
Each separate idea (semantic block) is put in a separate paragraph. The first paragraph of a typical
commercial letter is used to state the main point of the letter. In the second paragraph the supporting
details are usually stated to justify the purpose of a letter. A few short paragraphs within the body of the
letter are often enough to support the reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, the purpose is briefly
restated. The letter is commonly ended with gratitude.
(From: Ashley A. Commercial correspondence)
Ex. 9. Task: One of the distinctive features of commercial letters is standardization, expressed by a great
number of clichés typical for all commercial letters (starting clichés and ending clichés) as well as for
their certain kinds.
Read the English and Ukrainian clichés of starting and clichés of ending commercial letters. Find the
Ukrainian equivalents to English clichés. Group them into two columns filling in the table below.
With reference to your letter of …; We regret to inform you…; May we hear from you at your
convenience; Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.; I look
forward to hearing from you; I am writing to enquire about ... ; In answer to your inquiry,
concerning…, After having seen your advertisement in ... , we would like ...; We would appreciate
your immediate attention to this matter; If you require any further information, feel free to contact
me; After having received your address from ... , we ...; Thank you for your letter of …; We look
forward to a successful working relationship in the future; Thank you for your letter regarding ...; In
reply to your letter of …; We hope this information will be of service to you; Once again, I
apologize for any inconvenience; We await your reply with great interest; Thank you very much for
your letter dated…; We acknowledge the receipt of your letter of complaint dated…; We trust you
will understand our position; We promise you prompt order processing at all times; May we request
a prompt reply.

Сподіваємось, ця інформація знадобиться Вам; Очікуємо отримати Вашу відповідь у

зручний для Вас час; Ми обіцяємо завжди швидко здійснювати обробку ваших замовлень; На
жаль, ми повинні повідомити Вам…; Відповідаючи на Ваш запит відносно; Відносно Вашого
листа від; У разі потреби отримання додаткової інформації, без вагань встановлюйте зі мною
зв’язок; З нетерпінням очікуємо на майбутню плідну співпрацю; З нетерпінням чекаємо на
Вашу відповідь; Ми сподіваємося на Ваше розуміння нашої позиції; Я пишу з метою
довідатись про…; Дякуємо за Ваш лист від…; Ми підтверджуємо отримання Вашого листа-
рекламації від…; Дякуємо за Вашого листа стосовно…; Будемо вдячні за швидкий розгляд
цього питання; Якщо Вам потрібна додаткова інформація, будь ласка, не соромтесь
звертатися до мене; Відповідаючи на Ваш запит стосовно…; Після отримання Вашої адреси
від… ми…; Дякуємо за Ваш лист від…; Відповідаючи на Ваш лист від…;; Ми ще раз хотіли
б вибачитися за незручності; З великою зацікавленістю очікуємо Вашу відповідь; Після
ознайомлення з Вашою рекламою у …, ми б хотіли…; Будь ласка, надайте нам відповідь
якомога скоріше.

Starting Clichés Ending Clichés

English Ukrainian English Ukrainian

Ex. 10. Task: There are different types of commercial letters depending on the communicative aim of a
sender. They are a letter of inquiry, a letter of offer, a letter of apology, a letter of complaint, a memo, a
letter of refusal, a letter of confirmation, a letter of notification etc. An adequate translation of a letter
implies recognition and an adequate transfer of a sender’s communicative aim in the target language.
Match the aim in the left column with the kind of a letter it is realized in.

1. To lodge a complaint A. Letter of notification

against something, to voice
one’s disagreement
2. To apologize to an
addressee
Letter of offer
Letter of acknowledgement
Letter of refusal
B. Letter of inquiry

3. To ask an addressee to C. Letter of complaint

 give the information about
facts, events, goods or
services
4. To provide an addressee D. Letter of apology
with the information about
some facts, events, goods or
services

Ex. 11. Task: Look through the text of the letter, define its type and communicative aim. What linguistic
means are used by the sender to express the communicative aim in the message?
Dear Sirs,

We have written to you several times over the past three months requesting an
explanation on why you have failed to bring your account with us current.

By ignoring these requests, you are damaging the excellent credit record you had
previously maintained with our company. In addition, you are incurring additional
expense to yourself and to us.

Unless we hear from you within ten days, we will have no other choice but to turn
your account over for collection. We are sorry that we must take such drastic action
but I am afraid you leave us no alternative. You can preserve your credit rating by
remitting your check today for the amount stated in it.

