Tips for TOEFL Listening

Tips for Toefl Listening

Not getting your ideal score on your listening section and looking for concrete ways to improve it? The listening section on the TOEFL exam can be overwhelming for many students with its complicated lectures and at times lengthy conversations. Here are some proven tips to up your score – guaranteed!

(1)    Keep it simple. Remember: you don’t have to write everything down.  The TOEFL listening section does not want or expect you to write down every single detail – such a feat would be impossible, even for a native speaker.  When taking notes for conversations, differentiating by columns what the male speaker says versus the female is quite useful, as there will more than likely be questions regarding opinions and statements from each speaker. With lectures, make sure to write down key words and not get bogged down with too many details.  You don’t want to lose track of the lecture or conversation because you’re so concerned with specifics.

(2)    Organize your notes. It’s always a smart idea to number or letter your notes by section, particularly if the speaker gives examples. Be aware that when any sort of process is described in a lecture or conversation there will be questions later on in the test regarding what order the process comes in.  Organizing your notes as you hear them will save you time later and be invaluable when answering “rhetorical function” questions, which are very common on the listening section.

(3)    Pay attention to the speaker’s tone of voice. For instance, whether the speaker sounds excited, sad or confused can help you answer questions that are about the speaker’s attitude or opinion.

(4)    If you are unsure of the correct response, try to figure out which choice is most consistent with the main idea of the conversation or lecture.

(5)    Listen to academic audio recordings. If you can, go to your library or search online for academic lectures; specifically, history, science, philosophy or the arts.  The lectures presented on the TOEFL exam are lectures that would be typically heard by freshmen or sophomore students at a university.  Challenge yourself by seeking these types of audio recordings out so you can be familiar with the structure and language.  If you can’t find academic recordings, then try listening to the news online, which is usually spoken in Standard American Dialect and uses advanced vocabulary words, all of which are applicable to the TOEFL.

(6)    Watch TV. Yes – believe it or not, you’re being given advice to watch TV to study for the listening section on the TOEFL.  Not just any type of TV program, either: sitcoms and hour-long dramas.  Why? These are useful to the conversations presented to you in the TOEFL listening section because they are spoken in dialogue and deal, ultimately, with problems and solutions.  When watching a sitcom or hour-long drama, take notes and make sure to identify the problem and the solution.Research any idioms or slang you might hear – this will also come in handy, as many rhetorical function questions deal directly with idiomatic expressions.

(7)    Listen to less music and more spoken words. Download news articles from the BBC or Business English from I-Tunes and try to listen to them instead of music for thirty minutes a day.  Pick topics that interest you – there are a wide variety of podcasts to choose from.  This will sharpen your listening skills and expand your vocabulary, not to mention make you more well-informed.

Remember, listening skills can be improved just as your reading, speaking and writing skills.  And keep in mind – the TOEFL does not expect you to have a preconceived knowledge of any of the material based in the lectures or conversations, so don’t feel overwhelmed when you are given a lecture on cellular division in plants or the geographical history of a particular nomadic tribe.

TOEFL Preparation

TOEFL PREPARATION

The TOEFL is one of the most difficult tests you will ever take in your life! Here is a list of ten things that will help you get the highest score possible on the TOEFL iBT, and fulfill your dream of studying at an English-speaking university.

1. Make sure you understand the TOEFL!
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an English proficiency test produced by an American company called ETS. It is a test that measures your English reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills, and your ability to succeed at an English-speaking university.

This is the structure of the TOEFL:

Each section has a score of 30, for a total overall score of 120. You don’t pass or fail the TOEFL. Each university requires non-native speakers to get a specific score. Sometimes universities require a specific score for each section of the test, for example 24 out of 30 in the speaking section. Before you begin studying for the TOEFL, it’s a good idea to know the score that you need to achieve.

