Topics to be covered in this unit: Layout of English letters Invitation letters
Envelop of English letters
I. General introduction to letter writing Types of letters style Personal letters Informal, subjective, casual, Social Informal or formal letters(invitation letters) Business Formal, objective, letters(inquiry, courteous, complaint, relatively application letters, impersonal and resume) Good letter writing skills involve appropriate use of language, good organization of content and appropriate style and tone.
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II. Layout of English letters
A formal English letter is generally composed of six parts:
信头 ( Letterhead) 收信人姓名地址 (Inside address) 称呼 (Salutation)
正文 (Body) 结束敬语 (Complimentary close) 署名 (Signature)
Task: Below is a formal invitation letter in full-blocked format. Ask the students to study it carefully, identify each part and talk about the differences between Chinese letters and English letters. Sample 1: 邀请某位教授参加计算机年会的信函
1．Dept. of Computer Science Fudan University Shanghai 200433 PR China
th
March 15, 2001
2．Prof. Woodrow Bushy
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Dept. of Computer New York University New York USA
3．Dear Prof. Bushy:
4．Re: Invitation to Annual Computer Society Conference in September 2001
5．It is with great pleasure that I invite you
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to the 11 Annual Computer Society Conference. This year's conference will be held in Beijing from September 23 through September 27.
We are offering a valuable program with industry-wide applications by speakers who are recognized experts in their fields on topics with many implications for the future. Ample time is scheduled for discussion periods. In addition, tours to two large computer companies will be arranged.
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Enclosed please find information on accommodations, transportation and registration.
If you have any questions, please call the session coordinator, Julie Han at 86-21-82316661.
6．Yours sincerely, 7．(signature)
Wang Qiang Chairman
Dept. of Computer Science
8．WN/kpl
9．Encl.：Information on accommodations, transportation and registration.
Introduce the important features and conventions of each part and ask the students to read through the handout after class. We may ask the students to practice writing at the same time. For
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example, ask them to write a letterhead after we talk about it.
1． Letterhead(信头）
This part includes the address of the writer and the date of writing. It helps the recipient identify where the letter was from and when written so as to answer with convenience. Call students’ attention to the different address and date writing between English and Chinese:
The address is arranged in English in the order of the house number and name of the street(road or avenue); the name of the city (town); and the name of the state(province or county) and may also include the post code,; and then the name of the country. (The name of the country in the address is usually omitted if the writer and the reviver of the letter are in the same country.) e.g. 100083
中国北京市海淀区学院路37号
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37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China. 地址缩写词：
AVE = Avenue E = East W = West RD = Road
BLDG = Building EXPY = Expressway DST = District FLT = Flat
HWY = Highway SQ = Square INST = Institute
In English the date is written in this way: April 30, 2001,（AE）or 30 April, 2001 （BE）
Year: be given in full in full form.
Month: be written in complete form or acceptably abbreviated forms, to avoid misunderstanding (e.g.5/12/ 2003)
January (Jan.), February (Feb.), March
(Mar.), April (Apr.), May, June, July, August (Aug.), September (Sept.),
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October (Oct.), November (Nov.), December (Dec.)
Day: both cardinal and ordinal numbers are ok
Comma may or may not be used.
Call the students’ attention to the differences in American English and British English letterhead writing:
The Americans prefer the order of month, day and year; while the British prefer the order of day, month and year.
The Americans prefer no punctuation at the end of each line; while the British prefer a comma after each line and a period after the last line.
In AE. 122 Third AVE.
New York, N.Y. 10017 U.S.A.
Jan.18,1999 In BE. 122 Third AVE.,
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A..
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18 Jan.,1999
2．Inside Address (收信人姓名地址) This part refers to the address of the recipient, which includes the recipient’s name, title and address.
The way to write the address should be exactly the same as that on the envelope. Guidelines:
Know the name of the receiver: use full name and title.