We would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

Sincerely yours,
David Lionel

Ex.12. Task: Each of the commercial letters is characterized by peculiar clichés, chosen by an addresser
with regard to his/her aim.
Match the groups of clichés and expressions in the left column with the kind of the letter they are
commonly used in.
We regret this mistake, we are sorry for the delay and Letter of confirmation
inconvenience, accept our apology, we make our
apologies, it is disturbing to learn of the problems you
are encountering with our product, we have already
implemented measures to avoid reoccurrence
We found the product to be defective as follows, Letter of notification
according to the warranty, we are entitled to a refund or
replacement, a copy of our receipt is enclosed, I would
appreciate your looking into situation and taking
corrective action, I expect financial compensation
This is to confirm our telephone conversation of today,
we acknowledge the receipt of, we confirm the price, Letter of apology
we attach the delivery notice, this is the bank
confirmation of payment
We found it necessary a price increase effective(date), Letter of complaint
attached is a new price schedule with suggested resale
prices, we want to inform you that effective (date)
product #…will be discontinued and considered
obsolete, we let you know that item # …is assigned to
 price category #… and stocking category #…, we are
happy to inform you that, please consider our purchase
order for Model #…, attached is our new order
Unfortunately, we do not have this product; we do not Letter of inquiry
believe it is proper to pay transportation charges; we
can not sell direct, we are sorry but your references do
not correspond with our demands
It is our policy to request a …% advance payment on Letter of offer
initial orders; I am inquiring if there is any possibility
of obtaining some finance from your company; I would
like to obtain some information on certain points; we
would require some information about the following
Our new catalog will be coming out on (date); We Letter of refusal
operate a full time retail business; we have a wide
range of products; if you make regular orders, we will
give you discounts; We send you in the attachment the
pricelist of our products as you requested

Ex. 13. Task: Commercial letters are often sent by electronic mail, e-mail. In this case they are called
commercial e-mails.
To compare the structure of the commercial letter and commercial e-mail look at the letter 1 or 2 in ex. 1
and the commercial e-mail below. What are similar/different parts in their structures?
From: microbrush
<gunnar@microbrush.com>
To: Oksomat <oksomat@carrier.kiev.ua>
cc:
bcc:
Subject: registration
Date: Tue, 03March, 2008 12:15:34
Dear Mrs Ridenko,

On 8 Jan 2008 I applied to you with the request to register Oksomat products.

We received an e-mail from Mr Fedenko, in which he informed us that the documents

necessary for registration would be sent to us in February. Unfortunately, we have not
received them yet and our attempts to contact him failed.

I kindly ask you to help us get these documents. Please, find the list of documents in
the attached file.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Gunnar Wallin
Director
Attachments: documents.doc (application/msword, 520K)
Ex. 14. Task: The letter of offer below should be sent to WILSON ltd. both by e-mail and post. Arrange
given structural parts of the letter, which should be sent by post, according to the traditional indented
format, and of the letter, which should be sent by e-mail, according to the block format.
 148 Mortimer Street Offer
London W1C 37D
WILSON Ltd.

01 October, 2006 WStyle Ltd.

Vul. Rybna 7
Kyiv 02510
Ukraine

bright@wilson.net

Iryna Izjumenko Robert Bright

Export Department Sales manager

Dear Mrs Izjumenko, Yours faithfully

We are pleased to make you an offer regarding our ‘Swinger’ dresses and trouser suits in the size
you require. Nearly all the models you saw at our fashion show are obtainable, except trouser
suits in pink, of which the smaller sizes have been sold out. This line is being manufactured
continuously, but will only be available again in November, so could be delivered to you in
December.

All other models can be supplied by the middle of November, subject to our receiving your form
order. Our c.i.f. prices are understood to be for sea/land transport to London. If you prefer the
goods to be sent by air freight, this will be charged extra cost.

We attached / enclosed the price-list and our colour chart.

Ex.15. Task: In order to start business relations or to resume them it is necessary for companies to get
into contact with each other. One of the ways to do it is to write and send an inquiry letter or an offer
letter. Such letters usually contain information about a company, its activity, products, terms of
cooperation etc. A translator’s primary task as a mediator of communication is to comprehend the
message of a letter, its main idea and facts before translating it. In case the information is misunderstood
by a translator and afterwards by a recipient, the consequences may be unpredictable. Hence, it is quite
important for a translator to have good analytical skills.
You have started working as a translator for NAP ltd., the Ukrainian company, which produces medical
products. One of the foreign companies sent a letter to NAP ltd. Browse through it for the purpose of
understanding the communicative aim of the letter. Then do the true / false test.

Dental Products Inc.

576 Rockstar Lane
Durham, NC 27708

NAP ltd.
Artema vulytsia, 128
Kharkiv 61012
Ukraine
 September 14, 2005
Dear Sirs,
We saw your dental goods at the Dental Show held in Rome on July 17-19. The
products you presented for filling would be most suitable for our market. We would ask
you to let us have a quotation for them (packed, in bulk). Would you kindly also inform
us about, dates of delivery, terms of payment, guarantees.

