MODULE 1

PLANNING LETTERS
SUBJECT : Business English
SUBJECT/CODE : ABKK 17
SEMESTER : 3 (Three)
SKS/AND TOTAL HOURS : 3(Three), 4 hours (180 Minutes/week)
SUPPORTING SUBJECT : General English 1 and 2
LECTURERS :
WEEK : 1(2x90 Minutes)

1.COMPETENCE UNIT : Planning Letters in general

2.COMPETENCE ELEMENT : Parts of Letter
3.PERFORMANCE : The student are able to :
-Use each part of letter correctly
-Develop the outline
-Write the outline into paragraphs
-Write letter in proportional length

TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS

Introduction

Communication plays a very significant role a business net-work, especially in a nowadays

global era, where trans-world business and trades are conducted internationally, among
countries. Without communication – both orally and written-businessmen will find it hard
to develop their business network and even loss their chances for the lack of contact with
their business partners.

One of the medium used to implement the communication is correspondence or business

letter-writing. Besides, as the media of external business communication, it is also formally
used as to link business firms to keep in touch. Writing and planning letters is a matter of
art. On the other hand business letter is also called a formal
media, though there is an art of writing named “KISS” key. Kiss here means Keep it
Simple and Systematic.

There are some types of media of communication normally used; such as telephone, telex,
facsimile, email, teleconference, and so forth. Nevertheless, for overlong distance,
business letter is consistently used for its plain, familiar, and economical reason. In short,
letters serve three main purpose:

1) It conveys a message
2) It provide a permanent record
3) It provides opportunities to increase good will

However, business letter doesn’t call for the elegant language of a poet for instance, but it
does require us to express our selves accurately, in plain language that is clear,
communicative, and easily understood.

Planning business letter will discuss all over the above mentioned points and besides, also
talks about the art of writing letters in detail.

PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

1. Heading/Letter head
2. Date 8. Body of letter
3. Reference 9. Complementary close
4. Inside Address 10. Signature
5. (Attention Line) 11. Name
6. Salutation 12. Sender’s Position
7. Subject 13. Enclosure
14. Copies
1. Heading
The letter head expresses a company’s. It helps one’s impression of the writer’s
company. For this reason many companies engage experts to design attractive
note paper headings. The letter head also gives the principle information, such as:
the company’s address, telephone, telex, facsimile and post code numbers, and also
its banker that designed in such a good style and counted eye-catcher matter.

Example :

Soundsonic Ltd.
Warwick House, Warwick street, Forest Hill, London SE23 1JF
Telephone (01) 5666 1867 Cables: SONICFax: 819713
Email: Sound@Soundsonic. ac.id. www.soundsonic.ac.id

eee

2. Reference
Reference are quoted to indicate what the letter refer to (Your Ref.) and the
correspondence to refer to when replying (Our Ref.). Reference may either appear
in figures and in letter.

Example: - In figures 63 / 07
In this case 63 may refer to the chronological number of the letter and 07
to the number of the department.
- In letters DS / MR
In this example DS stand for Donald Sampson as the writer of the letter
and MR refer to his secretary, Mary Rodgers.

3. Date
Stating date in formal letter is always typed in full, in a logical order date, month,
and year.
For example: 16 March 2009
Or
March 16, 2009
 The month is date should not be written in figure as they can be confusing. For
example, 11.1.2009 means 11 January 2009 in the United Kingdom but 1 November
2009 in the United States.

You can not abbreviate the month, for example Nov. for November, as it simply
looks untidy. It takes a moment to write a date in full, but it can take a lot longer
time to find a misfield letter which was put in wrong place because the date was
confusing.

Many companies leave out the abbreviation th after the date.

For example: 24 October instead of 24th October.

Other companies transpose the date and the month.

For example: October 24 instead of 24 October.

These are matters of preference, but whichever you choose you should be
consistent throughout your correspondence.

