Com mon Ph rases for Business Le tters

Reques t for inf orma ti on

I am writing to inquire about . . .

I am writing in reference to . . .

I read/heard . . . and would like to know . . .

Could you please send me . . .

at the address below/above

Thank you for your assistance.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Res po nse to request

Thank you for your interest/inquiry

Enclosed is the information you requested.

You can learn more about this at . . .

If you have further questions,

If you require assistance, please contact:

If I can be of more help, please feel free to contact me at . . .

Sam ple Sente nces : Req uests

Could you please send me your most recent brochure?
Could you fax me the results of the market survey?

I would like to order ten copies of the book, Touchy Situations.

I would be very grateful if you could send me this information.

Please return the enclosed envelope with your payment.

Sam ple Sente nces : Go od wi ll

Thank you for your hospitality.
I enjoyed having lunch with you last week while I was in New York.

Congratulations on your promotion to General Manager.

I want(ed) to congratulate you on your new position.

I was happy to hear that contract negotiations went well.

Sam ple Sente nces : Intr odu ct io n of Pr odu ct /Se rvi ce.
I am writing to tell you about . . .
(Our new product) is coming out next month.
This product/service is designed to (help you) . . .
Sam ple Sente nces : Ref erence
I am writing in regard to . . .
I am writing in reference to . . .
 Please refer to the enclosed invoice/brochure.
I hope you have had a chance to look over the materials we sent.

Sam ple Sente nces : Con firm ati on

I am writing to confirm . . .
I would like to confirm what we discussed last Friday.
I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed . . .
Sam ple Sente nces : No tifi ca tion
I am writing to let you know that . . .
Please be aware/informed that . . .
I would like to inform you of a recent policy change. I am happy to inform
you that . . .
Your request for funding has been approved.
Sam ple Sente nces : Of fer ing Assis ta nce
We would be happy to . . .
If we can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sam ple Sente nces : Co lle cti on
According to our records . . .
Our records show that . . .
Your monthly installment is past due.
Please send payment as soon as possible.

ask for request, seek information

call (s) up telephone
cool (s) down become less stressed
collapse, drop from a higher to
fall down
lower position
get up arise from bed
keep on continue
look at focus on something visually
put (s) on place clothing on the body
set (s) up 1) arrange 2) entrap
stand for represent
talk over discuss deeply
start a machine or something
turn (s) on
electric

assault severely, attack, act

beat (s) up
violently, hit
1) take responsibility for 2)
care for
prefer, like
cut down (on) reduce intake of food
put information in a blank or
fill (s) in
space on paper
get on enter a bus, train
hold on (to) 1) grasp 2) endure
let (s) down disappoint
plan on expect
run away escape
sign up register
take over assume control
1) refuse an invitation 2)
turn (s) down
reduce the volume
ask (s) out invite someone for a date
calm down relax, reduce stress
come over come to where I am
fall apart lose control or consistency
get into take an interest in something
keep away (from) stay at a distance
look (s) over peruse or read generally, skim
make a heap, stack or
pile (s) up
collection
drive over something with a
run (s) over
vehicle
have good posture when
sit up
sitting
talk with discuss an issue with someone
turn in 1) retire to bed 2) submit

back (s) up 1) move in reverse 2) support

carry on continue
drive (s) away repel or push strongly away
check to see that someone has
follow up (on)
completed a task
go ahead move forward
knock (s) out make someone unconscious
look into investigate, explore
plan for prepare for the future
run out (of) use up the total supply
sort (s) out separate into categories
take apart dissemble
1) give control of 2) flip onto
turn (s) over
the other side