We ask you to send us the samples of your composites for examination in our labs.

We are interested in the opportunity to be your authorized representative in our country.

Our company specializes in distributing dental products. We have more than 50 dealers
and representatives in different regions. If your products meet our requirements, and
we receive a favourable offer , we will be able to place regular large orders for your
products.

Your early reply would be appreciated.

Yours faithfully,
L.Gamble
Export-Import Manager

Test.
1. Dental Products Inc. is ready to make regular orders.
2. NAP ltd. is a manufacturing company.
3. The sender of the letter is interested in substances for inserting into the cavity of a tooth.
4. Dental products Inc. wants NAP ltd. to give discounts.
Ex. 16. Task: Look through the letter of ex. 15. The statements listed below are not of equal
informational value. Some of them contain more, some less important data. Arrange the following facts
according to the degree of informational importance. Start numbering with the most important one.
___ The addresser of the letter saw NAP ltd.’s dental goods at the Dental Show held in Rome.
___ The addresser wants NAP ltd. to inform him about, dates of delivery, terms of payment, guarantees.
___ If Dental Products Inc. receives a favourable offer , it will be able to place regular large orders for
NAP ltd.’s products.
___ The NAP ltd.’s products for filling would be the most suitable for the addresser.
___ The addresser asks the addressee to send the samples of the composites.

Ex. 17. Task: Letters of inquiry are sent to get information about goods, their availability, to find out
terms and delivery dates, to get to know about discounts, shipping, insurance, to inquire about prices, to
ask for catalogues, samples of goods, etc.
Look through the following letters of inquiry. Single out the key words, which describe the basic objects
and summarize the content of each letter. How many semantic blocks does each letter have? What means
of logical coherence are used by the authors of the letters to connect semantic blocks? Identify the
stylistic features of commercial letter writing in the texts.
Letter 1.

American Rest & Fishing

1600 Main Street, Springfield, Kansas 12345
 Joint Venture Vidpochynok
Vulytsia Frunze 107
Kyiv 02207
Ukraine
Your ref: DF/MM
Our ref: SB/MM

25 November 2007
Dear Sirs,

We have heard of your products from Cabelas ltd. So, we are interested in buying your fabrics
for producing our tents, back packs and canopies. Our company is engaged in manufacturing
and distributing goods in the USA. We have more than 50 dealers and representatives in
different states.
We would like to ask you to send us your catalogue and your terms of cooperation. Moreover,
we need information about wholesale price (please, quote CIF) and possible discounts.

In order to choose the necessary fabrics, we would like you to send us the samples of them. If
they meet our requirements, and we receive a favourable offer, we will be able to place a
large order for your wires.

Please, let us know what quantities you are able to deliver till 30 December 2007.

Your early reply would be appreciated.

Yours faithfully,

Sam Burnby
Marketing manager

Letter 2.

СП Коломійченко
Вул. Північна, 115, Київ 03210, Україна
Спортсфілд Компані
150 Лондон Роуд
Ексетер 4
Англія

Вхідні: 21/635 -01.05.2008

Вихідні: 23/423 – 5.06.2008

5 червня 2007 р.

Шановні панове!

Нам стала відома Ваша адреса від нашого партнера Корпорації Юнайтед Трейдинг
Ми дізналися, що Ви виробляєте різні види спортивних товарів. Довіряючи нашому
партнеру, ми хочемо вступити у ділові відносини з Вашою компанією.

Ми маємо власну широку мережу спортивних магазинів у Києві та інших містах

 України, а також співпрацюємо з рядом дилерів.

Ми зацікавлені у включенні Ваших товарів, а саме: усього ряду сноубордів, лиж та

ковзанів до нашої програми реалізації. Ми впевнені, що ця продукція знайде у нас
свого купця.

Ми хотіли б отримати більш детальну інформацію про ціни, знижки та умови

постачання. Якщо Ваші ціни влаштують нас, ми будемо регулярно замовляти Ваші
товари.

Просимо надіслати нам повний каталог товарів.

Будемо вдячні за швидку відповідь.

З повагою,
Головний менеджер Борис Панечук

Ex. 18. Task: It is very important to take into consideration that the text of a commercial letter may have
lexical, grammar or spelling mistakes. It is quite natural, since the sender of the letter may misprint or
he/she may be not good at languages. The translator should detect and amend such mistakes, especially
those making the information ambiguous.
You are asked to translate the letter from Phillyshirt Inc. Read it, define its communicative aim, type of
the letter and semantic blocks. Check it for the mistakes (lexical, grammar, spelling), which make the
message unclear. To correct them you may consult the author of the letter or an expert in case of doubt.
But now it is impossible to do. Explain your own treatment of these mistakes orally to the recipient of the
letter. Do this task in pairs.
To: sip@mail.ru
From: Chandrews @ phillyshirt.com
Subject: Our policy
Date: August 12, 2004

Dear Sirs,
We are pleased to announce our terms of cooperation to our new partners. Until November 15,
2004, you can purchase any item in our catalog at 25% off the listed price.

