Business Letters

UNIT 1

Business Letters: Structure & Layout (1)

1. Read carefully the following sample letter and try to determine its main parts:

Pro-Data LtdCollingtoan RoadNANTONSL5 6XC

15 June 2003Happy Holidays Ltd300 Commonwealth AvenueBROUGHTONSussexLU7 5TN

For the attention of the Sales Manager

Dear Sir or Madam,

HOLIDAYS PACKAGES OFFER

In the 5 May 2003 Times issue I read about your promotional offer for holidays abroad. I understand you offer a generous discount for larger groups of tourists. Since I intend to offer my employees a bonus for their hard working, a holidays abroad could be – I hope - an excellent choice.

Would you please send me further information on the trips your company organizes? I would like to know the exact period of time for these trips, the minimum as well as the maximum number of persons allowed in one group and the cost of such a trip per group.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,John SmithJohn SmithGeneral Manager

2. A few questions you should ask yourself:a. What is a letter? Could you give a short definition?b. How many types of letters are there?c. What is the difference between / among these types of

letters?d. How would you define / characterize a business letter?e. What do you think a business letter should comprise?f. What do you think a business letter should look like

(in terms of layout)?g. Do you know the main parts of a business letter?h. What other means of communication do you know?i. Do you think letters are out of fashion nowadays?

3. If you managed to determine the structure of the above letter, try to draw a general plan for a business letter. How would you arrange the following letter parts: Attention line, Body of the letter, Date, Complimentary close, Receiver’s address, Salutation, Sender’s address, Sender’s name, Sender’s position / department name, Signature?

4. Write a two paragraph business letter on a topic of your own choice, respecting the structure rules presented above.

5. Read carefully the following sample, which represents a more complex business letter plan:

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Let’s write!

Notes: * = this information is often replaced by a printed letter heading** = this information may sometimes be absent in a letter

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Business name*Sender’s address*

Reference code**

Date

Classification**

Type of Dispatch Method**

Receiver’s nameReceiver’s address

For the attention ofSalutation

Subject Heading**

Main body of letter

Complimentary close

Company’s name**SignatureSender’s nameSender’s position / department name

Enclosures line**

Copies line**

A few supplementary explanations: Reference code - is used as an aid to filing and it does

not follow a general rule. It is established by each company / department;

Date - should always be written in full, in order toavoid misunderstandings. In UK the day is shown first, whereas in the USA and other countries the month is shown first. 5.11.2002 could therefore be read as 5 November 2002 in UK and 11 May in the USA. Make sure to write the month in capital letters. Both 5 November 2003 and 5 th November 2002 are accepted in business letters.

Classification line - tells the receiver whether teletter is personal and / or confidential;

Dispatch method – Recorded Delivery, RegisteredPost, Airmail, Courier Delivery;

Receiver’s name – always accompanied by a courtesytitle: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms;

Receiver’s address – should include: the house or Building number (and a flat, chamber or office number if appropriate; // the road name // the village/town name // the county // the postcode // the country (if the letter is international);

Salutation – Sir; Madam; Sirs; Sir or Madam;Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms J Smith; Dear Sir/Dear madam; Dear Sirs; Dear Sir or Madam; Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss Smith (! You write Mr J Smith or Mr John Smith, but Dear Mr Smith)

Subject heading – is usually used when the lettercontinues a discussion of the same topic. It should be short and concise;

Complimentary close – Yours faithfully or Yourssincerely, depending on the Salutation;

Enclosures line – is meant to remind the receiver thatThere are enclosures included;

Copies line – is meant to inform the receiver thatcopies of the letter have also been sent to other persons.

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UNIT 2

Business Letters: Structure & Layout (2)

1. There are three common letter layouts:

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Happy Holidays Ltd300 Commonwealth AvenueBROUGHTONSussexLU7 5TN

17 June 2003

Pro-Data LtdCollingtoan RoadNANTONBedsSL5 6XC

For the attention of Mr John Smith

Dear Mr Smith,


Thank you very much for your enquiry which we received today.

I am enclosing our detailed offer and price-list for the holidays package you said you were interested in. I would like to draw our attention to pages 3-4 in the offer where you will find full details of the holidays abroad.

We would welcome any further enquiries you have, and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,Susan Richardson (Miss)Sales manager

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Happy Holidays Ltd300 Commonwealth AvenueBROUGHTONSussexLU7 5TN

17 June 2003

Pro-Data LtdCollingtoan RoadNANTONBedsSL5 6XC


Dear Mr Smith,





Yours sincerely,Susan Richardson (Miss)

Sales manager

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Happy Holidays Ltd 300 Commonwealth Avenue BROUGHTON Sussex LU7 5TN

17 June 2003

Pro-Data Ltd Collingtoan Road NANTON Beds SL5 6XC


Dear Mr Smith,





Yours sincerely, Susan Richardson (Miss) Sales manager

2. The three layout types presented above are known as fully blocked layout, semi-blocked layout and fully intended layout. Try to match the three sample letters to these types and explain the differences you have noticed among them. Which of them would you use for your business letters? Why?

3. Try to rearrange the following letter in the correct order:

1. In the meanwhile, can you advise if you require your personal effects be insured? The premium is £2 per £100.

2. 15th September 20013. Freight Coordinator4. Mr J. Abbott

47 avenue Paul Soubise92160 AntonyFrance

5. In answer to your question, all goods, commercial or otherwise, are subject to customs clearance formalities. It is basically the same as when you pass through customs control in an airport, but we have to get an agent to act on our behalf, to liaise with customs, prepare paperwork, etc., and this can be expensive, depending on the amount of work involved.

6. D. Croxon (Miss)7. Dear Mr Abbott,8. As soon as we have the go-ahead from Dupont that the

goods can be imported into France, we will arrange for collection, and then of course, delivery to your residence in Antony.

9. DCroxon10. Carter, Ridout Transport Limited

Longvale Trading EstateLongvaleTyne & Wear

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NE21 OGTEngland

11. We thank you for your letter dated 28 th August 2001, in which you enclosed copies of your inventory lists.

12. Yours sincerely,

4. Match the Romanian expressions in column A to their corresponding English terms in column B:

A→1. vă rugăm să confirmaţi în scris2. dacă nu ne veţi informa contrariul3. aştept cu nerăbdare răspunsul dvs.4. confirmăm primirea5. am luat notă de 6. v-aş rămâne recunoscător dacă aţi binevoi7. în termen de 14 zile8. în viitorul apropriat9. în plic separat10. problema rămâne în atenţia noastră11. vom lua măsurile necesare

B→a. Look forward to hearing from youb. Unless we hear from you to the contraryc. Within a fortnightd. we are holding the matter pendinge. under separate coverf. in the near futureg. I have duly notedh. we shall take the necessary actioni. I/We acknowledge receipt ofj. kindly / please confirm in writingk. I would be grateful if you would kindly

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5. Translate into Romanian:Royal Mail cuts mail loss by half

Royal Mail today announced that the amount of mail that goes astray through being delivered to the wrong person or address has been almost halved during the past year. Chief Executive Adam Crozier said: “This is a major step in the right direction and our people should take the credit for the improvement in performance. However, every single letter is important so there’s a lot more to do but these results demonstrate Royal Mail’s commitment to improving our service to customers.”

Delivery mistakes are the main cause of mail loss or significant delays. The latest research by the company estimates that around 280,000 letters a week – around 0.07 per cent of the 21 billion letters a year handled by Royal Mail could be lost or substantially delayed. The previous year the figure was around 500,000 a week. Customer addressing errors also lead to letters going missing. But millions of badly addressed letters still get through to the right person on time - postmen and women manage to deliver around 15 million letters a week that are incorrectly addressed. Royal Mail’s National Return Letter Centre in Belfast handles mail that cannot be delivered and has no return address on the outside. Last year the centre handled around 72 million letters, successfully returning around a quarter of them.

Royal Mail recommends that customers check that addresses, including postcodes, are correct – more than 8 million letters a day are sent with either no postcode or an inaccurate one. A return address on the back of envelopes ensures that any letter that cannot be delivered is sent back swiftly to sender.

Royal Mail’s actions to improve its delivery standards include better equipment for local delivery offices and improved training for new recruits and temporary employees. The latest figures are from independent research carried out by Royal Mail as part of its licence from industry regulator Postcomm. This requires the company to ensure stringent mail

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protection measures and to provide annual estimates of mail loss.

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UNIT 3

British Mail Services

Royal Mail Group plc is a public limited company wholly owned by the Government, with annual sales in excess of £8 billion and more than 200,000 employees. Our marketplace is changing rapidly and we are providing hundreds of services to meet new demands - from electronic billing to banking, from warehousing to customer returns. Through our trusted brands, we reach everybody every working day in mail, parcels and express services and Post Office branches. Today, we are reinventing our business to meet the changing needs of our customers and the demands of competition. Our goal is to be the world's leading postal service.

We became a plc on 26 March 2001 wholly owned by the UK Government, our sole shareholder. The framework for change was the Postal Services Act 2000 that created a commercially focused company with a more strategic relationship with the Government. The Postal Services Act also established a new regulatory regime with an independent regulator, Postcomm, and a reformed consumer body, Postwatch. On 4 November 2002 we changed our name from Consignia to Royal Mail Group plc. Through our predecessors The Post Office Corporation, the General Post Office and Consignia, we have a record of over 360 years of providing the public with postal services. In the UK we operate under our trusted brands Royal Mail, Post Office® and Parcelforce Worldwide.

Royal Mail - provides an essential public service relied upon by local residents, businesses, local and national

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Let’s read!

government, public services and the community generally. Notwithstanding the introduction of e-mail and other electronic messaging, and the continuing use of faxes, the volume of mail delivered each day is some 82 million items and continues to grow. We have a statutory duty to provide a letter delivery service to each and every one of the 27 million addresses in the United Kingdom at a uniform price, irrespective of the distance travelled. The duty also includes an obligation to carry out at least one collection daily from each of our letterboxes.

Post Office® - ninety-four per cent of people in the UK live within a mile of a Post Office® branch. Twenty-eight million people visit a Post Office branch every week to take advantage of more than 170 different products and services available, ranging from financial products, travel services, government information and retail products. Through Post Office Ltd, we are also the operator of the UK's largest retail network. We have more Post Office® branches than the combined UK total - 14,400 - of the four major building societies and six banks. The network is unique in that Post Office Ltd only owns around 500 Post Office branches. The remainder of the network is owned by the people who run it, including franchisees and subpostmasters and mistresses.

Parcelforce Worldwide - is focused on the growing express market for UK time-guaranteed and next day services and international parcels. It provides access to the world's largest delivery network, covering more than 99.6 per cent of the global population and reaching 239 different countries and territories

Postwatch - (initially called the Consumer Council for Postal Services) was established to promote the interests of users of postal services within the framework of the Postal Services Act 2000. It replaces the Post Office Users' National Council (POUNC) and has a more extensive regional structure. Postwatch is responsible for monitoring postal service standards and acts as a focus for consumer issues and complaints. It is consulted on key decisions including variations in the services for which postal licences are

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required, the granting and modification of licences, and the enforcement of licence conditions. Together with the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm), Postwatch also monitors and advises on the network of Post Office branches.

1. Your name is Jane Brown and you work as a secretary with a large company in England. You have to send a lot of business correspondence to both British and foreign companies. All the documents must be original, so you are not allowed to use fax or e-mail. You would like to know which is the fastest and the most secure means of sending these documents. Write a letter to Royal Mail Group plc asking for information about their services.

2. You work for Royal Mail Group plc, in the Public Relations Department. You have just received Jane Brown’s letter. Try to answer her inquiry as clearly as possible. Inform her that your company could sign a services contract with her company for a longer period of time. Speak about your discounts. Try to persuade her to become your customer.

Translate into English: Poşta este una dintre cele mai democratice

instituţii,care asigură menţinerea permanentă a legăturilor comerciale şi spirituale dintre oameni. Îndeplinirea acestei misiuni nobile a urmărit pas cu pas dezvoltarea civilizaţiei umane, originile sale pierzându-se în negura istoriei. Dezvoltarea relaţiilor interumane şi sociale a determinat o perfecţionare necontenită a structurilor organizatorice şi proceselor tehnologice specifice acestui sector, astăzi poşta

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Let’s write!

fiind considerată una din ramurile importante ale industriei serviciilor.

Serviciile postale au fost create în scopul asigurării unor legături permanente între oameni. Necesitatea permanentizării acestor legături a condus la crearea de servicii specializate pentru satisfacerea acestor nevoi. Existenţa serviciului postal este cunoscută încă din antichitate. În Egipt şi Persia au existat din cele mai vechi timpuri releuri de curieri pedeştri si călăreţi pentru transportul corespondenţei şi a ordinelor regale. În Imperiul Roman, serviciul de poştă a luat fiinţă în anul 510 i.e.n. După cucerirea Daciei, romanii şi-au extins reţeaua serviciilor poştale ("cursus publicus") pentru a asigura o legătură permanentă între Roma şi noua provincie, legătura care se făcea prin cetatea Drubetis (Drobeta-Tr.Severin), unde se găsea podul de peste Dunăre construit de Apolodor. Serviciul poştal din acea vreme era organizat în poşta rapidă ("cursus velox ") şi poşta de mărfuri ("cursus clabularis").

Poşta din România este bine cunoscută încă din Evul Mediu. Ea s-a născut din nevoia de a transmite poruncile voievozilor până la limitele teritoriului aflat în stăpânirea lor. Curierii domnului se slujeau de cai, pe care locuitorii satelor şi oraşelor prin care treceau erau obligaţi să-i pună la dispoziţie. Primul document privind existenţa serviciilor poştale în România este "Hrisovul" dat de domnitorul Mircea cel Bătrân în anul 1399 la Giurgiu, prin care localităţile erau obligate să ţină la dispoziţia curierilor domneşti mijloace de transport, cai şi căruţe pe două roţi, numite olace. La începutul ei, poşta cuprindea mai ales serviciul de transport al călătorilor şi a corespondenţei oficiale a domnilor şi marilor dregători.

