By learning this unit, students are supposed to be able to:

1. understand what inquiry is.

2. Use the essential words and phrases of inquiries and replies.

3. Be familiar with the structure of inquiries and replies.

4. Know the essential principles of inquiries and replies.

5. Master the writing skills of inquiries and replies.

6. Write inquiry and reply letters.

1

Structures of inquiry and reply letters.

3

Sample letters.

2

Typical sentences of inquiry and reply letters.

Unit 4

Letters of

Inquiry

Letters of

Reply

Sample Letters

Sample Letters

Writing Skills

Writing Skills

An Inquiry about

Women’s Blouses

and Sweaters

An InquiryAbout Toys

An InquiryAbout

Shipment

A FurtherInquiry

A Reply tothe Inquiry

About Women’sBlouses and

Sweaters

A Reply to the

InquiryAboutToys

A Reply toShipmentInquiry

A Reply to the

FurtherInquiry

Practice Guide

Exercises

Letters of Inquiry

Letters of inquiry normally consist of the following parts:

1. Self-introduction.

2. Source of information about the product or company.

3. The reason of your writing.

4. The information you need.

5. Appreciation.

6. Expectation.

Sample Letters 1

An Inquiry

about

Women’s Blouses and Sweaters

Questions

How many paragraphs are there in the letter?

What contents are written in each paragraph?

There are four paragraphs in the letter.

Letter Analysis

Lettersof

Inquiry

The source of your information

and the reasonof your writing.

The informationyou need.(1)

Theinformationyou need.(2)

Appreciationand

expectation.

In this class, we have:1. done the exercises on unit 2. 2. known the teaching goals for unit 4.3. known the teaching focus of unit 4.4. had a general idea about the outline of unit

4.5. learned the writing skills for inquiry.6. analyzed the structure of Sample Letter 1

of inquiry.

1. Memorize the useful expressions in Ex. IV of Unit 2 on p39.

2. Read and recite Sample Letter 1 of inquiry fluently.

3. Preview Sample Letter 1 of reply.

4. Preview the writing skills for reply.

销售经理阁下： 贵方网上的广告引起我方对贵方产品的极大兴趣。我

方拟将贵方产品列入经营范围。 请寄贵方女式衬衫及毛衣的目录及价目表。同时我方

欲知贵方是否接受来样加工订单。 请说明付款条件并告知收到订单后多久能安排装运。 我方拟将贵方产品加入春季促销产品行列，如蒙贵方

尽快寄送商品目录表及价目表，我方将不胜感激。感谢贵方帮助。盼尽早回复。

采购部经理 约翰 . 布朗 （签名） 2006 年 3 月 26

日

Letters of Reply

1. Acknowledgement of the inquiry.

2. Clear and comprehensive answers to the inquiry.

3. Express hopes.

*For negative reply, please give explanation and apology.

*Mention enclosure generally.

Sample Letters 1

A Reply to the Inquiry

about

Women’s Blouses and Sweaters

Questions

How many paragraphs are there in the letter?

What contents are written in each paragraphs?

There are six paragraphs in the letter.

Letter Analysis

Lettersof

Reply

Acknowledgementof the inquiry

Answerto the

Inquiry.(1)

Provide Additional

Information.

Answerto the

Inquiry.(2)

Answerto the

Inquiry.(3)

Expressthe hope.

Mention the enclosure.

In this class, we have:

1. reviewed the useful expressions in Ex. IV of Unit 2.

2. translated Sample Letter 1 of inquiry into Chinese.

3. learned the writing skills for inquiry.

4. analyzed the structure of Sample Letter 1 of reply.

1. Review what you have learned in today’s class.

2. Recite the useful expressions.

3. Recite Sample Letter 1 of reply.

4. Finish all the exercises on the unit at p70-75.

5. Prepare to write an inquiry and reply.

1. Suppose you are working in an export

company, and a potential customer inquires you

about your products. You are asked to send a

sample of the product which is very expensive.

What will you do and how will you reply?

2. Suppose the goods inquired about

are out of stock. What are the possible

replies? Please list them out.

supplements\Sentence Strip 1.docsupplements\Sentence Strip 2.doc

1. Write an inquiry according to the given materials. Unit 4\supplements\Write an Inquiry Letter.doc

2. Check your writing following to the Checklist. Unit 4\supplements\Checklist.doc

In this class, we have:

1. Finished the Practice Guide.

2. Practiced inquiry and reply letter

writing.

1. Recite the useful expressions in sample

letters of inquiry and reply.

2. Recite the inquiry and reply sample

letters.

3. Preview Unit 6.

4. Prepare to do Test I after finishing

learning Unit 7.