Chapter Three Flashcards
What are the categories of social correspondence?
- Letters of social obligation
- Letters of friendship
- Letters of personal business
What do letters of social obligation include?
Invitations
Acceptances
Rejections of invitations
Congratulations
Condolences
Thank-you notes
What do personal business letters include?
Complaints
Orders to buy something
Applications for jobs
Recommendations
How are formal invitations written?
In the third person
They’re usually printed but it’s not uncommon to write them by hand on less formal occasions
When and where is R.S.V.P written in a letter?
When a reply is required
In the lower left-hand corner
What should be stated in accepting or declining an informal invitation?
A prompt and definite answer
A “thank you”
The thought that you were pleased by the invitation
What should a note of regret convey?
The reason for the declining
The implication of one’s sincere regrets
What type of invitation doesn’t require a reply?
An invitation to a church wedding (unless an invitation to a reception is also included)
What features should a letter of congratulation have?
It should be sincere and cheerful
Should mention the occasion
Should focus on the special event without writing about other news
What are the features of the best condolence letter?
Brief and sincere
What is the structure of a condolence letter?
Express briefly your feeling about the loss
Then move on quickly to an expression of sympathy for your reader
To whom are thank-you notes written?
Someone who sent you a gift, provided hospitality, extended congratulations or condolences, done you a favor and so on.
