Chapter I

WRITING LETTERS

Learning Objectives

 Understanding types and contents of letters.

 Differenting between words used in letters.
 Writing some kinds of letters using the correct forms, suitable words, and correct
generic structure.
 Getting information from a letter or a job advertisement.
 Understanding a job interview.

A. SPEAKING
Answer of the following questions before you start studying.

 What should you prepare for a job interview ?

 What questions are always asked in a job interview ?
 Do you have to wear any special clothes ?

Task 1 Answer the following questions.

1. Could I have your name ?

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 2. What position are you applying for ?
3. Where did you graduate from ?
4. When did your apprenticeship ?

About an interview
An Interview Preparation
Before going to an interview,it is important to have a basic understanding about the
company’s goals and culture. Simple questions like these can be searched in advance :
1. What does the company produce ?
2. What kind of technology is used?
3. How big is the company (small,medium, or
large ) ?
4. Where is the company located (one or many
locations) ?
5. Is it a publicly traded company ?
6. What is the financial situation (strock price if
publicly traded) ?
7. Which partners and collaborators exist ?
8. What do the most recent press releases talk
about ?

Practice Communication
There are certain questions that can be anticipated and an applicant can practice
answers to these in advance.Some of the most common questions can be found
on the internet and typically relate the following topics :
1. Experience and Education
2. Five – year goals
3. Work style
4. Worst experience
5. Strengths and weaknesses
6. Flexibility
7. Why the job is interesting
Eat Well
Taking the time to nurture the body will help concentration and mental balance. It is good
idea to eat well (healthy food) the day and morning before the interview.
Exercise
Physical activity is good for both mind and body.it is optional to exercise the day
before the interview . another kind of the exercise that may give a competitive
advantage is mental imagery,especially if nervousness is a prevalent problem in
interview situations.

Rest
A greatly underappreciated part of interview preparation is sufficient rest.An applicant
should avoid being physically or mentally exhausted to display the best performance.If
traveling is involved to get to an interview , it is important to arrive early, so there is time
to adjust and rest.

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Dress Well
Obviously good hygience and a professional look are important. There is also usually a
corporate dress code. Information about the dress code can be requested from the
company’s human Resources Departement or these simple conservative rules can be
followed :
1. Women
 No open-toed shoes
 Heels maximum 1.5 inches (3cm)
 No tight or revealing clothing or mini skirts
 As title make-up as possible
 No or very little perfume
 No excessive jewelry
 Classic attire (jacket and pants,jackets and skirt)
2. Men
 Classic attire (white shirt,tie,suit,classic shoes)

Task 2 Reply to the job interview questions below orally.

1. Could you tell me about yourself ?

2. I belive that you have some job experience before. Could you tell me about it ?
3. What is your education background ? can you give me some more information ?
4. Why do you think this job is interesting ?
5. Tell me about your plan in 5 years !
6. Did you have any bad experiences in your previous job ?
7. I believe every person has got strengths and the weaknesses of their own. How
about you ?
8. Suppose you were accepted here and worked for about 5 months. Than there was
someone who offered you a job with a higher salary. Why you accept it ?
9. What do you really like in your life and don’t ?
10. How much salary are you looking for ?

Task 3 In pairs, make a role play about a job interview. Students A is a job
applicant and student B is the HRD manager.

B. READING
Answer the following questions before you read the text.

 How many kinds of the letters do you know ? Jl. Damar 68

 What words are used in those letters ?
Surabaya 60175
 Are they different ?

February 16, 2010

Dear Kaira,

Task 4 I Read
am sorry
the for forgetting
following our dinner
letters date.answer
dan then It was my
thefault, I was so
questions.
busy at work. It must have slipped my mind. How about I treat you
1. Letters of Personal
to dinner Apology
next Friday, at the new Japanese restaurant Oishi’s at
7:00 p.m? I have marked this date in my planner, so I will not
forget it. I’d just like to apologize again for missing our dinner date.

Your Friend,
3

Dony
 (Adapted from http://www.letterwritingguide.com/sampleapology.html)

2. Request for Documentation of Invoice

Dear Sir,

After receiving your letter on January 12, 2010, we did a complete search
through our files. Unfortunately, we could not find any record of our firm having
purchased merchandise
Jl. Sudirman 73 from your company, the Charming Collection

We would appreciate
Yogyakarta 50128 if you could forward any documentation you have to
support this claim.
February 3, 2010

Sincerely,
The Human Resources Department Manager
(Adapted from:http://www.cvtips.com/cover_letter/sample_letter_of_inquiry.html)
Rendra
Aquilla Paper
Rendra Parker
Jl. Selat Sunda 4
Manager
Jakarta 10510

Dear Sir/Madam,

3. Application Letter
a. Application letter of
Please accept mysales representative
application for the position of Sales
Representative as advertised in the Daily Newspaper on February
1, 2010.
I am currently working as a Sales Representative for the Women
And Beauty Company and I am keen to obtain a full time position. I
hold a certificate in Sales and I am ready to undergo further training
if necessary. I have enclosed my resume to support my application.

