Career Institute Course in Practical English: Business and Social Letters (Exercises with keys)

The thread we spin from, when we weave the business message, is our knowledge of the fundamentals of good writing: grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and, of course, vocabulary and sentence structure. Just as no chain can be stronger than its weakest link, so also no business letter can be sure of effectiveness, or safe against the risk of making a bad impression, unless the materials it is made from are good in Effective Business Writing. In commerce and industry, there are three kinds of contacts between business firms and their customers-personal contacts, telephone calls, and letters. By far the majority of business contacts are made by letter!

Recently the business magazine, Advertising Age, estimated that the cost of business letters totaled $12,000,000 every business day-more than is spent for all other forms of advertising combined! Advertising writers are skilled technicians who must have specific training before they are permitted to attempt their writing jobs. It should be even more important that letter-writing employees be skilled technicians. Despite this fact, many business letters are antiquated, unattractive, and ineffectual.
The techniques needed to communicate ideas effectively through letters can be quickly and easily mastered. In this unit you will acquire a working knowledge of the basic requirements for good letter writing, both business and social. A discussion of general letter writing principles is illustrated by exercises and by specific examples of the types of letters most frequently encountered in the business world and in social relationships. You will be given a method, based on the rules, which will enable you to analyze and improve not only the letter examples in this unit but also the letters which you write and receive.


BUSINESS AND SOCIAL LETTERS

1. EVERY LETTER A SELLING LETTER 3
2. APPEARANCE OF THE LETTER 4

3. CONTENTS OF THE LETTER 8
4. BE COURTEOUS AND CONSIDERATE 8
5. BE INFORMAL AND NATURAL 10
6. BE CLEAR AND CONCISE 12
7. INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 14
8. ANALYZING LETTERS-Four-A Check List 16
9. BUSINESS LETTERS 20
10. SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE 34
11. SUMMARY OF LETTER WRITING 40
Key to Correct Answers 41