Unit Three

Faxes and E-mails

 Part One: Aims and Requirements:

 To learn about the advantages of the

fax and e-mail;
 To learn about the formats of fax and
e-mail;
 To note the questions when using the
fax and e-mail.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
I. What is the fax?
II. The advantages of the fax
III. The format of the fax
IV. What are to be noted when
using the fax?
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 I. What is the fax (telefax)?
 Fax is derived from the Latin word  “fac simile”, meaning “make 
similar” or “make a copy”.
 It is a mode of international telecommunications, which has be
en increasingly in use over the world. It is characterized by usin
g the advanced electronic data interchange (EDI) procedures to
make true-track duplicates of original writings and send to the d
esired destinations.
 As this is true-track transmitting, any letters, documents, diagra
ms, patterns or pictures can be used for dispatch.
 (For the history of the fax, please refer to http://cathaysandt.blog.163.com/bl
og/static/130694353201046114514142/)
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 A fax message is sent by use of a facsimile
transceiver. Any business firm who wants to install
this machine at its unit, may send an application to
the local responsible post and telecommunication
department.
 Fax is usually transmitted through the international
or domestic direct telephone. It is charged
according to the number of minutes the call
actually lasts and the number of pages
transmitted.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 II. The advantages of the fax
 Fax is a modernized communication means superior
to the telegram, telex, and telephone, and is the
summary of the advantages of all other
communication methods except e-mail.
 It has the following superiorities over letter, telegram,
telex and telephone:
 1. The content that can be used for transmission
ranges over a wide field. In cables and telexes,
generally speaking, only English and a few characters
can be transmitted; while in facsimiles, all languages
(including Chinese), characters, diagrams, patterns,
pictures, etc., can be sent.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 2. It is fast in transmitting, even faster than the telex. In sending
out a telex, we have to, first of all, make an English draft of the
message. Then, type it on a paper tape. And finally, check the d
raft to see if there are errors or mistakes in it before we actually
start transmitting. Nevertheless, fax transmitting does not requir
e these steps. When the line is connected, what you desire to s
end away will be immediately transmitted if it is fed into the fax t
ransceiver. Thus, it saves time as well as labour.
 3. It is cheap in cost. As the fax is dispatched through the telep
hone and charged according to the number of minutes the call
actually lasts, what it can transmit in one minute is much more t
han that a cable or a telex does during the same time. Thus, it s
aves more expenses.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 4. It is simple as well as convenient to use.
 There is no need to use abbreviations. The English
language you use for your message is just the same
as what you use for your letter sent by post. They are
more convenient than emails because any sheet of A4
paper can be put through a fax machine, and because
they can also be used by companies without
computers or internet access.
 5. It is a 24-hour service and the message can be
received unattended.
 6. It can provide a written record of what you have
transmitted, not like e-mail which can only leave an
electronic record.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 III. The format of the fax

 The format used for faxes varies greatly. Different com

panies have different styles of formats for their busine
ss persons to use. However, the official fax forms of a
great number of firms include the company logo( 语标，
标识 ), or at least the firm’s name, which is in large prin
t. The conspicuous“Facsimile”,“TELEFAX” , “Telefax
Message” or “Fax Message” takes an attention-grasp l
ine. Besides the company logo/ name and one of the
TELEFAX titles, all fax forms contain lines or boxes for
the addressee, the writer and the date, as in the follow
ing example:
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 III. The format of the fax
 Letterhead
 Date:
 Facsimile
 To: X X X
 Company: X X X Corp.
 Fax No: X X No. of pages:_____
 From: X X Page 1 of 2
 Message:
 Dear Mr. X X X,
 Body/Message

 Yours sincerely,
 (Signed)
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 IV. What are to be noted when using the fax?
 With the rapid development of international trade, it is expected
that the documents sent by EDI will be used as negotiable
documents and accepted by the international business circle.
Therefore, they will be more and more used in the days to
come. However, at present, we should pay special attention to
the following points while adopting this communicating device:
 1. Since the fax transmitting is similar to the duplicating by a
copying machine, it is easy to make imitations of true
documents. So, care must be taken when we use this method.
As for routine business letters, notes or advice that may not
bring about legal obligations, we may send by fax. Otherwise,
we should by all means avoid using this.
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 2. In international business circle, different country holds differe
nt view about the legal force of a fax message. Certain states or
districts (e.g. Hongkong) deem it of no legal force (in internation
al trade). Usually, the fax is used at the negotiating stage prior t
o a transaction and on problems about after-service under a tec
hnology trade contract. Of course, the fax can also be used in o
ther business situations. Yet, one thing to be remembered is th
at, for an urgent message that concerns legal obligations, it is a
dvisable to confirm it by e-mail; and for a message of no urgenc
y, confirm it by letter.
 3. If you are sending a fax message to an organization about th
e production information, orders or other types of written inform
ation, then a cover letter( 附信 ) or fax cover sheet ( 封面页 ) is
needed in order to let the operator know from whom the messa
ge originates, to whom the fax is directed, as well as the total p
ages of the fax message.
e.g. Figure 1: Fax Cover Sheet