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UNIT 4

The Inquiry (1)

1. Read the following inquiry* and try to explain what each paragraph represents:

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Tours Ltd.41-43 Queen’s StreetLondon325L 487R

20 May 2003

The Sales DepartmentHôtel LE MERLY121, rue de Paris76600 LE HAVRE

Dear Sir or Madam,

We are a subsidiary of Happy Holidays travel agency in London. We were given your name by the Hoteliers’ Association in Paris.

As we are organizing trips to France this summer, we are interested in your hotel’s offer. Would you let us have your summer brochures and any other further information on accommodation? We are especially interested in the months of July and August. Could you also supply details of any low fares and tariffs for the month of September?

If the prices quoted are competitive and the quality up to the standard, we will book at least five singles, ten double rooms and three suits for a period of over one month.

Thank you for your attention. We hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully,p.p. Tours Ltd.

Victor JohnsonTravel agent

2. Fill in the gaps with suitable words from those listed below:addressee, bottom, competitive, discounts, engagement, firm,

folders, offer, offeree, offeror, price,pro forma, prospective, quotations, receipt, solicited, subject,

terms, unsold, unsolicited.The inquiry is written and sent out by a company

looking for a (1) supplier. It usually begins with an introduction stating how we got hold of the (2)’s name and address and a short presentation of our company. In it the addressees may be asked to send informative materials on their goods such as (3)-lists, samples, (4), prospectuses, brochures, catalogues, leaflets. Requests can be made for (5) invoices, detailed offers or (6), the latter meaning the naming of the price, (7) of delivery and payment. Special terms might be required such as (8) for sizable quantities ordered or for prompt cash payment, or most advantageous prices (also termed rock-(9)/keenest/lowest/most (10) prices.

The reply to the inquiry can take the form of an (11). In this case it is a (12) offer, whereas when it is written on the initiative of the offeror it is an (13) offer. In it the (14) is supplied with information on the quality and quantity of the goods for sale, on proposed terms of delivery and payment and other relevant details. If the offer is (15), that means if it is accepted, it is binding on the (16). If the latter does not want to commit himself he will make the offer without (17). A formula that could be used for such a purpose is “This offer is made (18) to the goods in stock/being (19), on (20) of your order.”

3. There are a few steps that you should always follow when trying to write an inquiry:

opening- give the addressee a few pieces of information about your company, don’t forget your address, phone and fax number, e-mail;

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- explain how you found out about the addressee’s company (advertisements, newspapers, recommendation, exhibitions, etc);

asking for catalogues, price-lists, prospectuses, samples, patterns, specimens (general inquiries);

asking for a detailed description of products or services if the prospective buyer is clear on the subject he needs. These inquiries may request for: a quotation, the latest price-list, terms of payment, discount for prompt cash, discount made for larger orders, a pro forma invoice (specific inquiries);

suggesting terms, methods of payment, discounts;closing: usually comprises a thank you phrase; the

customer could also suggest that a prompt answer would be appreciated or he can indicate further business in order to make the inquiry interesting for the addressee.

4. Translate the following specimen sentences into English:a. Suntem o agenţie de voiaj internaţională, cu o reţea de agenţii în toate capitalele europene.b. Suntem o firma importatoare en gros cu mulţi clienţi în toată ţara, atât în comerţul en gros cât şi în cel cu amănuntul.c. Ne-aţi fost recomandaţi de firma Tours Ltd. din oraşul dumnevoastră.d. Am fi bucuroşi să primim cataloagele dvs. Ilustrate, pliantele şi proispectele dvs.e. Vă rugăm să ne cotaţi preţurile dvs. Cele mai scăzute/avantajoase pentru mărfurile din lista de mai jos.f. V-am fi recunoscători dacă ne-aţi trimite catalogul dvs.g. Dacă preţuriel dvs. sunt competitive, vă vom plasa probabil comenzi mari (regulate).h. Dacă mărfuriel dvs. au o calitate ce se ridică la înălţimea aşteptărilor noastre, vom putea face tranzacţii reciproc avantajoase.i. Vă mulţumim şi aştemptăm răspunsul dvs.j. V-am fi reunoscători pentru un răspuns prompt.

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4. Fill in the gaps using the words given below:And, are, attention, August, company, computer, computers,educational, for, forward, In, include,

information, looking, Madam, Our,please, products, Sincerely, Sir, Thank, us, Would

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Muont Morsey High School8547 16th StreetDes Moines, Iowa 53500515-821-6771

………………….10, 2000

EduLinkRoute 128Stoneham, MA 02167

Dear … or …:

… the August issues of Software Magazine, we read that your … sells … software. … teachers … always … for new software … for IBM …

… you … send … a catalogue of your … products? Would you also … a price list … ordering …?

… you … your … . I look … to hearing from you.

… yours,

…

UNIT 5

The Inquiry (2)

1. Try to arrange the sentences in list B according to the functions presented in list A:A → a. Say where you obtained information on the prospective supplier b. Give some general information about your business.c. State your reason for writing and request action.d. Suggest that you require discounts and other advantageous terms.e. Close the letter.B → 1. We would appreciate if you would send us your prospectuses and price lists. 2. We are a wholesale importing house for tyres and have a wide network of retail outlets throughout the country.3. If your prices are competitive we shall probably give you large orders.4. We look forward to your prompt reply.5. We have seen your advertisement for tyres in the March issue of the “Business Review”6. We are one of the largest tyre distributors in Romania and have many customers all over the country.7. We are indebted for your name and address to Kelly’s Directory.8. We are in the market for tyres and would be prepared to give you large orders.9. Since we intend to place with you large orders we would be interested what discounts you allow off the list prices for orders worth more than $1,000.10. If the quality of your products meets our expectations we could place with you regular repeat orders.11. We have learned from Messrs. Black & Co. that you export tyres.

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12. Could you please send us your latest catalogue and price list?13. Your Commercial Office has informed us that you export tyres.14. We look forward to hearing from you.15. As we hope to attain a considerable turnover we trust you will quote us your lowest/keenest/most advantageous price.

2. Match the words in group A with their definitions in group B:

A → offer, inquiry, offeror/offerer/bidder, offeree, firm offer, offer without engagement, prospective, quotation, prospectus, catalogue, solicited offer, discount, price list, a pro forma invoice, sample, pattern

B → a. a circular describing the specific traits of a commodity; b. part of a whole, shown as an evidence of the quality of the whole; c. the terms, including the price, on which a seller is prepared to enter into a contract, usually taking the form of a letter; d. a list of current prices; e. a letter sent out by a company which looks for a prospective supplier; f. a statement of a price for a commodity; g. a sample of a fabric; h. a note in the form of an invoice used to show what the charges and the price would be in the case of an actual sale; i. a sum of money deducted from the price of goods for sizable orders, payment in cash etc; j. a reply to an inquiry; k. possible, future; l. the party to whom an offer is made; m. the party making an offer; n. a proposal of sale which if accepted by the other party becomes legally binding on the party who has made it; o. a book containing a complete list of items with a description of each; p. an offer in which the offeror does not commit himself to deliver if the offer is accepted.

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3. Fill in the gaps with the words given below:catalogue, competitive, discount, displayed, have, patterns,

place, range, retailers, stock

Dear Sirs,

We were impressed by the wide (1) of textile items you (2) on your stand at last month’s Bucharest International Fair.

We are a chain of (3) with branches throughout the country.

Could you please let us (4) your latest (5) and price-list together with the (6) of the items you can supply from (7)?

As we are in a position to (8) large orders we should require your most (9) prices and a wholesale (10).

We are looking forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

4. Translate into English:

Stimaţi Domni,

Suntem un restaurant cu specific chinezesc cu tradiţie de peste 20 de ani în spatiul londonez. Procesul de extindere rapidă pe care l-am planificat pentru următorii doi ani ne obligă să apelăm la noi furnizori pe lângă cei cu care am colaborat până acum.

Ne-aţi fost recomandaţi de restaurantul Le Petit Chinois care este unul dintre clienţii dvs. principali. V-am fi recunoscători dacă ne-aţi trimite catalogul cu produsele dvs. şi lista de preţuri. Dacă mărfurile dvs. au

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calitatea corespunzătoare cerinţelor noastre, iar preţurile sunt competitive, suntem interesaţi să încheiem un contract pe termen lung.

V-am fi recunoscători pentru un răspuns rapid şi detaliat..

Cu stimă,

Write a letter of inquiry on a topic of your own choice. Make sure that you respect all the rules and all the hints you have been given so far.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 6

Answering An Inquiry / The Offer

1. Try to arrange the sentences in list B according to the functions presented in list A:A → a. Confirmation of the inquiry.b. Say what you have done or are going to do in connection with the inquiry.c. Point out important matters.d. Answer questions of the inquirer on price, discount, terms of delivery etc.e. Express ways in which you could help the inquirer make a decision to place the order.f. Encourage your correspondent to ask further information.g. State whether the offer is firm or without engagement.h. Conclude the letter.B → We are sending you the samples/patterns under separate cover.

1. We are much obliged to you for your inquiry of …2. We have pleasure in sending you enclosed our current

price list and latest catalogue.3. We are glad to have received your inquiry of…4. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any

further details/information.5. Thank you for your inquiry of…6. Our prices are understood F.O.B. (free on board)

Constanta.7. We can supply you immediately from stock.8. Our terms of payment are documents against

acceptance/documents against payment.9. We would like to suggest a demonstration of this

model by one of our representatives.10. Our prices/quotations are subject to a 10 p.c. discount

for orders of more than $1,000 worth.11. We thank you for your letter of … inquiring about …

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12. This offer is made without engagement on our part.13. Please note that we are offering a 10 p.c. cash

discount.14. This offer is firm/binding on us for two weeks.15. Our prices do not include packing. 16. We make this offer firm subject to your confirmation

by the end of the next week.17. We look forward to receiving your order.18. This offer is made subject to the goods being unsold

on receipt of your order.19. If you wish we can arrange for a demonstration buy.20. We shall be glad to provide any further information.21. We trust you will accept our offer.

2. Translate into Romanian:

Dear Mrs Martin,

Please find enclosed our prospectus covering courses from July to December. Details of fees and accommodation in London for that period are covered in the booklet ‘Living in London” which accompanies the prospectus.

At present we still have places available for students taking the Proficiency course beginning in July, but would ask you to book as soon as possible so that we can reserve a place for you to book as soon as possible so that we can reserve a place for you in the class and arrange accommodation with an English family.

We are sure you will enjoy your stay here and look forward to seeing you.

Yours sincerely,

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3. Read the following reply and try to determine the function of each paragraph:

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Hôtel LE MERLY121, rue de Paris76600 LE HAVRE

27 May 2003

Tours Ltd.41-43 Queen’s StreetLondon325L 487R

Dear Mr Johnson,

Thank you for your inquiry of 20 May 2003 in which you asked about our accommodation offer for July, August and September.

I am pleased to tell you that some of our rooms and suits are still available for that period. We can offer you seven singles, ten double rooms and five suits for 45 days, that is from 7 July to 20 August. If you want to rent them for the entire period, we can give a 30% discount plus free breakfast for every person. If you want to rent them for a shorter period of time (but not shorter than 15 days), we can give a 15% discount.

As for September, we have a 40% discount for a five day sojourn and 20% discount for one night.

Please find enclosed our summer catalogue which unfortunately is only printed in French. However, we have enclosed an English translation for the relevant pages (21-24) and hope this will prove helpful.

Once again we would like to thank you for writing to us and would welcome any further points you would like us to answer.

Sincerely yours,Donna Jefferson (Mrs)

4. The following reply to an inquiry was divided and rearranged. Try to put the paragraphs into the correct order.

1. 10 June 1984

2. You will see that our prices are quoted c.i.f. to Eastern Canadian seaboard ports and we are offering a special 10% discount off all net prices, with delivery within three weeks from receipt of order.

3. Mrs L. LoweSanders & Lowe LTD.Planter HousePrincess StreetLondon EC1 7DQ

4. You will see that we can offer a wide selection of dinner and tea services ranging from the rugged ‘Greystone’ earthenware breakfast sets, to the delicate ‘Ming” bone china dinner service.

5. It was a pleasure to receive your letter today, and we are enclosing the catalogue and price-list you asked for.

6. Dear Mrs Lowe,

7. Yours sincerely,J MertonJ. Merton (MrSales Manager

8. If there is any further information you required, please contact us, and once again thank you for your letter.

9. Glaston Potteries Ltd.Clayfield

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Burnley BB 10 1RQ

10. Enc.

11. You can choose from more than fifty designs which include the elegance of Wedgwood, the delicate pattern of Willow, and the richness of Brownstone glaze.

Write a reply to the inquiry you wrote for UNIT 5.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 7

Quotations

A quotation = an offer to sell goods or supply services for a stated price, as distinct from an estimate, which can be amended as the work proceeds.

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Dear Mr Richards,

Quotation for 100 sets, Pacific Basin Encyclopaedia

We thank you for your inquiry of … and quote as follows:

Pacific Basin Encyclopaedia. 8,250 pages including colour and black and white illustrations, bound in 16 vols. Page size 9 x 6 in. Library binding. List price £320 per set.

We can quote you at an exceptional discount of 60 per cent off list price, i.e. at £128 per set or £12,800 for the consignment. Surface shipment would be charged at £450.

Payment would be by bank transfer or cheque at 90 days from date or invoice.

We stress, however, that this offer, because of the exceptional discount and limited stocks remaining, is open for 28 days only form the date of this letter.

Please fax your acceptance and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

1. Read carefully the quotation presented above and try to determine the main steps that you should follow when writing such an offer.2. Translate the following quotation for marine insurance into Romanian:

Dear Mr Simpson,

Thank you for your letter of 15 May, in which you asked about cover for a shipment of typewriters from Tilbury to Wellington.