make a general inquiry; survey

ask around
a number of people
call out shout, say loudly
come through (with) surprisingly fulfill or achieve
be gullible, or innocently
fall for
believe a deception
get rid of throw away
kick (s) out expel
consider something to be of
look down on
lower value
connect an electrical device to
plug (s) in
a socket
set out start a trip
spread out disperse or scatter
take (s) up begin a new hobby or pastime
turn around 1) rotate 2) reverse
inquire, investigate, question,
ask about
interview
carry (s) out fulfill or finish a plan
cool off lower the temperature
fade away diminish or lessen
return to what one was doing;
get back to
return a call
head for move toward a goal
1) make brighter 2) ignite a
light (s) up
cigarette
phase (s) out reduce over time
rip (s) off steal
slip away remove oneself discreetly
stop by visit spontaneously
walk into enter a situation
increase, include something
add (s) on
extra
purchase the complete or
buy (s) out
remaining supply
dish (s) out distribute
fall through fail to achieve a plan
go about proceed as normal
jump into begin immediately
refrain from looking at
look away
something
pick up on catch the meaning
see to take care of a task
stand down yield
strike back hit in retaliation
vouch for recommend someone
pretend, pantomime, show
act (s) out
something imagined
take something to another
carry (s) away
place
cut back (on) reduce the supply
fall into conform or adapt
give (s) out emit or discharge
keep (s) back maintain one's distance
loosen up relax
pull (s) off succeed
keep money for a future
save (s) up
purchase
sneak out exit secretly
talk back (to) speak rudely or disrespectfully
unexpectedly interrupt
walk in on someone involved in an
activity
increase, augment, add to,
beef (s) up
enlarge
button (s) up fasten buttons on clothing
complain about express discontent
fall behind become behind schedule
get with pay attention
hold (s) off wait, delay
lie about tell untruths
peek in(to) look discreetly
rise up (against) rebel
extort or extract money by
shake (s) down
threats or fear
stem from originate from
toss (s) out discard or throw away
darken, cloud, cut off
black (s) out
electricity
butter (s) up flatter, praise, compliment
draw a line through a listed
cross (s) off
item
dig (s) up discover through research
feel up to consider oneself fit for a task
become too big for one's
grow out of
clothing
keep to hold to oneself
pay (s) up give money for what is owed
don't expect someone to
put past
behave in a certain way
separate (s) from divide
squeeze out (of) force information out
subtract from take something away

Apo lo giz ing

I’m sorry.

I made a mistake.

Please accept my apologies.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . .

(I’m) sorry. I didn’t realize that . . . .

That’s okay.

No problem.

Prefac ing b ad news

I’m sorry (I have) to tell you this, but . . .

I hate to tell you this, but . . .

I don’t know how to tell you this, but . . .

I have some bad news.

(Forma l) wri tten a po lo gies

We regret to inform you that . . .

Regretfully, . . .

Unfortunately, . . .
Aski ng for Help

Could you . . . . (for me) ?

Would you please . . . ?

Would you mind V+ing . . . .?

Could you possibly . . . ?

Okay, no problem.

Sure, I’d be glad to.

Sorry, I’m (kind of) busy now.

I’m sorry. I don’t have time right now.

Do you have a minute?

Can you spare a few minutes?

Could you do me a favor?

Could I ask you a favor?

Can I ask you to . . . ?

I need some help (if you have time).

(If you’re not busy) I could use your help.

Infor ma l

This is my boss, Mr. Stratford.

Jared, this is my secretary, Barbara.

Good to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

I’d like you to meet my co-worker, Collin Beck.

Collin, this is Susan Palmer.

Nice to meet you.

 My pleasure.

Have you met, Jason?

Jason, this is Teresa.

Hi, I’m Jill Watson.

I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Greg.

Form al

I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend, Mrs. Pleasant.

Allow me to introduce myself/my colleague, Ms. Winters

Let me introduce you to my colleague, Dean Richards.

Mr. Richards, this is David Porter from Aerospace Inc.

How do you do?

How do you do?

It’s a pleasure meeting you.

Com pa ny Desc rip ti on

What company do you work for?

Which company are you with?
Who do you represent?

I work for ABC Company.

I’m with ABC.
I represent (the) XYZ (company).
What is the name of your company?
Where are you located?
The name of our company is . . . .
Our company is located in . . . .
Our headquarters is in . . .
What (type of business) do you do?
What business are you in?
We are in the computer business.
We’re in computers
We sell . . .
We produce . . .
We manufacture . . .
Our major products are . . .
Desc rib ing B usiness Ac ti vit ies

What do you do at ABC Company?

