INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL CORRESPONDENCE EXERCISES

UNIT1: LETTER LAYOUTS

Ex1: The letter below shows places where the writer made errors. Write the correct word
or punctuation above the errors.

Bài làm:

March 26, 2018

Mr. Sandy Hill

999 Pine Avenue

New Haven

CT 06540

Dear Mr. Sandy Hill

We have received your resume and application to the position of executive asistant. We
are collecting resumes and will notify those candidates we wish to interview.

Thank you for your interest in Bel Globalcom.

Sincerely

Maki Ishii

Human Resource Director

Ex2: Fill in the gap

May 2, 1996
Dr. Welcome Bender
Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA 02115

Dear Dr. Bender,

I am currently a graduate student in Greg Mendel's lab at the U. of Brünn and I am writing to
inquire about the possibility of a postdoctoral position in your laboratory. I plan on graduating in
June, 2004 and I would be interested in beginning between June-September, 2004.
My graduate work has focused on the inheritance patterns of certain traits in the pea Pisumsativum.
Since peas have many traits that differ between different true-breeding plants, and since peas can
both cross-fertilize and self-fertilize, this has been a good system for studying inheritance. My work
has suggested that the inheritance of genetic traits follows two general rules. First, two members of a
gene pair segregate from each other into the gametes. Second, during gamete formation, the
segregation of alleles of one gene is independent of the segregation of alleles of another gene. This
work will soon be published by the Natural History Society of Brünn.
During the course of my graduate work, I have become very interested in Drosophila
developmental biology. I have been especially intrigued by studies of the Polycomb complex and
how it represses gene expression during development. Thus, I am quite interested in the work
going on in your laboratory.
I am planning a visit to the United States sometime early this summer. If possible, I would like to
visit your lab at that time. I would be happy to present a seminar on my work.
Enclosed is a copy of my CV. I have asked my three references to send your letter on my behalf.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours,
Hugo de Vries
Ex3: Choose the sentence that is clearer and more exact.

1. a. We will need a microphone and speakers.

b. We need sound equipment.

2. a. Can you get back to me sometimes?

b. Could you fax or e-mail me your response tomorrow?

3. a. Eighty people will attend the meeting.

b. Fewer than one hundred people will attend the meeting.

4. a. We are going to have a two-day meeting, March 15th and 16th.

b. We are going to have a meeting.

5. a. The training seminar will take place on March 15 and 16.

b. The training seminar will take place in March.

6. a. Would it be possible to have audiovisual equipment in the break-out rooms?

b. Would it be possible to have a monitor and VCR in each of the three smaller
break-out
rooms?

7. a. We'll need a few rooms.

b. We will need a total of four rooms.

8. a. Could you e-mail or fax me your cost projections by tomorrow?

b. Could you e-mail me your cost projections ASAP?

Ex4: Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

i. Business letters serve as an Evidence in case of dispute in business

 transactions.
ii. It is impossible for the businessmen to remember all facts without
correspondence.
iii. Business letters build good-will for a businessman.
iv. Business letters are written to Seek or give information.
v. Business letter is the most convenient mode of communication.

Ex5: Given below are certain statements. Write ‘T’ against true statements and ‘F’ against
false statements.

i. Letter is a form of written communication. T

ii. Through business letter personal contact can be maintained between buyer and
seller. F
iii. Business letters lead to decline the goodwill of the firm. F
iv. Letter is a convenient and economic mode of communication. T
v. Business letters do not help in removing misunderstanding between buyer
and seller. F

Ex6: Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

i) Apart from ordinary envelopes, we may also use window or laminated

envelopes for sending business letters.
ii) To make a letter courteous, words like Please and Thank you should be
used.
iii) Business letter should contain only relevant information.
iv) Accuracy demands no error in the usage of language

v) Business letters should be always neat and attractive in appearance.

Ex7: Match the following.

a) The receiver understands the message - iv i) Relevance in the same way as intended by
the sender

b) There should be no errors in the usage - iii ii) Courtesy of language in business letter.
c) Relevant information should be - i iii) Accuracy provided in business letter

d) Words of anger should - ii iv) Clarity not be used in any business

letters.

Ex8: Which of the following statements about business enquiry letters do you consider to
be correct?

i. By writing these letters, a buyer gets information about the prices of goods.
ii. In business enquiry letter the writer cannot ask for sample of goods.
iii. Here the writer doesn’t give information about the quantity of possible purchases.
iv. The seller supplies the relevant information to the buyer through such a business letter.

v. Letter written in response to business enquiry letter is called Quotation letter

True: I, V False: II, III, IV

Ex9: Fill in the blanks

i. The complementary close must be in accordance with the salutation.

ii. Below the signature and name of the writer, his designation is also written.
iii. In the main part of the body of the letter subject matter is written...
iv. Dear Sir is the form of salutation.
v. The body of the letter is usually divided into three part(s).

Ex10: Read the following statements and decide which are true (T) and which are false (F).

1. If a letter begins with the receiver’s name, e.g. Dear Mr. Ross, it will close with
Yours faithfully -> F
2. The abbreviation c.c. stands for ‘correct carbon’. -> F
3. If you were writing a letter to Mr. Peter Smith, you would open with Dear Mr. Peter
Smith. -> T
4. The head of a company in the UK is known as ‘The President’. -> T
5. In the USA, it is correct to open a letter with the salutation Gentlemen. -> T
6. The abbreviation enc or encl mean there are enclosures with the letter. -> T
7. If you were writing to a Knight whose name was Sir Roger Dumont, you would open the
letter Dear Sir Dumont. -> T
8. In the UK, the abbreviated date 2.6.95 on the letter means 6 February 1995. -> F
9. If a secretary signs her name on a letter and her signature is followed by p.p. (per
pro) Daniel Harris, it means she is signing on behalf of Daniel Harris. -> T
10. A Managing Director in the UK is known as Chief Executive in the USA. -> F
11. The term PLC after a company’s name, e.g. Hathaway PLC. stands for ‘Public Limited
Corporation’. -> T
12. The abbreviation for the term ‘limited liability’ in the UK, is ltd. -> F
13. If you did not know whether a female correspondent was married or not, it would be correct
to use the term Ms., e.g. Ms. Tessa Groves, instead of Miss or Mrs. -> T
14. The following is an example of a blocked style: -> F
Peter Voss

Oberlweinfeldweg 33
5207 Therwil
Switzerland
15. The above address is an example of ‘open punctuation’: -> T
16. The abbreviation in addressing a doctor, e.g. Doctor James Spock, would be Dt. Spock -> F
17. Rather than use the UK close of Yours sincerely/ faithfully, Americans often choose
Yours truly. -> T
18. The abbreviation for ‘company’ is Co. -> T
9.