2. Be prepared!

You should give yourself 6 months – 1 year to be fully prepared for the test, especially if you have never taken the test before.

o    When you sit down at the computer to take the test, nothing should be a surprise. You should know every reading question, every listening question, every speaking task, and every writing task on the test. You should know exactly what you have to do to answer every question properly.

o    You should also know the exact score you need to achieve for each university you want to apply to. (Some schools require just an overall TOEFL score, but some schools require specific scores in each section.) You should know exactly what you need to do get the required score.

o    Do not try to prepare for the test alone. At the very least, you need a textbook:

o    Even if you use a textbook, it’s really important to work with a teacher, either in a course or in private lessons. You need someone to help you with your pronunciation, and to assess how you’re doing in the speaking and writing sections. Talk to friends who have taken the TOEFL. Who did they study with? What score did they get? What would they have done differently? Check at a university or college near you. Do they offer a TOEFL course? There are also several TOEFL instructors online. Do you know anyone who has studied with them?

3. Read Everything. Listen to Everything.
I cannot stress this enough. When you are preparing for the TOEFL, it is not good enough to just listen to and read things that you enjoy and are interested in. You need to read widely to build your vocabulary. On the TOEFL you will read passages or listen to lectures on everything from astronomy and American history to psychology and biology!

o    The TOEFL has teamed up with a company called Lexile to help you find books at your reading level. If you have taken a TOEFL practice test or the actual TOEFL and you know your reading score, you can type in your score and Lexile will suggest books in the topic of your choice at your reading level.

o    Three excellent resources on the Internet are BBC News, NPR, and VOANews. Many of the articles on the VOA and NPR websites also have .mp3 files, so you can also use the articles as listening lectures.

o    This is a book you may find useful to help you build your vocabulary and improve your reading skills:

The 400 words are divided into 8 themes and 40 lessons. For example, in the ‘Money’ section, the lessons are: Financial Systems, Wealth and Social Class, Personal Property, Employment, International Trade. There are 10 words in each lesson, and each lesson contains definitions of each word, usage tips, and three exercises using the words. It’s available in paperback or for your kindle.

  

4. Learn how to take good notes. 
This is an essential skill you will need for the listening, speaking and writing sections of the test – AND a skill you will need later on at an English-speaking university.

In each section where listening is required, you can only listen to the clip ONCE! You cannot go back and listen to it again and again. You will then have to answer questions on what you heard (listening section), speak about what you heard (speaking section), or write an essay based on what you heard (writing section). Therefore you will need to take good notes! People who take good notes get higher scores on the TOEFL.

This is a skill that takes a lot of practice.

o    Don’t try to write down anything and everything you hear. Don’t just write down words that you understand. Write down the essential information that you will need to understand the lecture later

o    Use symbols and shorthand. Everybody develops their own system for this,

o    Another great resource you can use to practice listening and note-talking is Ted Talks. These are talks given on wide variety of topics from a wide range of speakers. They last anywhere from a few minutes to 30 minutes.

o    If NPR, VOA and TED Talks are too long for you, practice note-taking with the shorter clips from Listen a Minute.

When you sit down to take the test, you will get 3 sheets of paper. Every time you put up your hand, the proctors are supposed to give you 3 more sheets of paper, but that doesn’t always happen. It may take a while for a proctor to see your hand, if they are paying attention at all. Use your 3 sheets of paper wisely! Don’t use all 3 pages on a single lecture or conversation.

5. Make sure your pronunciation is clear.
On the TOEFL, it’s OK to speak English with an accent. Your pronunciation doesn’t have to be perfect, but you need to speak clearly and be understood.

The speaking section measures three things:

o    How well you answer the question and complete the task

o    The grammar and vocabulary you use

o    How you sound

o    You can hear yourself speak and evaluate your response

o    You can get used to speaking to a computer! If you prepare for the test in a classroom or from a book, it may feel a bit strange talking to a computer. 

6. Get Used to a QWERTY Keyboard
The final section on the TOEFL is the writing section. You will need to use a QWERTY keyboard to type your responses into the computer. It’s called a QWERTY keyboard because the top row of letters starts from the left with the letters QWERTY. LOOK CAREFULLY!

