Miscellaneous Correspondence

 

This covers a wide variety of correspondence with varying levels of formality. For example travel reservations, appointments, hospitality and special occasions such as congratulations, messages of condolence or seasonal greetings. Below are some points that you should keep in mind when writing.

 

 

Points to remember

 

1. The conventions of social correspondence are much the same as those for business correspondence. You should consider the relationship between yourself and the receiver. You should choose not only the most appropriate language but also consider the most suitable medium, e.g. letter, card or e-mail.

 

2. Letters of invitations should state clearly where and when the event will take place, and give some indication of its formality so that guests can dress

appropriately.

 

3. When cancelling an appointment you should say why you are unable to keep it and offer an alternative day/time if possible.

 

4. Letters of condonlence or congratulation should never be written on someone else's behalf.

 

5. Personal correspondence on special occasions should be short, simple, and sincere.

 

 

 

Activites

You will find 3 activities below. The first activity helps you to practice presposition use. The second is designed to help you develop your formal language skills and the third looks at how to put information into a letter. Complete the activities and put the information on your wiki.

 

 

Prepositions

 Below you will find a number of sentences used in general and social correspondenc by joining phrases from column A and column B with one of the prepostions.

You will need to use some of the prepostions more than once, but each phrase should be used only once.

 

by      for     with        on

 

 

Column A	Column B
I would like to congratulate you      Please send the tickets     May I offer my best wishes     She offers her aplogies     I would like to speak     I hope to return the favour     Please confirm these reservations     We will need a room.	Eid Al- Fittr.     your promotion.      full conference facilities.   effective website design.   the inconvenience.   my attention.   some future occasion.   return

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formal and informal English

Complete the following sentences so that they have a similar meaning to the one above, but are more suitable for formal business correspondence.

 

1.   He's sorry he can't come, but hopes he can come another time.

 

He sends his _______________________________________________________________________________________.

 

2.   It's such a shame that your brother is ill. I'm really sorry.

 

I was sorry ________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

3.   So you've been elected Chairman of the company! Well done!

 

I would like ________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

4.  Mr Norman wants to drop in on you next week about the contract.

 

Mr Norman would ____________________________________________________________________________________.

 

5.  Mr Chung can't see you on Friday for your appointment after all.

 

Unfortunately, ______________________________________________________________________________________.

 

6.  Can you come to our Sales Conference on 18 March?

 

We would like ______________________________________________________________________________________.

 

7.   Thanks for helping me while I was in Hamburg last week.

 

I would ____________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

8.  It'll be good to see you on Friday.

 

I look _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

 

 

Conference facilities

 

Diane Taylor, Sales Director of Data Unlimited plc, has emailed her PA, Lynn Paul, with details of a sales conference she is planning for December.

As Lynn Paul, draft the letter she mentions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Information from - 'Correspondence Workbook.' - A. Ashley. Oxford University Press