I am in charge of marketing.
I’m responsible for sales.
I program computers.
I recruit and train employees.

What does your company do?

We design software.
We build storage units.
We produce small appliances.
We’re in the insurance business

Describing Jobs

What do you do?

What do you do for a living?
What is your occupation?
What type of work do you do?
Where do you work?

I’m a salesman. (job-general)

I’m in sales. (general)
I’m in the toy business. (industry)
I’m a contractor at JBX. (specific)
I’m a consultant for YXL.

What company do you work for?

I work for Bellwest. (company name)

I work at Wellbest. (general)
I’m with Westbell. (industry)

What do you do there?

What do you do at Bellwest?

I’m a software engineer. (job title)

I work in the sales department. (place in company)
I’m in customer service. (general area)
I work as an instructor.
I build houses. (specific job)
I clean the restrooms.

Desc rib ing Pr od uc ts

Tell me about (this product)

What can you tell me about (this product)?

Can you give me some information/details about this?

What is special/unique about this?

What are the specifications?

Let me tell you about . . .

This is our (newest) product.

This is one of our latest designs.

It is made of . . .

It can be used for . . .

You can use it to . . .

You can . . . with it

This has/contains . . .

This one features . . .

This comes with . . .

This is equipped with . . .

This particular model . . .

This is priced at . . .

This costs . . .

Desc rib ing Pr oje ct s

What are your current projects?

What are you working on (at present)?

What are your major initiatives in this area?

 We are currently working on . . .

We are in the process of . . .

We are developing . . .

We are designing . . .

We are building . . .

We are marketing . . .

Ex pla inin g

Can you explain . . .

Can you tell me why . . .

Why . . .

What happened . . .

Well, . . .

Let me explain.

Let me tell you why . . .

Here’s what happened:

There’s a (good) reason for this:

The reason is . . .

I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that (right now).

Can I get back to you on that?

I’ll explain (a little) later.

We’ll come to that later.

We’ll get to that in a few minutes.

Can we save that until later?

An aly zin g Pr oble ms

Focusin g on t he ma in pro ble m/issue

What is the main problem?

What is the real issue (here)?

(I think) the major problem is . . .

Our primary concern is . . .

The crux of the matter is . . .

(As I see it), the most important thing is . . .

The main problem we need to solve is . . .

We really need to take care of . . .

It all comes down to this:

Aski ng for inpu t

What should we do about it?

What needs to be done?

What do you think we should do?

What are we going to do about it?

Do you have any suggestions?

Any ideas?

Makin g R eco mmen da ti ons

I recommend that . . .

I suggest that . . .

I would like to propose that . . .

Why don’t we . . .

Asking for Information

Information about company

What does your company do?

What is your specialty?
What do you specialize in?
What is your main line of business?

We produce marketing materials.

We specialize in art and design.

What are your major products?

What services do you provide?

We produce office machines.

We design software.
We provide technical support.

Information about products

Could you give me some (more) information on this?

What can you tell me about this (product)?

Tell me about this one/model.

This is one of our top brands.

It’s our best selling refrigerator.
This one is the best in its class.
We’re really pleased with its performance.
It’s an excellent computer.
I highly recommend this one.
This model comes with several features.
This particular one has two components.

Information about Price

What are you asking for this?
What does this sell for?

How much is it?

How much does it run?

This (one) sells for $5900.

This one goes for $2900.
This one is priced at $9695.

Cl osin g a C onv ersa ti on

Pre -cl osin g

It’s been nice talking to you.
It’s been great talking with you.

I really enjoyed meeting you.

It was nice meeting you, Mr. Brown.

I’m sorry, but I have to go now.

I’m afraid I have to leave now.

Thanks for the information/ the tour/ your time.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

Foll ow up

I’ll give you a call.

I’ll send you an e-mail.
I’ll put a packet in the mail for you.

We’ll send out that information right away.

I’ll have my secretary schedule an appointment.

Could you send me a brochure/some more information?

Could I contact you by e-mail/at your office?

How do I get in touch with you?