Here’s what the TOEFL keyboard looks like:

You should practice as much as possible with a QWERTY keyboard.

Learn Touch Typing
Most people type by using the ‘hunt and peck’ method: you hunt (look) for the letter you need on the keyboard, and then peck (hit) it with a finger. When you learn touch typing, you will learn how to use all your fingers to to type WITHOUT looking at the keyboard! It’s a much faster method of typing, but it takes a lot of practice. Touch typing is not essential for the TOEFL, but it definitely helps you type faster.

7. Learn how to write an English Essay 
There are two writing tasks. The last task, and the very last thing you will do on the TOEFL, is type a 300-word essay within 30 minutes.

Practice this essay as much as possible!

o    Learn the traditional form of an English essay

o    When you start practicing this essay, don’t worry about time. Begin by taking as long as necessary to write a good essay.

o    Once you are able to write a good essay, start timing yourself and getting faster at it, until writing a 300-word essay within 30 minutes doesn’t even worry you!

North American writing tends to follow the same form:

o    Introduction – this introduces your essay, and tells the reader your opinion and what you are going to talk about in your essay

o    Body – 2-3 paragraphs that support your opinion

o    One paragraph = one thought; the first sentence of the paragraph explains what the paragraph is about, and the rest of the paragraph uses clear, specific examples to illustrate your opinion

o    Conclusion – a paragraph that summarizes your essay

If you would like to practice on your own, the ETS website has a list of typical independent essay questions.

Understanding the traditional English style of writing an essay will help you in almost every section of the TOEFL. If you know that one paragraph = one thought, you can understand the structure of the reading passages better. You will also need to state an opinion and support your opinion with clear, specific examples in the speaking section.

Here are some more points to remember:

o    Answer the question that’s being asked! Don’t try to change the question. If it asks you to make a choice, make a clear choice – don’t try to argue both positions. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. Your essay is scored on how well you answer the question.

o    Type your outline in the essay space on the computer! You waste time if you write it by hand and then type it.

o    Keep it simple and be specific!

8. Practice, practice, practice.
This is the best tip I can give you. Students are always looking for a trick or a secret they can learn to help them do better on the TOEFL. This is it! Once you know the TOEFL inside and out, the only thing that can help you get better at it is to keep practicing it!

o    There are 4 practice tests available on the ETS TOEFL website (http://toeflpractice.ets.org/).Do at least one of these tests before you take the TOEFL so you can get used to taking the test on a computer

9. Learn how to relax! 
You’re probably laughing at this tip, but this is very important! A lot of people find this test quite stressful. Let’s be honest: it’s not an easy test! It is important to remain calm and relaxed throughout the test.

Before the test:

o    If possible, visit the testing centre ahead of time. Make sure you know where you’re going and how long it’s going to take you to get there. The last thing you want to do is get lost or stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the test!

o    Don’t try to ‘cram’ the day before the test. Just relax and rest.

o    Get a good night’s sleep

The day of the test:

o    Eat a good breakfast!

o    Before you leave your house and on your way to the test, make sure you warm up your brain! Reading something in English for 30 minutes (something you have read before – no need to stress yourself out before the test!) and listen to English. Make sure your brain is thinking in English before you start the test!

During the test:

o    Take deep breaths throughout the test. Make sure your breathing is normal.

o    There is a 10-minute break between the listening and speaking sections. Use this time to use the bathroom if you need to, eat a snack, and do some stretching to relieve the tension in your back and shoulders!

o    If you miss a question or you feel like you didn’t do well in a section. Don’t worry about it. Just go onto the next section like it’s a new test. This is where being prepared for the test helps. For example, if you know how many questions you need to answer correctly to get your required score in the reading section, then missing one question is not a problem.

Remember, you can always take the test again!

10. Take the test at least twice, if not more.
No one will ever know your TOEFL score unless you tell them. The university you want to attend won’t know if you’ve taken the test once or 10 times. They will only know the score you tell them. Don’t worry if you get a low score the first time – no one will ever know but you! You can keep taking the test as many times as you need to.