 Fax Cover Sheet

Date:______ Time:______ Number of Pages:______

 (Including Cover Sheet)

To: Name:____________________________________________
_Organization:_______________________________________
_Fax Number:________________Office Phone:____________
_
From: Name:__________________________________________
___Organization:_____________________________________
___Fax Number:________________Office Phone:__________
___
**If any part of this transmission is missing or not clearly received,
please contact the sender as soon as possible.**
Subject:______________________________________________
Comments:___________________________________________
____________________________________________________
 Part Two: Study of Fax
 4. If you are sending a one-page fax message, you may
omit the fax cover sheet. However, do include your
organization’s name, address, fax/telephone number in the
message.
 5. Sometimes an attention line is used when the message
is addressed to a company.
 E.g. To: ABC Company
 From: John Smith
 Attn: Ms. Mary Owen, Manager
 Date: October 28, 2009
 Fax No.: 0086-10-123456 Page: 1
 6. Make your message as clear and concise as possible in
order to save your expense, for the fax is charged mainly
by the number of pages you send.
 Exercises about the Fax:
 I. The following is the cover of a fax. Make up a fax cover yourself according
to the form:
 FAX Transmission
 Date:________________ Time:_________________
 To:________________________________________
 From:______________________________________
 Phone:_____________________________________
 Fax:_______________________________________
 Subject:____________________________________
 II. Match the abbreviations of Part A to Part B:
 Part A Part B
 TIA In other words
 BTW As a matter of fact
 AAMOF On the other hand
 OTOH Thanks in advance
 IOW By the way
 Exercises about the Fax:
 III. Give expressions for the following fax abbreviations ：
 N:__________________ DOC:__________________
 FLWS:______________ FM:____________________
 FR:_________________ PLS:___________________
 QUTN:______________ REVD:__________________
 RPL:________________ TKS:____________________
 PMT:________________ HTL:____________________
 INFO:________________ OFR:____________________
 Exercises about the Fax:
 IV. Translate the following into fax messages in Englis
h:
 1. 你方“飞鸽”牌自行车价过高，必须减 5% ，否则成交无望，
请电复。
 2. 你方花生仁报价单第 123 号，价高难以接受，行市趋跌，建
议减价 5% ， 25 日复到有效。
 3. 信用证第 105 号的缝纫机，已于 21 日装“维多利亚”号轮，
请投保。
 4. 信用证第 334 号的书写纸因无直达轮，必须在香港转船，请
电改信用证，准许转船。
 5. 你方第 103 号订单所订 AY 型一万码棉布已接受。请按合同
开立以我方为受益人的信用证。
 6. 订单第 5781 号的有关信用证早已收到。但由于“维多利亚”
号轮的舱位已满，无法装运。拟改装 5 月初驶往你港的“东风”
号轮。一俟装妥，即电告开航日期。
 Exercises about the Fax:
 V. Make an English fax by using the following information:
 1. 电文发出日期和时间： 24-10-09 1406
 2. 发电人传真机号码： 0086 （ 21 ） -32153544
 3. 发电人名称： SMIEC CN
 4. 收电人名称： Smith Co. U.S.A.
 5. 页数： #1
 6. 电文：
 执事先生：
 手工工具属于我公司的经营范围，你方的询价已由我国驻贵国商务参赞处
转交给我们。随函附上我公司最新产品的目录和报价单各一份，供你方参考。由于
我们正收到客户的大量订单，产品库存有限，因此我们建议你方早日向我们订购。
 盼早复。
 此致
 敬礼！