To become our client you should be aware of our police. We sell to stocking dealers only. In
order to establish an account you must have a place of business (store front) open to the public
during commonly accepted business hours and must have all necessary State and Local
licenses. We do not wittingly sell to individuals who do not have a store or who wish to
purchase solely for their own use or for that of their friends. All prices and items are subject to
change without notice. You may phone us toll free at (800) 222-5000 at any time to check
prices, however it is suggested that you check your packing list carefully when merchandise is
not received since it will show the corect effect price at the time of shipment.

We will assign a wholesale account number to you when your first order will be received. You
will need include the following information on your orders: Story Name, Account Number
(when it is assigned), Catalog Item Number including color or size code, Quantity.

When your order received we will enter it and send a proforma invoice for your overview. You
may make changes to this order until payment is received with credit card or wire transfer. After
payment received the order will be packed and shipped with 5 days. Please do not give payment
instructions until you are ready to final your order.
Looking forward to your first order
 Sincerely yours,
Chak Andrews
Sales Manager
Philly Shirt Inc.
222 Barwynne Road
Wynnewood, PA 52521
Phone: (800) 222-5000
Email: Chandrews@phillyshirt.com

Ex.19. Task: Traditionally a sender uses a number of clichés, typical for certain kind of a commercial
letter. The clichés make the perception and understanding of a letter easier for its addressee. There are
certain clichés which are applied in inquiry letters.
Determine and underline such clichés in the letters of ex.15. Paraphrase them.
Read some more clichés typical for English letters of inquiry. Match them with their Ukrainian
equivalents.
Example: 1C
1. We have read your advertisement in… A Відносно Вашого листа…
2. With regard to your advertisement B Ми хочемо купити (імпортувати)…
in…of…, we would ask you…
3. With reference to your letter… C Ми прочитали Вашу рекламу в…
4. We have heard of your products from… D Ми дізналися про Вашу продукцію
з…
5. We have seen your current catalogue E Будь ласка, надішліть нам зразки
showing… (Ваших каталогів, брошур, товарів)
6. We are interested in buying F Відносно публікації Вашої реклами в
(importing)… … від…, ми хочемо попросити Вас…
7. Please, inform us (let us know) ASAP… G Ваші товари знайдуть у нас свого
купця
8. Would you please inform us if it is H Я буду Вам вдячний, якщо Ви
possible to deliver… надішлете мені…
9. We would ask you to let us have a I Ми бажаємо отримати більш
quotation for… детальну інформацію про…
10. Would you kindly quote your prices and J Будемо вдячні за швидку відповідь
terms of delivery (terms of payment)
for…
11. We would like to have further details K Будь ласка, повідомте Ваші ціни на…
about…
12. I would be grateful if you would send L Будь ласка, повідомте нам, чи
me… зможете Ви поставити…
13. Please, send us samples of …(your M Ми звернули увагу на Ваш останній
catalogues, leaflets, goods, etc.) каталог, у якому описані…
14. We would like to get in touch with N Якщо Ваші ціни влаштують нас
manufacturers (suppliers, sellers, etc.) (зразки будуть відповідати вимогам
стандартів, Ваше обладнання буду
відповідати нашим вимогам) ми
будемо регулярно замовляти Вашу
продукцію
15. There is a large market here for your O Ми можемо додатково заплатити за
products негайну поставку
16. If your prices are competitive ( the P Ми хотіли б встановити контакт з
samples meet the standards, your виробниками (постачальниками,
equipment complies with our продавцями)
requirements, etc.) we may be able to
 make regular orders
17. Please send us without charge some Q Ми просимо Вас надіслати нам
samples безкоштовно декілька зразків

18. We may pay an additional fee for R Чи не могли б Ви встановити ціни та

immediate delivery
19. In spite of the regrettable incident of last
year, we have decided to resume
business with you again
20. We are ready to place new orders with
you provided they are handled with
extreme care
21. Trusting our partners, we have made a
decision to start business with your
company
22. Our extensive network of branches
enables us to make large orders
23. Rest assured that I will personally
control fulfillment of contract terms
умови поставки (умови оплати) на…
S Запевняю Вас, що я особисто
контролюватиму виконання умов
контракту
T Довіряючи нашим партнерам, ми
вирішили вступити у ділові
відносини з Вашою компанією
U Наша розвинена мережа філіалів
дозволяє робити великі замовлення
V Ми готові розмістити у Вас нові
замовлення, якщо вони будуть
ретельно опрацьовуватися
W Не зважаючи на неприємний
інцидент у минулому році, ми
вирішили відновити з Вами ділові
стосунки