4. Inside Address/Addressee

The address stated in this part is the address and name of receiver, that usually-in
business letter also completed by addressee official position or title.

a. Surname/Family name/Last name known

If you know surname of the person you are writing to, you write this on the first
line of the address, preceded by a courtesy title and either the person’s initial(s)
or his or her first given name.
Example :
Mr. J.F. Kennedy,
Or Mr. John F. Kennedy
Not Mr. Kennedy.
Courtesy titles used in addresses are as follow.

Mr (with or without a full stop) is usual courtesy for a man, either

married or unmarried.

Mrs (with or without a full stop) is used by a married woman using her
husband’s last name.
Example: - Mrs. Irene Salisbury (Salisbury is Irene’s husband’s last
name)

Miss is used by unmarried woman.

Example : - Miss Julia Karl

Ms (with or without a full stop) is used for both unmarried woman and
married woman using her maiden name.

Many women now prefer to be addressed by this title, since the question of whether
they are married or unmarried has nothing to do with their business activities. It is
also a useful form of address when you are not sure whether the woman you are
writing to is married or not,
Examples : - Ms. Julia Karl - Ms. Irene Stone

Messrs. (with or without a full stop ) the abbreviation for Messieurs, which is never
used or used occasionally for two or more men.
Example : - Messrs. L. Parker and H.I Stuart.

Esq. (with a without a full stop) the abbreviation of Esquire is seldom used now. If
used it can only be used instead of Mr. and is placed after the name. We can not
use Mr. and Esq. at the same time.
Example : - Bryce Lee, Esq.
Not
Mr. Bruce Lee, Esq.
 Similarly, when your correspondent hold special little, such as Doctor,
professor, Colonel, Sir, and Reverend, he is addressed by this titled. So, Mr
and Esq . must not be used here.
Example :
- Dr . David Thomas
- Prof . Ingvar Wederlin
- Col . Peter White
- Sir Andrew Bright
- Rev . Petrus Wijaya

All these courtesy titles and special titles, except Esq . are also used in salutations.

b. The Order of Inside Address

After the name of the person or the company receiving the letter, the order of
the inside address
Will be as follow:
Name of the receiver
Receiver’s position in the company
Name of house building
Number of building and name of street or road
Name of town or city and postcode
Name of country (is typed in capital)

Example : Mr Bill F . Gary

Managing Director of AIDAB
Commonwealth Building
55 Curry Street
Adelaide SA 5045
AUSTRALIA

5. Attention Line

An alternative to including the recipient’s name or position in the address is to use

an attention line.
Example :

Universal Airways Ltd.

Airline House
41 – 45 Broadway
Manchester M2 5BP
ENGLAND

Attention : Personal Manager

6. Salutation

Salutation is greeting with which every letter begins. There are several
salutations we can use
To open our letter , for examples :
- Dear Sir opens a letter written to a man whose name you do not know
- Dear Madam is used to address a woman whether single or married, whose
name you do not know
- Dear Sir or Madam is used to address a person of whom you do not know
either name or the sex
- When you do know the name of the person you are writing to, the salutation
takes the form of : Dear followed by a courtesy title and the person’s surname
or last name.

Initials or first names are not generally used in the salutations

For examples : - Dear Mr. Perez
Not
- Dear Mr. John Perez
7. Subject Title

Some companies open their letter with a subject title. This provides a further
reference by introducing the subject in first paragraph. This will immediately
draw attention to the topic of the letter, and allow the writer to refer to it
throughout the letter. The position if Subject Title is before the content of the
letter and either typed in bold or underlined.

Example :

Dear Mr . Zacheus,
Subject: Order No. 2904

We would like to thank you for your order No. 2904 which we
received this
morning .
................

8. The Body of The Letter

The body of the letter normally consist of opening, messages, and closing.
This wil be discussed further based on the kinds of letter in the rest of these
modules.

9. Complementary Close

If the letter begins with Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Dear Madam, or Dear Sir or
Madam, it will close with ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Faithfully yours’.