E.g. Mr., Mrs. , Miss, Ms. … ; or Dr. David Smith
David Smith, Jr. (Sr. , or Ph.D.) Don't know who will read your letter , address your letter directly to the organization concerned. E.g. Harper and Grant Ltd.
Write to a particular person in a company or organization, but don’t know his or her name.
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E.g. The Manager, The Director, The Chairman, The Sales Manager, The Secretary.
If the name and title are long, indent the second line two spaces. E.g. Executive Secretary to The Chairman
3． Salutation (称呼): a greeting to the
addressee
Usually two spaces below the inside address against the left margin.
The British tend to use a comma after the salutation and the Americans a colon (esp. In business letter).
Each word in the salutation must start with a capital letter.
How to salute depends on how you are related to the addressee.
在正式英语信件中， 则要根据收信人是谁而进行相应的变动。因为从英美人的名字可以看出对方的性别，如果知
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道收信人的名字是Michael Byram， 则称呼 Dear Mr. Byram.。
如果对方为女士， 名字叫Barbara Johns，为稳妥起见， 可以称呼对方为 Dear Ms. Johns。
如果对方是professor, doctor, dean, president等也可用Dear Professor …, Dear Dr. ..., Dear Dean …, Dear President … 如果不知道收信人的名字， 那么称呼可以是如下几种：Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs, Gentlemen, To Whom It May Concern 等等。
Sir(s)不能单独使用，必须与dear一起使用。
Dear Sirs---- 用于称呼公司。英国人比较喜欢用Dear Sirs, 而且后面用逗号。 Gentlemen---美国人用Gentlemen称呼公司。但仅限于复数，单数gentleman或者Dear Gentleman不使用。在Gentlemen后面用冒号。
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非正式英语书信中，多半是在Dear后直呼其名或在My dear后加上称呼， 如Dear John, My dear father等。
4．Subject (事由)
在正式公文中占有一行， 用SUBJECT或 Re:， 表示事由，让人一看便知该信的基本内容或目的。一般信件中可以略去。
位于称呼下面。事由下面一般划一横线。
e.g. Re: Your Application for Teaching Position
5．Body (正文)
英语书信的正文通常包括三个部分： （一）写此信的目的， （二）具体要表达的内容， （三）表示希望或祝福祝愿的话。具体详见下列给出的信件示例。
Single spaced within the paragraph and double spaced between any paragraphs.
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如果信的正文很长，需要两张或数张连页，从第二页开始，最好用不带信端的信纸，在上端注明页码，收信人名称及写信日期。例如： e.g. Page 2
The Admission Office,
August 5, 1999
e.g. Prof. J. W. Laughton
Page 2
May 6, 1999
书信正文的第一句话或第一段，通常被称为起首语(The Opening Sentence(s))。一般说来，英文书信没有固定的起首语。但人们习惯用一些客套写法来作为书信正文的起始，既先将对方来信的日期、主题加以简单描述，以便使得对方一看便知该信是回答那一封信的。如果是第一次给别人写信，也可以用开头语做必要的自
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我介绍，并表明自己写信的主要目的。
常用的起首语：
1) The purpose of this letter is to inform you that… (特 寄此函告知 ) 2) I am very much pleased to inform you that my visit to your country has been approved.
3) I am writing to ask about the conference to be held in Beijing nest year.
4) Thank you for your letter dated Oct. 23, 1999.
5) Many thanks for your letter of Sept. 4, 1999
6) Your kind letter of November 24 arrived this morning.
7) Your letter which arrived today gave me great comfort.
8) In reply to your letter dated 6 July, I want to say…
9) Thank you very much for your letter of August 1 and the gift you sent me on Christmas Eve.
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10) I was so glad to receive your letter of March 23.
11) It was nice to hear from you. 12) What a happy surprise to get a letter from you after all this time? 13) Hi, this is just to let you know that … and to say….