上海机械设备进出口公司

经理
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
I. What is the e-mail?
II. The advantages of the e-mail
III. The format of the e-mail
IV. What are to be noted when
using the e-mail?
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
 I. What is the e-mail?
 E-mail (also called mail, net-mail), the short form for electronic
mail, is one of the popularly-used functions in Internet. It is sent
by use of the computer and the Internet. Being the modernest c
ommunication service, it can send a message to any person in t
he world who has an e-mail address within a very short time. N
owadays, it is sometimes sent and received by mobile phone.
 E-mail message can be the same as a letter or can include sou
nd and pictures as well. It has more contents and carries more
information than a letter does, which can be prepared by compu
ter or word processor.
 Generally, the primary use of e-mail is to exchange information,
deliver documents for information and/or for comments; and inf
orm employees about corporate issues.
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
 II. The advantages of the e-mail
 1. It can be communicated as fast as international phone call
and fax.
 2. It is cheaper than an international phone call and fax.
 3. The message can be sent easily.
 4. It is a 24-hour service and the message can be received
unattended.
 5. The contents for transmission covers a large field.
 It can send not only written materials, but also sound, pictures, especially
moving pictures (video clips) and software programs.
 6. E-mail creates flexibility in the workplace.
 Since messages are prepared on a computer, they can be edited, printed
out and kept for reference or filing. Moreover, E-mail produces documents to
be filed, forwarded or retrieved.
 7. It reduces telephone interruptions.
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
 III. The format of the e-mail
 1. The Header (Heading)
 2. The Salutation
 3. The Body
 4. The Complimentary Close
 5. The Signature
 Header
The heading of a business email consists of six distinct
information fields. They are located at the corner of the
email template, just below the tool bar.
1. TO: The recipient's email address is typed here.

 2. FROM: Your email address is here.

(automatically generated)

 3. CC: carbon copy

 (BCC): blind carbon copy

 4. DATE: (automatically generated)

 5. SUBJECT: (It is optional, but an efficient practice to use it.)

Capitalize all the key words. Make it as clear and concise as possible.

 6. ATTACHMENT: The attachment option is a handy tool for indicating

that computer files too large to be downloaded in the email itself are
included in the transmission.
 Salutation
 The majority of business emails have an informal tone.
 “Dear Sirs” or “Gentlemen” are often used to salute a company.
 “Dear Sir” is used to salute a head of an organization.
 “Dear Mr. X X” is used to address a man in semi-formal letters.
 “Dear Madam” or “Madam” is used to address a woman in
semi-formal letters.
 If you are writing to a person whom you are not familiar with,
use his or her full name. e.g. “Dianna, ” “Ellen Wang,”
 When the message is addressed to several people, “Hello
all/folks” or “Greetings” or “Hi” or “Hello” is common.
 Greetings in Japan or China tend to be more formal and
traditional.
 “Hi/Hello/ (+)first name” is a typical way of email greeting used
in America.
 Body
 The language used for e-mail is less formal, more
to the point and more speech-like.
 The writing principles for the body are
conciseness, clearness and keeping to the point.
 The things to be noted are just the same as those
talked about in business letter-writing.
 Most email messages are less than three
paragraphs in length and fit into the first screen. If
the message is too large, it would be better to
write a short covering letter and have the details in
an attachment.
 Complimentary Close
 The majority of business emails have an
informal tone. The expressions below are often
used:

 Best regards.
 All the best.
 Thank you for your help.
 Thank you, BBFN. (Bye bye for now.)
 Signature
A signature block should contain all the information a recipie
nt might require in order for him to respond to an email.
It should begin with the Senders’ Name, Title, and Business
Organization. A Physical Location, Phone Numbers, Email
Address, and Web-site should follow.
As the handwritten signature is illegible and hard to recogniz
e, a printed signature is always followed after it.
e.g. Elena Zhang (Initials should not be used)
Elena Zhang (Initials should not be used)
Services Department
The National Bank
Tel: (8610) 6666-7777
 E-mail: elena.zhang@abc.com
 Example for signature
 You may also use Signature Files, which can be attached to
every letter you send, usually including details of contact and
other relevant information. If you are in business, you should
almost certainly use an email signature in your communicatio
ns.