If the letter begins with a personal name, such as, Dear Mr . James, Dear Mrs.
Salisbury, or Dear Mrs. Jasmine, it will close with ‘Yours sincerely’ or
‘Sincerely yours’.
10. Signature
You should always type your name and your position after your handwritten
signature

Examples :
1. Yours faithfully
Roberts Morrison

Roberts Morrison
Accounting Manager

2. Yours sincerely
Peter Smith

Peter Smith
Managing Director

When a letter has to be signed on behalf of the sender, it is usual to write ‘for’
or ‘p.p’ in front of the senders printed name; is an abbreviation for ‘ Per
Procurationem’ which simply means ‘on behalf of’ .

Examples :
1. Yours sincerely 2. Yours sincerely
p.p Peter and Sons Ltd
Noel Key Rosemary Phipps

Noel Key p.p Jane Mane

Sales Manager Chief Accountant

In the examples Noel Key signed the letter on be half of the company but
Rosemary Phipps signed the letter on behalf of Jane Mane the
Chief Accountant .

11. Enclosure
Enclosure is any document attached as complement of the letter which is also
called as attachment. If there are any enclosure, like leaflet, price-list,
 brochure, and others with the letter, these may be informed in the body of the
letter.

Many companies in any case write Enc. or Encl. at the bottom of letter to tell
the recipient that there are other documents enclosed with the letter. If there
are number of documents, they are all listed.

Examples:
- Enc. – Catalogue
- Price List

12. Copies
c.c. (= carbon copies)
c.c. is written usually at the end of the letter, when copies are sent to people
other than the named recipient. The receiver knows well to whom sender
has sent the coy of the letter.
Example :
- c.c. Mr . Edward Thames
- b.c.c. (= blind carbon copies)
b.c.c. is written on the copies themselves although not on the copy. This is
used when we do not want the named recipient to know that others have
received the copies. In others words, only the sender knows well to whom
he/she has sent the copy.
Example : - b.c.c.
  Private and confidential letter
When a letter is only for the personal viewing of a particular person, the envelope should be
marked "Private or Personal'. Without this, the letter can be assumed to be a general
business letter, able to be opened (in this case, of the addressee's prolonged absence) by
anyone with appropriate authority.

If a letter is a business one, but treating a highly sensitive matter. it should be marked
"Confidential", which acts as an indication to the receiving office that while it is not a
personal letter to be held for the addressee, it is to be opened only by someone authorized
to know about maters highly confidential to the organization.

If you want the letter to be opened by one particular person and its contents to be kept
secret, write "Private and Confidential".

Look at the position of each part of letter below and pay attention to the position of Private
and Confidential in a letter:
 GRAND & CLARAKSON
148 Mortlimer Street, London WIC 37D
Heading
Telephone (01) 566 181 Telex: 81987
Fax, email, website, logo
Reference

Date Our Ref. 125/SD

Inside 30th October 1987

Address
R. Matthews & P. Wilson Co. Ltd
421 Michigan Avenue
Chicago 111 60602
USA
Attention
Attention: Mr. Pieter Wilson
Private and
Confidential Private and Confidential

Salutation Dear Mr. Wilson,

Subject title/ Non-payment of invoice 322/17

heading
I am sorry to say that despite several reminders, you have not yet paid the
above-mentioned invoice. Unless, therefore, the account is cleared within 14
Body of days from the above date, I shall have no alternative but to place the matter in
Letter the hands of our solicitors. Thank you we look forward to hearing from you
soon.

Complementary Yours sincerely,

Close

F. T. Burke
Name
Sales Manager

c. c. 1. Messrs. Koko & Son, Solicitors

copies
2. Mr. D. Sampson
3. Mrs. Mutinah Thomphell
 GRAND & CLARKSON

148 Mortimer Street

London WIC 37D, ENGLAND

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

Noko & James Co. Ltd.