Ex. 20. Task: Browse through the text of the letter. Divide into pairs and answer the following questions
defending your point of view based on the information of the letter:
1. What is the communicative aim of the letter?
2. What is the type of this commercial letter?
3. What linguistic means of official style are used in the text?
4. What information is given by the sender of the letter?
5. How many semantic blocks does the letter have?

Dear Mrs Sashkova,

With regard to your letter of October 2, 2005, we have decided to resume business
with you again in spite of the regrettable incident of last year.

In recent years, we have introduced various foreign brands in Italy and have built up a
considerable market for the manufactures.

We are interested in your new line, which we saw exhibited in August and we agree to
become your authorized dealer. My employees have made a marketing research and
concluded that there is a large market here for your products.

We need to register your products in Italy. In order to proceed with the registration we
need such documents: signed and sealed Letter of attorney to conduct this process,
notarized copies of all available certificates ISO and CE, Catalogues.

It is desirable that you send all these documents ASAP to our legal address. We will
conduct the registration on behalf of your company, therefore you will be the owner of
the registration certificate. The approximate registration cost of one group of products
 is €3,500.

Please, inform us about your decision. Your prompt answer will be appreciated.

Sincerely yours,
J. Kigozi
Director

Ex. 21. Task: As usual, letters of proposal (offer) are replies to letters of inquiry. The approximate
structure of them is the following: 1) the reason of writing; 2) answers to questions; 3) additional
information; 4) expression of hope of further cooperation. However, these letters are often sent without
preceding letters of inquiry if the supplier wants to draw the attention of potential customers to the
products.
Look through the letters of offer. Single out the key words and summarize the content of the letters. How
many semantic blocks does each letter have? Identify the stylistic features of commercial letter writing in
the texts.

Letter 1.
Techtex Inc.

Mr Oleh Petrenko
Purchasing Manager
Tekhnoavto

Dear Mr Petrenko,

Thank you very much for your letter. We were pleased to learn your interest in our
products. With regard of your inquiry of 10 September, we are happy to inform you
that we have a new line in leather that fit your specifications exactly.

The most suitable of our products for your requirements is the 657 plus. This product
combines tensile strength, bending strength and stretchability. It is available now
from stock.

I enclose a detailed quotation with prices, specifications and delivery terms. As you
will see from this, our prices are competitive. Our proposal is valid till 1st December
2006. We can give you a 5 per cent discount in case you make a large order. We
deliver our goods on CIF terms.

I have arranged for our agent Mr North to deliver the samples to you next week, so
that you can carry out the laboratory tests.

I would appreciate if we get the order from you.

If you would like further information, please telephone or fax me. My extension
number is 456.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Huge
Letter 2.

ТОВ «Роксолана»
вул. Богатирська, 14, Київ 02204, Україна
тел. + 38044 414-22-47
факс + 38044 414-22-48
Декор Компані
71-73 Сейнт Джон стрит
Лондон EC1M
Англія

Вхідні: 21/635 -01.05.2006

Вихідні: 23/423 – 5.06.2006

5 червня 2006 р.

Шановні панове!

Нам було приємно дізнатися про Вашу зацікавленість у нашій продукції. На Ваш
запит ми повідомляємо, що майже всі моделі, які були представлені на виставці, є в
наявності, за винятком брючних костюмів рожевого кольору, які ми зможемо Вам
відправити лише в серпні, так як ця лінія товарів знаходиться у виробництві. Усі
інші моделі Ви зможете отримати до кінця місяця, за умови отримання Вашого
замовлення до 10 червня 2006 р.

Ми відправляємо товари на умовах СІФ. Ми можемо надати Вам 5 % знижку у разі

замовлення на суму від €10000.

З радістю надсилаємо Вам авіапоштою зразки тканин та таблицю кольорів.

Якщо Вас не влаштовує наша пропозиція, будь ласка, повідомте нам причину.

Будемо вдячні за швидку відповідь.