 Peter Connor
Owner/Managing Editor
The White Company
Bellvue, CO 80512
Voice: 970.493.84XX
Fax: 970.493.84XX
Email: peter@write-company.com
Web site: http://write-company.com
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
 IV. What are to be noted when using the e-mail?
 Effective use of e-mail requires a clear sense of the purpose for
writing, as well as a clear statement of the message.
 1. The level of formality of email messages depends on the
purpose and audience. Therefore, you need to distinguish
between formal and informal situations. If you write an email
message to your customers, suppliers or other business
partners, you need to use the formal business letter format and
adopt the appropriate writing tone.
 2. Email is meant for quick, simple communication .
 As a general guide, that means roughly 4 or 5 paragraphs at
most. Do not send dense and lengthy messages. Due to the
limitations of formatting and layout, anything much longer than
that is probably best sent as a separate attachment.
 Answer emails promptly, i.e. observe the “48 hour” principle.
 Part Three: Study of E-mail
 IV. What are to be noted when using the e-mail?
 3. Do not use email if the message needs to be private or secur
e. Email is not secure. Don’t send anything over email that you
wouldn’t want anyone else to read. It’s too easy to forward. Besi
des, in some firms, the email administrator has the ability to rea
d any and all email messages.
 4. Do not use all capital letters. In email messages, capitals are
the equivalent of shouting and always make your reader difficult
to read.
 5. Do not email back the entire message you’re responding to, r
ather, you should abbreviate a reference point.
 6. Cultural awareness and netiquette ( 网络礼节 ) in email commu
nication deserves special attention.
 7. Abbreviations and signs expressing feelings ( 代表情绪的符号 )
are used in emails written to familiar persons or friends.
Part Four: Some Abbreviations used
in Faxes and Emails
 一、 主题栏常用缩略词：
 RE: 表示回复
 FRI: 表示仅提供信息，无需回复（ For your information ）
 URGENT: 表示紧急
 REQ: 表示命令（ Request ）
 例如： Subject: Order for 10 facsimile transceivers
 Subject: Re: Order of 10 facsimile transceivers
 Subject: URGENT: Shipment for Order No. 123
 Subject: REQ: Payment under Contract No. 321
 Subject: FYI: Shipping Advice
 二、传真中常用的缩写：
 ANS: Answer ARVD: Arrived
 ASAP: As soon as possible ATTN: Attention
 BK: Bank, Book BKD: Booked
 CFM: Confirm CFMD: Confirmed
 DLVR: Deliver DOC: Document
 FLT: Flight FLWS: Follows
 FM: From FR: For
 HR: Hour HTL: Hotel
 IMM: Immediately INFO: Information
 N: And OFR, OFA: Offer
 OTHWS: Otherwise PLS: Please
 PMT: Payment QTN, QUTN: Quotation
 RCVD: Received RPY: Reply
 SHIPT, SHPMT: Shipment TKS: Thanks
 三、 电子邮件常用缩略语 :
 AAMOF As a matter of fact
 BBFN Bye bye for now
 BTW By the way
 EOM End of message
 FWIW For what it’s worth
 IMHO In my humble opinion
 IOW In other words
 LOL Laughing out loud
 NRR No reply required
 OTOH On the other hand
 ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
 TIA Thanks in advance
 TTYL Talk to you later
 Exercises about the E-mail:
 I. Translate the following into E-mail messages in English:
 1. 你方 11 月 6 日电悉。如能给与 5% 的折扣，我方将订购印花细布
（ Printed Shirting ） 150 码。我们渴望建立业务关系并希望得到贵
公司的协助。
 2. 你方销售合同第 1102 号项下缝纫机 300 台，交货期过期已久，务
请在 10 月底前装出，否则取消合同。
 3. 试订 100 只玩具熊（ Toy Bear ）。如产品销路好，我们将会向你
方大量订购。如你方无玩具熊存货，玩具熊猫也接受。
 4. 你公司第 023 号传真悉。抱歉 08 号台布无货。请电告是否可接受
05 和 06 号台布，请告知所需数量并出价。
 5. 我们从你们使馆得悉你们是中国纺织品有潜力的买主。我方欲与
你们建立外贸关系。今特邮去商品目录和样品，请你方收到后即来询
盘。
 6. 我贸易代表团将于 6 月 18 日抵达科威特（ Kuwait, Kuweit ）并逗
留 10--12 天。作为老客户，欢迎你方前来洽谈家具业务。
 Exercises about the E-mail:
 II. E-mail writing:
 You are working for a company, and currently
you receive an email from a customer. In the
email, the customer complained that he had
received 200 blue shirts instead of 150 blue
and 50 black shirts (Contract No. 12345). In
order to find out the facts, you have to write an
email to Mr. Stanley Fan, who is in charge of
delivering goods.