Letter Writing 101

Letter Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 By Ali Hale People have been writing letters for centuries. Before the telephone and the Internet, sending a letter (by messenger, and later by post) was the only way to communicate with someone who was geographically distant. Even with all our modern technology, letters haven’t become obsolete. Most of us will write many letters during our business life: perhaps including a covering letter to accompany our resume, a letter to be sent to clients, or a thank you letter after an interview or other opportunity. In this article, I’ll take you through the common types of letters that you’re likely to need to write at some point. I’ll offer general and specific advice which should help you if you’re at a loss for words or unsure how to structure a letter. You might want to bookmark this page so that you can refer back to it when you need it! I’ll cover business letters first, then mention some tips for personal letters too. Business Letters The standard format of a business letter varies from country to country, and standards often aren’t set in stone. If you’re not sure how your letter should be laid out, check Daily Writing Tips’ guidelines on How to Format a US Business Letter and How to Format a UK Business Letter. A quick tip if you’re still struggling about layout: look through your correspondence, find a business letter (ideally one from the company that you’re writing to), and use their format as a model. Here are four more points to take into consideration: 1. You should use a simple, standard font such as Arial or Times New Roman for business letters, and a font size of 10-12 pt (depending on the font). Even if your letter is short, don’t use a large font size to increase the space it takes up on the page – this will look unprofessional. This goes especially for writers, who are often tempted to use fancy fonts and layout. 2. You should never handwrite a business letter. However, you may send a very brief handwritten note on a printed compliments slip, in lieu of a letter. 3. For all business letters, you should keep your audience in mind. Don’t use business jargon when you’re writing to customers, for instance. Keep your letters as short as possible – if you need more than a page, consider whether the information might be better delivered in a leaflet or brochure. 4. Always check your spelling and proof-read your letters; if possible, ask someone else in your company to go through them. It’s surprising how mistakes can slip past your eyes: errors can alter your meaning and may confuse or even offend the recipient. Job Applications When writing a letter as part of a job application, remember that it will give the employer their first impression of you. Always: Ensure that you have provided all the information requested. Mention any enclosures (usually your resume and perhaps an application form). Address the letter to â€Å"Mr Smith† or â€Å"Mrs Jones†, rather than using their first name. If you are unsure of the gender of the recipient, use their first name and surname (such as â€Å"Sam Jones†). Here’s an example of the start of an application letter: Dear Mr Smith: Application for the Junior Manager Role, ref: 123A I am writing to apply for the position of Junior Manager, as advertised on your website. Please find my resume enclosed. I believe that I would be an ideal fit for this role, as I meet all of the requirements on the job specification. In particular, my spoken communication skills are outstanding (as you can see from my resume, I captained the debating team at my college). Business Thank You Letters In a business context, thank you letters are often appropriate and expected. When you have attended an interview, it is considered polite to send a thank you note – and it could harm your chances of getting the job if you don’t do this. You might also send a thank you letter when someone has given you their time and advice. In general, you should: Make it very clear that you’re writing to thank the recipient. Mention a specific detail of how they helped you. Express your gratitude for the time or effort they spent. Avoid using the letter just as an excuse to promote yourself (though if you are following up an interview, it’s appropriate to highlight your suitability for the job). An example paragraph from a thank you letter is: Thank you for giving me your time on Friday 18th, when you kindly showed me around the factory. It was fascinating to see how the widgets are manufactured, and I now feel confident that I want to pursue a career in the widget manufacturing field. I’ve attached my resume and wonder if you’d be kind enough to keep it on file, in case any future positions arise that I might be suitable for? Letters of Complaint If you have received poor service or have been dissatisfied with a product, you can write to the company involved to make a complaint. To get the result you want, such as a refund, follow these tips: Explain clearly who you are in relation to the company (eg. â€Å"I am an XYZ customer†). Let them know exactly what you’re complaining about, without using emotional or abusive language. Give specific location, time and date if appropriate. Make it clear what you would like them to do in response. You might also want to include a warning, such as â€Å"If this is not resolved, I will be forced to take my business elsewhere.† Throughout your letter of complaint, your tone should be polite but assertive. Don’t make ridiculous threats or demand an unreasonable compensation – but also don’t be afraid to tell them about the inconvenience or financial loss that you’ve suffered. You can practice writing a letter of complaint here, or use the example below as a model: I recently ordered several party platters of food from your store in Littletown, including one platter of seafood. The food was delivered two hours late, and the seafood platter was missing. I had to spend $40 to purchase extra food at short notice for my party. This was very inconvenient, as I had to drive to the store when I had planned to be with my guests. I have never used your party platter service in the past, and regret to say that I very much doubt I will be doing so again unless you can assure me that this was an isolated incident. Although I was not charged for the seafood platter, I would be grateful for compensation in view of the inconvenience – and cost – of buying replacement food at such short notice. Personal Letters A thoughtful letter from a friend can brighten anyone’s day. Most of us send emails rather than letters nowadays – which means that a letter will really stand out. Even if you’d never normally sit down to write a letter except in a business context, there are a couple of types of personal letter that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with: Letter of Condolence A letter of condolence or letter of sympathy is one which you send to someone who has been bereaved. It can be very difficult to find the right words to say, but taking the time to write a letter or note rather than just sending a â€Å"With Sympathy† card will mean a lot to the recipient. Some tips to bear in mind are: Acknowledge the loss – don’t gloss over it. Express your sympathy. Offer a brief anecdote or recollection of the deceased, mentioning the role s/he played in your life. Mention that your thoughts (and, if appropriate for you and the recipient, your prayers) are with the bereaved and their family. Note that if you’re writing to someone elderly, it’s particularly important to send a handwritten letter. A typed letter will often come across as cold or even rude. All letters of condolence will be unique, but you might like to use this example as a general guide: I was so sorry to hear that John had passed away. My sympathies are with you at this time: I know it must be very difficult for you. John was so good to me when I first came to Littletown – I remember how he welcomed me into your church and made me feel completely at home. I’ll miss him very much. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and with Johnny and Becca. Personal Thank You Letters When someone has given you a gift or done you a particular favor, it’s polite to send them a thank you note or letter. You might do this by email – but you still need to send a separate note to each person, rather than emailing a group of people. Thank you letters are required is in response to wedding gifts. You should send these through the post, and in many cases, you may want to handwrite them. As well as saying â€Å"thank you† for the gift, it’s often nice to acknowledge the particular role that a person played in your wedding – even if that’s just saying â€Å"We were so pleased that you could come and be with us on the day.† Other times when you could send a thank you letter include: For birthday and Christmas gifts. When you’ve stayed as a house guest somewhere (this is sometimes called a â€Å"bread-and-butter letter†). After someone has treated you to a meal, a theater trip, a vacation or similar. To your parents, grandparents or other relatives who have helped you out with a big purchase or a college degree. Your thank you letter doesn’t need to be long. In many cases, a few lines is plenty: Thank you for the gorgeous sweater – just the thing for the cold Canadian winter! I’ll be thinking of you every time I wrap myself up in it. We’re going to be travelling over Christmas, but hope to pop down and see everyone during the new year. Thanks again! If you’re not very confident about your letter writing skills, sending some personal thank you notes is a great way to get started. People are always delighted and touched by being thanked in this way – they’ll overlook any small slips of grammar, and you don’t need to worry too much about lay out and formatting in personal letters. Check Out Other Articles from The Writing 101 Series: The Writing Process Creative Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of Adjectives30 Baseball Idioms10 Writing Exercises to Tighten Your Writing

