=r:

l.

UNIT 5Discussion:

1. Answer the question below, then compare your answers with a partner:l. What is your philosophy on credit?

a) never borrow money b) use credit in moderationc) get as much credit as you can

2. If you have to ask someone to repay money they owe you, how do you feel?a) embarrassed b) angry c) nothing, it's only money

3. What would you write to remind someone they owe you money? Why?a) a text message b) an email c) a letter

Reading and analysis

2. Read the emails below. Which email is:

a request n a reminder n a refusal n a final demand I

According to our records, our invoice number 061704 for € 15,789 is nowoverdue. If however, this invoice has already been settled, please disregard thisemail.

In answer to your enquiry of 2 September about trading on open account, weregret to inform you that we are unable to agree to your request due to ourinsufficient credit rating. We hope you will understand the reasons for thisdecision, and we trust that we can continue to do business together as in the past.

Further to our email of 23 Muy, we have still not received payment for the

outstanding sum of € I 5,789. We regret to inform you that we are suspendingall shipments until this outstanding balance has been settled.

As we now intend to place regular orders with your company, we wouldappreciate being able to trade on open account. We are confident this arrangementwill be to our mutual benefit, and we look forward to an early reply.

2.

3.

4.

-

rl

L

2.I am afraid grouP Poli

3. We are pleased to .

3. Make complete sentences by using one phrase from each column'

1. I am writing to enquire 1,-r- }1. u\t!i$c\t\agree to which is still outstanding

to extend credit terms of 60

daysthe sum of € 21, 5

whether You would be able of this outstanding balance.

4. May I remind You that r early settlement the terms you propose

5. We wrote to You on 4 Nov not allow us our legal department

6. Would you let us regarding the balance of € 12, s still outstanding?

7. We would appreciate b* kpass the matter on soon as possible?

8. We shall have no w vour decision o give more than 30 daYs'

alternative credit

Which of these sentences are used in :

a request @ @ a reminderQ H

an agreement$

4. Which is the most polite form, a) or b)?

1. tr$ In view of the increase in our volume of busineSS,. . .

5) Considering how much more business we're giving You,.. .

a refusalEL

a final demandB fr

2. a) About the longer credit you asked for," '

.@ Wittr regard to your request for improved credit terms,...

3. a) Re: your letter dated 3111,...

Q) Further to your letter of 31 January

4. @, We look forward to receiving your order'

6'; W" expect You to order quicklY.

5. ' a) We're giving you a week to pay," '

@ Unless we receive payment within seven days, ' ' '

6. d"t. would like to apologize for the delay in sending the enclosed cheque.

U) W. are sorry we took so long to send the enclosed cheque'

7 ." @)This was an unfortunate oversight due to circumstances beyond our control'

b) We forgot, but it wasn't our fault.

8., d We can assure you that it will not recur.

b) Don't worry, it will never happen again.

5. Use each preposition once to complete the schedule.

preliminary studies will be carried out gT\ January to June of next year.

\\\!}\\jT\c\ this period, the exact scope of the work will be evaluated, and a definitive

T \ _ . .,,.1 1

quotation will be submitted 15 June the latest. The customer will then have

mid-September to stuily the proposal. After signature of the contract, work will

begin ErfL I October and is expected to continue {'eC 18 months. AJ

deposit of 20Yo will be payable at signature rsft Sentember:-thereafter, invoices willept )

during within at from in until by for aftet on

be issued dha" one week of completion of each stage of the project, for payment\., ----f- I t;ff

rrr\* 90 diys. The fnal l5% will not be invoiced until "l

a'NQ, reception of

the completed building.

EMAILS

Email abbreviations

TLAs (three-letter acronYms)

In order to keep email messages short, people sometimes use abbreviations for common

expressions, just as they do in text messaging. These are known as TLAs (three-letter acronyms),

although some of them are more than three letters long. Here is a list of some of the most

commonly used TLAs:

AF'AIKBFNBTWCOBFYIIOWNRNOTOH

Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Match the words from the box to their definition (and extra information) below.

climb ry deteJ:iorateh neak ' ,,r. D slide'10 :l L,

fluctuate'bsoar

RIJ

JUr^npstabilize l

1. become higher (literally: to move up using your hands and feet)2. become less (literally: to put something into a liquid and quickly lift it out again)

3. change frequently, especially from a high level to a low one and back again4. stop changing and become steady5. get worse (opposite: improve)6. get worse gradually (literally: to move smoothly and quickly across a surface)

7. increase (opposite: fall)8. increase quickly to a high level (to fly high in the sky)f . increase suddenly and by alarge amount (literally: push your body off the ground using

your legs)10. reach the highest point before becoming lower (the noun means 'the top of a mountain'.)

below, match a verb on the left with a noun on the right to make phrases

2 proactive with local distributors.

I a firm commitment to export.

f outside the box.

I on price rather than quality.

6 an exclusive deal.

ftime, effort and money.

fion open account.

ito modify product specifications.

lD payments can be done by the credit agency.

$ a credit agency about a customer's creditworthiness.

lZthat what works in your domestic market will also work abroad.

li one market, rather than trying to sell all over the world.

3. Find one word in the previous exercise that means:

the ability of a company to repay debts:.....r\!Ah$ffiSu$\5u\l. I tS-JSek)

4. The collocations below are used in international business transactions. Cross out the one verb

in bold in each group that does not collocate with the noun

l. issue l-rg#h / settle / query an invoice

2. assylfe / provide / load / ship goods,/

2. In each set of fourabout export sales:

1. Don't sell2. Be3. Make4. Think

5. Trade6. Sign7.Be prepared8. Invest

9. Ask10. Chasing1 1. Focus on12. Don't assume

3.

4.

5.

6.

,/ff6se / comply with / state / meet conditionsnegotiate / reach / sign / sFfta dealche;ffi / check out / check up on a customer,s_lxeditworthinessfafl behind with I ge! behind with / move Ue*ffidwith payments.

L s,o6onGqv- un wr+,t.,) ,/

6. The words in bold below are all in the wrong places. Put them in the correct places.

5After the exporter and foreign customer finally ft"n""k up on a deal, the exporter will (2)

comply with the goods and glI"u"nan invoice. The exporter must lafiiru" all the conditions in

the gontract, and if they do they can expect to be paid on time. It is a waste of time if they have tob t\-

ff ship customers who @,chase payments. If there is a problem with payment, the exporter can

use a credit agency to f,ett behind with a customer's creditworthiness.

7. Complete the text with these time prepositions at, during,.fro*, in, until, within.

\r\"(r..f the 90s we worked with a series of different local agents. 1f,-2002*. ,fu\a.d using APL, and they have been our exclusive agent ,ft€{rn that time

JttSj[ now. They are very good at collecting payment from local customers, and we

give them the discretion to ask for payments tld\urn either 60 or 90 days. They

forward to us all payments they have collected, after taking their commission, and we receive

money from them o\, the end of every month.