I note from the details attached to your letter that the net amount of the invoice is £2 060.00 and payment is by letter of credit. I would therefore suggest a valued policy against all risks for which we can quote 65%.

We will issue a cover note as soon as you complete and return the enclosed declaration form.

Yours sincerely,

3. Try to keep in mind:A quotation usually gives information on:

products/services price, transport and insurance costs, discounts, methods of payment and delivery.- Price - net prices vs. gross prices (which include extra costs, such as transport, insurance, Value Added Tax etc.). When prices tend to fluctuate, the supplier will add a provision to his quotation stating that the prices are subject to change. E.g.: The prices quoted above are provisional, since we may be compelled by increased costs of raw materials to increase our prices to customers. I will inform you immediately if this happens.- Transport and insurance costs – there are a number of abbreviations used in quotations in order to describe transport and insurance costs: ex-works (ex-factory, ex-mill, ex-

30

warehouse) → the buyer will have to pay all the costs once the goods have left the factory, mill, or warehouse. If you are quoted any of these prices you will have to pay for insurance and transport yourself.- f.o.r. (free on rail) → the price quoted covers the cost to the nearest railway station.- f.a.s. (free alongside ship) → there are no extra charges up to taking the goods to the side of a ship. - f.o.b (free on board) → loading on to the ship is included in the price quoted.- c.&f. (cost and freight) → the price includes cost and shipping to the destination named; no insurance included.- ex-ship → the importing port is named, and the price includes delivery to that port.- franco quay → the price includes all costs up to the importer’s dockside.- c.p. or C/p (carriage paid) → charges will be paid by the sender.- c.f. or C/f (carriage forward) → the transport charges are paid by the receiver.- Discounts – trade discount → to sellers in the same trade // quantity discount → for orders over a certain amount // cash discount → if payment is made within a certain time- Methods of payment – letter of credit, bill of exchange, etc- Delivery – We have the materials in stock and will ship them immediately we receive your order.

The information can be presented either in fixed terms or in negotiable terms, that is by stating your price and discounts without leaving room for negotiation, or by implying that the customer could write again and discuss them. E.g.:

1. fixed terms → All list-prices are quoted f.o.b. Southampton and are subject to a 25% trade discount with payment by a letter of credit

2. negotiable terms → Normally we allow a 23% trade discount off net prices with payment on a documents against payment basis. Please let us know if this arrangement is satisfactory.

31

4. Fill in the gaps using the words given below:acceptance, cover, enclosed, inquiry, invoiced, order,

warehouseDear Sirs,

Thank you for your (1) of the 3rd of June. (2) we have sent you our latest catalogue and price list. We are sending you under separate (3) the patterns for the items we can supply from stock. Our prices are understood ex (4). For orders of more than $10,000 we offer a discount of 10% off the (5) amount.

Our usual terms of payment are 60-day bill of exchange, documents against (6).

We are looking forward to your (7).

Yours faithfully,


Stimate Domnule Popescu,

Vă mulţumesc pentru cererea dvs. de ofertă din 27 mai în care aţi cerut informaţii suplimentare despre oferta noastră de servicii turistice.

Vă trimit ataşat catalogul cu oferta de vară şi broşurile care descriu în amănunt hotelurile cu care colaborăm. Veţi avea astfel posibilitatea să vedeţi amplasamentul lor, precum şi condiţiile de cazare pe care le oferă.

Cât despre periodă şi tarife, vă pot da acum câteva informaţii generale, urmând ca, dacă sunteţi interesat, să vă trimit şi alte detalii.

Perioadele în care mai avem camere disponibile sunt 15 iunie – 15 iulie şi 15 august – 30 septembrie. În aceste perioade

32

avem disponibile atât camere pentru o persoană, cât şi camere pentru două persoane. Apartamente disponibile avem doar în perioada 15 august - 15 septembrie.

Tarifele pe zi variază între 600 000 lei – 1 500 000 lei pentru o cameră de o persoană, 800 – 2 000 000 lei pentru o cameră cu două paturi şi 1 500 000 – 3 000 000 lei pentru un apartament. Oferim reduceri între 10 şi 35% pentru grupuri sau pentru sejururi mai mari de 5 zile.

Ca modalitate de plată acceptăm CEC sau ordin de plată. Primim de obicei 50% din sumă în momentul rezervării, iar restul în momentul cazării.

Dacă aveţi alte întrebări, nu ezitaţi să ne scrieţi. Răspunsul va fi prompt şi detaliat.

În speranţa unei colaborări,

Cu stimă,Radu Ionescu,Director Vânzări

33

UNIT 8

Orders

34

ORDER No. 5547 D

R&G Suppliers LtdSesson Building, No.55Queen’s Bvd.LondonLU7 5TN

20 May 2003

Pen & Paper Ltd.Nesson House Newell StreetBirminghamB3 3EL

Quantity Item description Cat. No. Price

40 ctns.50 doz.20 doz.50 boxes

Copier PaperPens, BlackPens, RedPaper Clips, large

R 4320N 154N 154R 541

£14 each£10 each£10 each£1.5 each

Note: subject to 5% discount

Try to keep in mind:Orders are usually written on a company’s official

order form. The official form may vary from one company to another, but it should always comprise a date and a reference number, which will be quoted in any correspondence referring to that order. Any order should be made in written form and it should be accompanied by a covering letter. The covering letter allows the one who places the order to make any necessary points and confirm the terms that have been agreed.

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words given below:acceptance, alternative, cover, covering, delivery,

enclosed, fill, form, further, instructions, meet, placed,points, refuse, repeat, terms, trial, writing

An order should be made in (1). If an order form is sent it should be accompanied by a (2) letter which gives the opportunity to make any (3) that are required and to confirm the agreed terms. In the opening of the covering letter, mention should be made of the (4) order (5). In the following paragraphs you could confirm discounts, terms and dates of (6), packing (7). Te letter should end with a formula expressing the hope of continued good business relations and (8) fruitful transactions. If the order is made subject to the buyer’s acceptance of the goods, this is called a(n) (9) order. If in an order you require the same goods on exactly the same (10) as in previous order, this is a (11) order.

Replies to orders can take the form of a(n) (12) of an order. In this case the letter should express the gratitude for the fact that the order has been (13) with you, as well as an assurance that you can (14) / (15) the order. If you reject / (16) the order, you should thank the customer for having sent you the order and explain why you cannot meet / (17) it. If possible, you should suggest an (18) .

35

2. Match the words / expressions in line A with their Romanian equivalents in line B:A → 1. a trial order, 2. a provisional order, 3. a firm order, 4. to place an order, 5. to confirm an order, 6. to acknowledge an order, 7. to accept an order, 8. to refuse/reject/turn down/decline an order, 9. covering letter, 10. advise of dispatch / shipment, 11. consignement note, 12. sight draft, 13. banker’s draft, 14. bill of exchange, 15. documents against acceptance, 16. documents against payment, 17. shipping documets.B → a. aviz de expediţie, b. comandă de probă, c. a accepta o comandă (2 echivalenţi), d. comandă fermă, e. comandă provizorie, f. a face o comandă, g. scrisoare de însoţire, h. a confirma o comandă, i. a refuza o comandă, j. documente de export, k. documente contra plată, l. documente contra plată, m. trată bancară, n. trată la vedere, o. cambie, p. scrisoare de trăsură.

3. Match the paragraphs in B to the corresponding functions given in A:A → a. confirm receipt of offer;b. state your reaction to quality, prices, discounts, samples, etc;c. place the order;d. confirm terms of payment;e. set deadline for delivery;f. close letter B → 1. We would like to confirm that payment is to be made by sight draft against presentation of shipping documents.

2. Delivery by 1st of July is essential, we reserve the right to cancel the order if you do not meet this request.

3. We look forward to receiving our order and doing further business with you.

4. As agreed, payment is to be made by documentary credit.

5. We thank you for yout letter dated the 6th of May, quoting prices and delivery terms.

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6. Delivery before the 6th of June is a firm condition for this order.

7. We enclose our official form no. … for …8. We have examined the samples and are satisfied with

their quality.9. We thank you for the samples and price lists which

you sent us.10. Thank you for your offer of … covering …11. We find the price satisfactory.12. Please dispatch the goods within 10 days of receipt of

the order.13. We trust you will carry out the order to our full

satisfaction.14. Your prompt attention to our order will oblige.15. Thank you for your letter of … in which you enclosed

your catalogue and price list.16. Your offer of a 10% quantity discount is quite

satisfactory.17. We place our order for…18. Please find enclosed our order no. … for …19. We have decided to accept the 10% cash discount you

offered and the terms of payment – documents against payment.

20. We would appreciate delivery within the next 20 days.

Place an order with a large factory for 20 doz. towels (two sizes, the same colour) and 10 doz. bed sheets (three colours, the same size).

4. Read the following covering letter and try to establish the function of each paragraph:

37

Let’s write!

38


Our ref: 5547 D

20 May 2003


Att. Mr J. Craine

Dear Mr Crane,

Please find enclosed our order, No. 5547 D, for stationary products.

We have decided to accept the 5% quantity discount you offered and terms of payment viz. documents against payment, but would like these terms reviewed in the near future.

Would you please send the shipping documents to City Bank, Broughton?

If you do not have some of the listed items in stock, please do not send substitutes in their place.

We would appreciate delivery within the next six weeks, and look forward to your acknowledgement.

Yours sincerely,Tom HarrisonTom HarrisonChief Buyer

UNIT 9

Acknowledging / Declining an Order

1. An acknowledgement of order is usually short and concise; it is meant to inform the person who placed the order that the order and the covering letter have reached their destination. It is also meant to inform that the order has been accepted and the required goods will be delivered.

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Your ref.: 5547 D

25 May 2003


For the Attention of Mr Tom Harrison

Dear Mr Harrison,

Thank you for your order (No. 5547 D) which we are now making up. We have all the items in stock and will be advising you in the near future.

Yours sincerely,John CraneJohn Crane

2. Match the paragraphs in B to the corresponding functions given in A:

A → a. confirm receipt of the order;b. confirm that you are able to supply and meet the

terms of the order;c. say what you have done and what you are going to

do about the order;d. close the letter expressing goodwill.B → 1. We are glad to confirm that we can supply the

above order from the stock.2. We hope you will be fully satisfied with the way we shall carry out the order.3. We thank you for your order no. 125 for books which we received two days ago.4. Your order is receiving immediate attention and you may rely on us to deliver the items in due time.5. We acknowledge with thanks receipt of your order no. 321 for paper.6. The order has been put in hand and we assure you it will be carried out as stated .7. We have already dispatched a pro forma invoice .8. We were pleased to receive your repeat order.9. We have already contacted our packers and made arrangements for the packing of the goods.10. You may be sure we will carry out your instructions to the letter.11. We look forward to hearing that your order has arrived safely and fully meets your expectations.12. Your order has been booked for execution next week

3. Complete in the following letters with the words given below:

allow, against, as per, book, cancel, consignment, disposal, draw, fail, hand, meets, offer,

order, payment, pleasure, repeats, shippers, supply, trial.

a) Dear Sirs,

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We thank you for your (1) of the 7th of June, in which you enclosed your catalogue and price list and for your patterns of textile items you can (2) from stock.

We have (3) in placing a (4) order for 30 items (5) enclosed order form. We confirm the terms of (6): “Payment to be made by a 60-day bill of exchange, documents (7) acceptance”. We are satisfied with the 10% discount off the invoiced amount you are prepared to (8) us for this order.

Delivery by the end of the month is essential and we reserve the right to (9) the order and keep the goods at your risk and expense, should the goods (11) to arrive in time.

If your delivery (12) our expectations we could place regular (13).

Yours faithfully,

b) Dear Sirs,

We thank you for your (14) no. 343 which we received today. The order has been put in (15) and will be carried out in the next few days. We have contacted our (16) and instructed them to (17) shipping space on the first available vessel. We shall (18) on you for the invoiced amount minus the agreed discount through our bank.

We look forward to hearing of the safe arrival of our (19).

Yours faithfully,

4. There are several reasons for declining an order:

41

a. out of stock → you may be out of stock of the product ordered or you may no longer make it. E.g.: We are sorry to say that we are completely out of stock of this item and it will be six weeks before we get our next delivery, but please contact us then.b. bad reputation → the customer may have a bad reputation for paying their debts, but is no reason for you to be rude. Try to say ‘no’ in a diplomatic way. E.g.: We would only be prepared to supply on a cash basis. // I am sorry to say that we must turn down your order as we have full order books at present and cannot give a definite date for delivery.c. unfavourable terms: the supplier may not like the terms the customer has asked for. E.g.: Delivery could not possibly be promised within the time given in your letter. // The discount you asked for is far more than we offer any of our customers. // we only accept payment by letter of credit.d. size of order: the quantity required may be either too large or too small. E.g.: We are only a small firm and could not possibly handle an order for 20,000 units. // Our factory only sells materials by 30 metre rolls which cannot be cut up


Dear Mr Gower,

Thank you for your order, No. 2168, which we received today.

Unfortunately we do not feel that we can offer the trade discounts which you have asked for, viz. 35% as we only allow a 25% trade discount to all our customers regardless of the quantity they buy.

As we think you will agree, our prices are extremely competitive and it would not be worthwhile supplying on the allowance you have asked for. Therefore, in this instance, I regret that we have to turn down your order.

Yours sincerely,

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Domnilor,

Vă mulţumim pentru scrisoarea dvs. din data de 2 mai, pe care am citit-o cu deosebită atenţie.

Ne bucură interesul dvs. faţă de produsele noastre şi am fi dorit să putem veni în întâmpinarea dorinţelor dvs. şi să vă dăm posibilitatea să fiţi competitivi pe propria piaţă. Cu toate acestea, spre marele nostru regret, nu suntem în măsură să mai facem nici o reducere de preţ, întrucât preţurile noastre sunt calculate foarte strict, iar o reducere la preţurile cotate nu ne-ar mai lăsa nici o marjă de profit. În plus, deoarece în ultimii ani au crescut vertiginos preţurile la toate ţeşăturile de bumbac, nu mai este posibil să furnizăm un material într-adevăr bun la preţurile pe care le menţionaţi .