З повагою,
Головний менеджер Тетяна Діденко

Ex. 22. Task: Browse through the text of the offer letter. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the communicative aim of the letter?
2. What information is given by the sender of the letter?
3. How many semantic blocks does the letter have?
4. Does the letter have any lexical, grammar or stylistic mistakes?
5. What letter format is applied?
6. What linguistic means of official style are used in the text?
Sampson's Stationary
30 Silverstone Ave
Kamloops, BC
V2A 8B1
Tel:250-429-0002
 Grinchenko Joint Venture
Vul. Doroshenko 36, apt. 32
Lviv
Ukraine

14 November 2005
Dear Mrs Honcharenko,

Referring to your letter of 25 October, we are pleased to learn your interest in our
company and products.

Sampson's Stationary is one of Canada’s leading technologically advanced

companies. We are engaged in manufacturing a great number of office supplies and
stationery products. Besides above mentioned goods our company produces also a
wide range of office furniture and seating.

We have enclosed our catalogue, which contains over 20,000 products with their
description and prices. You will find a great range of competitively priced products from
every day copier paper to letter trays, to inkjet and laser printers. Our prices are 3 %
lower than market ones.

Moreover, we have introduced a “green” logo to our catalogues letting you know how
much recycled content is in products or if it is produced from a sustainable source.

Please, inform us whether we could expect getting your order.

Looking forward to your soon reply.

Faithfully yours,

G. Forsyte
Marketing Manager

Ex. 23. Task: Skim over the letters of ex.21. Determine and underline the clichés. Paraphrase them. Read
some more clichés typical for Ukrainian letters of offer. Match them with their English equivalents.
1. Нам приємно дізнатися про A Please, inform us whether we could
Вашу зацікавленість у… expect getting your order.
2. Нам приємно, що Ви бажаєте B The price covers packing and
купити… transportation expenses.
3. З радістю надсилаємо Вам обрані C The model … will most meet your
Вами зразки та пропонуємо… requirement
4. На Ваш запит від…ми D We can give you a 5 per cent discount.
повідомляємо, що…
5. Додається наш каталог с новим E We are pleased to learn your interest
прейскурантом. in…
6. Наша пропозиція дійсна до … F If you are not happy with our proposal,
please inform us about the reason.
7. Ми відправляємо товари на G Our proposal is valid till …
умовах СІФ
8. Ціна включає упаковку та H We are pleased that you want to buy…
транспортні витрати
 9. Ми можемо надати Вам 5 %
знижку.
10. Наші ціни на 3 % нижчі від
ринкових.
11. Особливо звертаю Вашу увагу на
позицію …
12. Окрім згаданих вище товарів,
наша компанія виробляє також
… our warehouse.
13. У Ваших цілях якнайкраще
підійде модель …
14. Будь ласка повідомте нам, чи
можемо ми розраховувати на
одержання замовлення.
15. Ми просимо Вас надіслати
замовлення якомога скоріше, так
як кількість даного товару на
складі обмежена.
16. Будемо вдячні за Ваше
замовлення.
17. Якщо Вас не влаштовує наша
пропозиція, будь ласка,
повідомте нам причину.
I With regard of your enquiry of … we
are informing you that …
J We would appreciate if we get the order
from you.
K I call your attention especially on item
…
L We ask you to make the order ASAP as
the quantity of this product is limited at
M We take pleasure to send you the
desired samples and offer… s.
N We enclose our catalogue with the latest
price-list.
O Our prices are 3 % lower than market
ones
P Besides above mentioned goods our
company produces also …
Q We deliver our goods on CIF terms

Ex. 24. Task: As far as the genre of international commercial correspondence is characterized by clarity,
accuracy, explicitness, conventionality, there are generally accepted clichés, peculiar to this genre.
Therefore, most of such English and Ukrainian clichés are equivalent. The task of a translator is to find
the equivalents in the target language.
Complete the table with the clichés either in Ukrainian or in English.

Would you please inform us if it is

possible to deliver…
I would be grateful if you would send
me…
Будемо вдячні за швидку відповідь
We have heard of your products from…
Ми звернули увагу на Ваш останній
каталог, у якому описані…
Просимо повідомити нам якомога скоріше
Please, inform us (let us know) ASAP…
Відносно публікації Вашої реклами в …
від…, ми б хотіли попросити Вас
We are interested in buying (importing)…
We would like to get in touch with
manufacturers (suppliers, sellers, etc.)
Ми хотіли б отримати більш детальну
інформацію про…
Якщо Ваші ціни влаштують нас (зразки
будуть відповідати вимогам стандартів,
Ваше обладнання буду відповідати нашим
вимогам) ми будемо регулярно замовляти
 Вашу продукцію
Please, send us samples of …(your
catalogues, leaflets, goods, etc.)
Would you kindly quote your prices and
terms of delivery (terms of payment)
for…
Ваші товари знайдуть у нас свого купця
We look forward to your early reply