I believe that my skill and experience will enable me to perform the

duties well. I am available for an interview at a time convenient to 4
you. I can be contacted by telephone at 08562956479.
 Yours faithfully,

Sarah
Sarah Indiana

(Adapted from http://www.applicationletter.org/sampel_application_letter.html)

b. Application letter of Credit Marketing Officer

2 February 2008
Jalan Madura 34
Bandung
Personnel Department

Dear sir,
I’m seeing your fast growing organization and I heard that your company has a good
reputation, so I would like to join with your company as Credit Marketing Officer (CMO).

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I am 29 years of age and I graduate from Mechanical Technique Faculty, Jenderal
Achmad Yani University, bandung, majoring in Metallurgy.

I have an excellent health, high motivation, good communication skill, computer skill,
creativity, high loyalty. I am ready to work hard. I can ride motorcycle and have SIM C. I
am highly motivated to work every where.

Hopefully, you could consider my application and I am looking forward to hearing from
you.

Yours Faithfully,

Riki
Riki Sahari, ST

4. Resume

Fajar Kurnia Wijaya

(62)84562378922
fajarkurnia@rocketmaill.com

EDUCATION
September 2006 – Present, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung
Candidate for Master in Mechanical Engineering degree (Me).
Major academic courses highlights: Company Property Management; Marketing;
Economies; English Technology Communication; Information Management System;
Modern Fabrication System.
May 2009, Certified Public Accounting Training (CPA)
OCCUPATION
December 209 – Present, ITCorp, Bandung
Application Engineer, Sales & Marketing
Application support and industry projects tracing to our sales office to achieve the
sales budget and new industry market application research. Pay suitable visits to
end users for seminars and technical presentations with salespeople and
distributors while collecting marketing information and competitor information
analysis.

July 2009 – Sep 2009, Sharp Electronics Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Sharp Direct
Service Station (Internship)
Analyzed the yield ratio trend, documented and solved problems. Participated in training
in marketing, business process modeling and analysis at Sharp Community.
Visualized a project review with impressive presentations with multimedia animation,
which was highly appreciated by my department manager.

June 2009 – July 2009, GF Fund Management Co.,LTD.

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Campus Intern
Analyzed investment principles and related financial derived products. Formulated a
scheme of market popularization and network marketing.

AWARDS
2007 – 2008, Second - Class Scholarship for Excellent Students of Bandung Institute of
Technology.
2008 – 2009, the Imagine Ambassador of Bandung Tennis Popularization.
COMPETENCIES & INTERESTS
English Ability : Band 6 and the intermediate test of interpretation.
German Ability : 600 hours of German Lessons in a Language Institute.
Computer Skills :
National Computer Level 3 Certificate (Network Communication).
Professional Certificate of Assistant Information Officer (AIO)., C++, VBA, Provision, JMP,
AutoCAD, 3Dsmax, Photoshop, Solidwords, Aftereffect.
Adapted from http://www.resume_resource.com/exsiul.html

A. Match the words on the left column with their meaning on the right
1. Application a. prepare something carefully
2. Achieve b. connected with money and finance
3. College c. money that you invest
4. Participate d. take part
5. Investment e. bring the together
6. Financial f. rench something by effort
7. Formulate g. form for a job

B. Decide wheather the sentences are true or false

1. Kaira’s friend came to a dinner date
2. Kaira is offering to treat her friend dinner next Friday
3. Kaira’s friend has marked the date
for the next Friday’s dinner
4. Kaira was busy at work
5. Next dinner will be at a japanese
6. Rendra parker is a manager
7. The sender feels glad to have
purchased merchandise from the
company
8. The letter was sent on the
january12,2010
9. Charming collection is the name of a
company
10. The company has done a complete
search through its files.

