Chapter-Seven-Writing-for-Practical-Purposes

WritingforPracticalPurposesTwoParts2.Greetings,GoodWishes,andFormalInvitations1.Notices3.Notes4.Letters5.ResumesNotices•Wewritenoticestotellpeoplesomethingthatisabouttohappenor,sometimes,somethingthathashappened.Letuslookatthefollowingnotices:Sample1DepartmentMeetingWednesday,May62:30p.mEnglishBuilding,Room201Sample2CommitteeMeetingTues.Oct.144p.mBldg.No.2,Rm.102Sample3Movie-OscarWinnerSenieandSenlilitltyintheAuditoriumSaturdayFeb.1619:00---21:00AdmissionFreeSample4FilmTheSoundofMusicintheAuditoriumTuesdayOctober1418:00---20:30$5Sample5FootballMatchOnfield#2EnglishDept.vs.RussianDept.Thurs.Apr.155:00p.m.Sample6ContemporaryBritishTheatreSpeaker:Prof.BernardHollandProfessorofEnglishLiterature,CambridgeUniversityAuthorofTheExperimentalTheatreDate:Monday,6OctoberTime:10a.m.Place:Rm.201AllWelcome!Sample7HowtoWriteEffectivelySpeak:Prof.IreneHoffmanProt.ofLinguistics,BostonUniversityAuthorofAGuidetoEffectiveEnglishDate:Wed.May10Time:3p.mPlace:#103AllWelcome!Greetings•OngreetingcardsenttofriendsorrelativeonspecialoccasionssuchasChristmas,NewYearorbirthdays,wemaywritewordsasfollows:Sample1ToProf.andMrs.Post.AMerryChristmasandAHappyNewYear!FromLiushuxinandYuLiSample2DearProf.andMre.Post:ItwasverypleasanttomeetyouattheconferenceinBeijinglastOctober.Iwishyoulathaveryhappynewyear!LiuShuxinSample3ToMargaret:HappyBirthday!FromHangmeiSample4DearMargret:HappyBirthday!Ihopewe’llbeabletocelebrateyournextbirthdaytogetherinShanghai.HangmeiFormalInvitations•Wemaywriteaformalinvitationcardasfollows:Sample1Ontheoccasionofthe30thanniversaryofthefoundingofMianyangTeachers’sCollegeThePresident,Mr.YuanSijiawouldliketoinviteProf.andMrs.AlanMasstoaReceptiononMonday,September5,2005from11:30to13:30attheGuestHouseR.S.V.P.Tel.[phone](regretsonly)Sample2Mr.andMrs.WangShuochengrequestthepleasureofthecompanyofMr.andMrs.DonaldCaslintosayfarewelltoMr.andMrs.FrankJohnsonandtowelcomeDr.andMrs.NathanLangfeldatZijinHall,GrandHotelonFriday,23rdMayat6:30.R.S.V.P.64598241Sample3InCelebrationofthe50thAnniversaryoftheFoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChinatheBureauofForeignAffairscordiallyinvitesyoutoareceptiononSunday,September30at5:30p.m.atBanquetHalloftheGuestHouseNotes•Weoftenneedtowriteshortnotesforallkindsofpurposes.WehaveallwrittennotesinChineseandknowanoteinChineseisverymuchlikeashortletter.AndEnglishnoteisalsosimilartoashortEnglishletter,buttheformofnoteissimplerandthelanguageusedisoftennotsoformal.Sample1小李：请稍等，我马上就回来。王军Sample2Anne,Pleasewaitforafewminutes.I’llberightback.WangJunSample3Feb.7Herb,Couldweseeeachothertodiscussyoursyllabusfor“ContemporaryAmericanFiction”onFridaymorningat10o’clock?Yuwen•ThedifferencebetweenChineseandEnglishnotesbecomesquiteobvious.Whenweneedtowriteadateforournotes.IntheEnglishnotes,thedateiswrittenfirstandisputinthetoprightcorner,whereasintheChinesenote,thedateiswrittenlastandisputunderthenameintherightcorneratthebottom.Sometimes,wemaywanttoputdownalsothedayoftheweek;inEnglishitiswrittenbeforethedate,forexample:Tues.June23.AppointmentsMay2Mr.Johnson,Tonight'sperformancebeginsat7:30.Couldwemeetinthehotellobbyat6?LiuningApologiesWed.Mar.12DearProf.Brown,Iwouldliketoexpressmyapologiesfornotbeingabletokeepour10o'clockappointmentforMar.16,forIhavesomeurgentbusinesstodealwithoutoftownandwon'tbebackuntilMar.17.IwillringyouupassoonasIcomebacktoarrangeforanotherappointment.Withmanyapologies,HaoZhigiInformalInvitationsApr.28DearProf.Cone,WeshallholdaspeedcontestinRoom206at8p.m.onFriday,May4.Wewouldbeveryhappyifyoucouldbeoneofthejudges.StudentsofClass1RequestsJune24DearProf.Hoffman,IamwritingmypaperonMartinEden.IwouldbeverygratefulifyoucouldlendmeyourJackLondon:EssaysinCriticismforafewdays.Pleaseleavethebookinmymailbox,#218.Manythanks,ZhaoShuhuaThanksAug.23DearMr.Singer,IwouldliketothankyouforyourwarmhospitalityduringmyshortstayinLeeds.Ienjoyedthevisitverymuch.LuochangdeLetters•Afterwehavelearnedhowtowriteashortnote,writingaletterbecomesrathereasy.Aletterisverymuchlikealongnote,buttheformofaletterismorecomplicated,especiallytheformofabusinessletter.Furthermore,theenvelopeofanEnglishletterisquitedifferentfromthatofaletterinChinese.PersonalLettersApril12,1998DearBob,Whatapleasantsurprise,thenewsthatyouandyourwifemayvisitChinathisyear!Youwillbemostwelcomeatmyschool,andifitworksout,myfellowstudentsandIhopeyouwillgiveafewtalkstousonstudentlifeandsocialchangesinyourcountry.I’lltakethelibertyoflettingthechairmanofmydepartmentknowofthepossibility.Pleasekeepmepostedaboutyourplansforthetrip.Somenewsoftheschool.Thenewlibrarybuildinghasbeencompleted;thestacksarefilledwithbooks.Therearefourbigbrightreading-rooms,andtheyarecrowdedwithstudentseveryevening.AnewbaseballteamhasbeenorganizedwithMr.Huang,thePEteacher,asthecoach.Believeitornot,ithaswonthreeofthefivematchesithasplayed.Allthestudentsyouknowarewell,andtheyaskmetosayhellotoyouandyourwife.Wealllookforwardtoyourvisit.Yoursaffectionately,GuangmingBusinessLettersDecember26,1997PersonnelOfficePacificComputerCompanyTianjin,20039DearSir:Pleaseexcusemefortakingsomeofyourtimewiththisunexpectedlet