După cum ştiţi, noi furnizăm numai ţesături de primă calitate şi garantate.

Vă propunem ca, în locul eşantioanelor 235 şi 236, să vă îndreptaţi atenţia asupra ţesăturilor de bumbac în amestec nr. 40 – 55 din careta noastră de mostre. Am putea trimite la dvs. un delegat pentru a vă pune în temă cu privire la aceste ţesături, ale căror preţuri credem că sunt cele corespunzătoare.

Vă asigură că ne vom da toată silinţa să vă servim căt mai bine.

Cu stimă,

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UNIT 10

American Mail Services

On July 26, 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, agreed ". . . that a Postmaster General be appointed for the United States, who shall hold his office at Philadelphia, and shall be allowed a salary of 1,000 dollars per annum . . . ." That simple statement signaled the birth of the Post Office Department, the predecessor of the United States Postal Service and the second oldest department or agency of the present United States of America.

Colonial TimesIn early colonial times, correspondents depended on

friends, merchants, and Native Americans to carry messages between the colonies. However, most correspondence ran between the colonists and England, their mother country. It was largely to handle this mail that, in 1639, the first official notice of a postal service in the colonies appeared. The General Court of Massachusetts designated Richard Fairbanks' tavern in Boston as the official repository of mail brought from or sent overseas, in line with the practice in England and other nations to use coffee houses and taverns as mail drops.

Local authorities operated post routes within the colonies. Then, in 1673, Governor Francis Lovelace of New York set up a monthly post between New York and Boston. The service was of short duration, but the post rider's trail became known as the Old Boston Post Road, part of today's U.S. Route 1.

William Penn established Pennsylvania's first post office in 1683. In the South, private messengers, usually

44

Let’s read!

slaves, connected the huge plantations; a hogs head of tobacco was the penalty for failing to relay mail to the next plantation.

Central postal organization came to the colonies only after 1691 when Thomas Neale received a 21-year grant from the British Crown for a North American postal service. Neale never visited America. Instead, he appointed Governor Andrew Hamilton of New Jersey as his Deputy Postmaster General. Neale's franchise cost him only 80 cents a year but was no bargain; he died heavily in debt, in 1699, after assigning his interests in America to Andrew Hamilton and another Englishman, R. West.

In 1707, the British Government bought the rights to the North American postal service from West and the widow of Andrew Hamilton. It then appointed John Hamilton, Andrew's son, as Deputy Postmaster General of America. He served until 1721 when he was succeeded by John Lloyd of Charleston, South Carolina.

In 1730, Alexander Spotswood, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia, became Deputy Postmaster General for America. His most notable achievement probably was the appointment of Benjamin Franklin as postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737. Franklin was only 31 years old at the time, the struggling printer and publisher of The Pennsylvania Gazette. Later he would become one of the most popular men of his age.

Two other Virginians succeeded Spotswood: Head Lynch in 1739 and Elliot Benger in 1743. When Benger died in 1753, Franklin and William Hunter, postmaster of Williamsburg, Virginia, were appointed by the Crown as Joint Postmasters General for the colonies. Hunter died in 1761, and John Foxcroft of New York succeeded him, serving until the outbreak of the Revolution.

During his time as a Joint Postmaster General for the Crown, Franklin effected many important and lasting improvements in the colonial posts. He immediately began to reorganize the service, setting out on a long tour to inspect post offices in the North and others as far south as Virginia. New surveys were made, milestones were placed on principal

45

roads, and new and shorter routes laid out. For the first time, post riders carried mail at night between Philadelphia and New York, with the travel time shortened by at least half.

In 1760, Franklin reported a surplus to the British Postmaster General -- , a first for the postal service in North America. When Franklin left office, post roads operated from Maine to Florida and from New York to Canada, and mail between the colonies and the mother country operated on a regular schedule, with posted times. In addition, to regulate post offices and audit accounts, the position of surveyor was created in 1772; this is considered the precursor of today's Postal Inspection Service.

By 1774, however, the colonists viewed the royal post office with suspicion. Franklin was dismissed by the Crown for actions sympathetic to the cause of the colonies. Shortly after, William Goddard, a printer and newspaper publisher (whose father had been postmaster of New London, Connecticut, under Franklin) set up a Constitutional Post for inter-colonial mail service. Colonies funded it by subscription, and net revenues were to be used to improve the postal service rather than to be paid back to the subscribers. By 1775, when the Continental Congress met at Philadelphia, Goddard's colonial post was flourishing, and 30 post offices operated between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Williamsburg.

Continental CongressAfter the Boston riots in September 1774, the colonies

began to separate from the mother country. A Continental Congress was organized at Philadelphia in May 1775 to establish an independent government. One of the first questions before the delegates was how to convey and deliver the mail. Benjamin Franklin, newly returned from England, was appointed chairman of a Committee of Investigation to establish a postal system. The report of the Committee, providing for the appointment of a postmaster general for the 13 American colonies, was considered by the Continental Congress on July 25 and 26. On July 26, 1775, Franklin was appointed Postmaster General, the first appointed under the Continental Congress; the establishment of the organization

46

that became the United States Postal Service nearly two centuries later traces back to this date. Richard Bache, Franklin's son-in-law, was named Comptroller, and William Goddard was appointed Surveyor.

Franklin served until November 7, 1776. America's present Postal Service descends in an unbroken line from the system he planned and placed in operation, and history rightfully accords him major credit for establishing the basis of the postal service that has performed magnificently for the American people.

2. Focus on vocabulary: match the words in list A to their definitions given in line B:A → mail, to mail, to mail out, mailbag, mailbox, mail carrier, mail drop, mailer, mailing, mailing list, mail merge, mail order, mail-out/mailshotB → 1. a large bag made of rough cloth, used for carrying letters, parcels on trains, planes, vans;2. a container in a building in which post is put when it is delivered; a place where post or messages can be left for you to collect;3. a letter or advertisement sent to many people at the same time;4. letters, parcels etc that are delivered by the post office every day;5. a list of all the people that letters or email are sent to;6. a part of a computer’s memory where email is stored; (AmE) a letterbox for putting letters in when they are delivered to a house;7. a postman;8. to post a letter, parcel etc to someone; to send a message;9. to send many copies of a letter, advertisement etc by post at one time;10. a computer programme for sending email; (AmE) a box or large envelope used for posting something;

47

11. a way of buying goods in which you order them by post or by telephone and they are posted to you;12. an act of sending many copies of a letter, advertisement etc by post at one time;13 the automatic addition of names and addresses to copies of a letter on a computer

3. Translate into English:În a doua jumătate a secolului al XVIII-lea,

domnitorul Constantin Mavrocordat stabileşte ca toţi curierii să treacă la stat cu toate cheltuielile, se construiesc localuri pentru călători şi funcţionari, aşa numitele hanuri de poştă, grajduri pentru cai etc. şi se acceptă şi călătoria publicului cu poştalioanele poştei contra unei taxe. În continuare, evoluţia dezvoltării serviciilor poştale este ascendentă, existând şi perioade de stagnare în timp de război şi ocupaţie a ţărilor româneşti.

Până la revoluţia din 1848, poştele au fost arendate unor particulari, de regulă pentru perioade de câte 3 ani. După 1850, în oraţele de reşedinţă administrativă, staţiile de poştă orăşenesti sunt transformate în birouri poştale. În acea perioadă, existau 30 de curse poştale cu staţii de poştă al căror punct nodal era Craiova. Din anul 1852 este organizat serviciul de corespondenţă pentru particulari, sub supravegherea Ministerului de Finanţe.

Între anii 1857-1862, se introduce etapizat monopolul de stat asupra activităţii de poştă. La 12 noiembrie 1857, o comisie întrunită la Iaşi a hotărât introducerea timbrelor poştale pe teritoriul Moldovei. Au fost tiparite cu o presă manuală, bucată cu bucată, patru valori ale primei emisiuni "Cap de bour ", pusă în vânzare pe data de 22 iulie 1858.

La 23 iulie 1862, a fost emis Decretul 527 privind unificarea administraţiilor poştale din Moldova şi Muntenia, măsură realizată începând cu 1 august acelaşi an. În urma unificării, conducerea direcţiei generale a fost încredinţată lui Panaiat Sevescu, care funcţiona în aceeaşi calitate în Muntenia din decembrie 1860.

48

Perioada poştei moderne a început acum 134 de ani, în 1864, când domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza a unit serviciul poştal cu cel telegrafic, la care în 1893 s-a adăugat şi serviciul telefonic, luând naştere simbolul PTT. Această decizie a fost luată în şedinţa Consiliului de Miniştri, care a avut loc în ziua de 29 august 1864, şedinţa desfăşurată sub conducerea Domnitorului Alexandrul Ioan Cuza.

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UNIT 11

Complaints

1. Read the following complaint, translate it into Romanian and try to establish the function of each paragraph:

50

R. Hughes & Son Ltd.21 Mead RoadGlamorgan3ST 1DR

21 April 2002

Sales ManagerHomemakers Ltd.54-59 RiversideCardiff CF1 1JW

Dear Mr Cliff,

I received a consignment of 6 dressing tables from you yesterday, my order No. 1695, which were ordered from your summer catalogue, Cat. No. GR154. But on unpacking them I found that six heavy mahogany-finished dressing tables had been sent, instead of the light pine-finish ones asked for.

As most of my customers live in small flats earning a moderate income it is doubtful that I will be able to find a market for larger, more expensive products.

I also have firm orders for the goods asked for. Would you send someone with my consignment as soon as possible and at the same time pick up the wrongly delivered goods? Thank you.

Yours sincerely,R HughesR Hughes

2. Try to match the paragraphs in B to the functions given in line A:A → a. Identify the order/contract that you refer to.b. State reason for the complaint.c. Suggest possible causes of deficiency.d. Show what you have done so far to clarify the problems.e. State what you require the other party to do.B → 1. We regret we have to complain about the way the consignment received has been packed.2. We are keeping the damaged goods here for inspection by your representative.3. The goods we received are definitely inferior to the sample on the basis of which we placed our order.4. We are writing to you in connection with order no. 1233.5. The packing has been inadequate and unsuitable to transport and local conditions.6. This is a clear case of damage for which the carriers must be held responsible, because the damage arose from failure in proper loading/stowing/handling.7. We have to inform you that case no.5 contained … instead of … 8. The experts we have consulted say that the damage is due to faulty packing/rough handling during loading and unloading.9. Please let us have a replacement of the damaged/short-shipped/missing/low quality goods.10. On unpacking we found the goods slightly/severely/partly/entirely damaged.11. Please see to the immediate delivery of the goods as we urgently need them.12. Please send us your credit note for the amount of the missing/damaged goods.13. There seems to have been an error when weighing the goods as the cases show no sign of pilferage.14. we regret to inform you that the goods are considerably overdue.15. We have to inform you that a shortage of weight has been ascertained when taking delivery of the goods.

51

16. Please look into the matter at once and send us your prompt reply.17. In order to prove our statement we are sending you a sample of the goods we received and one on the basis of which we gave you our order.

3. Try to keep in mind → when writing a complaint, there a several steps you should follow:- Opening → informs the supplier about the order or contract that the complaint refers to; it should be short and concise; there is no need for apologies: We would like to inform you // I am writing to complain about- The problem → politely indicate the problem : Could you ask your accounts department to check my code carefully in the future? My account number is 125-765, and they have been sending me statements coded 765-125.- Suggesting a solution → The best solution would be for me to return the wrong articles to you, postage and packing forward.


Stimate Domnule Dale,

Pe 15 octombrie am comandat două cutii de plicuri mărimea 15 (comanda nr. 1456). Pe 1 noiembrie am primit două cutii cu plicuri mărimea 10. Cum compania noastră foloseşte exclusiv plicuri mărimea 15, nu putem folosi plicurile trimise de dvs.

Returnez acum cele două cutii de plicuri. Trimiteţi vă rog cutiile cu plicuri mărimea 15 cât mai repede posibil. Corectaţi, vă rog, de asemenea, şi factura nr. 5647 din 1 noiembrie 2000.

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Mi-aţi cerut $85 (valoarea plicurilor mărimea 10), deţi valoarea plicurilor comandate de noi este de $56.

Vă mulţumesc pentru ajutor.

Cu stimă,

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UNIT 12

Complaints ( 2)

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from those listed below:

adjustment, angry, apology, awkward, cancel, complaint, compensation,damaged (2 times), delay, deducted, documents,

effected, expected, good, inconvenience, investigate, lower, matter, mutual, overcharging, overshipment, pending, rejected, replacement, raise, rectified, recurrence, rise,

sample, short shipment, supplier, transaction, urge, unjustified, warehouse

While a (1) is carried out it sometimes happens that certain things go wrong. In the event of some (2) caused to him, the buyer should write a letter of (3) to the (4). Such a letter should avoid an (5) tone. It should clearly state the contract the buyer refers to, then point out what the cause of dissatisfaction is. A mention of possible causes of the problem and what the supplier is (6) to do should follow. Te main types of problems that give (7) to complaints are: (8) in delivery; goods (9) during transportation; bad packing; overshipment or undershipment of goods; the quality of the goods supplied is below the (10) according to which the order was placed; wrong goods have been sent; wrong (11).

In the event of delayed delivery the buyer may write a complaint pointing out that this puts him in a/an (12) position with his customers. He should (13) on immediate delivery or else threaten to (14) the order. When the goods arrive in a (15) condition the buyer will point out the possible cause and require that the supplier should look into the (16) and find out why the damage occurred. He could ask for a (17) of the damaged goods and should require, if insurance was (18) by the supplier, that the latter should (19) claims with the insurer. In cases of complaints referring to the quantity of goods

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shipped, when there is a (20), the buyer may ask for the delivery of the missing goods, that means the seller is requested to make (21) the shortage. Or the buyer may ask that the value of the missing goods should be (22) from the price. In the event of (23), the goods in excess may be rejected and (24) at the buyer’s risk and expense(25) the receipt of the instructions of the latter on the disposal of the goods. Or, if accepted, a (26) price could be suggested. Goods of lower quality than ordered can be either (27) or accepted at a discount. When there is a mistake in the documents, such as an (28) of the invoice, the documents concerned should be sent back for being (29).