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 C. Answer the following questions based on the application letter. There may
be more than one answer.
1. What the applicant applying for?
a. Sales representative. c. a full time position
b. HRD manager d. Sales manager
2. What does the applicant expect after sending letter?
a. The manager will contact her
b. She will be contacted by the manager
c. The manager will be accept her application
d. She will become an employee
3. To whom was the letter sent?
a. HRD manager c. Sales manager
b. HRD office d. Managing director
4. How can the applicant be contacted?
a. By an email. c. To zip-code 08562956479
b. By an interview. d. By phone at 08562956479
5. Where is aquilla paper iocated?
a. Jl. Sudirman 73 c. Jakarta
b. Yogyakarta d. Jl. Selat sunda 4
1-1,5”
6. When did the applicant send the letter?
margin 1-1,5”
a. The first of february 2010 c. February 1,2010
1-1,5” (your name) 1 margin
b. February
(address)3, 2010 d. The 3 february 2010
margin (address)
7. When (phone)
is the applicant available for an interview?
(date today) 2
a. Anytime
Re: (to what this letter refers) 3 c. If necessssary
4 lines b. 7 a.m d. Whenever

(CERTIFIED MAIL) 4
D. Retell one(PERSONAL)
of the letters that you 5
have read before
1 Line
Task 5 More about letter
(recipient’s name) 6
(company name)
(address)
1 line
Attention (recipient’s name) 7
1 line
Dear (recipient’s name) 8
1 line
(SUBJECT) 9
1 line
The main caracteristic of full block letters is that everything (expect maybe a
preprinted letterhead ) is alligned with the margin. Full block letters are a little more
formal than modified bock letter.
1 line 10
If you letter is only page, type the complimentary close and optional components as
shows below.otherwise,type them on the last page of your letter.
Sincerely, 11
(signature) 12
1 line
(your name,title)
4 lines (identification initial) 13
(enclosures : (number) 14
8
1 line cc: (name for copy) 15
(name for copy) 1-1,5”
1 line margn
Based on Suyarto and Hetty R in English business correspondence:
Points to Remember while writing letter.
1. The aim of the letter.
Despite the variety topics on which letters are writing, they all have at least one
of three purposes : to convey information, to prompt information, or to maintain a
satisfactory communication. The purpose for which the letter is written is likely to
affect the tone and style of your letter. So it is important to keep your general, as well
as more specific aim in mind.
2. The person to whom your letter is addressed.
If you know about your correspondence, you can write a more effective letter.
So, try to put yourself in your correspondent’s shoes so that you may be able to judge
how he or she is likely to react. This may suggest ways in which you can improve your
letter.
3. Courtesy and honesty.
These qualities are important in a letter not merely because they are the
correct way to behave, but also because you are committing yourself to paper. If you
write anything impolite, event if it is used unwittingly, you may make an enemy where
you wanted to win a friend. If you are writing a letter of complaint, think very carefully
before choosing your words. Try not to be abusive or impolite.
4. Clarity of thoughts and expression.
It is very important to organize your thoughts and note down the main points
before writing or replying to a letter. It is also important that, having decided what you
want to say, you express yourself in a way the recipient of your letter will understand.
Try to use short words and short sentences which convey the message simply and
clearly. Long words and complex grammatical constructions are not only difficult to
read but are often imprecise, if you do sometimes are long words, check their
meaning and spelling in a dictionary. It is surprising how often they do not convey
quite the meaning you intended.

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 Do not try to use too much technical jargon, and avoid ‘foreign’ p-phrases
where there is a simple and precise English equivalent. Your aim is to make your
meaning clear to the recipient, and not to impress him with your knowledge.
5. Clinches and worn out phrases.
Always avoid phrases such as “We beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter’ or
‘Permit me to state’ or ‘I hope this letter will find you in the best of health and spirits’.
Just go ahead and state an idea as if you were talking face to face with the recipient.
It is better to write ‘Thank you for your letter’ instead of saying ‘we beg to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter’.
6. Accuracy and completeness.
Your letter should always be dated. Check that the recipient’s name and
address are given correctly and spelt accurately. Read the letter again before putting it
into the envelope. Check spelling, punctuation and grammar, any facts and figures
and, finally make sure you put the letter in the correct envelopes.

THE BASIC FRAMEWORK OF A LETTER

Although letters deal with a wide range of topics, it is possible to categories the
main parts of a typical letter. Most letters would not contain all these features, but hey
should all contain the essential parts, namely : the sender’s address, date, the recipient’s
name and address, the opening salutation, message or the main body of the letter, a
complimentary close, a signature and a sender’s name.
a) The sender’s name and address
In both the blocked and indented styles the sender’s name and address is
usually typed at the top right of a letter, aligned on the longest line. The full postal
address includes the country if the recipient knows exactly where to reply. In most of
the business letters, the names and addresses are already included as part of the
printed letter-heads.
b) Reference Code
Reference codes are generally used in business letters to help in filing or
locating as also in replying letters. The reference code is usually given at the top left
above recipient’s address or sometimes in the center of the letter after the recipient’s
address.