Finance analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance analysis - Essay Example In this study, it was required to compute the Net Present Value of a project for a given company and make a recommendation on whether the project is worthwhile or not. The NPV of a project is the difference between the present values of its cash inflows and its cash outlays. The NPV technique makes use of the discounted cash flow method and discounts the cash flows at the rate of the cost of capital (Smart & Megginson, 2008, p. 261). Additionally, this paper includes designing a capital budgeting model that can be used to evaluated similar projects. Research on Model Design The conventional use of financial models is to evaluate the financial feasibility of a proposed investment. Such models can be utilized to investigate the various investment alternatives that are available, in order to choose the most viable one. Generally financial models are designed to assess a particular capital budgeting project. Capital budgeting choices are supposed to be based on cash flows, instead of acc ounting profits. Additionally it is the incremental cash flows that are applicable. In general, a project is undertaken if the NPV of the incremental cash flows generated from it is found to be positive. However, there may be instances when a Company has multiple projects to choose from but due to budget constraint, the firm’s management might not be able to select all the projects that have a positive NPV. In such cases, the projects having higher values of NPV are opted over those which have inferior NPV values. When the projects are mutually exclusive, the one having the highest NPV is chosen and the others rejected (Gallagher & Andrew, 2007, p. 270). It is known that spreadsheets are suitable and very useful device that are utilized in the assessment of capital projects. The most common methods used in these models are the NPV and the IRR, though other methods like payback period and accounting return are also used. The review of literature revealed that the most popular and publicly available capital budgeting models were the one created for assessing investments in forestry. Some of these models comprise of the FARMTREE model, Agro Forestry Estate model, Australian Farm Forestry Financial Model and the Australian Cabinet Timbers Financial Model (Dayananda et al, 2002, pp. 237-240). These models are designed to evaluate forestry investments and owing to their large scale and exclusive requirement are complicated in nature. On the other hand, the model prepared for the appraisal of the MP3 player project has been built according to its customized requirements and hence best suited. This model is user friendly and even a layman would be comfortable using it for appraising similar projects. The model has been so created, that even if the input variables and the associated relationships are changed, the model would be able to accommodate the changes. Capital Budgeting Model and the explanation of the Outputs For the calculation of the NPV of the new MP 3 player production project that is being considered by the Company, it is crucial to determine the cash flows related to the project. The cash flows can be grouped as follows: Initial capital outflow Operating cash flow during the project’s life (in this case: 5 years) Cash flow during the terminal year of the project The initial capital outflow of the company included the training cost, the retirement package, the working capital requirement and the equipment cost, i.e. $158,701,000. The components of the operating cash flows in the next five years have