814 Bredgade Drive

Copenhagen 23 9R

DENMARK
 PLANNING A LETTER
How long your letter should be? The answer is as long as necessary. To some extents, How
long your letter should be? The answer is as long as simple subject, for he length will depend
on the subject of the letter. it may be a example, thanking a customer for his payment, or a
more complicated one, for example, explaining how a group of insurance works It may be a
long letter since there is some information the must be clearly covered and detail explained
contras iris not necessary written long and flowery for a simple thing.

Another question may come into your mind is how much information you put in a letter. You
may give too little even for a brief subject, in which case the letter will be brief too short.
You may also give too much evet for a complicated subject, in which case it will be too long.
The way to get the right amount of information, and to got it in the right order, is by
planning your letter in advance. Your letter should contain the right amount of information
and should also make the necessary points in a logical sequence. Each piece of information
should be linking up with the previous one in a pattern that can true followed.

How is the style and kind of language will you use in your letter? This question is becoming
more important as the style and the kind of language you use will affect the length of your
letter. However, getting your letter the right length is generally a question of including just
the right amount of information.

The following are the steps of planning the letter:

 First. note down everything you want to include in the letter before you start writing
it
 Second, read your notes again to see that you have included all the necessary
information; and that you: haven't included any unnecessary information, and that
you have put the information in the right order.
 Third, develop the information in o sentences and paragraph.
Example
If you are replying an enquiry.

1st paragraph acknowledge enquiry

2nd paragraph enclose catalogue and price-list

3rd paragraph draw attention to products suitable for the correspondent, and the
latest design

4th paragraph explain guarantee and reputation.

5th paragraph encourage further contact

First Paragraph

The first sentence o paragraph of a letter is an important one since it sets the tone of the
letter and gives y reader the first impression on you and your company. Generally, in the
first paragraph you will thank your correspondent for his/ her letter (if replying to a letter),
introduce yourself and your company if necessary, state the subject of the letter, and state
out the purpose of the letter.

Middle Paragraph

This is the main part of your letter and will concern the points that need be made, answers
you wish to give, or questions you want to ask and therefore in needs good planning to
make sure that all your points are made clearly, fully and in a logical sequence.

Final Paragraph

When closing the letter, you should thank the person for writing if your letter is a reply, and
if you have not done so in the beginning. Encourage further enquiries or correspondence,
and mention that you look forward to hearing from your correspondent soon. You may also
wish to restate, very briefly, one or two of the most important points you have made in the
main part of your letter.
Warning

Your letter should be neither too long nor too short. It is better to icnlude too much information that
too little. Your reader can't read your mind. If you leave out vital bits of information, he won't know
what he wants to know, unless he writes back again and he may not bother to do that. If you include
extra information, at least he’ll have what he wants, even though he may be imitated by having to
read the unnecessary parts.

Length of Letter
The following letters are written by different persons

1. Too long body offertory

Dear Mr. Arrand.

Thank you very much for your enquiry of 5 November which we received today. We
often receive enquires from large store and always welcome them particulary at this time of the year
when we know that you will be stocking for Christmas.

We have enclosed our winter catalogue and are sure you will be impressed by the
wide range of watches that we stock You will see that they range from the traditional
movements to the latest digital time pieces and include ranges for men, women, and
children with prices that should ssuit all your customers from models costing only a few
pounds those in the upper-market bracket priced at several hundred pounds. But
whether you buy a cheaper or more expensive model we guarantee all merchandise
for two years with a full service.

Enclosed you will find our price-list giving full details on c.i.f prices to London and
explaining our discounts which we think you will find very generous and which we
hope you will take full advantage of.

We are always available to offer you further information about our products and can
promise you personal attention whenever you require it. This service is given to all
our customers throughtout the world and as you probably know. we deal with
countries from the Far East to Europe and Latin America, and this fact alone bears
out our reputation which has been established for more than a hundred years and has
made our motto a household world-Time for Everyone.