Students rarely get the score they need on the first try. Taking the TOEFL can be a quite shock the first time you try it:

o    The test goes by very, very fast!

o    Some test centres are very large with lots of people taking the test at the same time. There is a lot of noise and a lot of distractions.

o    Someone may have started the speaking section while you are still listening. You might be trying to write an essay while the person next to you is doing the speaking section.

o    You may not be able to get the proctor’s attention to get more paper or to get help with your computer

Definition & Examples of Application Letter, Inquiry Letter, Complain Letter, and Purchase Order Letter

1.    Application Letter

A.    Definition

An application letter is a formally written one-page letter that accompanies a resume and other requested documentation in application for a job or academic program. Application letters are often synonymous with cover letters, and in addition to describing what materials are included in the application, an application letter should also take time to highlight the qualifications that prepare the writer for acceptance into the job or academic program.

Application letters typically begin with an introductory paragraph that states the position being applied to, reveals how the minimum qualifications for the position are met and asks the reader to continue reading to learn more about the applicant's qualifications.

Paragraphs that follow the introduction paragraph typically highlight the top reasons the applicant should be considered. For experienced applicants, these paragraphs typically highlight work experience and workplace projects of significance. For less experienced applicants and new graduates, these paragraphs might highlight academic experience, such as classes taken that would be useful in this position or any particular academic projects or honors received.

An application letter should also include a concluding paragraph that express appreciation to the receiver for taking the time to consider the application. The final sentence should convey that the applicant looks toward the future by asking for a formal interview in-person, online or by phone.

B.     Parts of Application Letter

The applicant includes an address and contact information on the upper right-hand corner of the letter in the indented format. The addressee's name, title, department, company name and address are on the left part below the applicant's address.

The opening paragraph must state the reason for applying the job. The second and third sections form the main body of the letter. The applicant sells himself to the addresses in these paragraphs. In this part, an applicant cites the highest qualification and the reason for changing jobs. In the third section, an applicant matches the skills and experience with those required by the potential employer. The closing paragraph must indicate the applicant's desire to be invited for an interview.

It is important to write about availability and willingness to work with the company. The application letter shows the applicant's enthusiasm and passion for the job.

C.    Example

Room 354, Block 6
Model Village
North Point
Hong Kong

Phone: 24862893
Mobile: 95427415
E-mail: wwm654@hkinternet.com
30 December 2015

Mr William Chan
Personnel Manager
Wong And Lim Consulting
PO Box 583
Kwai Chung
Kowloon

Dear Mr Chan

Application for the Post of Management Trainee

I am writing to apply for the post of Management Trainee, which was advertised on the Student Affairs Office notice board of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 30 December 2015.

My working experience at Lucky Star Garment Manufactory Limited improved my leadership skills, communication skills and ability to work in a team environment. I have fluent spoken and written English. I also have fluent spoken and written Mandarin, and can therefore work in mainland China.

Currently I am studying a B.A. in Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, graduating in 2016. Subjects which I am studying that are relevant to the post of Management Trainee include Operations Management, Human Resources Management, Accounting, Marketing and Strategic Management.

My final year project is entitled Knowledge Management Practices in HK. Carrying out this project has improved my communication skills, my leadership skills and my ability to lead and supervise subordinates effectively. I have also learned how to run a project from the planning stage to its completion.

During my studies I have held the post of Executive in the Management Society. While leading and organising Management Society activities I have improved my ability to lead and supervise subordinates effectively, ability to work under pressure and ability to work in a team environment.

Working for Wong And Lim Consulting appeals to me because it has a good reputation and it provides excellent training. Your organisation produces a high-quality service, and I can contribute to this with my leadership skills and my ability to work under pressure.

I am available for interview at any time. I can be contacted most easily on the mobile phone number given above. I look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely

Wong Wai Man Wilfred

Encl: Resume

2.     Inquiry Letters

A.    Definition

The letters that are written for collecting information about job seekers, prices, products, and services before awarding jobs, granting credit, making contracts and giving promotions are known as letters of inquiry. These letters are written to a third party seeking information about either a job or a company that wishes to make business relationship.