How can I reach/contact you?

Cl osin g

I look forward to seeing you again.

We’ll see you on Friday.
See you next week.

Let me give you my business card.

Here’s my e-mail/office number.

Let’s keep in touch by e-mail.

We’ll be in touch.

Call me if you have any questions.

E-mail me.

Cus to mer Sur vey ( Rest au rant )

What types of food do you like to eat?

What types of food do you not like to eat?

How often do you go out for a meal?

On what days of the week do you usually eat out?

Which meal(s) (breakfast, lunch, dinner) do you eat outside of your home?

How much do you spend on a typical meal?

Do you go out alone, as a couple, or in groups?

What are your main criteria in choosing a restaurant?

What are your main reasons for not going out to eat?

What is your primary means of transportation?

What area of the city do you live in?

Demographics

Age 0-12 13-18 19-25 26-40 41-60 61 and over

Gender Male Female

Income

Other

Marketing Director
Dymon Publications
2201 South Maple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84797
U.S.A.
Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to order ten (10) copies of the book, Touchy Situations: A Conversation Text
for ESL Students. I recently came across this book at a local teachers’ conference and was
very impressed by its format and contents. Could you please send the books by express
mail? I need them for class next Monday. Also, would you mind sending your latest
catalog or brochure?

Thank you for your prompt attention. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Trent Chang
___________________________________________________________

**** Sample Letter – Block Style ****

Dymon Publications
2201 South Maple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84797
U.S.A.

April 21, 2001

Trent Chang
56 Somerset Lane
Kai Tak, Kowloon
Hong Kong

Dear Mr. Chang,

Thank you for your order of Touchy Situations: A Conversation Text for ESL Students. I
sent the books by RedFex on April 20. They should be arriving within a few days if they
are not there already. Please let me know if there are any problems with the shipment.

As requested, I am enclosing a brochure, which provides information about our other

products. You may also check out our web site at http://www.dymonbooks.com.

If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Alan Gordon
Dymon Publications

Enc: brochure

Help ful Hints for Bus iness Letters

Before writing a business letter, consider the following:

Objective(s)
Why am I writing this letter?
What do I hope to accomplish?
What action do I want from my reader?
Your Audience
Who will read this letter?
How can I appeal to the reader’s interest?
 What attitude might the reader have toward this information?
Will the reader consider this good news or bad news?
Organization
What information should be included first/last?
What details does the reader need to know?
Does my conclusion motivate the reader to do something?
Do I end the letter in a positive and polite manner?
Professionalism
Do I use a professional business letter format?
Do my language and style show a positive attitude toward the reader/the
company/the product/the information.
Will my reader be offended by anything in the letter?
Proofreading
Are there any spelling errors, typos, etc.?
Is the format of the letter appropriate?
Have I signed my name?

Presen ta tion Tip s

Know Yourself Present Yourself

Strengths Dress

Weaknesses Posture

Talents Voice

Feelings Gestures

Opinions Body Language

Nervousness Confidence

Motivation Enthusiasm

Know Your Audience Present to Your Audience

Demographics Positive

Purpose Polite

Interests Interesting

Commonality Informative

Individuality Thought-provoking

Know Your Stuff Present Your Material

Knowledge of Subject Organization
 Research Clarity

Personal Experience Visuals

Preparation Language

Rehearsal Volume

Beginning a presentation

It is common to greet the audience and introduce yourself when giving presentations:

Good morning,/afternoon/evening
I’m _________, the new Finance Manager.
My name is ________ and I represent _______
Let me take a minute to introduce myself.
Let me start by telling you a little about our company.
I’ve already met some of you, but for those I haven’t , I’m ______
Introducing the topic
I’m here to talk about . . .
Today, I’d like to say a few words about . . .
I’m going to give you an overview of . . .
The main reason I’m here today is . . .
The focus of my remarks is . . .
I’d like to introduce . . .
Time consciousness
Thank you for your time
Thank you for taking the time to be here
I will probably take about . . . minutes
This should last only a few minutes
I hope to be finished by . . .
Showing organization
I’ve divided my topic into three sections/parts. They are This presentation can be divided into the
following subtopics:
First, First of all The first point is . . .
Second Secondly The next point is . . .
Third Thirdly Next, we come to . . .
Finally Last The final point is . . .
Sequencing
Let’s move on to . . .
Let’s move on to . . .
That brings us to . . .
Giving Reasons
This is why . . .
The main reason is . . .
Therefore,
So,
Generalizing
Generally,
Usually,
As a rule,
Most of the time,
In most cases,
Highlighting
Actually,
In fact,
As a matter of fact,
In particular
Particularly
Especially
Giving Examples
For example,
For instance,
Such as
Summarizing
To sum up
To summarize
In brief
Concluding
To conclude,
In conclusion,
Follow-up
Are/Were there any questions?
We have just a few minutes for questions

In tro duc ti on

(Good morning, afternoon, evening)

I’m happy to be here.

I’m glad to have this opportunity to . . .

Today, I’d like to talk (to you) about . . .

My topic today is . . .

The focus of my remarks is . . .

I’d like to share some thoughts on (topic)

Main p oin ts
Let me start by . . .

First, let me tell you about . . .

I’ve divided my topic into (three) parts: (They are . . .)

Givin g exa mples

For example,

For instance,

Let me illustrate,
 To illustrate,

Conc lusio n
In conclusion,

To conclude,

To summarize,

To sum up,

Ex pressing A ppre cia ti on

Thanks.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for the tour.

Thank you for the nice gift.

I appreciate your hospitality.

I appreciate your lending me the chain saw.

Forwar d- Lo okin g St at emen ts

What are your plans for the future?

What are your projections for the next quarter?

What do you expect to achieve (in the near future)?

What are your (sales) projections for next six months?

What are your goals for the coming year?

We expect . . .

We plan to . . .

We project . . .

We hope to . . .
 We should . . .

We will be (V+ing) . . .

If all goes as planned,

Our projections are . . .

According to our projections,

In vit at io ns

Infor ma l:

Would you like to . . .

We’re going to . . . . Would you like to come along?

There’s a . . . . (tonight). Would you like to go?

How about (V+ing) . . . ?

Do you want to . . . ?

I wonder if you would like to . . .

I was wondering if you would like to . . .

Form al :

I’d like to invite you to . . .

If you have time, I’d like to invite you . . .

Would you like to join us for (event) at (time) ?

We’d be glad to have you accompany us . . .

We’d be delighted/honored to have you as our guest at . . .

For Con versa ti on p ract ic e:

Speaking Situations: Inviting

See also: Speaking: Accepting and Refusing

Jo b R es po nsib ili ties

What do you do (in your job)?

What is your main job?
What are you in charge of?

I am in charge of training employees.

I am responsible for watering the plants.
I take care of corporate accounts.
I usually answer telephones.
I mainly write reports.
I repair jet engines.

Off erin g

Infor ma l

Cigarette? No thank you

Would you like some coffee? Yes, please.

How about a glass of water? Sure. Thanks.

Here. Have a/some . . . Okay. Thanks.

Would you like one of these? I really shouldn’t.

Can I get you something? No. Thanks anyway.

What can I get you something to drink? Juice would be fine.

Form al
Would you care for some . . .

Would you like to try . . .

Let me offer you . . .

Let me get you a/some . .

Reques tin g

Infor ma l

Please . . .

Would you . . .

Could you . . .
 Would you please . . . .

Could you possibly . . .

Would you mind (V+ing) . . .

Could you do me a favor?

Form al

Could I ask you to . . .

Would you mind if I asked you to . . .

Would you be so kind as to . . .

Terms of Payment

I’d like to pay (in) cash.

I’ll put it on my credit card.

Can I charge it?

Could you put that on my bill?

Could I put that on my account?

Could you send me an invoice?

Could you bill me (for that)?

Can I put it on lay-away?

May I

Pay in cash

Pay by check

Pay by credit card

Pay with a credit card

Pay in installments
 Pay in one lump sum

Could you deliver it to my office?

Do you charge for shipping?

Do I need to pay for postage and handling?