The answer to a complaint is called a letter of (30). Such a letter should be written as soon as the complaint has been received. Even if it takes more time to (31) the matter, the supplier should answer promptly and promise to send a follow-up when things have been clarified. An adjustment should contain an (32) for the inconvenience caused by the buyer, an explanation of causes of the mistake and what has been done and will be done to make things good and avoid the (33) of such mistakes. In the final part, the letter will express the hope that in spite of the unfortunate event, business relations will continue for the (34) benefit. Such a letter is recommended if the complaint is justified. In cases where the complaint is (35), the supplier will clearly and politely point out why the complaint has been rejected and no (36) can be made.

2. Translate the text given above into Romanian, then try to answer the following questions:What is a complaint and by whom is it usually written? When and why is a complaint written?Which are the main reasons that determine a customer to write a complaint?What information does a complaint usually comprise?What tone should the writer use in a complaint?What is an adjustment?

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When does one write an adjustment?What does an adjustment usually contain?

3. Fill in the gaps using the words given below:breakage, broken, claims, consignment, handling, packing,

replacement, report, shift

Dear Sirs,

Yesterday we received the (1) no.765 to our order no.213. We were rather surprised to find, on opening the cases, that some china items in case no. 3 were (2). Te (3) is due, in our opinion, to loose (4) which permitted the contents to (5) during (6) while loading and unloading the consignment.

Please send us a (7) of the broken items by first available vessel, as we urgently need the goods for our customers.

We enclose the list of broken items together with the survey (8) proving the damage. In the meantime you can raise (9) with the insurers as insurance has been effected by you.

We are looking forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

1. You work in the Purchasing Department of a hotel. You placed an order with a large textile factory for 20 doz. towels (two sizes, the same colour) and 10 doz. bed sheets (three colours, the same size). You have just received the ordered towels (order no. 2546/23 June 2003). When opening the cases, you

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Let’s write!

have found 10 doz. towels (all of the same colour and the same size) and 20 doz. bed sheets (all of the same size and in two colours). Write a complaint to your supplier.

2. You work as a travel agent with a successful travel agency. You have a lot of customers and sometimes you have to do overtime in order to answer all their requests. Write a complaint to your boss, requiring either help form another employee or extra pay for extra hours.

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Accounts DepartmentThird Floor

7 February 2001

Miss D KennyPersonnel ManagerFifth Floor

Dear Miss Kenny,

I wish to draw your attention to the washing facilities on the third floor. Only one sink is provided for over one hundred male employees on this floor. There is usually neither soap nor clean towels available.

This must be detrimental to the health of employees and is certainly a waste of the Company’s money since much work time is lost in queuing for the use of these inadequate facilities. I believe this, in fact, to be in contravention of the laws relating to Health and Safety At Work.

I would be grateful if you looked into this matter urgently, with a view to providing adequate, well-maintained facilities.

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of the Accounts DepartmentJohn Hariss

UNIT 13

Adjustment Letters

1. Read the following adjustment letter, translate it into Romanian and try to establish the function of each paragraph:

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Homemakers Ltd.54-59 RiversideCardiff CF1 1JW

30 April 2002

Mr R. HughesR. Hughes & Son Ltd.21 Mead RoadGlamorgan3ST 1DR

Dear Mr Hughes,

Thank you for your letter of 21 April 2002 in which you said you had received a wrong delivery to your order (No.1695).

I have looked into this and it appears that you have ordered from an out-of-date catalogue. Our current catalogue is Winter 2001-2002 and this lists the dressing tables you wanted under DR189.

I have instructed one of my drivers to deliver the pine-finish dressing tables tomorrow and pick up the other consignment at the same time. Rather than sending a credit note, I will cancel invoice No. T4451 and include another, No. T4467, with the delivery.

There is also a Winter 2001-2002 catalogue on its way to you in case you have mislaid the one I originally sent you.

Yours sincerely,

R. Cliff

2. Try to match the paragraphs in B to the functions given in line A:A → a. Acknowledge the receipt of complaint.b. Explain what caused the mistake.c. State actions taken to find out the cause of the problem and to prevent the mistake occurring again.d. Make an apology.e. Reassure the customer.f. Close te letter.B → 1. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.2. We look forward to hearing of the safe arrival of the replacements.3. We assure you that such errors will be avoided in the future.4. We have already dispatched replacements for the shortshipped/missing/damaged goods.5. We promise that such mistakes will not occur again.6. We have arranged for the collection of the wrongly dispatched goods.7. Te error was due to our new clerks who overlooked the instructions.8. We enclose our credit note to the amount of … to adjust the matter.9. We look forward to continuing our business relations with you.10. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the error.11. As soon as we received your letter we asked our clerks to look into the matter.12. Thank you for your letter of the 5th of May.

3. Fill in the gaps using the words given below:apologize, handled, hasten, impair, let, look, packers

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter of the 2nd of July in which you complained about the breakage of some china items in the consignment we have dispatched you.

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We (1) for the inconvenience caused and have already got into touch with our (2) and asked them to (3) into the matter carefully. As soon as we get the conclusions we will (4) you know.

In the meantime we (5) to send you the required replacements, that will reach you soon.

We hope you will be satisfied with the way we (6) the matter and that this unfortunate event will not (7) our further business relations.

Yours faithfully,

4. Try to keep in mind → when writing an adjustment letter, there a several steps you should follow:- Opening → acknowledge that you have received the complaint and thank your customer for informing you. E.g. We would like to thank you for informing us of our accounting error in your letter of 7 July.- Getting time to investigate the complaint → if you cannot solve the problem immediately, inform your customer that you need time to adjust the error. E.g. While we cannot give you an explanation at present, we can promise that we are looking into the matter and will write to you again shortly.- Explaining the mistake/misunderstanding → try to avoid blaming your staff for the error; use pronouns (instead of proper names) and verbs in the Passive Voice. E.g. It is unusual for this type of error to arise, but the problem has now been dealt with.- Solving the problem → you must inform your customer about the way you are going to solve the problem. E.g. We have now checked our accounts and find that we have indeed been sending you the wrong statement due to a confusion in names and addresses. Te computer has been reprogrammed

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and there should be no more difficulties. Please contact us again if any similar situation arises.- Closing → you should mention that the mistake/error/fault is an exception, you should assure your customer that it will never happen again. You should also apologize for the inconvenience your customer experienced. E.g. Finally, may we say that this was an exceptional mistake and is unlikely to occur again. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.


Stimate Domnule Harris,

Aş vrea să vă mulţumesc pentru scrisoare dvs. din 2 noiembrie, în care ne informaţi de greşeala survenită în timpul livrării celor două cutii de plicuri.

Se pare că pe lângă comanda dvs. a mai existat o altă comandă pentru două cutii de plicuri mărimea 10 de la o companie al cărei nume este asemănător cu numele companiei dvs. Cele două comenzi au fost inversate în cadrul Departamentului Livrări.

Am dispus deja livrarea celor două cutii de plicuri mărimea 15. Vi le va aduce şoferul nostru mâine dimineaţă. Veţi primi, de asemenea, noua factură. Vă rugăm să returnaţi, tot prin şofer, cele două cutii de plicuri mărimea 10 livrate greşit către companis dvs şi prima factură.

Ne cerem scuze pentru eventualele neplăceri pe care vi le-am produs. Este pentru prima dată când se produce o astfel de greşeală şi vă putem asigura că nu vor mai exista astfel de probleme în viitor.

Cu stimă,

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Write an answer for the each of the two complaintsyou wrote for UNIT 12.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 14

Recruitment

1. Read the following text and try to keep in mind the new words:

Checking out job advertisements is popular with executives worldwide. But though the activity is universal, is the same true of the advertisements? Are executive positions in different countries advertised in the same way? A comparison of the jobs pages of The Times of London, Le Monde of Paris and Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung suggests not.

First, what UK job seekers consider an essential piece of information – what the post pays – is absent from French and German adverts. It is often left to applicants to raise this themselves. In contrast, most British advertisements mention not only salary, but also other material incentives including a car and fringe benefits. French or German advertisements rarely refer to these. The attention given to rewards in the UK indicates the importance of the job and its responsibility. In France and Germany, that information is given by the level of experience and qualifications demanded. Salary can be assumed to correspond with this.

If French and German adverts are vague about material rewards, they are precise about qualifications. They usually demand ‘a degree in …’, not simply ‘a degree’. In Germany, for example, a technical director for a machine tool company will be expected to have a Dipl.-Ing. Degree in Mechanical Engineering. French advertisements go further. They may specify not just the type of grande école degree, but sometimes a particular set of institutions (Formation supérieure X, Centrale, Mines, HEC, ESSEC), these being the most famous grandes écoles.

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All this contrasts with the vague call for ‘graduates’ (or ‘graduate preferred) which is found in the UK. British companies often give the impression that they have a particular type of applicant in mind, but are not sure about the supply and will consider others. Their wording suggests hope and uncertainty, as in this advertisement from The Times: ‘Whilst educational standards are obviously important, a large measure of personal oomph is likely to secure the success of your application.’

In the UK qualifications beyond degree level make employers nervous, but in France or Germany it is difficult to be ‘overqualified’. Many people on German executive boards have doctorates and the French regard five or six years of intensive post-baccalauréat study at a Grand école as ideal training. British managers are not selected primarily for their intelligence, as managers are in France, or for their expert knowledge, as in Germany. Instead, the British give importance to social, political and leadership skills.

This difference also shows in the personal qualities mentioned. British advertisements stress energy, ability to communicate and motivate. German advertisements like achievement, but they tend to be less personality-driven. German companies want candidates with sound knowledge, experience and competence in their field. They rarely recruit novices as do British employers. French advertisements refer more to intellectual qualities like analytical aptitude and independence.

Even the tone of the job advertisements is different in the three countries. By French and German standards, British advertisements are very racy. They attract young executives with challenges such as: ‘Are you reaching your potential?’, whereas French and German advertisements are boringly direct, aiming to give information about the job rather than to sell it.

All this points to three different conceptions of management. The French regard it as intellectually complex, the German as technically complex, and the

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British as interpersonally complex. But they agree on one thing: it is complex.

2. Match the words in line B with the heading in line A:A → 1. fringe benefits, 2. education, 3. stages in recruiting, 4. personal qualities, 5. people looking for workB → job seekers, bonus, applicants, confidence, doctorate, candidates, advertisement, qualifications, enthusiasm, initiative, company car, diploma, interview, degree, interviewees, job offer, independence, pension plan, health insurance

3. Fill in the gaps, using the words given below:application form, applicants, apply for, covering letter,

curriculum vitae, hire, interview, letter of application, position, recruit,

recruitment agency, résuméWhen a company needs to (1) or employ new people,

it may decide to advertise the job or (2) in the appointments section of a newspaper. People who are interested can then (3) the job by sending in a (4) or (5) [US cover letter] and a (6) or CV [US (7)] containing details of their education and experience. A company may also ask candidates to complete a standard (8). The company’s Human Resources department will then select the most suitable applications and prepare a short list of candidates or (9), who are invited to attend a(n) (10). Another way for a company to (11) is by using the services of a (12) [US search firm] who will provide them with a list of suitable candidates.

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5. Fill in the gaps using the words given below:allowance, applicant, apply, circulation, employee,filled, fringe, interviewer, matters, outset, picture,

qualifications, relocation, short,substantiate, suitability, suitable, surname, vacancy

When there is a (1) in a company it is usual to advertise the position in the appointments page of a newspapers of wide (2). As a rule in the advertisement, mention is made of the requirements for the job: (3), experience, skills, etc. At the same time the advertisement highlights the advantages offered by the employer to the prospective (4): incentives in the form of salary, (5) benefits, private health insurance, pension schemes, (6) assistance, overseas (9) a.s.o. Anyone interested in getting the job who meets the requirements can (8) by sending her/his CV with an accompanying letter to the address of the company as shown in the advertisement. Te CV should include personal details [ (9), first name, date of birth, nationality, address] and information on the (10)’s background: studies, qualifications, experience, skills. It should also give some references. In the accompanying letter the applicant should also stress her/his achievements and point out that she/he is (11) for the job and even show some enthusiasm. Te applicant can conclude the

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Leading ManufacturerSeeks European Sales Manager

Must be an (1) self starter with a proven track (2) Must have the ability to use time to (3) effect This is a demanding role for a gifted (4) with a

sound (5) of German and Spanish We offer a (6) salary plus (7) scheme and

substantial (8) package.

letter by expressing her/his hope that she/he will be given the chance of an interview to (12) her/his claims. It is advisable that the two mentioned documents should be presented in an attractive form: computer-edited, printed on high quality paper, with no language mistakes so as to make a favourable impression from the very (13). This is recommended because not all applicants are selected for the next stage of the recruitment process. Those who are (14)-listed have the chance of an interview in which they must convince the managers that they can do the best job of all who have applied.

The interviewee should arrive at the appointed time, be well dressed and do everything to impress the (15) favourably. Most managers are interested in the candidate’s character, in her/his intelligence and (16) for the position that has to be (17). Appearance also (18), as well as showing that you understand the way the company works and what is expected of you. You are given the opportunity to ask some questions and you should ask questions that prove you are in the (19) with what is going on in the company.

Find three different job advertisements for executives in Romanian newspapers or magazines, read them carefully and try to determine their characteristics. Compare, in a short composition, British and Romanian job advertisements.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 15

Job Advertisements

1. Read the following job advertisement and try to establish what information each paragraph provides:

THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATIONDIRECTOR

CREATIVITY & CULTURE PROGRAMNew York, NY

The Rockefeller Foundation is a knowledge-based foundation with a mission to enrich and sustain the lives and livelihoods of poor and excluded people throughout the world. Our values encompass equity and fairness, diversity, voice and participation, knowledge and creativity, humility and respect, honesty and integrity. For more information about the Rockefeller Foundation, its locations and this position, please go to our website at www.rockfound.org.