14) I thought I’d just drop you a line to say that I’ve got my tickets. 15) How are you? We haven’t seen each other for ages. Well, …
16) I’m sorry I haven't written for such a long time. How are you? 17) How are things recently? 18) I’m pleased to tell you that… 19) You will be very glad to…
20) I thought you would be very interested in …
21) I was very sorry to hear that… 正文结束前，通常采用结束语（the closing sentence），以告之对方信的正文部分已经完成。 常用的结束语：
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Bid farewell
1) So long love.
2) I have to sign off now. (in formal letter, don’t use offensive sentences like, I must stop now as I have something important to do.”
Indicate expectation
3) Keep in touch.
4) Don’t forget to write.
5) Remember to call me up when you are in town.
6) We are awaiting your good news.
7) We are looking forward to your early reply.
8) Hoping to hear form you soon. 9) We await your good news.
10) I hope to hear from you very soon.
11) We look forward to your reply at our earliest convenience.
12) I look forward to our next meeting in …
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13) Your early (prompt) reply will be highly(greatly) appreciated.
14) I hope everything will be well with you.
15) Hoping you’re keeping well. 16) Please let us know if you want more information.
17) I wish you every success in the coming year.
Express best regards for the receiver’s immediate family or close friend
18) Please remember me to your family.
19) With best regards to your family.
20) Please give / extend my love/ regards/ best wishes to…
21) Please say hello to… for me. Express words of advice or concern
22) Don’t work too hard and don’t drink too much. 23) Take care. 24) Be good.
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25) Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Also
26) All the best
27) With love and good wishes. 28) Best wishes and take care of yourself.
29) Lots of love.
6．Complimentary Close (结束敬语) It is a polite parting phrase used in closing a letter.
Only the first letter needs to be capitalized. There is always a comma followed the close. The ways of closing a letter should be in accordance with salutation.
在非正式信函中， 可以用Yours, Love, Sincerely , Sincerely yours, All my love, With love, Loving yours, Yours ever loving son (Cousin), Yours affectionate(or loving) father等；
在正式信函中，Yours sincerely, Yours truly, Yours faithfully.
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如果称呼为Dear Mr…. 或Dear Ms….， 结束语用Yours sincerely (AE), or Sincerely yours;
如果称呼为Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs, Gentlemen ， 则用Yours Faithfully (BE)或Yours Truly。
公函常用： Yours respectfully（英式）/Respectfully yours (美式)
7． signature (签名)
The signature is usually put one or two spaces below the complimentary close.
When you sign your Chinese names, try to use Chinese characters or pinyin.
Chinese characters: Family name, given name (so that a westerner can decide which is your family name.)/ or follow the westerners’ way of writing names.
签名的位置位于结束语的正下方。 如果是非正式信函， 只需要署上名字即可；在正式信函中，要打上姓名并在其上方签上姓名。
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签名代表笔者，意义重大。所以署名的形体和写法，必须保持固定，如果有时签Erie Castle, 有时签E Castle, 每次署名方式不同不合适。
署名必须使他人难以模仿，但却要清晰易解。
e.g. Yours faithfully, 吴洪平
Wu Hongping Managing Director
签名若是女性，必须在打字的姓名前用括号加注Miss, Mrs., 或Ms., 以便回信人使用正确的称谓。 e.g. Truly yours, Amy S. Franklin
(Miss) Amy S. Franklin
另外不要将结束语和署名部分单独另写一张纸。至少应将正文中的最后三行挪至下页。因此，写信时要考虑整篇布局。
8． 打印信件的人姓名缩写 (WN/kpl)；
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9． Encl. (附件)
如果信中已说明有附件，在经办人名字下面要注明附件若干，以方便收信人查收。
e.g. Encl. : One check
or Enc. 1. Two letters of recommendations
2. One resume.
10. Some other possible components: cc (:抄送)
Postscript (附言):一般来说，除非必要，最好不要用附言。附言通常用Postscript的缩写PS，放在信的最后一行，或在附言下。
e.g. P. S. Please send all the materials by air mail.