Quible and others defined, “Letters of inquiry are a type of business message that asks the recipient for information or assistance.”

Prospective employers and business organizations usually write inquiry letters for obtaining desired information. Prospective employers write this letter to the referees mentioned in the job application to obtain information about the applicant’s personal and family background, ability, skills, honesty, character, integrity, quality of performance, fitness for job etc. on the other hand, business enterprises write inquiry letters to third parties referred by the customers to know about their business dealings, financial capabilities and goodwill to determine whether to establish business relationships with those enterprises.

B.     Types of inquiry letter

Based on purpose, there are two most common types of inquiry letters such as (1) personal status inquiry letter and (2) business status inquiry letter.

§  Personal status inquiry letter: The letters that are written by prospective employers for obtaining information about job applicants are called personal status inquiry letter. Employers write this letter to obtain information relating to the applicant’s personal and family background, ability, skills, honesty, character, integrity, quality of performance, fitness for job etc. generally this letter is written to the referees mentioned by the concerned applicant. In response to this letter, the referees write a reply letter to the employer. This response letter may be favorable, unfavorable or neutral to the applicant.

§  Business status inquiry letter: When a business enterprise writes letter to another business enterprise for collecting information about a prospective customer, it is known as business status inquiry letter. This letter is usually written for collecting information about financial capability, goodwill, nature of business dealings, honesty etc. of a business enterprise to determine whether to establish business transactions with it. Responses of this letter may be either favorable or unfavorable.

An enquiry letter may consist all or few of the below mentioned parts:

• Introduction
• Description
• Statement
• Methodology
• Final Summary

The inclusion or exclusion of certain components depends on the scope of your letter. Business letters will tend to have all mentioned while those on a smaller platform will include few. Not to forget that these letter are formal letters and will follow the rules pertaining to these. These rules refer to the common styles of writing a business letter, i.e. Full Block Style, Modified Block Style and others.

An example of letter of inquiry or a letter of inquiry format is sufficient. To add to it the writing tips provide efficiency. Thus, it is advisable to go through the format, tips, examples and the templates.

C.    Example

Fund Inquiry Letter

People for Animals (PFA)
# 11, Sector 11 A
Chandigarh – 160011
Tel: 7442000, 9324329
Fax: 7442099
Email: support@pfa.com

December 22^nd, 2012

Pai Tailon
Managing Director
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
290 Summer Street
Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
United States

Dear Mr. Tailon:

People for Animals (PFA) seeks support of $ 6,000 from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for medicines, food items, maintenance, project support, publications suppor tetc. for our ongoing ‘Dog Sterilisation Campaign’.

We are grateful for the support we received from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in the year 2000 for ‘Save the Sparrows Campaign’ and PFA considers the ‘Dog Sterilisation Campaign’ may be of comparable interest to your foundation. As conservation supporter all over the world, the campaign is very much aligned with IFAW’s consistent mission in preserving and saving the natural world through education, project funding, preventing poaching by generating jobs for those dependent on forests and many other which deserve a credible applause.

PFA was established in 1997 and has been actively promoting welfare activities for animals in almost all states of India.

Some of our activities include:

• Sterilisation
• Rehabilitation
• Endangered Animal Protection and Breeding
• Treatment of Sick and Injured Animals
• Organising Awareness Campaigns
• Animal Shelter
• Animal Hospital

Some of our Achievements

• Number 1 NGO for Animals in India 2011
• Recognition from WSPCA for outstanding achievement 2009, 2010
• 3^rd Popular Animal Welfare Organisation in Asia (wildlife weekly 2010)

The campaign for which we request funds will benefit both the Dogs and People of Tricity - Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.