Відносно Вашого листа

Rest assured that I will personally control
fulfillment of contract terms
Довіряючи нашим партнерам, ми вирішили
вступити у ділові відносини з Вашою
компанією
We are ready to place new orders with
you provided they are handled with
extreme care

Exercise 25. Task: Translate the following clichés into English, avoiding literal translation.
Нам було приємно дізнатися про Вашу Особливо звертаю Вашу увагу на позицію
зацікавленість у… …
Нам приємно, що Ви бажаєте купити… Окрім згаданих вище товарів, наша
компанія виробляє також …
З радістю надсилаємо Вам обрані Вами У Ваших цілях якнайкраще підійде модель
зразки та пропонуємо… …
На Ваш запит від…ми повідомляємо, що… Будь ласка повідомте нам, чи можемо ми
розраховувати на одержання замовлення.
Додається наш каталог с новим Ми просимо Вас надіслати замовлення
прейскурантом. якомога скоріше, так як кількість даного
товару на складі обмежена.
Наша пропозиція дійсна до … Будемо вдячні за Ваше замовлення.

Ми відправляємо товари на умовах СІФ Якщо Вас не влаштовує наша пропозиція,

будь ласка, повідомте нам причину.
Ціна включає упаковку та транспортні
витрати

Ми можемо надати Вам 5 % знижку. Наші ціни на 3 % нижчі від ринкових.

Ex. 26. Task: Read the text of the letter sent by Phillyshirt Inc. and its translation into Ukrainian. Define
the communicative purpose of the letter. Pay special attention to the words and word combinations in
bold type. Find their equivalents in the texts. Pick up the synonyms to these words. What translation
techniques are applied by the translator? Do back translation of the letters.

Dear Sirs, Шановні панове!

We are pleased to announce our terms of Ми з радістю повідомляємо умови

cooperation to our new partners. співпраці нашим новим партнерам.

Until November 15, 2004, you can purchase До 15 листопада 2004 р. Ви можете
any item in our catalog at 25% off the listed купувати будь-який товар з нашого
 price.
To become our client you should be aware
of our policy. We sell to stocking dealers
only. In order to establish an account you
must have a place of business (store front)
open to the public during commonly
accepted business hours and must have all
necessary State and Local licenses. We do
not wittingly sell to individuals who do not
have a store or who wish to purchase solely
for their own use or for that of their friends.
All prices and items are subject to change
without notice. You may phone us toll free
at (800) 222-5000 at any time to check
prices, however it is suggested that you
check your packing list carefully when
merchandise is not received since it will
show the correct prices in effect at the time
of shipment.
We will assign a wholesale account
number to you when your first order is
received. You will need to include the
following information on your orders: Store
Name, Account Number (when it is
assigned), Catalog Item Number including
color or size code, Quantity.
When your order is received we will enter it
and send a proforma invoice for you to
overview it. You may make changes to this
order until payment is received with credit
card or wire transfer. After payment is
received the order will be packed and
shipped within 5 days. Please do not give
payment instructions until you are ready to
finalize your order.
Looking forward to your first order
Sincerely yours,
Chak Andrews
Sales Manager
Ex. 27. Task: Many English words, including even terms, are polysemantic. The meaning of such
words depends on the context. In order to do an adequate translation of any commercial letter, a
translator must be able to choose an appropriate and stylistically relevant meaning of a polysemantic
unit among others given in dictionaries.
каталогу з 25 % знижкою.
Для того, щоб співпрацювати з нами, Ви
повинні ознайомитися з нашою політикою.
Ми продаємо лише дилерам, які мають
власні магазини. Для того, щоб
зареєструватися, Ви повинні мати місце
торгівлі (магазин), відкрите протягом
загально прийнятих робочих годин, а також
усі необхідні державні та місцеві ліцензії.
Ми свідомо не співпрацюємо з особами, які
не мають магазинів, або купують виключно
для себе та своїх друзів.
Ціни та моделі можуть змінюватись без
попередження. З метою уточнення цін Ви
можете телефонувати нам цілодобово та
безкоштовно за тел. (800) 222-5000, однак
ми рекомендуємо Вам уважно перевіряти
пакувальний лист на момент отримання
товарів, у якому зазначаються дійсні ціни
на момент відправлення.
Ми надамо Вам реєстраційний номер
оптового клієнта після отримання першого
замовлення. До замовлення Вам необхідно
включати наступну інформацію: назву
магазину, реєстраційний номер (після
його надання), номер товару з каталогу з
зазначенням кодів кольору та розміру,
кількість.
Після отримання замовлення, ми його
зареєструємо та надішлемо Вам для
перевірки попередній рахунок-фактуру. Ви
можете вносити зміни до Вашого
замовлення до отримання сплати за нього
кредитною карткою або грошовим
переказом. Після отримання сплати
упродовж п’яти діб замовлення буде
запаковане та відправлене. Будь ласка, не
надавайте інформації щодо оплачування
доки не остаточно не зробите замовлення.
З нетерпінням чекаємо на Ваше перше
замовлення.
З повагою,
Комерційний директор Чак Ендрюс
You are a translator working for the Canadian joint venture. You have been asked to translate a letter
sent by one of the business partners of your company. Read the text carefully. Define the communicative
intentions of the sender. Check the letter for lexical and grammar mistakes. Correct them, explaining
your treatment of the mistakes. Taking into the consideration the context and the style, find in the target
language the equivalents of the following polysemantic lexical units: quotation, account number, fee,
transaction, consideration, special. Discuss the equivalents in pairs, proving your choice.