Macro Economis - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macro Economis - - Essay Example Macroeconomics As noted above, this present paper is based on the concept of macroeconomics, which has been described by Bauman and Klein (2011) as the branch of economics that majorly deals with the wider perspective of the national economy rather than a single segment of the economy. With reference to the writings by Mankiw (2011, p23) macro-economic is stated as â€Å"a branch of economics that focus on the trends and movements in the entire economy,† and some of these movements and trends concern employment, inflation, price levels, rate of growth, national income, and gross domestic product of a particular country, or region/ economic block. In comparison to the other branch of economics, Chung et al. (2007) stated that microeconomics mainly focus on smaller aspects of the economy such as the behaviour of consumers and business organisations, and how this affects quantities and prices within a particular market. According to Buiter (2010), even thou the field of macroecon omics is broad, it largely focuses on two critical areas of studies, which include the study on the causes and repercussions of short-run business cycles on the national income and the study on determinants of long-run economic growth. Dale et al. (2010) stated that usually the central government as well as the large corporations, utilise macroeconomic forecasts and models primarily to develop and evaluate economic policies and business strategies. Macroeconomic objectives In the previous sub-section, it was stated that macroeconomics is simply a branch of economics that focuses on the wider aspect of the economy; however, Keynes (2011) further added that macroeconomics also concerns itself with the conscious and deliberate management of economic variables within an economy in order to attain certain objectives. It is of essence to note that macroeconomics relies on three critical policies to attain its objectives, and these policies include the monetary policies, fiscal policies an d supply-side policies. Monetary policies are defined by Krugman and Wells (2009), as measures that are adopted by the central government through the central bank in order to increase or decrease the supply of money in circulation while fiscal policies are the policies of the central government, which focus on the country’s budget and especially issues pertaining to borrowing and taxation. As for supply-side policies, they are mainly devised to ensure that the market works efficiently. According to the writings by Bauman and Klein (2011), they wrote that the top objectives of macroeconomics include price stability, exchange stability, full employment, growth of the economy, and the balance of payment equilibrium. a) Price stability According to Buiter (2010), the maintenance of price stability is crucial to the national economy because higher price levels contribute to various problems pertaining to consumption, distribution, exchange, and production. For example, inflation d istorts economic calculations as well as expectations and it generates varying problems in different sections of the economy. Moreover, Buiter (2010) stated that during inflation creditors lose while debtors gain. Furthermore, inflation strains the relationship between capital and labour, and the distribution of national income becomes