Benefits

• Prevention of increase in Dog Bites among the residents of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula
• Control of booming Dog population
• Decrease in cruelty towards Dogs
• Maintain harmony among humans and dogs
• Maintaining a proper record of dog population
• Dog behaviour awareness through school visits, college visits and community through various audio-visual means

The campaign has been projected for a span of 3 years and requires 50,000$ to fully achieve the above mentioned benefits. We are short of exactly 18,000$ for which we have requested other organisations. While we expect 6,000$ from your side but would be highly obliged if granted the whole amount.

We invite you to visit our office or call us at 7442000, 9324329 between 8AM to 5 PM within a week from the receiving date of this letter. We will arrange for your visit, stay and food without any charges. We will be glad to submit a full proposal with additional information for your further review.

Thanking you.

Sincerely,

Maenka Mishra
Founder & Manager
People for Animals (PFA)
Personal Contact – 097239856
msihmaneka@pfa.com

3.     Complain Letters

A.    Definition

Complaint letter definition can be described in many ways. A complaint letter is the part of written communication. In general word complaint letter means a letter which is written to submit a complaint to the authority. And it is generally done when other way of complaint are failure like phone, email etc. However here we provide complaint letter definition in formal way.

A Complaint letter is a request for an adjustment. In other words, it is a letter that describes about the damage; errors or mistakes happened to the delivered goods and therefore claims for compensation is known to be a complaint letter.

In modern age, the chain of business is not limited within the boundary of country. As business is expanding, its complexities are also increasing. So, mistake or fault is not a strange matter in the arena of business. There may be wrong delivery of goods shipment of obsolete, poor quality or underweight goods, faulty packing, delivery after the specified date and other damages to the goods shipped. In the above cases, buyer is supposed to suffer financial loss and therefore he has every reason to complaint to the seller demanding compensation. Hence a letter is used to serve such purpose is called complaint letter.

To draft such a letter, buyer must have valid grounds to explain that he has suffered financial loss or otherwise there will be misunderstanding which may damage business relation buyer requires special care with the art of convincing the seller. Clarity and courtesy are the important factors to write a letter of complaint. The complaint should be made politely without showing any sign of anger.

B.     Parts of Complaint Letter

Letters of complaint usually include the following stages:

1.     Background

2.      Problem - cause and effect

3.      Solution

4.      Warning (optional)

5.      Closing

1.      Background
This section describes the situation; e.g.

§  I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied correctly.

§  I attended your exhibition Sound Systems 2015 at the Fortune Hotel (22-25 January) and found it informative and interesting. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the event was spoiled by a number of organisational problems.

§  I am a shareholder of Sunshine Bank and I am very concerned regarding recent newspaper reports on the financial situation of the bank. Your company is listed as the auditor in the latest annual report of the bank, so I am writing to you to ask for an explanation of the following issues.

§  I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction with the food and drinks at the 'European Restaurant' on 18 January this year.

2.      Problem
  Cause:

§  On 21 December 2015 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The consignment arrived yesterday but contained only 1,200 batteries.

§  Firstly, I had difficulty in registering to attend the event. You set up an on-line registration facility, but I found the facility totally unworkable.

§  You sent us an invoice for $10,532, but did not deduct our usual 10% discount.

§  We have found 16 spelling errors and 2 mis-labelled diagrams in the sample book. 

  Effect:

§  This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfil our commitments to all our customers. This caused us considerable inconvenience.

§  Even after spending several wasted hours trying to register in this way, the computer would not accept my application.

§  I am therefore returning the invoice to you for correction.

§  This large number of errors is unacceptable to our customers, and we are therefore unable to sell these books.

3.      Solution

§  I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors do not happen again.

§  Could I please ask you to look into these matters.

§  Please send us a corrected invoice for $9,479

§  I enclose a copy of the book with the errors highlighted. Please re-print the book and send it to us by next Friday.
 

4.      Warning (optional)

§  Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.

§  I'm afraid that if these conditions are not met, we may be forced to take legal action.

§  If the outstanding fees are not paid by Wednesday, 6 January 2016, you will incur a 10% late payment fee.
  

5.      Closing

§  I look forward to receiving your explanation of these matters.

§  I look forward to receiving your payment.

