Unit 2

Skills for Writing Personal Notes


Section 1: How to Write Notes
A note is a piece of writing to call attention to something, or a short letter. It is an informal form of written communication and commonly used by business people. A note can take different forms. Its outstanding feature is shortness. Look at the following samples.

1. A note with a printed heading
NOTE FROM MR RICHARDSON
Pls send a letter to Naves Limon in C.R.
Find out:
Are they satisfied with the order?
Can we provide any after-sales advice?
Encourage repeat order.
2. An apology in a short note
From the desk of Joan Hughes
Dear Mr. Preston,
I am very sorry I arrived late for your presentation. I was unavoidably detained. Again, my sincere apologies.
Sincerely yours,
[Signature]
3. Note of a telephone message
Stephy
Please call Edward Boyle on 075957785 about your order for 50 computers. It is not very urgent.
Mary
4. Note for the expected visitor when you are away
Dear Miss Berry
I am sorry that I'm not in the office to meet you. I'm in Mr. Lawrence's office. Please take the elevator to the 6th floor.
His office is the first on the left.
Richard
Answer the Following Questions
1. What’s the outstanding feature of notes?
2. Can you see the difference between the above notes? What’s the difference?
Words and Phrases
1. find out: learn or discover
e.g. I won’t tell you---you must find out for yourself.
2. after-sales: after the sales
e.g. What’s your after-sales service?
3. presentation: thing or gift presented esp. on a formal ceremony
e.g. We went to their new presentation.
4. detained: delayed
e.g. She was detained in the office by unexpected callers.
5. call sb about: phone sb about
e.g. My brother called me from Beijing about the book last night.
 

Section 2: Guide for Writing Personal Notes
How to Write Personal Notes
Personal notes vary with the particular purposes of different types of note writing. More often, the personal note is used between friends or acquaintances, and it can be left for the addressee by the writer himself (herself) or passed on to the addressee by someone else on a certain occasion. Generally, no envelope is needed, and the addresses of the addresser and addressee may be not written either. In the salutation, the word "Dear" can be omitted, and "Mr. so-and-so" or "Mrs. so-and-so" may be directly addressed. The wording tends to be casual and colloquial. Some notes, nevertheless, convey the immediate and brief messages on some occasion. In this case the written format, wording and addressing mood can be all more casual and simple.
Whatever form it takes or however brief it is, a note must include the basic parts: the date or the specific time, the salutation, the body and the signature.
Guides for Writing Personal Notes
Guide 1: Make a direct indication of the matter.
1. Just a line to inform you that I am leaving for Shanghai to attend a meeting tomorrow.
2. I am on an urgent mission and want to get to Hong Kong as soon as possible.
3. I’m going to attend an important academic conference next Monday morning.
4. A professor, who called himself Mr. John, arrived from Beijing a few days ago, and he has just rung up.
Guide 2: Make a request or a promise to do something.
1. You are requested to ring him up this evening any time from 9:00 to 12:00.
2. I’ll write to you soon.
3. Please charge the expenses entailed to my account.
4. So I ask to be given permission to be absent from Spoken English Course on Monday morning.
Guide 3: Express thanks.
1. Thanks a lot.
2. I’ll be grateful to you if you...