Condoms in Schools Essay Example for Free

Condoms in Schools Essay Should condoms be distributed among high schools? The answer to that very controversial subject is yes. Yes condoms should be distributed among the students. The question is controversial due to the main subject it discusses: sex. Some schools today are distributing birth control items to promote the thoughts and ideas of safe sex. Many also believe that along with condom distribution, there should be an availability of other methods of birth control, promotion of abstinence, and information for students on what being safe really means. Alternatively the critics of condom distribution suggest that there should be abstinence only education on this issue. Sex education in this context would encourage the young individuals to abstain from sexual activity in order to avoid pregnancy and diseases In today’s society, high schools should distribute condoms to students. This issue of condoms in schools is a growing concern because of increasing rates of sexual behavior, earlier onset of sexual activity, teenage pregnancy, and the spreading of STDs and HIV. It is important to educate teenagers about the use of condoms and how it prevents the spread of HIV, AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and pregnancy. Teenagers need to know that having unprotected sex puts them at risk of coming in contact with diseases that they can spread to others. Each year there are many unwanted babies born, or even worse aborted in this country. Many which are born to young people with little or no education about condom use and sex. With a little education about condom use and safe sex many of these unnecessary pregnancies could be prevented. Many parents do not educate their children about sex; therefore the burden usually falls on the schools. Condoms should definitely be readily available in the school system, along with a Sex Education program that includes how and why to use condoms properly. When young people are educated about condoms and the risk of pregnancy then they are more likely to use a condom. A lot of young people are getting bad myths and taboos from their friends and the media. Having the school really tell them about sex and what can really happen will help. Having condoms available in the school will allow students to have them their so they don’t have to worry about being embarrassed for walking in a store to buy them or ask their parents for them. More and more teens are getting pregnant as a result of not using a condom. Lots of teens believe in the â€Å"pull out† method, but they fail to realize that it will not work every time. Teens need to be educated properly and stop depending on tv and magazines to learn about sex. Many adults think that to provide condoms in school will only push student to have sex however, to have condoms available at high schools does not influence teenagers to have sex but shows them that if they are ready to have sex that condoms are always a must. If a girl or boy really wants to have sex then they are going to do it regardless of if there are condoms available to them. People believe that teaching abstinence will sway kids away from wanting to having sex. They believe that it you don’t show teens anything sexual then they won’t want to engage in sexual behavior but that it the total opposite. It will only make teens more curious about sex. If you tell them the facts up front then they will have all the facts and know all their risk. They will be able to decide for themselves whether sex is right for them or not. Having condoms there and ready for them if or when they make the decision to have sex is great. No teen should get pregnant their first time because someone convinced them that they can’ t get pregnant their first time having sex. Ignorance is leading teens to make bad decisions. Providing condoms to students are actually the morally realistic action to follow, educators do not have to encourage sex but they can motivate students to make wise choices when they decide to have sex. Believe it or not it is wise to know that some young individuals, regardless of the abstinence messages will have sex, in such cases such condom distribution is the better option. Also, providing access to birth control empowers women of today, giving them more control over their body. Historically women have suffered more due to the restrictive policies related to reproduction like abortion laws. Guys however do not have to face the consequences of their actions as much. Hence distribution of condoms boosts the responsibility of men and enlarges the choices for young girls. Giving young girls the choice of birth control can help them feel more prepared for sex. There are so many different birth controls available for girls to choose from. They can opt to take the pill or receive a shot or even get a patch to release birth control medication. It can make the girl feel better if she thinks that she has a say so in whether she gets pregnant or not instead of strictly depending on the guy to wear a condom. However, the use of birth control can go against the catholic religion. Most catholic communities choose not to put their daughters on birth control because it is against their beliefs. In my opinion, Why would you want to not give your daughter the choice of being protected. Would you rather want a daughter on birth control or a pregnant daughter? Although, getting pregnant is not the best situation, not wearing a condom can also pose a threat of catching a STD. More and more teens are coming in contact with STIs and STDs. Although some are easily treatable, there are some that can stick with you your whole life. AIDS and HIV are rising amounts young adults because of lack of protection. Even though most people think that you can only catch and STD through multiple sexual partners, some young teens catch STDs the first time they have sex because they think they know their boyfriend or girlfriend. Some people with STIs and STDs don’t even experience symptoms so how are you to know if they have caught something or not? Teens need to know they are always at risk if they do not wear a condom during sexual intercourse. It will be great for schools to have condoms on hand for teens to get whenever they need. Teens may joke or laugh around about condoms but in their mind they know that they will be protected.