§  I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Politeness
The tone of complaint letters should not be aggressive or insulting, as this would annoy the reader and not encourage them to solve the problem. In addition, questions such as 'Why can't you get this right?' should not be included.

Content

• The content should contain enough details so that the receiver does not have to write back requesting more.
• Legal action is not normally threatened in the first letter of complaint, unless the situation is very serious.

C.    Example

Fortune Goods
317 Orchard Road
Singapore

28 December 2015
Attn: Mr David Choi
Sales Manager
Everlong Batteries
171 Choi Hung Road
Hung Hom
Hong Kong

Dear Mr Choi

Re. Order No. 768197

I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied correctly.

On 21 December 2015 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The consignment arrived yesterday but contained only 1,200 batteries.

This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfil our commitments to all our customers. This caused us considerable inconvenience.

I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors do not happen again. Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.

I look forward to hearing from you by return.

Yours sincerely

J. Wong

Purchasing Officer

4.     Purchase Order Letters

A.    Definition

A purchase order is a written authorization from a buyer to acquire goods or services. The document authorizes a supplier to deliver to the buyer at the price, quality level, delivery date, and certain other terms specified in the agreement. A purchase order is legally binding after the supplier counter-signs it.

A purchase order is time-consuming to create. To reduce the work load, some organizations issue a master purchase order to each supplier, authorizing considerably more than is initially needed, and then issue releases against the master purchase order.

B.     Parts of Purchase Order Letters

1.      A Purchase Order Letter should be written as soon as the decision for the purchase has been made

2.      The company with whom the order is being placed should be given enough time to execute the order

3.      The letter should clearly indicate the product code or item number, the size and the quantities being ordered

4.      The date when the Purchase Order Letter is being generated is very important because that identifies when the order was placed

5.      If the order is being placed by a company then it usually should be in a Purchase Order format

6.      The Purchase Order Letter should also indicate the date by when the order is expected to be executed or delivered

7.      The mode of delivery of the material should also be identified in the letter

8.      The letter should also carry the mode of payment by which the payment will be made

9.      If any advance has already been paid against the order, it must be mentioned in the Purchase Order Letter

10. The address where the order has to be delivered should be very clearly mentioned in the letter along with any landmarks, if any, to locate the address

11. The Purchase Order Letter should give the details of the costing of the price including taxes, etc so that there is no confusion while making the payment

12. The name of the company or dealer with which the order is being placed should be clearly written on the letter to avoid any miscommunication of details

13. There is no scope for any grammatical or punctuation errors in the Purchase Order Letter

14. The contents of the letter must be carefully read through to ensure that the order details have been correctly mentioned

15. The Purchase Order Letter should ideally be typed but the signatory should personally sign it

C.    Example

Mancini Kitchen Equipment

Troy D. Mancini
4220 Straford Park
Harold, KY 41635

Dear Mr. Mancini,

We would like to purchase twenty two (22) individual stand mixers (Model #43423), all in the color red.

We would like you to charge this purchase to the preexisting account that we have with you, business account #543234.

We hope to receive this order no later than Friday, November 11th, 2009. Attached to this letter please find our preferred shipping method and receiving address.

Please confirm that you received this order by calling us at 232-231-4563 anytime during business hours, Monday to Friday.

Thank you for your cooperation

Keller Kitchen Co.

References :

http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/jaleg.htm
http://www.ask.com/business-finance/meaning-application-letter-84d94ea80c2347eb
http://www.ask.com/business-finance/parts-application-letter-7b6e7caff33ed1b9
http://thebusinesscommunication.com/what-is-inquiry-letter-types-of-inquiry-letter/
https://targetstudy.com/letters/inquiry-letter/how-to-write-inquiry-letter.htm
https://targetstudy.com/letters/fund-inquiry-letter.html
http://www.businesscommunicationarticles.com/complaint-letter-definition/
http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eiw/complaint_letter_constructor.htm
http://www.accountingtools.com/purchase-order-definition
http://www.letters.org/order-letter/purchase-order-letter.html