2. Literature Review

Many studies have been conducted on the features of the vocabulary and literary form of business correspondence, what’s more, some different expressions of “price” has also been summarized in these studies.

2.1 The feature of International business correspondence

2.1.1 Accuracy and normative

  The language we use in business correspondence is almost an absolutely new kind of languages. It is quite different from what we use in daily life. For example, the word “offer” means “to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they would like to do something”  in our daily life; but in business correspondence, the word “offer” has its special meaning— the seller provide the information about its productions for the buyer[9]. Such words which have its special meaning in business correspondence can often be seen in foreign trade. That’s why we find it difficult to deal with business correspondence when we just begin to engage in the job of foreign traders. 

2.1.2 Content conciseness

Business correspondence should be as brief and clear as it could. For it’s a kind of functional type of writing, it’s for the seller and buyer to have a clear idea of the production. So the continent in business correspondence should be specific and explicit, especially in those mails that ask for a clear response, or reply to the requirements and questions from others in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Here is an example:论文网

“We are exporting tires of various demands among which Feige and For ever brand are the famous ones. They are in great demand and our stocks are running down quickly (Liu 2).” 

In this sentence, the seller wants to tell the buyer the demand of their productions is so vigorous that the tires are under produce. But the sentence “our stocks are running down quickly” seems to confess without any pressure — there are still some stocks. This is on contrary to the meaning it wanted to express at first. So this sentence should properly be:

“We are exporting tires of various demands among which Feige and For ever brand are the famous ones. They are in great demand and short of supply.”

There is another similar example:

“We will inform our bank, Bank of China, Shanghai Branch, to open a confirmed irrevocable L/C in your favor (Liu 2).”

It’s known that according to the operation process, the buyer should apply to the bank to open an account first and pay a deposit. Then the bank would establish a letter of credit after checking, rather than the buyer inform the bank to establish an L/C. Therefore the sentence should correct as:

“We will apply to Bank of China, Shanghai Branch for establishment of a confirmed irrevocable L/C.”

Zhang Hao emphasizes on language of black humor in his essay “On the Linguistic Representations of Black Humor in Catch-22” and his purpose is to state that the turn of the language helps to shape an irrational world.

2.1.3 Logic rigor

A discourse should be coherent and logically reasonable. In a coherent discourse the sentences and paragraphs must always be connected with each other in fact. Here is an example correspondence written by the Guang Tai Best Success Trading Ltd:

    Subject: the ending of Cooperation

Our almost six-year co-operation will be ended. I think it is not necessary and important to say who is wrong or right. This job is with too much pressure. We don’t want to work for you any more.

Generally speaking, we have good cooperation during these years. I hope you can understand. If you are not satisfied with us or don’t agree with us, pls. find the other persons to be instead of us. We are willing to ensure the handover smoothly. I am a responsible person and don’t want to do much harmful to supplier for cancelling orders because of our leaving.