do You Believe In Fate Neo :: essays research papers

â€Å"Do you believe in fate Neo,† Morpheus asks. â€Å"No,† Neo responds. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life,† Neo explains. In this scene (from the blockbuster smash hit The Matrix) a parallel can be drawn between Neo and Bigger Thomas (the protagonist in Richard Wright’s novel Native Son) because Bigger shares Neo’s feelings about fate. Bigger Thomas, a boy who has grown up with the chains of white society holding him back from opportunity, has only one solution to escape from the white walls which are closing in on him. His solution is to kill two women (one of whom is the daughter of a rich white family) to demonstrate that he is fed up with his life being controlled by fate. The author does an exceptional job in creating a theme that illustrates how racism takes away the self-control of the oppressed, thus leaving their lives in the hands of fate. The theme that racism do esn’t allow the oppressed to control their lives can be demonstrated through the symbolism of the rat, the poster outside of Bigger’s apartment, and Bigger’s encounter with the â€Å"nut† in jail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Bigger’s chagrin he is not in control of his life. His life is dictated by a large group of white people’s false belief of superiority. With every cause there is an effect, and the effect that this burden has on Bigger turns him into an animal, living for only one thing, survival. â€Å"There he is again, Bigger!† the woman screamed, and the tiny, one-room apartment galvanized into violent action. A chair toppled as the woman, half dressed in her stocking feet, scrambled breathlessly upon the bed. Her two sons, barefoot, stood tense and motionless, their eyes searching anxiously under the bed and chairs. The girl ran into the corner, half stooped and gathered the hem of he slip into both of her hands and held it tightly over her knees†¦ A huge black rat squealed and leaped at Bigger’s trouser-leg and snagged it in his teeth hanging on†¦ Bigger aimed and let the skillet fly with a heavy grunt. There was a shattering of wood as the box caved in†¦ The woman screamed and hid her face in her hands. Bigger tiptoed forward and peered. â€Å"I got ‘im,† he muttered [.] (4-6) At first glance this quote could seem meaningless, but later the reader learns in the book that a parallel can be drawn between the big black rat and the big black Bigger.

