Commercial Correspondence

LETTER LAYOUT & CONTENT

NOTE: For your reference, you should read the course book page No. 7-15
(Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence) in advance to complete the
tasks well.

I. Read the following statements and decide which are true and which are
false. Mark the true ones 'T' and the false ones 'F'.

1. If a letter begins with the recipient's name, e.g. Dear Mr Ross, it will close with
Yours faithfully.

Your answer:

2. The abbreviation c.c. stands for correct carbons.

Your answer:

3. If you were writing a letter to Mr Peter Smith, the salutation would be Dear
Mr Peter Smith.

Your answer:

4.The head of a company in the UK is known as the president.

Your answer: T

5. In the USA, it is correct to open a letter with the salutation Gentlemen:

Your answer:

6. In the UK, a date written 2.6.05 means 6 February 2005.

Your answer:

7. If a secretary signs a letter and the signature is followed by p.p. Daniel

Harris, it means that the secretary is signing on behalf of Daniel Harris.

Your answer:

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8. The term plc after a UK company's name, e.g. Hathaway plc, stands for
Public Limited Corporation.

Your answer:

9. The term Ltd after a UK company's name means limited liability.

Your answer:

10. If you do not know whether a female correspondent is married or not, it is

correct to use the courtesy title Ms instead of Miss or Mrs, e.g. Ms Tessa
Groves.

Your answer:

11. This address is an example of blocked style.

Peter Voss

Oberlweinfeldweg 33

5207 Therwil

Switzerland

Your answer:

12. It is always impolite to close a letter Best wishes.

Your answer:
II. Write out the following names and addresses in the correct order. Use
the blocked style.

EXAMPLE: Search Studios Ltd / Leeds /154 SOM / Mr L Scott /150 Royal
Avenue

Mr L. Scott
Search Studios Ltd
150 Royal Avenue
Leeds

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LS4 8QM
1. Warwick House / Soundsonic Ltd / London / 57- 59 Warwick Street / SE23
UF

Your answer:

Warwick House

2. Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 254 / Managing Director /1-20133 / Milano / Sig.

D. Fregoni / Fregoni S.p.A. /

Your answer:

3. Bente Spedition GmbH / Herr Heinz Bente / D-6ooo Frankfurt i / Feldbergstr.

30 / Chairman

Your answer:

4. Sportique et Cie / 201 rue Sambin / The Sales Manager / F-2iooo Dijon

Your answer:

5. Intercom / 41006 Sevilla / 351 Avda Luis de Morales / Chief Accountant /

Mrs S. Moreno

Your answer:

6. Ms Maria Nikolakaki / 85100 Rhodes / Greece / Nikitara 541

Your answer:

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Ms Maria Nikolakaki

7. Excel Heights 501 / Edogawaku 139 / 7-3-8 Nakakasai / Japan / Tokyo / Mrs
Junko Shiratori

Your answer:

8. 301 Leighton Road / VHP Vehicles Ltd / London NWS 2QE / The Transport
Director / Kentish Town

Your answer:

III. Matching

Match words from box A with phrases from box B with the same meaning.
Then use the words in box A to complete the sentences below.

1. Prospectus a. a complete list of items, for example of things

that people can look at or buy

2. Brochure b. a statement of how much money a particular

piece of work will cost  

3. Booklet c. a copy of sth, usually smaller than the original

object, something such as a system that can be
copied by other people
4. Catalogue d. a small magazine or book containing pictures
and information about sth or advertising sth
5. Quotation e. a formal offer to supply goods or do work at a

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stated price
6. Tender f. a public event at which things are sold to the
person who offers the most money for them
7. Model g. a small thin book with a paper cover that
contains information about a particular subject
8. Auction h. single example of sth, especially an animal or a
plant/
9. Specimen l. a class or group of people or things that share
particular qualities or features and are part of a
larger group/
10. Type m. a book or printed document that gives
information about a school, college, etc. in order to
advertise it

Your answer:

1.

2. d

3.

4.

5. b

6.

7.

8.

9. h

10. l

11. We are inviting …………………. for the provision of training courses for
staff.

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Your answer:

12. The stores will be put up for ………………… by the parent company.

Your answer:

13. The latest ………………… will be on display at the motor show.

Your answer:

14. The first ………………… you get is rarely the most competitive.

Your answer:

15. The company sells home furnishings through/via an online

………………….

Your answer:

16. The company has outlined its plans for expansion in its ………………….

Your answer:

17. It is the first car of its ………………… to have this design feature.

Your answer:
18. The aquarium has some interesting ………………… of unusual tropical
fish.
Your answer:

IV. Sort out the jumbled words below to make six sentences typical of
business correspondence. Add capital letters and punctuation as necessary.
1. grateful / soon / a / as / we / for / would / possible / reply / as / be
Your answer: We would be grateful for a reply as soon as possible.
2. for / find / please / cheque / £49.50 / a / enclosed
Your answer:
3. further / please / if / us / information / you / any / contact / need
Your answer: Please contact us if you need further information.
4. April / your / you / letter / thank / 5 / of / for

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Your answer: Thank you for your letter of 5 April.

5. you / we / forward / to / from / look / hearing
Your answer: We looking forward to hearing from you.
6. pleasure / price list / enclosing / have / a / catalogue / our / I / spring / and /
in
Your answer:

THE END