II. Formats : full-block format， semi-block format，modified semi-block Semi-block format
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这一形式与基本一样， 只是将信头及署名缩至中线右侧。 如下所示：
7239 East Daphne Parkway
Mobile, AL 36608-1012
January 31, 2001 Mr. Travis Boykin, Manager Scandia Gifts 703 Hardy Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39401-4633
Dear Mr. Boykin:
I would appreciate knowing if you currently stock the Crescent pattern of model 5678 and how much you charge per model number. I would also like to know if you have special prices per box order.
The name of your store is listed in the Annual Catalog as the closest distributor of Copenhagen products in my area. Would
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you please give me directions to your shop from Mobile and the hours you are open.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours
Arthur T. McCormack
modified semi-block
7239 East Daphne Parkway
Mobile, AL 36608-1012
January 31, 2001 Mr. Travis Boykin, Manager Scandia Gifts 703 Hardy Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39401-4633
Dear Mr. Boykin:
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I would appreciate knowing if you currently stock the Crescent pattern of model 5678 and how much you charge per model number. I would also like to know if you have special prices per box order.
The name of your store is listed in the Annual Catalog as the closest distributor of Copenhagen products in my area. Would you please give me directions to your shop from Mobile and the hours you are open.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours
Arthur T. McCormack
III. formal and informal letters. Task: ask the students to read the
following two letters and talk about the
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differences between formal and informal letters.
Sample 2：邀请一位教授到国外做访问学者的正式信函。
Department of Psychology The University of Reading Whiteknights
P.O.Box 217, Reading United Kingdom RG6 6AH
December 22, 2000
Prof. Li Yun
School of Humanities
Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Beijing, 100083 PR China
Dear Prof. Li,
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It is a pleasure for me to invite you on behalf of the Department of Psychology to accept an appointment as a visiting professor at the University of Reading from January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2001. The University of Reading will offer you an honorarium of €1250 per month and reimburse your travel expenses. We hope that you can accept this invitation and we ask you to contact Dr. Valerie Peterson with respect to details of your research and lecturing activities during your stay in Reading.
Yours Sincerely,
(signature) Timothy Clarks Chairman
Dept. of Psychology
Sample 3: Dear Laura:
We are going to have a tea party to celebrate
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my parents’ fiftieth anniversary of their marriage and certainly we wish you and John would come. It’s next Thursday, August 10, at six o’clock in the evening.
We do hope you can make it, as Peter and I are expecting with great pleasure to see you both.
Affectionately yours, Joan
Sample 4: th
28 April, 2001
Dear Martin,
I am sorry that I haven't written to you for such a long time. I have been so busy at the university. But now something has come up that would give us a chance to meet. Our former classmates from Wesbiton Comprehensive School are planning a reunion in honor of Mr. Winston Hills, who
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is retiring. I know that he is your favorite teacher. Would you like to join us?
We are planning to have the reunion on Saturday, May 12th at Half Moon restaurant. It would be lovely to see you then if you would come.
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Could you let me know before May 8 if you would like to come. In any case, I hope that we can meet at the day.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, David
正式信函：要求有固定的格式，而且语言比较严谨、庄重。在正式邀请信中，语言规范， 不能使用缩写方式， 如I'm, I'll 和I'd like to 等。
私人信函较为随便，口语表达法多，缩略形式多。
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IV. Invitation letters
上述四封邀请信的共同点在于都包括三部分内容： 第一段讲明写信的目的； 第二段具体的安排； 第三段重复开始的内容并表达祝福和祝愿。
邀请信的语言应该简明真诚。一般在信的开头就将邀请的理由、活动的时间和地点介绍清楚。中间部分介绍具体安排。结尾表达祝愿。
如有附件，应在信中说明。 Useful opening sentences
i. I am writing on behalf of all the members of our Literature Society to ask …
ii. We should be very grateful if
you could give a talk on … to iii. It is with great pleasure that I
invite you to …
iv. It is a pleasure for me to invite
you on behalf of / in honor of …
v. It gives me the greatest
pleasure to send you this
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formal letter of invitation to visit my company to sign trade contract between our two companies.