Not a Laughing Matter: Effects of Tawa-tawa

Nigeria. Results ot the study snowed that botn the decoction and extract of E. hirta, at doses of 60. 4 mg/kg and 483. 0 mg/kg have a significant effect on the platelet counts of Sprague-Dawley rats. The RBC and WBC counts were not significantly affected, demonstrating that E. hirta does not affect the circulating RBC or the erythropoietic centers of the experimental animals, and it does not induce production or destruction of the WBC. The mean increases in platelet count in the decoction and ethanolic extract groups did not significantly differ, suggesting that oth preparations can be used for further studies.The difference in the mean platelet counts of subgroups who received the 60. 4 mg/kg and 483. 0 mg/kg doses was not significant as shown in Dunnet's test. This finding indicated that the platelet- increasing activity of E. hirta was not dose-dependent. The platelet-increasing activity of E. hirta was further evaluated by determining the effect of the plant material on stimulati ng platelet production in the bone marrow. In this evaluation, the dose and preparation (483. g/kg of the ethanolic extract) that produced the greatest numerical increase in platelet count during the initial evaluation was used. Anagrelide, a drug which inhibits the maturation of megakaryocytes into platelets, was administered to decrease the platelet counts of the test animals.After exposure to anagrelide, 483. 0 mg/kg of ethanolic extract was administered to 50% of the test population. Results of this further evaluation showed that the mean platelet count did not differ significantly in the group which received both anagrelide (125 pg/day) nd ethanolic extract of E. irta (483. 0 mg/kg) and in the group who were only exposed to anagrelide (control). This suggested that the platelet-increasing activity of E. hirta was not due to stimulation of the platelet production in the bone marrow. 0 In another study conducted by the students of St. Marys School in Davao, E. hirta was also foun d to increase the platelet counts of white mice (Mus musculus). E. hirta was prepared in a teabag form. The results of this study were not published, and therefore, no further information was obtained.In Nigeria, the effects of aqueous and methanolic extracts of E. hirta on platelet count, bleeding time, and clotting time were also investigated. The extracts of E. hirta were administered orally to albino Wistar rats. Platelet count, bleeding time, and clotting time were determined before, and at different time intervals after administration of the extracts. At 60 minutes, the aqueous extract reduced bleeding time by 54% compared to 49. 5% for methanolic extract, and the difference was significant.

The Author And His Times - 2459 Words

The Author and His Times: Ralph Ellison was a black American who grew up in segregated America during the 1910s and 1920s. In 1933, Ellison became a student at the Tuskegee Institute, a revered all-black college founded by Booker T. Washington, and was accepted due to the need for a trumpet player in the band. Invisible Man and its plot are mainly shaped from Ellison’s history as a jazz musician, allowing for a dynamic flow throughout the whole piece. Three years later, he left for New York to help pay for his college expenses, but never returned to Tuskegee. Settling down in Harlem, Ellison was able to meet some of the largest African-American names in writing, namely Langston Hughes. Harlem’s influence on Invisible Man is quite†¦show more content†¦The narrator is the protagonist, as the memories being delved into are his own. The purpose of this extended flashback episode is to show evolution of the narrator in both personality and maturity. Characters: Narrator: The narrator never tells the audience his name, but does call himself the Invisible Man. He does so to convey that as a black American, he is merely a portrayal of common stereotypes, and invisible to society as a result. He is also a dynamic character, as he shows a progression of maturity and a change in personality. As a round character, the narrator is multi-faceted and shows different emotions towards the same subjects. Towards the end of the novel, the narrator takes the idea of invisibility to heart, assuming the identity of a Reverend in the area known as Rinehart. Tod Clifton: Tod Clifton is a young, attractive, black man who the narrator meets through the Brotherhood. Clifton does not change very much throughout the story, only leaving the Brotherhood for some unknown reason. After Clifton is shot in the street by a policeman, his identity turns from a man to a martyr, leading to riots throughout Harlem. Brother Jack: Brother Jack is a white man and the leader of the Brotherhood. He constantly claims he is for black equality, but is blind to compassion and can only see people as tools to get what he wants. This blindness is not only mental, but physical, as his left eye