Mortex
New Kowloon Plaza, 38 Tai Kok Tsui Rd.,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-28935666
Fax: 852-25755444

Sportsvit
Vul. Industrial’na 15, off. 3
Kyiv, Ukraine

27 June 2007

Dear Sirs,

With reference to your inquiry letter of 20 June 2007, we are pleased to inform you
about Mortex. Mortex Ltd. was founded in 1993 to meet the market demand for
manufactured sporting goods. We manufacture high quality, attractive sports products
according to our customers’ specifications. Besides, we work with our customers to
develop new products for their markets. We design new products that are more durable
and aesthetic than the ones before them. We develop and use patented technology to
gain a competitive advantage.

We enclose a detailed quotation with prices, specifications and delivery terms. Our
terms of payment are by credit card or wire transfer. Our shipping conditions are F.O.B.
by Magna Ltd.
Once your company is assigned an account number, you are entitled to discount
consideration on orders, shipping fees and periodic specials throughout the year.
Discounts may not be applied to shipping fees for heavy or oversized packages, in
which you will be subject to actual freight costs.

Please fax, e-mail or mail your RFQ with proposed terms of sale to our International
Sales Department. Please, include all quantities, set numbers, sizes. Mortex in turn will
respond to you via a proforma invoice explaining the details of the international
transaction.

We look forward to processing your first order. Please, remember there is a $5,000 per
year minimum on orders and a $500 per order minimum. Initial minimum order is $
1,000.

Sincerely yours,
Ch. Chou
 Marketing Manager

Ex. 28. Task: Browse through the letter in ex.27. Paying attention to the key words summarize the basic
ideas of the letter. Translate them into Ukrainian in a written form.
Ex. 29. Task: It often happens that a translator must do his work without any dictionaries and other
sources of information. The main task is to comprehend the message of the text. If a translator
understands the meaning of lexical and grammar units but he is not sure of the adequate equivalent, it it
possible to apply descriptive method of translation by explaining the meaning, paraphrasing etc.
You work for a Ukrainian translation agency. The manager asks you to translate a commercial letter,
given by one of the clients. Unfortunately, there are no dictionaries at your disposal at the moment. Read
the letter carefully to comprehend its main idea. Check it for lexical and grammar mistakes. In case you
find the information ambiguous due to the detected mistakes, ask the manager for clarification. Do the
preliminary translation of the letter into English. In case you understand the meaning of a language unit
but do not know the exact equivalent, use descriptive translation techniques.

СП Коломійченко
Вул. Північна, 115, Київ 03210, Україна
Mortex
New Kowloon Plaza, 38 Tai Kok Tsui Rd.,
Kowloon, Hong Kong

5 липня 2007 р.

Шановні панове!

Ми хочемо встановити контакт з виробниками спортивних товарів. Ми прочитали

Вашу рекламу в Інтернеті та дізналися, що Ваша компанія є однією з провідних на
ринку виробництва спортивних товарів.
Ми маємо власну широку мережу спортивних магазинів у Києві та інших містах
України, а також співпрацюємо з рядом дилерів країн СНГ. Ми маємо усі необхідні
державні та місцеві ліцензії.
Ми звернули увагу на Ваш останній каталог, у якому описані товари, для активного
відпочинку. Ми впевнені, що ця продукція знайде у нас свого купця.
Відносно публікації Вашої реклами, ми б хотіли попросити Вас уточнити можливість
отримання знижки у разі щомісячних замовлень на суму від $ 10000.
Просимо Вас повідомити умови оплати, постачання та страхування.
Будь-ласка надішліть нам повний каталог товарів.
Будемо вдячні за швидку відповідь.

З повагою,
Головний менеджер Борис Панечук

Ex. 30. Task: The manager of the translation agency asks you to render the letter of offer (see the letter 1
in ex. 21). You have 20 minutes to do this task. There are dictionaries at your disposal. Extract the
sentences with the key ideas and translate them in a written form.