The Rockefeller Foundation is currently seeking a Director for its Creativity & Culture Theme. The position is located in New York and will have responsibility for fully describing and refining the Theme’s emerging global strategy, for identifying and developing practical and effective programs to fulfill the strategy, and for building and leading a team that can implement these plans through thoughtful and innovative partnerships with grantees and the broader cultural community.

Qualifications include: a commitment to the mission and values of the

Foundation an advanced degree relevant to the arts or humanities a minimum of ten years professional experience as

well as a minimum of five years managing staff and leading teams of knowledge professionals

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http://www.rockfound.org/

excellent oral and written English; flexibility to travel extensively, both domestically and

internationallyFor further information about this position, as well as to

apply, please contact Machlowitz Consultants Inc., 445 Park Avenue, 9th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Applications should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] and should include a cover letter, a detailed CV and the names and contact information (phone, fax, e-mail) of three professional references by October 15, 2003.

We thank all applicants for their interest and will contact only those candidates whose skills and experience best match the requirements of this position.

THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

2. Try to rearrange the following fragments, so that you could obtain a job advertisement:

a. Initial contracts will be for 3-5 years, with the possibility of extension or permanent appointment.

b. London

c. Closing date for applications: 4th August 2003 Applicants must be UK, Commonwealth or EC nationals. More information about the work of the OFT can be found on our website at www.oft.gov.uk The Office of Fair Trading is an equal opportunities employer.

d. Applicants for all posts will be expected to have worked as a professional economist for at least three years and to have strong experience in the economic analysis of markets, with a good knowledge of industrial organisation economics. Candidates must also satisfy the general entry requirements of

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http://www.oft.gov.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

the Government Economic Service (a degree in economics with first or Lipper second class honours, or a postgraduate degree in economics or a related subject).

e. Economic Advisers, Markets and Policy Initiatives Division

f. The Office of Fair Trading is at the forefront of the drive to create a properly functioning competitive market that benefits consumers. The introduction of the new Enterprise Act is set to expand the OFT's role and strengthen its powers of enforcement in competition and consumer protection. The Markets and Policy Initiatives Division (MPID) is responsible, amongst other tasks, for leading studies into markets which do not appear to be serving consumers well, providing professional advice and help across the OFT on economics, financial and statistical analysis, and identifying issues arising from initiatives taken elsewhere in Government that impact on competition within markets.

g. You will be given the opportunity to complete an OFT sponsored course in Competition Law and Economics, which leads to a post graduate certificate.h. 5. We are looking for a number of Economic Advisers to join the Division. Posts are available as follows:

one post to head one of two teams responsible for preliminary research and conducting market studies, including dealing With 'super complaints' from consumer bodies under the Enterprise Act

one post to manage a team including other economists, lawyers and other competition and consumer specialists to deliver a major market study

one post to head the OFT's Regulatory Review Team, which is responsible for advising Government on the effects of proposed legislation on competition

one post to provide economic advice on market studies under the Enterprise Act

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one post to provide advice on competition law and policy to government departments and liaise with them when current or prospective policies may have an impact on competition

i. For further information about the posts, and an application form, please contact our recruiting consultant, quoting the appropriate reference number: Andrew Sinclair-Smith Quadrant Search & Selection 90 Long Acre Covent Garden London WC2E 9RZ Tel: 020 7849 3071 Email: [email protected]

j. In addition, applicants must be able to: demonstrate excellent communication, analytical and

research skills sound judgment and impartiality the ability to organise their own and others' work to

tight deadlines, strong staff management or Supervisory experience

excellent interpersonal and team working skills, and a willingness to be flexible

3. Translate into English:a.

SOCIETATEA DE ASIGURĂRI ALLIANZ ŢIRIAC ASIGURĂRI S.A. SUCURSALA PLOIEŞTI PENTRU

STRUCTURA DE VÂNZARI SERVICII FINANCIARE SELECŢIONEAZA CONSULTANŢI FINANCIARI:

#Cerinţe: experienţă vânzări, foarte bune abilităţi de comunicare, dinamism, spirit de iniţiativă, spirit de echipă, studii superioare.#Oferim: posibilitatea dezvoltării unei cariere într-o companie de renume, mediu de lucru profesionist, training initial şi

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mailto:[email protected]

permanent, pachet motivaţional stimulativ. Asteptăm CV-urile dvs.însoţite de o scrisoare de intenţie până la 30.06.2003 [email protected]

b.DIRECTOR SUCURSALA SUD – FARMEXPERT

(BUCURESTI)FARMEXPERT D.C.I. este o companie cu capital integral românesc, având sediul central în Bucuresti. Activitatea companiei constã în importul şi distribuţia de medicamente, cosmetice şi produse parafarmaceutice.# Descrierea postului: - organizarea, conducerea şi gestionarea activităţii societăţii, pe baza obiectivelor şi criteriilor de performanşă stabilite;- supervizarea, motivarea şi evaluarea echipei coordonate;- prezentarea lunară consiliului de administraţie a situaţiei economico-financiare a societăţii, stadiul realizărilor investiţiilor, precum şi alte documente privind îndeplinirea obiectivelor, criteriilor de performanşă etc.# Cerinţe : - experienşă de minim doi ani în conducerea unei firme/departament, cu atribuţii de organizare şi supervizare atât a activităţilor de vânzare cât şi a celor logistice şi financiar -contabile- studii superioare finalizate;- cunoştinţe economice# Oferta (bonusuri, beneficii) - oferim celor ajunşi la maturitate în management posibilitatea aplicării cunoştinţelor acumulate la un nivel superior;- realizarea obiectivelor este recompensată la nivel de top.

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You are the Human Resources Manager at a large hotels chain. You need a Marketing Manager. Write a job advertisement in which you describe the position, the qualifications and the experience necessary for the job, as well as the fringe benefits you offer.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 16

Letter of Application

1. Read the job advertisement and then fill in the gaps using the words given below:am, East, July, Like, Monthly, Mr, my, position, Street, week, yours

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Publisher’s MonthlyJuly 16, 2003File Clerk wanted. Must have high school education. Send resumé to Mr Paul Rook, Human Resources Manager, Rascott Printing, 200 East 57th

Street, New York, NY 10010

Anne Richards17 Flowers StreetLondon

July 17th, 2003

…(1)… Paul JohnsonHuman Resources ManagerRascott Printing200 …(2)… 57th …(3)…New York, NY10010

Dear …(4)… Rook,

I …(5)… applying for the …(6)… of file clerk which was advertised in the …(7)… Publisher’s …(8)… .

I have enclosed …(9)… resumé, and I would …(10)… to schedule an interview. I will call you early next …(11)… .

I look forward to discussing this position with you.

Sincerely …(12)…,

2. Read carefully the following letter of application and try to determine what information it usually offers:

Dear Mr Ody,

I wish to apply for the position of skilled motor mechanic as advertised in today’s Manchter Gazette.

Having completed a full apprenticeship, I have been employed by Jones Motors in the London Road for the past two years. I am now anxious to move to a firm where there are greater prospects for promotion and more interesting and varied work.

My present manager, Mr Brian, has agreed to give me a reference, and I would be free to attend an interview any evening after 4.30 p.m..

Yours sincerely,

3. Say whether the following statements are true or false:a. When writing to a prospective employer, your letter of application is your ambassador. b. The letter of application is the basis on which you are called to an interview.c. Your letter of application should not be written neatly, it should not respect the laying conventions specific to business correspondence.d. You should be clear and concise when writing a letter of application.e. The letter of application should be at least two pages long, it should contain a lot of information on your private life.f. Avoid being informal or chatty in a letter of application.g. Include all relevant information, but avoid unnecessary details.

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h. Write about your education, qualifications, abilities and experience and explain why you think these would be useful to the prospective employer.i. Try to make yourself ‘look better’ in the eyes of a prospective employer.j. Try to impress your prospective employer by saying that you could do everything he/she requires you to do.k. Tell your prospective employer you could learn anything in a short period of time. l. State what jobs you think you can handle and at what level. m. Show that you know something about the company you intend to work for.n. Explain why you think you are best suited for the job.o. Show that you are anxious about getting the job.p. Ask about the salary the company offers.

Did you know that…?There are situations when one needs or wants to write

to an employer offering his/her services for a job that has not been advertised. This is called ‘applying on spec’. The following example is a letter of application written on spec. Put the paragraphs into the correct order, than translate the letter into Romanian:

1. Dear Mr Davies,

2. Since leaving school I have not been able to find a regular job, but I have done some temporary work with Messrs Smith and Jones, who have been please with my work. Mr Smith will be quite willing to give me a reference.

3. Yours sincerely,

4. Mr M DaviesStaff managerJ Bloggs & Sons LtdBRIMTON

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BedsMB4 PQ8

5. I am writing to inquire whether you have any vacancies for a junior office assistant.

6. Caroline Brown (Miss)

7. I left Edward’s School last Christmas, having passed GCSE Examinations in English Language, Geography and French. In my last year at school I also took a course in typing and general office procedures, and I am keen to make proper use of these skills.

8. 18 Field GardensBRIMTONBedsAB6 5PR

9. 17 March 2003

10. I realise that you may not have any vacancies at present, but I would be very willing to work in any department and to undertake any training required. I therefore hope that you will consider my application favourably whenever a possible position arises.


Stimate Domnule Georgescu,

Vă scriu această scrisoare drept răspuns la anunţul dat de firma dvs. în numărul din 7 iulie al cotidianului xxxxx. Aş dori să candidez pentru postul de manager adjunct, departamentul Marketing.

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Am absolvit anul acesta Faculatatea de Ştiinţe Economice, secţia Marketing. Am urmat, în paralel, un curs de informatică de un an şi un curs intensiv de limba germană de şase luni. Ştiu că firma dvs. colaborează cu două firme din Germania şi sunt convins că voi putea folosi cunoştinţele mele de limba germană în relaţia cu aceşti parteneri.

Am mai colaborat, pe parcursul anilor de studiu, cu două firme: firma de publicitate, SC X SRL şi cotidianul XXX, unde m-am ocupat de studiile de piaţă. Vă pot trimite, dacă este necesar, scrisori de recomandare de la directorii generali ai celor două societăţi.

Cred că am atât calificarea, cât şi experienţa necesare pentru acest post. Puteţi citi în CV-ul ataşat o prezentare detaliată a studiilor şi a activităţilor profesionale desfăşurate până în prezent. Sper să vă pot da personal lămuriri suplimenare la un interviu.

Aştepr răspunsul dvs.

Cu stimă,Radu Popescu

1. You have just graduated the Tourism-Services Section within the Economic Sciences Department. Write a letter of application on spec to a large company of your own choice.

2. Find an interesting job advertisement in a local newspaper. Apply for the job in a letter of application.

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UNIT 17

Answering a Letter of Application

1. Fill in the gaps, using the words given below: letter, like, Mr, on (twice), Reilly, resumé, Shop-A-Lot, yours

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Shop-A-Lot Inc.100 Washington StreetScranton, Pennsylvania 15850145-658-5000

June 14, 2003

Mr. William Reilly96 Columbia RoadAustin, Texas 3254

Dear …(1)… …(2)…,

Thank you for sending your …(3)… and …(4)… . They arrived …(5)… June 12.

We appreciate your interest in …(6)…, and we would …(7)… to schedule an interview …(8)… Wednesday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. Please call us to confirm.

We look forward to talking to you.

Sincerely …(9)…,

2. The first thing you do when you are interested in an applicant is to request him/her to attend an interview:

Dear Mr Smith,

My partners and I were most interested in your application for the position of Solicitor at these offices.

We would like to meet you to discuss the position further, and I would therefore be glad if you would telephone my secretary to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

3. If you consider that the applicant meets the requirements of the job, you offer him/her employment:

Dear Mr Smith,

I am delighted to tell you that my partners and I have decided to offer you the post of Solicitor with our firm.

Since you told me that you must give one month’s notice to your present employers, it would seem sensible for you not to take up your position here until 12 July. I have entered this date on the enclosed contract of employment, which I would ask you to sign and return to me as soon as possible.

I hope you will enjoy working xxx Ltd.

Yours sincerely,

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Write a letter in which you inform an applicant that the job he applied for has already been taken by somebody that met all the requirements related to qualifications and work experience.


Dear Elizabeth,

Further to our recent meeting, I am pleased to confirm your new appointment as head of our Personnel division. Please accept the congratulations of both myself and the managing director, as we wish you well with your new position.

You will be pleased to learn that Jane Sugarman has agreed to work as your personal assistant, and will be arranging the removal of your furniture and effects to your new office at the end of next week. Please let her know of any special requirements as soon as possible.

In the next few days, you will receive full details of your new responsibilities, and be issued with a new job description and amended salary advice. If you wish to discuss any of these further, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

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Let’s write!


Domnule Ionescu,

Am primit scrisoarea dvs. de intenţie în care spuneţi că sunteţi interesat de postul de contabil. Am citit-o cu atenţie şi cred că aveţi atât calificarea, cât şi exeperienţa necesare pentru acest post. Am putea folosi de asemena cunoştinţele dvs. de limba japoneză în relaţiile cu partenerii noştri din Japonia.

Singura problemă care pare să împiedice colaborarea noastră este cea legată de salariu. Condiţia dvs. de a primi un salariu de $1000 \ lună este bine justificată, dar din păcate firma noastră, care şi-a început activitatea doar de două luni, nu poate oferi acest salariu acum. Putem oferi un salariu de $500 \lună pentru primele şase luni, cu speranţa că într-un an putem ajunge la salariul solicitat de dvs.

