目　录

Unit　1 BASICS OF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE　1
The　Importance of Business Correspondence Writing　2
Challenges　Faced by Business People Who Use English as a
Second　Language　2
Things　to be Noted by Business People Who Use English
as　a Second Language　2
Components　of Business Letters　8
Components　of Business Emails　9
Unit　2 ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTS　16
1.　Making an Enquiry　17
2.　Responding to Customer's Interest　17
3.　Sending a Price List　18
4.　Request for the Catalogue and Samples　18
5.　Reply to the Above Enquiry　18
6.　Asking for Quotations　19
7.　Reply to an Enquiry on a Specific Model　19
8.　Enquiry about Air-Conditioning Service　20
9.　Reply to the Enquiry on Air-Conditioning Service　20
10.　Looking for Prospective Buyers　20
Unit　3 QUOTATIONS AND OFFERS　27
1.　Giving a Quotation for Poster Paper　28
2.　Giving a Quotation for Medically Used Machines　28
3.　Asking about a Requote　29
4.　Giving a Price Cut　29
5.　Recommending the Purchase　30
6.　Offering a Discount for Regular Customers　30
7.　Declining an Offer　30
8.　Declining the Buyer's Request　31
9.　Making a Counter-Offer　31
10.　Declining a Counter-Offer　32

Unit　4 PLACING ORDERS　38
1.　A Purchase Order　39
2.　Enclosing an Order Form　39
3.　Placing an Order　40
4.　Declining an Order　40
5.　Acknowledgement of an Order　40
6.　Confirming a Repeat Order　41
7.　Confirming an Order　41
8.　Offering an Alternative Product　42
9.　Final Confirmation of an Order　42
10.　Confirming Order Details　42
Unit　5 SALES LETTERS　49
1.　Promote a New Product Range　50
2.　Sales Recommendation Letter　50
3.　After-sales Follow-up　50
4.　Sustaining a Business Relationship　51
5.　Strengthening Customer Relationships　51
6.　Contacting Customers with Inactive Accounts　52
7.　Follow-up after a Sales Demonstration　52
8.　Follow-up on a Sales Exhibition　52
9.　Letter to Win back a Lost Customer　53
10.　A Sales Letter of Hotel Service　53
Unit　6 CREDIT AND PAYMENT　60
1.　Inquiry about Credit Information　61
2.　A Favorable Reply to the Above　61
3.　An Unfavorable Reply to the Above　61
4.　Request for a Line of Commercial Credit　62
5.　Request to Open an L/C　62
6.　Request to Amend an L/C　62
7.　Request to Extend an L/C　63
8.　Reminding an Overdue Payment　63
9.　Reply to a Reminder Letter　63
10.　Request to Make an Overdue Payment　64




Unit　7 PACKING AND SHIPPING　70
1.　Stating Marking Requirements　71
2.　Modifying Marking Requirements　71
3.　Inquiry about Flower Pot Packaging　72
4.　Describing Export Carton Instructions　72
5.　Requesting Earlier Shipment　72
6.　Responding to a Shipment Request　73
7.　Requesting Shipping Documents　73
8.　Shipping Advice　74
9.　Shipper Authorization　74
10.　Describing a Container Service　75
Unit　8 COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMS　82
1.　Complaining about a Faulty Products　83
2.　Responding to the Complaint　83
3.　Declining a Claim　84
4.　Complaining about Poor Quality　84
5.　Responding to a Claim on Poor Quality　85
6.　Claim for Short Weight　85
7.　Reply to the Claim on Short Weight　85
8.　Complaining about Late Delivery　86
9.　Responding to the Complaint about Late Delivery　86
10.　Claim on Replacements for Damaged Products　86
Unit　9 CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS　93
1.　On Sales Agreement　94
2.　On Purchase Agreement　94
3.　On Sales Representative Agreement　94
4.　Amendments to the Sales Representative Agreement　95
5.　On Consortium Agreement　95
6.　On Service Agreement　96
7.　Contract Renewal　96
8.　On Terms of a Proposed Contract　97
9.　Suggesting a Change in a Contract　97
10.　Extension of a Contract　97



Unit　10 INVITATIONS AND INTRODUCTIONS　105
1.　Invitation to Attend an Exhibition　106
2.　Invitation to a Car Expo　106
3.　Accepting an Invitation to an Event　106
4.　Accepting an Invitation to a Meeting　107
5.　Postponing an Invitation to a Factory Tour　107
6.　Follow-up to an Invitation　107
7.　Self-Introduction Business Letter　108
8.　A Business Introduction Letter　108
9.　Introducing a New Catalog　109
10.　Introducing a New Product　109
Unit　11 THANK-YOU AND WELCOME　115
1.　Thanks for Arrangements　116
2.　Meeting Thank-you Note　116
3.　Thanks for Payment　116
4.　Referral Thank-you Note　117
5.　Sales Thank-you Letter　117
6.　Welcome Letter to a New Account　117
7　.Welcome Letter on the Website　118
8.　Welcome Letter to an Expo　118
9.　Welcome Letter to a Trade Show　118
10.　Welcome Letter to a New Shareholder　119
Unit　12 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NOTIFICATIONS　126
1.　Announcing a Change of Policy　127
2.　Announcing a Change of Business Address　127
3.　Announcing a Holiday Closing　127
4.　Announcing a Change of Email Address　128
5.　Announcing a New Product　128
6.　Announcing a Rate Increase　128
7.　Notifying a Shipper of an Incorrect Order　129
8.　Informing Customers of a Misprint　129
9.　Announcing a New Website　129
10.　Informing a Customer of an Incorrect Payment Amount　130
11.　Announcing a Business Takeover　130


Unit　13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND CONFIRMATIONS　136
1.　Acknowledging an Order　137
2.　Acknowledging the Return of an Item　137
3.　Acknowledging a Payment　137
4.　Acknowledging a Job Application　138
5.　Acknowledging a Compensation Request　138
6.　Confirming an Oral Agreement　138
7.　Confirming a Meeting　139
8.　Confirming a Promotion　139
9.　Confirming the Receipt of a Bid　139
10.　Confirming a Travel Arrangement　140
Unit　14 OTHER BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE　146
1.　Leasing Terms　147
2.　Rental and Cash Deposit　147
3.　Invitation to Bid　148
4.　Declining a Bid　148
5.　Producing with Supplied Drawings　149
6.　Requesting Open Cover Insurance　149
7.　Clarifying Insurance Terms　150
8.　Seeking Distributors　150
9.　Buyer's Request for Goods on Consignment　151
10.　Seller's Acceptance of the Above　151
APPENDICES　158
A.　International Trade Terms　158
B.　Plain English　162
C.　Positive Vocabulary for Business Writing　164
D.　Common Marks of Punctuation　167
E.　Abbreviations for Business Vocabulary　168
F.　Main Ports　169
G.　Currencies of the World　171
References　173