Language Differences in Formal and Informal Business Correspondence 第5页1)The header.
The Date, the Sender, the Recipient, the Subject, the Priority, the Carbon Copy constitute the header. They are the message’s vital components.
Date: automatic insertion by the software. This is the date and time the message was sent. Sender: an element. This is the e-mail address and (usually) the real name of the person who sends the message. Recipient: an obligatory element. This is the e-mail address of the recipient, a full e-address, a nickname or a prompt. Priority: an optional element. Priority marker such as an exclamation mark (!) signaling “of prime importance”. Carbon copy is the “courtesy copy” line, and it shows the e-mail addresses of people who receive copies of the message. Subject: an optional element, but an efficient practice to include it. This is a one-line description of what the message is about. This line is crucial because most businessmen with busy e-mail inboxes decide whether they will read a message just by scanning the subject line. An effective subject line will help your messages get read, if not your messages may be deleted before reading because of a vague subject line.
The subject line is the first thing the recipient of your e-mail sees. A concise and informative subject line can prompt a recipient to read your message. How to make an effective subject line?
(a) Write the important points in a few key words or figures in a clear, brief, relevant, concrete and specific way.
(b) Phrase the subject line so that it tells the reader what to do, instead of, or in addition to, what your message is about.
(c) Resist the temptation to use attention-grabbing, statements just to get your message read. In other words, overuse of “priority” or “urgent” will reduce its effect.
Example:
Poor: trade show
Better: three promotional items to showcase at our next trade show
Poor: new software
Better: beefing up our messaging capabilities
Poor: meeting
Better: meeting to discuss summer vacation schedules
Poor: quarterly result
Better: third quarter sales up15%
2)The body
After the identification elements in the header, a salutation starts the body, the actual text of the message. The body is always separated from the header by a blank line. When composing the body, be sure to use reader-friendly editing techniques. You have to make sure that your intended font features, such as boldface and italics will be compatible with the recipient’s computer and e-mail system.
More e-mail messages are less than three paragraphs in length and fit into the first screen. If the message is too large, it would be better to write a short covering letter and have the details in an attachment.
2.1.2 Linguistic Features
E-mails used in different discourse communities reveal different level of informality. Figure 1 shows the style flexibility continuum in written communication. Personal correspondence and legal documents are the polar extremes of informality and formality while correspondence in academic and business communities varies along a continuum from informal to formal. Even used in the same business discourse community, different media including letters, faxes, telexes and e-mails also vary in terms of formality. Among them, commercial e-mails tend to be more informal.
Informal ＜ ＞ Formal
Personal
e-mails/letters Academic
letters Commercial
e-mails Telexes
faxes Business
Letters/faxes
Legal
documents
Fig.1 The style flexibility continuum in written communication
Compared with letters and faxes, e-mails are more conversational and message-oriented. The textual features follow the rule of short sentences, short paragraphs, only one idea for each paragraph, and commonly understood vocabulary. The acronym of KISS (“keep it short and simple”) represents the convention of e-mail writing, and is also favorably recommended as an updated guideline for the whole business writing.
The tone of e-mail messages is expected to be conversational because the communicators are usually familiar with another. This means using occasional contractions (I’m, you’ll), ordinary words, and first-person pronouns (I / we). Yet, the tone should also be professional. It should be noted that e-mail is not the right channel for relaying emotions or sarcasm. E-mail message should never include remarks that would not be said directly to an individual.
To sum up, e-mail communication represents a hybrid, a combination of spoken and written language. When used as internal communication, e-mails tend to be close to a writing-based telephone “talk”; when used as external communication, they tend to be similar to faxes and business letters. In your e-mail writing, you need to adapt linguistic style suitable for situations characterized by different purposes and boss/ subordinate relationship. Preparatory work is the key to success.
2.2 An Analysis of Formal Business Correspondence’s Linguistic Features
With the development of the modern tools and ways of communication, the distances of the world have been shortened. With the help of international direct dial telephone, television and telephone, fax which are modern communication equipments, you can do the business with the partners from miles away and still like talking to them face to face. Even you can complete a business by using phone and fax; you still need to confirm it by writing. And business correspondence is the most credible and economical way of communication. People’ speech and deportment will show their temperament and character, no less than the business correspondence is the image of company to show the public. In order to impress the customers, the business letter should have its own language style.
2.2.1 Use Professional Items and Use Abbreviations.
The business correspondence usually uses commercial items and abbreviations, including every item of business English, documents and title of companies. Those items close to jargon and be used in international business widely nowadays.
Example:
(1) Please quote your lowest price CIFC5% Seattle for each of the following items.
CIFC5% =cost, insurance and freight inclusive of 5% commissions. CIF is a price item, means cost, insurance, freight. FOB (Free on Board) is one of the commonest items as well. CFR(Cost and Freight), EXW(Ex Works), FAS(Free Alongside Ship), FCA(Free Carrier), CPT( Carriage Paid to), CIP( carriage Insurance Paid to) etc.
(2) In order to conclude the transaction, I hope you will meet me half way. What about 50% by L/C and the balance by D/P?
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