How long will it take?

Usin g Tense Ap pro pri ately in B usiness Descr ip ti ons

Use simple past tense to describe something that wholly occurred at a specific time in the
past:

I graduated from NYU in 1998. (That’s when the ceremony occurred.)

NOT: I have graduated since 1998. (Incorrect!)

(Specific
I finished the Hollins project last week.
time)
I have finished the Hollins project last week.
(Incorrect!) Use present
perfect tense to describe something that has been in effect from a certain point in the past
until now. Be careful! Some verbs are used for specific actions; others are used for conditions
that cover lengths of time.
(Specific
I met Mr. Flinders last year at a Convention in Little Rock.
time)
I have met him since last year.
(Incorrect!)
I have known him since last year.
(Correct!)
Use simple present tense to describe facts.
I work for IBS Corporation.
He’s a sanitation engineer.
I am responsible for orienting new employees.
She answers company correspondence.
Use present progressive tense to describe ongoing projects.
I am developing new software.
She is teaching the hearing-impaired.
We are building a new mall in East Heights.

Welc omin g Visi to rs

Welc omin g

Welcome to Cando Enterprises.

Welcome to London. I’m John Taylor.

Mee tin g some one you do n’ t kno w

1. Patricia Murphy?

Yes.
Hi, I’m Kevin Chen of Myotex Industries.
Welcome to Taiwan.

2. Are you Mr. Blanks?

Yes, I am.

I’m Jane Placid. (We talked by telephone.)

Welcome to Sydney.
It’s nice to meet you in person.

Nice meeting you too.

How was your flight?
Okay, but very long.

3. You must be Ms. Terius.

That’s right.

It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Brad Wilson.

Welcome to Suntech.

Thank you
Did you have any problem finding this place?
No, your directions were very clear.

Dis cussing Agen da It ems

Let’s start with . . .

Let’s start by . . .

The first item on the agenda is . . .

We need to discuss . . .

Let’s look at item number one.

Let’s move on to number two.

The next item on the agenda is . . .

 What’s next on the agenda?

Does anyone have any comments?

Any comments?

Are there any comments on that?

What do you think?

Good idea.

Good point.

Does everyone agree on that?

Makin g A pp oin tmen ts

I’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Bill.

I’d like to schedule a meeting with Ms. Terry.
Could I schedule a time to meet with Mr. East?

What time is best for you?

When would be a good time for you?
Would 9:00 on Thursday be okay?
He’ll be in on Tuesday.
His schedule is open all day Monday.
She’s free any day but Wednesday.
Dr. Itup will be away until Friday.

Will Mr. Rodgers be in tomorrow?

Is he available next Wednesday?
Does he have any openings on Tuesday?
Does she have any time on Thursday?

Sorry, her calendar is full on Monday.

She will be out on Wednesday.
He doesn’t have time on Tuesday.

How about Friday at 4:00?

Thursday at 10:00 will be fine.

Friday at 11:00 sounds good.
Okay. Tuesday morning at 9.
Monday at 8:00 is not good for me.
Wednesday is not possible.

Mee tin gs an d Discuss ions

Ge tting sta rt ed
 Let’s get started.
We need to discuss . . .
We need to talk about . . .
Tal king ab ou t dis cussi on ite ms
The first thing we need to discuss is . . .
The first item on the agenda is . . .
The first thing on the list is . . .
First, we need to talk about . . .
Presen tin g Op tio ns
We have several alternatives:
We have two options:
We could either . . . or . . .
Moving o n
Let’s move on to Item 2.
Let’s move on to the next topic.
We need to move on.
The next item (of business) is . . .
We need to go on to the next item.
Shall/Should we move on?
Sta llin g the Discussi on
Before we move on, I think we should . . .
Wait a minute. We haven’t discussed . . .
Don’t you think we need to . . .
Not so fast. We haven’t (yet) . . .
Aski ng for Cl ar ific at io n
What to you mean by . . . .
I don’t quite follow you.
I didn’t get what you meant by . . .
Could you clarify that?
Could you elaborate on that?
Makin g a Sugges ti on /Pr op osa l
I think we should . . .
Maybe we should . . .
I suggest . . .
Why don’t we . . .
How about . . .
We could . . .
Givin g F eed ba ck
(I think) that’s a good idea.
You have a good point.
Good idea/point.
I agree.