c) Date
The date should always be given in full and not in the form of numbers such a
5.3.19…. This can cause difficulty in international correspondence because in Britain
the day is given first whereas in the united state the month is usually given first.
Therefore 5.3.19… could be read as 5th March 3rd May ! it is also much clearer no to
abbreviate month names or years, and the year should always be included as it may
be important in referring back to past correspondence for both you and the recipient.
d) Recipient’s name
If possible you should include the name of an individual recipient and at least a
specific job title if it is a business or official letter. This makes the letter someone’s
particular responsibility and it may lead to a quicker reply. It may also be useful if you
need to follow up the letter and want to know to whom you wrote in the past.
Courtesy titles. “An individual’s name” should always be preceded by a
courtesy title, and the spellings of names should be carefully written. The most
common courtesy titles are ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Miss’, or ‘Ms’ you may ‘Esq.’, (which indicated
the status of ‘gentlemen’ in the past), instead of Mr but it follows the name as, J
Brown, Esq.). however, ‘Mr’ is probably the best courtesy title to use for most male
recipients.

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 If a woman has indicated on past correspondence her preferred courtesy title
you should use this. If not, and you are unsure as to her marital status, it is generally
acceptable to use either ‘Ms’ or ‘Miss’.
Sometimes letters denoting honours, qualifications or professions or
professions may be used after the name. But they should not be included unless
these are particularly relevant. You may add MBBS to a doctor’s name when writing to
him in his professional capacity, but it would not sound proper to add ‘M.A’ to a shop
keeper’s name just because you know he had a degree.
e) Recipient’s address
This should be copied carefully from the previous correspondence if available
and should be the same as the address to be used on the envelope. The addresses
generally include some or all of the following:
 A building or house number (and a flat, chamber of office number if appropriate).
No comma is needed after the number before the road name.
 A road name
 The name of the street
 The name of the locality
 A village name, or a district of a town if there are several streets of the same name
in a town.
 The postal town. This is the town where letters are sorted for local delivery.
 The pin code
 Name of the country, if you are sending the letter abroad.

f) Opening salutation (or greeting)

The opening salutation is used according to the way recipient’s name has been
given. If the letter is addressed to an individual the salutation would normally be in the
form ‘Dear Mr. Chaudhary’, ‘Dear Miss Dixit’ etc., (i.e., the courtesy title and surname,
but no initials or first names). If the recipient is a good and intimate friend, it would be
appropriate to use the first name as, ‘Dear John’. If the person has been addressed
by office rather than by name, the greeting should be ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’. If a
whole department or business organization is being addressed the salutation would
be ‘Dear Sirs’.
g) Subject Heading
It is generally used in business and official correspondence. It is often helpful to
both the sender and the recipient to give a subject heading immediately after the
opening greeting. It should be short and concise and should match that given by your
correspondence if you are continuing discussion of the same topic.
h) Message, or the main body of a letter
Sometimes it is difficult to think of suitable words with which to start the letter.
Given below are some of the openings. But the list is by no means exhaustive and
you may use any opening that suits you.
With reference to you letter of . . . . .
Thank you for your letter of . . . . .
In reply to your letter of . . . .
I am delighted/glad/pleased to tell/inform you that . . . .
I regret/ am sorry to tell/inform you . . . . .
I wish to draw your attention to . . . . .
As requested . . . .
I am writing to . . . .

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 We recently wrote to you about . . . .
You may be interested to hear . . . . .
We wish to remind you that . . . . .
Always refer to any previous correspondence in the first paragraph and also try
to get to point of the letter reasonably quickly without beating about the bush. It is
best to start a paragraph with a ‘topic sentence’, that is, introducing the subject to the
paragraph, as this will help your reader to follow your train of thought. Avoid using a
‘PS’ in s letter. If your letter has been well planned last-minute thoughts and additions
should be unnecessary.

i) Complimentary close
This should match the opening greeting ‘Your sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ will
be appropriate in nearly all cases. ‘Your sincerely’ is used where the individual is
named, and ‘Yours faithfully’ where the salutation is ‘Sir’, ‘Dear Sir’ or similar.
Other complimentary close include : ‘Faithfully yours’ or ‘Sincerely yours’ (which tend
to sound a bit pompous), ‘Yours respectfully’, (sometimes for higher or closer and
respectable persons), and ‘Yours truly’ (which can be used for friends, but it sounds a
bit formal). ‘Best wishes’ or some other greeting would be more appropriate if you
know the recipient intimately and have addressed him as ‘Dear John’ or something
similar.
j) Signature
Letters will usually bear the signature of the writer; however, sometimes other
conventions are followed. A partner signing for his firm, for example, should use the
firm’s name without adding his own name. In business letters it is considered
discourteous to a firm’s rubber stamp in place of a signature.
k) Sender’s name
Unless you are confident that your signature is readable, or it will be very
familiar to your correspondent, it is as well to include your name immediately below
the signature and this should match the signature.

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