vi. I’m delighted to invite you to
visit…
Other useful sentences
vii. I hope you will be able to
accept this invitation, and if you would kindly indicate time of your arrival, I will arrange for you to be met.
viii. I would like to suggest such a
visit on the afternoon Tuesday, th
18 October.
ix. I suggest your delegation
arrive on…
x. Should you require any
assistance, please feel free to contact me or Mr…., secretary of the Organizing Committee.
Exercises:
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Ex.1假设你是某大学数学系主任，给美国芝加哥大学数学系主任写一封信（姓名地址可在网上查找），邀请他来你校做学术访问和学术报告。并请写好信封。
Ex.2 给一位国外的朋友写一封邀请信， 请他/她到中国来度假。
Suppose you received his letter yesterday. He told you he would come to China in summer. You invite him to stay at your home, ‘‘cause you have a spare room and you are not going anywhere this summer.
The following letter is for reference:
th
April 30, 2001
Dear Lisa,
Thanks so much for your letter, which arrived yesterday. I'm very happy to hear you are coming to China this summer. You say that your holiday will last a month, so I
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hope that you will be able to come and see us.
We have a spare room, so there is no problem about putting you up and you are welcome to stay for as long as you like. We are not going away this summer, so there is no problem about arranging dates.
Please write soon and tell me if you can come. My best wishes to you and your family.
Love, Helen
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V. Envelop
信封中包括两部分：发信人姓名地址和收信人姓名地址。注意姓名地址一定要写详细， 如果收信人是在国外， 则必须写上双方国名，以免投递有误。 Miss Xia Yu 615 Guangdong Rd. Shanghai 20001 PR China Jannette McEwan Membership Secretary IATEFL 3 Kingdom Chambers Whitstable, Kent UK, CT5 2FL 收信人姓名： 先写名，再写姓，姓名前需加以适当的称呼。
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根据婚姻状况，可加上Mr., Mrs., 或 Miss. 以及Ms.。
有职衔的人，可用其职称或官衔。如Dr., Manager, Principal, President, Secretary.。
若收信人为多位男性时，在人名前加Messieurs (先生们)的缩写Messrs.多位女性时，在人名前加Mesdames, Mmes. 或Mses. 在这种情况下，只需写出姓，不必写出全名。
寄信人姓名： 位于信封左上角。寄信人一般不对自己称Mr., 但女士可在前面加上Miss, Mrs., 或Ms.
如需特种邮路邮寄，或需说明信的类别和情况时，在信封左下角注明
Air Mail (By Air Mail, Par Avion, Via Air Mail) 航空
Parcel Post 包裹邮件 Sea Mail (海运)
Air Mail Registered 航空挂号 Printed Matter 印刷品
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Registered 挂号邮件 Urgent 急件
Express 快递邮件 With Compliments 赠阅
Manuscript 稿件 Photo Enclosed 内有照片
Ordinary Mail 平信（一般不注） Return Postage Guaranteed 保付退还邮费 Photographs: Please Not Bend 内附照片，请勿折叠
If undelivered, please return to … 如无法投递，请退。。。
If not called for in ten days, kindly return to …. 如果10后不来领取，请退回… 私人信件或密件：
Private 私人信，亲启 Personal 私函 Confidential 机密信
如果由第三者转交，在转交人姓名前加c/o即可。（c/o care of 的缩写） e.g. Mr. Tom White
C/O Mr. Thomas Green 90 North Avenue
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London, N. 6. England
（英国伦敦北6区北方大街90号托玛思 格林先生转交汤姆 怀特先生收） 窗式信件（Window Envelope）
齐头式（美国常用）和斜列式 （英国常用，传统的写法）
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