I disagree. I think . . .
Sorry. I don’t agree with you.
You have a good point, but . . .
That’s not such a good idea.
I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Aski ng for Opin ions

What do you think, George?
What’s your opinion on that, Martha?
 Any thoughts on that?
Any ideas?
Che ckin g for Consensus
Do we all agree (on that)?
Does everyone agree?
Sum ma riz ing
In summary,
The conclusion is . . .
So, we’ve decided to . . .
We’re going to . . . (then)
Cl osin g the mee tin g
That’s all for today.
That’s it then. (informal)
The meeting is adjourned. (very formal)

Wri ter ’s Check list

For Bus iness Letters

1. Receiv er (Who are you writing this to?)

Someone you know (friend, colleague, business partner, group, company)

Some one you don’t know (To whom it may concern, Dear Sir/Madam)

How do you expect the receiver to respond?

2. Sen der (Who are you?)

What is your relationship to the reader/receiver(s)?

What role are you assuming in the letter?

(friend, colleague, etc.)

3. Cont ext (What background information does the reader need?)
Bring the reader up to date first.

Establish a connection

As requested . . .
It was nice meeting you in Toronto last week . . .
I read your article in Vague Magazine . .
Supporting details

Time frame (sequence of events)

4. Mess ag e (What do you want the reader to know or do?)

What do you hope to accomplish with the letter (inform, persuade, initiate action)
I am writing to inquire about . . .
Could you please send me . . .
Polite requests
 Please . . .
Would you mind . . .
Could you please . . .
Would you be so kind as to . . .
5. Me dium (What is the appropriate format?)
Fax, e-mail, formal business letter, memo, informal note
6. Tone (What tone do you wish to convey?)
informative
polite
business-like
friendly
humble
assertive
urgent
irate
7. Other reci pient s (Are there others who need to be informed of this communication?)
cc: courtesy copy

Spe ec h Prepar atio n

Choose Topic

Gather Information

Research

Select

Organize

Write
 Practice

Revise

Rehearse

Present

Types of Cha rts

Pie chart
Bar chart/graph
Line graph

Desc rib ing M ovemen t

Improve(ment)
Increase Go up Rise
Declined
Decrease Go down Fall
Reach (a
Recover Jump Surge
point)
Recovery Slump Plummet
Approach

Types of Mov emen t

Major
Slight Gradual Sharp Dramatic
Mino
Slightly Gradually Sharply Dramatically
r

Movemen t over T ime

There was a gradual decline in sales. (noun usage)

Sales declined gradually (verb usage)

Enrollment increased by 4% in 1997.

There was a 4% increase in enrollment in 1997.

Immigration rose to 800,000 in 1999. (to a point/number)

Immigration rose by 20,000 in 1999. (by increment)

There was a 20% rise in immigration. (percentage)

Taxes remained the same from 2000 to 2001.

Taxes continued at 15% for two years.

Sta ti c (n on- movement ) Desc rip ti on

Sales stood at $1,400,000 in 1998.

Profits were $27,000 in 1999.
There was a loss of $21,000 in 2001.

Thinkin g Pos it iv ely a bo ut Present ati ons

People often become nervous or fearful when giving presentations. Here are some phrases
you can keep in mind when preparing for and giving a presentation.

About Yourself

I’m happy to be here. (Smile)

I’m glad to have this opportunity. (Turn nervousness into enthusiasm.)

I (really) want to tell you about this.

I have something interesting to tell you.

About Your Audience

This is something I think you should know . . .

This is important (to you) because . . .

You will be interested to know that . . .

You will benefit by knowing this . . .

About Your Subject/Material

The information is as follows:
A.
B.
C.
First, I will tell you about . . .

These are the main points/supporting ideas . . .

The best way to understand this information is . . .

Look at this. It will help you understand my topic . . .

This shows (you) . . .