Once again we thank you for your enquiry and say that we look forward to hearing
from you the near future

Yours sincerely,
Task
Identify the unnecessary information in the above letter

2. Too short body of letter

Dear sir,

Thank you for your enquiry We have a wide selection of watches

which are sure you will like. We will be sending a catalogue
soon

Yours faithfully.

Task:

Identify the mistakes in the above letter!

3. The right length of letter

Dear Mr. Salisbury.

Thank you for your enquiry of 25 August 2008 We have enclosed our Winter
catalogue and price list.

Through you will see we ofer a wide selection of watches may we draw your
attention to pp, 23, and pp. 3l-36 in our catalogue which we think might suit
the market you are dealing with And on page 24 you will notice our latest
designs in pendant watches which are became fashionable for both men and
women

As you are probably aware, all our producus are fully guaranteed and backed
by our world-wide reputation.

If there is any other information you require, please contact us. Meanwhile ,
we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Mr. Charles Phillips

Order and Sequence

As a link of communication which contains information, your letter should also

covers overall necessary points in a logical sequence, where the readers will get each

idea or piece of information linking up with the previous ones in a good partum and

can easily be understood.

Here are two letters for you to identifyy. The first one is a letter with unclear

sequence and the readers find it hard to understand, while the second one is a letter

with clear sequence, in which the ideas and information are organized in conherence order

1. Unclear Sequence

Dear Mr. Arrant

We are interested in your security system We would like to know more about
the prices and discount your offer.

A business associate of ours, DAS (rholesaler) Lud mentioned your name to

and shows a catalogue. They were impreused with the security system
you installed for them, so we are writing lo you about Do you give
guarantee with the installations?

In your catalogue we saw the secure 15 which looks as thought ir might nuit
our purposes. DMS had the secure 18 invalid We would like something that
can prevent robbery and shoplifting, so the secure 15 might suit us.

Could you send an inspaktor or adviser to see us at some time?

We would putt your system in all our owlets out we would only install
the system in our main branches.

We would like to make a decision on this soon, so we would appreciate an

early reply.

Yours sincerely
2. Clear Sequence

Dear Mr. Arrant

We are chain of retail stores and are looking for an efficient security
system You were recommended to us by our associates DMA (wholesalers)
Ltd for whom you recently installed an alarm system the secure 18.

We need an Installation which would give us comprehensive protection

against robbery and shop-lyring in all departments and the secure 15 futures
In your catalogue appear to suit us. However if one of your representative
could come and see us for more advise and details of the available systems.

Initially we will rest your system in our main branch, and if successful, then
extend throughout our other branches.

Please reply as soon as possible as we would like ao make a decision within

the next few months. Thank you

Yours sincerely
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS

1. Mr. = Mister

2. Mrs. = Missis

3. Messr = Messieurs

4. Esq = Esquire

5 C/0 and Ltd = Company Limited

6. Ref = Reference

7. C/O = Care of

8. Enc = Enclosure

9. P.P = Per Pro. Which means on behalf of

10. PS = Post Scription

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1. Include the right amount of information in your letter. In other words, it is

better to include too much than too little

2. Plan your letter before you start writing to make sure it says everything you
vant to say and put them inalogical ordcr.

3. Use a simple but polite style of language. Beware of idioms

4. Your letter should be clear and unambiguous,Take care with the abbreviations and figures

5. Accuracy is important. Pay special attention to titles, names and addresses,

references, prices and specifications, enclosures
EXERCISES:
1. Lay out and rewrite this letter!

Henry Schmidt living at 977 Bedford Park Road, St. Marys, SA 5042,
Australia sends a letter to the Editor “The Advertisers”, Universal House, 29
Palace St, London SW1, England on 29 March 2009.