Dacă sunteţi interesat de oferta noastră, vă rog sa ne comunicaţi cât mai repede posibil prin telefon, căci mai avem doi candidaţi cu care am dori să discutăm.

Cu stimă,

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UNIT 18

Curriculum Vitae

1. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

a. A curriculum vitae is a document giving details of your qualifications and the jobs you have had in the past that you send to someone when you are applying for a job.b. The American equivalent for CV is resumé.c. A CV should contain as many personal information as possible, such as: your husband’s name and profession, your children’s hobbies, your favourite colours, etc.d. Nowadays, a CV usually starts from the most recent jobs and works back, giving brief, but relevant information on each.e. A CV should comprise at least three pages.f. A CV should be short and concise, it should focus on the information that you consider interesting for the prospective employer. g. A CV should contain as many abilities and skills as possible, even if not all of them characterize you.

2. Here you have a personnel manager’s opinion on how a good CV should look like. Read the interview carefully and say whether you agree with him or not. What other recommendations would you make to an applicant who is trying to write a CV?

Yes, well, there has been a lot of variation in the way CVs are set out over the last few years, and indeed one still sees different formats arriving on one’s desk.

However, probably the most common format these days, and certainly the one I most like to get – because you can see at a glance whether it’s worth reading the whole thing

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or not – is the one that starts form the most recent job and works back, giving brief, but relevant information on each. There is a slight tendency, particularly among foreign – that is non British applicants – to go for the hard sell. By this I mean almost to boast of their accomplishments and success in each post. But I confess I personally find this rather distasteful and it rather puts me off. Anyway, to get down to brass tacks, a good CV these days should begin by saying what it is: a CV. So the person’s name should be prominent. Then there should be a brief section on personal details: address, telephone number, nationality and marital status. And when you are applying for a post with a company in another country, or for a job that requires travel or the use of one or more foreign languages, you should add here your proficiency in those languages: ‘fluent’, if you speak a language well; ‘intermediate’ if it is OK, and ‘basic’ if you can just about get by. Incidentally, if you have any nationally or internationally recognised examination demonstrating your proficiency, it’s a good idea to mention that here, too – you know, for English: the Cambridge First Certificate or the London Chamber of Commerce level 2 or 3, etc.

This should be followed by a section on qualifications and training, again, as I said earlier, beginning with the most recent and moving back, so that I can see what you’ve been up to since your initial training. One difficult thing for us in personnel when evaluating applications from abroad is the problem of equivalences. It is of no help whatsoever to go round putting down diplomas which only exist in your country, unless you also put in brackets afterwards an approximate British equivalent that I can relate to. Another bad habit I’ve noticed – particularly with the French, for some reason – is to put down the name of what is, presumably, some highly prestigious establishment within their own country, on the assumption that everybody in the world knows about it. It was only recently, for example, that I HEC was a – if not the – leading French business school. Before that when I saw on a CV ‘diploma from HEC, my reaction was simply “Oh, this person wasn’t good enough to go to a university”. A related

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difficulty is candidates who just put the English equivalent. I had this problem recently with a young man who claimed he had an MBA. At interview, however, we discovered he had simply translated Studii Aprofundate de Management (literally, a masters degree in management science), so the excellent level of English we were expecting from someone who had studied in the UK or the States didn’t materialise. This brings me to another point: it is important to state when and where you got a qualification.

The next section, and the most important, is the one on work experience. Again, this should be in order of most recent first, so that I can see what you are doing at present and have been doing recently. For those who are applying for their first job, it is useful to mention any periods of occupational training you may have undertaken in a company or companies, or any relevant summer jobs you may have had. In this section, too, just briefly, in almost note form, main responsibilities and successes, and so on.

Finally, we in Britain like to know something about a candidate’s life outside of work, so a short final section on outside interests is always useful. Again, for those applying for a job, this can sometimes be a crucial section. If you have been secretary of your own local tennis club or something, it may be the only opportunity you have had to demonstrate that you are fit for positions of responsibility. Well, I hope this little talk has been of some help to you, and wish you the best of luck in the future. Thank you.

3. Focus on vocabulary: you have here several British / American equivalents in the field of education:

- associate degree = diplomă obţinută după doi ani de studii universitare într-o şcoală postliceală (junior college or community college)

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- bachelor’s degree = diplomă primită, în general, după efectuarea studiilor superioare (în general, de 3 ani înMarea Britanie şi 4 ani în SUA)- B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) = diplomă primită, în general, după efectuarea studiilor superioare (în general, de 3 ani înMarea Britanie şi 4 ani în SUA) în domeniul literelor sau al ştiinţelor sociale- B. Eng. (Bachelor of Engineering) = diplomă de inginer primită după 3 (GB) sau 4 (SUA) ani de facultate- B.Sc. (GB) / B.S. (SUA) = Bachelor of Science = diplomă de studii în domeniul ştiinşelor, primită după trei sau patru ani de facultate- Business school = şcoală de comerţ sau de gestiune- C. Eng. (Chartered Engineer) = statut profesional realizat după primirea diplomei, urmată de experienţă profesională sau instruire în mediul industrial- Bursary = bursă de studii- Fellow = cercetător beneficiar al unei burse de studiu- Fellowship = ajutor financiar, bursă de cercetare care se acordă titularilor de Ph.D- Freshman = student în anul I- Honours / an honours degree = diplomă de merit- Master’s degree = diplomă obţinută la 1-2 ani după Bachelor s degree- M.A. (Master of Arts)- M.Sc (GB) / M.S. (USA) = Master of Science- Pg.D. / Pg.Dip. (Post Graduate Diploma) = toate diplomele obţinute după minimum 5-6 ani de studiu- Pd.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) = diplomă care încoronează 3-6 ani de cercetare, după obţinerea master’s degree; echivalent al doctoratului- Professional school = instituţie de învăţământ superior care pregăteşte pentru exercitarea de profesii liberale ca: medicină, farmacie, drept, etc- Submission (of a thesis) = prezentarea unei teze- TOEFL = Teat of English as a Foreign Language- Trade school = şcoală profesională pentru învăţarea unei meserii

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- Trainee = stagiar- Traineeship = stagiu de instruire- Vocational school = şcoală tehnică- Vocational-technical trening programme = program de instruire tehnică

4. Translate into English:a. competenţă profesională;experienţă anterioră; experienţă confirmată şi adecvată domeniuluiş experienşă vastă şi la un nivel înalt (în domeniul afacerilor); experienţă substanţială, relevantă în domeniul economic; înalt nivel de profesionalitate;b. cunoştinţe aprofundate; cunoţtinşe detaliate de …; cunoştinţe speciale (în comerţ);c. ambiţios, dornic să reuşească; abil în relaţiile cu publicul; delimitarea clară a obiectivelor în luarea de decizii; încrezător în capacităţile proprii de comunicare; uşurinţă în stabilirea relaţiilor interpersonale; a se implica în…; d. cu capacitatea de integrare într-o echipă dinamică; cu capacitatea de a se implica total în muncă; consacrat muncii; simţ dezvoltat al umorului; capabil să facă faţă condiţiilor de stres.

Write your CV, taking into account all the rules you have read so far.

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Let’s write!

UNIT 19

E-mail Messages

1. Read the following e-mail transmission, then choose the correct answer to the questions following it:

a. Who wrote the memo?A → the staff B → Liz Ranger

b. Who got the memo?A → the staff B → Liz Ranger

c. What is the memo about?A → Liz’ vacation B → the staff’s vacation dates

d. When should the staff send the information?A → in June or July B → before June 1

e. How should the staff reply?A → by electronic mail B → in person

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From: Liz Ranger To: All StaffSubject: Vacation schedule

I need to know your vacation schedules for the months of June and July. Please send your vacation dates to me by June 1, 1994.

Send the information to my electronic mailbox: Liz R.

Thank you for your cooperation.

2. A few rules to follow when writing an e-mail: Don’t forget about politeness. Although considered

informal, e-mail messages should try to stay within the limits of polite conversation.

Don’t lose your temper and don’t be aggressive. Don’t be rude, even if the message you received may have upset you.

Don’t try to be funny or sarcastic. Don’t use block capitals, since they are considered the

equivalent of shouting. Don’t use e-mail for private or confidential messages.

Don’t use e-mail for official letters or contracts. Official documents must always be presented in their original/printed form.

3. Did you know that…?Emoticons are little pictures created from punctuation.

Sometimes they are called ‘smileys’ because when you see them on the screen at a certain angle they look like faces. Their purpose is to express emotion or intent, for example, happiness, sadness, anger or frustration, and thereby overcome the problem of the lack of face-to-face contact. These emoticons are considered unsuitable for business communication. They are nevertheless frequently used in personal e-mail.

:) or :-) or = happy :( or :-( or = sad ;) or ;-) = only joking! :0 or :-0 = bored :-|| or :-< = angry or annoyed :’-( = crying :-)) or :-D = really happy :-* = kiss :-o = surprised :-| = grim :-/ = perplexed

4. A few pieces of information on the e-mail history:

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"The Internet may fairly be regarded as a never-ending worldwide conversation." - supreme judge’s statement on considering first amendment rights for Internet users.

On a cold war kind of day, in swinging 1969, work began on the ARPAnet, grandfather to the Internet. Designed as a computer version of the nuclear bomb shelter, ARPAnet protected the flow of information between military installations by creating a network of geographically separated computers that could exchange information via a newly developed protocol (rule for how computers interact) called NCP (Network Control Protocol).

One opposing view to ARPAnet's origins comes from Charles M. Herzfeld, the former director of ARPA. He claimed that ARPAnet was not created as a result of a military need, stating "it came out of our frustration that there were only a limited number of large, powerful research computers in the country and that many research investigators who should have access were geographically separated from them." ARPA stands for the Advanced Research Projects Agency, a branch of the military that developed top secret systems and weapons during the Cold War.

The first data exchange over this new network occurred between computers at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute. On their first attempt to log into Stanford's computer by typing "log win", UCLA researchers crashed their computer when they typed the letter 'g'.

Four DEC PDP-10 computers were the first connected in the original ARPAnet. They were located in the respective computer research labs of UCLA, Stanford Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. As the network expanded, different models of computers were connected, creating compatibility problems. The solution rested in a better set of protocols called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) designed in 1982.

To send a message on the network, a computer breaks its data into IP (Internet Protocol) packets, like individually addressed digital envelopes. TCP (Transmission Control

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Protocol) makes sure the packets are delivered from client to server and reassembled in the right order.

Under ARPAnet several major innovations occurred: email (or electronic mail), the ability to send simple messages to another person across the network (1971); telnet, a remote connection service for controlling a computer (1972); and file transfer protocol (FTP), which allows information to be sent from one computer to another in bulk (1973).

As non-military uses for the network increased, more and more people had access, and it was no longer safe for military purposes. As a result, MILnet, a military only network, was started in 1983. Internet Protocol software was soon being placed on every type of computer, and universities and research groups also began using in-house networks known as Local Area Network or LAN's. These in-house networks then started using Internet Protocol software so one LAN could connect with other LAN's.

In 1986, one LAN branched out to form a new competing network, called NSFnet (National Science Foundation Network). NSFnet first linked together the five national supercomputer centers, then every major university, and it started to replace the slower ARPAnet (which was finally shutdown in 1990). NSFnet formed the backbone of what we call the Internet today. "The Internet's pace of adoption eclipses all other technologies that preceded it. Radio was in existence 38 years before 50 million people tuned in; TV took 13 years to reach that benchmark. Sixteen years after the first PC kit came out, 50 million people were using one. Once it was opened to the general public, the Internet crossed that line in four years." - quote from the U.S. Department report "The Emerging Digital Economy".

5. Translate into Romanian:Historical addresses. The original design of

ARPANET email addresses assumed that every server could connect directly to every other server. Therefore, before the introduction of domain name based addresses, an email that

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needed to be routed through multiple servers to reach the recipient had to specify the entire route as part of the address. Over time, some organizations that weren't directly connected to the ARPANET began to communicate over dial-up lines. To reduce long distance connection costs, a relaying architecture was developed where each computer connected only to a certain number of other computers, and each computer passed on each other's email to the next computer in the chain, often using UUCP. The path that an email traveled was recorded in the header in what was called a "bang" notation, with the "!" character separating each computer in a path, as in the following actual bang path:

utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhtsa!ihnss!ihuxp!grgIn the above path, the local email address of the user who sent the email (Greg Guthrie) was "ihux!grg", and the rest of the computers in the path indicate the route the email took on its travels.

Years later, during the creation of the CSNET, another relaying notation was developed. The first instantiation of the CSNET established computers at RAND and the University of Delaware to provide email connectivity for sites not connected to the ARPANET. In order to indicate the required relaying, a notation called the "percent hack" was developed, so that an email address could be specified in the following form:

mary%compsci@udelThe above address specifies that the user "mary" has an account on the computer "compsci", and can be reached through the relaying host at the University of Delaware. The % sign was chosen because it wasn't used by any of the other popular email systems, and because it was visually similar to the notation "C/O" used to designate "in care of" for letters sent with postal mail. Although the percent hack enabled multilevel relaying, its actual use was limited to a single relay -- one % and one @.

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UNIT 20

Faxes & Memos

1. Match the means of communication in line A to their use in line B:A → fax, letter, memo, phone, telex, word processingB → a. it is used when there is no emergency or full details are required;b. it is used to pass information from one colleague to another;c. it is used to give a speedy written response;d. it is used for manipulating and recording chunks of text quickly and easily;e. it is used for urgent written messages when a fax is not available;f. it is used when a job needs doing fast.

4. Translate into Romanian: Fax has undoubtedly been the star of the office

equipment market in the 1980s, outpacing all comers in the last five years. Latest figures reveal that machine sales have now gone through the 640,000 mark and look set to remain buoyant for the year. However, in a business world dominated by the need for instant information and response to management decisions, can smaller businesses realistically survive without a fax?

Recent research has shown that the market for fax machines is far from saturated. Indeed, it is estimated that only 25% of the potential market is currently using fax, with many small and medium-size companies without a dedicated fax machine or access to a bureau. These companies are missing out on many opportunities that eager competitors will be happy to capitalise on. These missed opportunities may, in some cases, mean the difference between sink and swim. (1991)

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Did you know that…?Fax (facsimile) = a piece of correspondence sent over the phone line.

3. Read the following fax message and say which are its main parts:

01-33-1-42-50-23-15 Damen Printers, Inc.

1001 Gould Street

Wakefield, MA 01180

FaxTo: Reservations Manager From: James Grant, Manager

Fax: 01-33-1-42-60-38-60 Pages: This

Phone: 01-33-1-42-60-38-61 Date: 11 August 2003

Re: Reservation confirmation CC:

x Urgent For Review Please Comment Please Reply Please

Recycle

As we discusses in our telephone conversation this morning, I would like to confirm my hotel reservation for two (2) nights. I will arrive on August 10. I will leave on August 12. I will be arriving on French Airways at 11:39 p.m. from New York.

Please guarantee my reservation with my American Travel card, number 125455-42165-88, expiration date 11 / 2004.

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I look forward to my stay at your hotel.

Did you know that…?Memo = correspondence written from one person in a company to another in the same company. Te format is usually a block format.

2. Look at the following memo and say which are its main parts:

You work as a marketing manager with a

publishing house. Write a memo to the Purchasing Department, requiring some stationery (paper, pens, pencils, envelopes etc).

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From A. Peters To Accounts Date 25 May Subject Sun Ltd bill

Would you let us know whether the import documents should be released against payment of $2000 or $2200? Then let Sun Ltd know.

Thanks.

Copies to __________ Initials____ AP ______

Let’s write!

5. A few pieces of information on the history of fax and fax machine:

A Fax = the transmission of photographs, drawings, maps, and written or printed words by electric signals. Light waves reflected from an image are converted into electric signals, transmitted by wire or radio to a distant receiver, and reconstituted on paper or film into a copy of the original. Facsimile is used by news services to send news and photos to newspapers and television stations, by banks, airlines, and railroads to transmit the content of documents, and by many other businesses as an aid in data handling and record keeping. Facsimile systems involve optical scanning, signal encoding, modulation, signal transmission, demodulation, decoding, and copy making.

Facsimile transmission over wires or faxing was invented by Alexander Bain, a Scottish mechanic who in 1843 received a British patent for “improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs.” Seven years earlier, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and the fax machine evolved from the telegraph technology.

Alexander Bain had created a fax machine transmitter that was designed to scan a flat surface (made of metal) using a stylus mounted on a pendulum and the stylus picked up the images on the surface. An amateur clock maker, Alexander Bain adapted parts from clock mechanisms combined with telegraph technology to invent his fax machine.

Firsts in Fax Machine History - In 1902, Dr Arthur Korn invented an improved and practical fax, the photoelectric system. - In 1914, Edouard Belin established the concept for remote fax photo/news reporting. - The American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) worked to improve telephone facsimile technology, and in 1924, the telephotography machine was used to send political convention photos long distance for newspaper publication.

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On March 4, 1955, the first radio facsimile transmission was sent across the continent.

1. You work as a reservations manager with

a large restaurant in your town. Write a fax message to a customer who made a reservation for a wedding. Ask him to give you more details related to the number of guests, to the number of members per family, to his music preferences. You need the information as soon as possible.

2. Write the customer’s answer to the previous fax message.

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Let’s write!

Supplementary ReadingMiscellaneous Correspondence

A → Invitations

a. making an invitation

Dear Mr Grant,

We would like to invite you to attend our award ceremony at Claremont College which is being held on 14 November this year. Te proceedings will begin about 2 and end around 5 in the afternoon, after which a dinner will be given at 7 for our prominent visitors.

As one of our distinguished ex-students we would like you to address the parents and students with a short speech of your choice before handing out the awards.

Although we realize you are busy we hope you can find time to accept the invitation and look forward to seeing you.

Yours sincerely,

b. accepting an invitation

Dear Mr Edwards,

Mr Grant, our director, has asked me to write to thank you and accept your kind invitation to attend the award ceremony and speak at Claremont College on November 14.

He has fond memories of the college where he trained as an engineer, and welcomes the chance to visit it again.

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Te topic he has chosen to speak on is ‘Changing Technology in the Next Decade’, and he would appreciate it if you let him know whether this will be an acceptable subject.

Yours sincerely,

c. refusing an invitation

Dear Mr Odensa,

Our Chairman thanks you very much for the kind invitation you sent to attend the reception being held next month at your embassy.

Although he would have liked to have come, he will be in America at that time. However, he sends you his best wishes and apologies for not being able to attend, and hopes that you will send another invitation at some future date, when he does not have any commitments.

Yours sincerely,

B → Appointments

a. making an appointment

Dear Mr Crane,

Our Chief Buyer, Mr Norman Luman, would like you to contact us with a view to making an appointment to see him to discuss the possibility of setting up a contract with your company to supply us with steel over the next year.

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He will be in his office all next week, and if you could write or phone him on 01 576 3316 he would be glad to arrange a meeting with you.

Yours sincerely,

b. confirming an appointment

Dear Mr Crane,

Mr Norman Luman has asked me to confirm the appointment you made to see him. He looks forward to meeting you at 11.30 in his office, at the above address, on Tuesday 15 July.

Yours sincerely,

c. cancelling an appointment

Dear Mr Hopper,

I am sorry to tell you that Mr Crane will not be able to keep the appointment he made to see Mr Luman on Tuesday 15 th

July. Unfortunately an urgent matter has come up in our New York office and needs his immediate attention. He offers his sincere apologies for the inconvenience and will contact you as soon as he returns to London.

Yours sincerely,

d. follow-up after an appointment

Dear Mr Luman,

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Just a line to say that I was pleased we were finally able to meet one another yesterday after having to postpone our meeting two weeks ago when I was called to New York.

I am also pleased we able to work out the main points of our contract so quickly and were able to come to a mutually acceptable agreement.

It would be useful for us to keep in contact so I will call you in a few weeks or so and perhaps we can discuss how things are going with our supplies or anything else you would like to talk about. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Yours sincerely,

C → Reservations

a. air travel

Dear Sir,

This letter is to confirm our telephone conversation this morning when I arranged for two tickets to be sent to us in the names of P.R. Dell, and B. Newsome, our directors, who will be travelling London Heathrow-Rome on flight BA 164 at 10.05 hours, on Wednesday 12 June.

Please sent the tickets to us by return, and find a cheque for £400 enclosed.

Yours faithfully,

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b. train travel

Dear Sir,

With reference to my telephone call to you this morning, would you please book a return ticket including couchette in the name of Mr John Miles for London-Paris, leaving on Monday 18 July, and returning Paris London, on 3 August?

Please could you reserve a seat in a non-smoking compartment?

I would appreciate your sending the tickets as soon as possible and have enclosed a cheque for £288.

Yours faithfully,

c. hotel

Dear Mr Ruggerio,

This letter is to confirm my telex and your answer of today in which you agreed to reserve two separate rooms with shower and bath, full pension, from 12 June to 21 June inclusive for Mr P.R. Dell and Mr Newsome, who will be attending the Textile Trade Fair in Rome.

Could you make sure that the rooms are suited at the back of the hotel, as the rooms they were given last year, overlooking the main road, were rather noisy?

I am enclosing a banker’s draft for £100 as a deposit. Could you please acknowledge receipt?

Yours faithfully,

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D → Special Occasions

a. letter of congratulations

Dear Mr Carrington,

I would like to offer my congratulations on your being elected chairman of our Trade Association.

No one has done more to deserve the honour, or has worked harder to promote our interests. You can count on me and my company to give you any assistance you require in your term of office, and I wish you every success for the future.

Yours sincerely,

b. letter of thanks

Dear Mr Deksen,

Thank you very much for assisting Michael Hobbs while he was in Oslo.

I know he has already written t you expressing his gratitude, but I would like to add my own appreciation. Te introduction you made for him and the contacts and information he gained will be extremely useful in our Scandinavian export programme.

If I can offer you any similar service in the future, please contact me.

Yours sincerely,

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d. letter of condolence

Dear Mr Stanton,

I was shocked to hear about the death of your partner, Mr John Brendon, and offer my condolences. He was a fine person, and a well-liked man who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Please pass my sincerest sympathies on to his family, and assure them that all his associates will have only the fondest memories of him.

Yours sincerely,

E → Famous People’s Love Letters

a. Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine

Paris, December 1795

I wake filled with thoughts of you. Your portrait and the intoxicating evening which we spent yesterday have left my senses in turmoil. Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart! Are you angry? Do I see you looking sad? Are you worried?... My soul aches with sorrow, and there can be no rest for you lover; but is there still more in store for me when, yielding to the profound feelings which overwhelm me, I draw from your lips, from your heart a love which consumes me with fire? Ah! it was last night that I fully realized how false an image of you your portrait gives!

You are leaving at noon; I shall see you in three hours.

Until then, mio dolce amor, a thousand kisses; but give me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.

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b. King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547) of England to Anne Boleyn

c.1528

In debating with myself the contents of your letters Ihave been put to a great agony; not knowing how to understand them, whether to my disadvantage as shown in some places, or to my advantage as in others. I beseech you now with all my heart definitely to let me know your whole mind as to the love between us; for necessity compels me to plague you for a reply, having been for more than a year now struck by the dart of love, and being uncertain either of failure or of finding a place in your heart and affection, which point has certainly kept me for some time from naming you my mistress, since if you only love me with an ordinary love the name is not appropriate to you, seeing that it stands for an uncommon position very remote from the ordinary; but if it pleases you to do the duty of a true, loyal mistress and friend, and to give yourself body and heart to me, who have been, and will be, your very loyal servant (if your rigour does not forbid me), I promise you that not only the name will be due to you, but also to take you as my sole mistress, casting off all others than yourself out of mind and affection, and to serve you only; begging you to make me a complete reply to this my rude letter as to how far and in what I can trust; and if it does not please you to reply in writing, to let me know of some place where I can have it by word of mouth, the which place I will seek out with all my heart. No more for fear of wearying you. Written by the hand of him who would willingly remain yours.

HR

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c. Robert Schumann to Clara

Clara,

How happy your last letters have made me -- those since Christmas Eve! I should like to call you by all the endearing epithets, and yet I can find no lovelier word than the simple word 'dear,' but there is a particular way of saying it. My dear one, then, I have wept for joy to think that you are mine, and often wonder if I deserve you.

One would think that no one man's heart and brain could stand all the things that are crowded into one day. Where do these thousands of thoughts, wishes, sorrows, joys and hopes come from? Day in, day out, the procession goes on. But how light-hearted I was yesterday and the day before! There shone out of your letters so noble a spirit, such faith, such a wealth of love!

What would I not do for love of you, my own Clara! The knights of old were better off; they could go through fire or slay dragons to win their ladies, but we of today have to content ourselves with more prosaic methods, such as smoking fewer cigars, and the like. After all, though, we can love, knights or no knights; and so, as ever, only the times change, not men's hearts... You cannot think how your letter has raised and strengthened me... You are splendid, and I have much more reason to be proud of you than you of me. I have made up my mind, though, to read all your wishes in your face. Then you will think, even though you don't say it, that your Robert is a really good sort, that he is entirely yours, and he loves you more than words can say.

You shall indeed have cause to think so in the happy future. I still see you as you looked in your little cap that last evening. I still hear you call me du. Clara, I heard nothing of what you said but that du. Don't you remember?

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But I see you in many another unforgettable guise. Once you were in a black dress, going to the theatre with Emilia List; it was during our separation. I know you will not have forgotten; it is vivid with me. Another time you were walking in the Thomasgasschen with an umbrella up, and you avoided me in desperation. And yet another time, as you were putting on your hat after a concert, our eyes happened to meet, and yours were full of the old unchanging love.

I picture you in all sorts of ways, as I have seen you since. I did not look at you much, but you charmed me so immeasurably... Ah, I can never praise you enough for yourself or for your love of me, which I don't really deserve.

Robert

d. Tsarina Alexandra to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia

December 30, 1915

Off you go again alone and its with a very heavy heart I part from you. No more kisses and tender caresses for ever so long -- I want to bury myself in you, hold you tight in my arms, make you feel the intense love of mine.

You are my very life Sweetheart, and every separation gives such endless heartache...

Goodbye my Angel, Husband of my heart I envy my flowers that will accompany you. I press you tightly to my breast, kiss every sweet place with tender love...

God bless and protect you, guard you from all harm, guide you safely and firmly into the new year. May it bring glory and sure peace, and the reward for all this war has cost you.

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I gently press my lips to yours and try to forget everything, gazing into your lovely eyes - I lay on your precious breast, rested my tired head upon it still. This morning I tried to gain calm and strength for the separation. Goodbye wee one, Lovebird, Sunshine, Huzy mine, Own!

e. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to Charlotte von Stein Goethe June 17, 1784

My letters will have shown you how lovely I am. I don't dine at Court, I see few people, and take my walks alone, and at every beautiful spot I wish you were there.

I can't help loving you more than is good for me; I shall feel all the happier when I see you again. I am always conscious of my nearness to you, your presence never leaves me. In you I have a measure for every woman, for everyone; in your love a measure for all that is to be. Not in the sense that the rest of the world seems obscure tome, on the contrary, your love makes it clear; I see quite clearly what men are like and what they plan, wish, do and enjoy; I don't grudge them what they have, and comparing is a secret joy to me, possessing as I do such an imperishable treasure. You in your household must feel as I often do in my affairs; we often don't notice objects simply because we don't choose to look at them, but things acquire an interest as soon as we see clearly the way they are related to each other. For we always like to join in, and the good man takes pleasure in arranging, putting in order and furthering the right and its peaceful rule. Adieu, you whom I love a thousand times.

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www.royalmail.com

www.loveletters.com

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http://www.loveletters.com/

http://www.royalmail.com/

http://www.postaromana.ro/