Content of the letter:

I submit for publication a science-fiction short of 5,500 words. The plot
consisting of a billiards game played between Martians and
Earthmen for possession of Venus, using interplanetary missiles as billiards
balls, is, I claim, original; and the love angle present a completely new
conceptions

2. Arrange the items below orderly and rewrite them in the form of a letter.
1) Upper Bridge
2) A. L. Harrison Esq.,
3) 27 New Combe Road
4) London, N4.,
5) England
6) Dear Mr. Harrison,
7) Yours Sincerely
8) D. Lambors (sender’s name)
9) By mid-December I shall have opened a book-shop of my own in which I
hope to sell rare books. Would you please let me whether you would be
prepared to keep me supplied with books published in the early
seventeenth century. My kindest regards to your wife.
10) Sender’s address:
227 Solonas St.,
Kolonaki,
Athens,
Greece.
11) 24th Nov. 1987
TEST:

1. Layout and write two letters from the following paragraph!

a. A letter complaining about a tape recorder which arrived badly
damaged.
b. A letter applying for the post of air-hostess.

596 Friedrick St., Hanover. 14th April 2009 Jl. Sukajadi 173,
Bandung, 17 March 1987. Makmur and Co, Ltd., Electrical
supplies, Jl. Asia Afrika 75 Bandung. The Employment Officer,
Home and Overseas Airways Ltd., Sigmund House, 79, Bremen St.,
Hanover. For the attention of Sales Manager. Dear Sir, I was
interested to read in your magazine, ‘Go by Air’, that you require
air-hostess. I am nineteen years old and am at present attending the
Modern Language School at 24 Lowen St. Where I am studying
French and German languages. I very much regret to have to
inform you that the machine has been badly damaged. When I
opened the packing-case I found that the lid of the recorder had
been cracked and the surface of the machine had been scratched.
Would you please let me know whether you would be willing to
send me a new recorder and if I should arrange to return the
damaged one to you? The principal of my present school Mr. T.
Jones and my old headmaster, Herr G. Schultz, have kindly agreed
to send more information about me if you require it. In the
meantime, I shall hold on to the machine you sent until I hear from
you. Yours faithfully, Else Klein. The tape recorder No.
JB/4703/08 which I ordered from you on March 1987 arrived last
night. I wish to apply for a post as air-hostess and am free to attend
for interview on any day except Mondays and Fridays. Yours
faithfully, Nazmuddin, S.H.
 2. Read the following letter and name each part of letter which is
shown by the numbers!
1 104 Avenue des Alpes,
Zurich,

SWITZERLAND,

2 18th
May 1987

The Manager,
Park Hotel, 3
Brighton,
ENGLAND

Dear Sir, 4

I am writing at the suggestion of a friend who stayed at your hotel

last year and has warmly recommended is to me.

I expect to arrive in Brighton on June 23rd and would like a single

room with a private bath. I shall be staying for five days and would like to
have all my meals at your hotel.

Would you please let me know whether you have a room available
and how much my stay is lively to cost?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

6 Yours faithfully,

7 Edward Collins

Write down the answer about parts of letters.

1. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
2. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
3. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
4. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
5. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
6. …………………………………………………………………………
………..
7. …………………………………………………………………………
………..

3. Explain how will you use ‘Yours faithfully’ and ‘Yours sincerely’
to close your letter by giving examples!
4. Pretend that you are going to establish a new business and you are
now designing the letter head (heading) for your company, Create
your company’s name, address, the business your company deals
with, etc. Then create the letter head! Put the design of your letter
head in the box below.

Letter head/Heading

5. Letter Writing Test

Pretend that you are Mr. Martha Antoniette, a chief buyer of
Chantiqa Boutique based in Jakarta. Write a letter to a supplier of
Cartier Co. Ltd in Singapore. The points that you should cover in
your letter are:
- Introduce your company and tell them how you knew about
their company
- Ask them to send you their latest catalogue and price list of
the newest products.
- Expect their early reply.
Instruction: Please write letter you are free to state the date, address,
etc.
EVIDENCE: The student’s answer sheets

KEY ANSWER: -