本站原创1.Introduction
1.1literaturereview
ThisstudyfocusesonthemorphologicalandsyntacticfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Inordertofinishthisstudyeffectively,Ireadsomerelatedliteraturesandthishelpealot.NowIshalldoadetailedanalysisabouttheliteratures.
Inthearticle“thefeaturesandapplicationofEnglishbusinesscorrespondencesine-time”,thewriterexplainedhiainideainaccordancewiththetraditionalprinciple“sevenCs”,thatisCompleteness,Clearness,Concreteness,Conciseness,Correctness,CourtesyandConsideration.Thisarticlecanbedividedintotwoparts.Thewriterfirstlymakesananalysisofthebusinesscorrespondencesandmakessurethatthereadersareclearaboutthelayoutofbusinesscorrespondences.Andthenthewriterstatestheuniquefeaturesofbusinesscorrespondencesine-time.“Thispartisdividedintotwosub-partstoanalyzethefeatures,onefromtheaspectoftheformofbusinesscorrespondencesandtheotherfromtheaspectofcontents”[1].Atlastthewriterstatesthemeaningofhisstudy.
Thearticle“thegrammaticalfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences”byGaoJiayong“talksaboutthefeatureromfiveaspects”[2],butheviewedthefeaturesjustfromthesyntax.Articleswrittenbyotherpeoplealsoaccountforthefeatures,suchas“thelingualfeaturesofbusinesscorrespondencesandseveralimportantprinciples”byWangYuanyuan,“lingualfeaturesofEnglishinbusinesscorrespondences”byTianLanandsoforth.Allthosearticlesanalyzethefeatureromtheirownpointsofview.
1.2purposeofthisstudy
MystudyaimstoseekoutthemorphologicalandsyntacticfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Beforemystudy,therehebeenmanyresearchesaboutthistopic,butthroughmyreadingthosearticles,Ifindthattheyaremoreorlessinplete.SoIintendtomakeananalysisasprehensiveaspossible.
Besides,astimegoesby,everythingischanging.Thebusinessnowadayscanbesomewhatdifferentfromthatofbefore,andsoaretheEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Andtheymusthepossessedsomenewfeaturesastheydevelop.Thisstudyalsotriestofindoutthesenewfeatures.
TosumupthemorphologicalandsyntacticfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences,thewriterhopesthatthispaperwilldosomehelptobusinesen.Andthisstudyshallbeausefulinstructiontoguidepeopletowritebusinessletters.Anexpertbusinessletterwillsurelyleadtosuccessandunquestionablywillalsospurthedevelopmentofeconomy.
Thisarticleisdividedintofiveparts.Thefirstpartisinstruction.Thesecondpartshallexplaintwobasicrelatedconcept,morphologyandsyntax.ThethirdpartisaboutthemorphologicalfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondencesandthefourthpartisaboutthesyntacticfeatures.Thefifthpartshallmakeaconclusion.
2.somebasicrelatedconcepts
2.1clarificationofmorphology
Morphologyisabranchofgrammarwhichstudiestheinternalstructureofwordsandtherulesbywhichwordsareformed.“Justastheformationofsentencesisgovernedbyrules,soisthestructureofwords.Morphologyisdividedintotwosub-branches:inflectionalmorphologyandlexicalorderivationalmorphology.Theformerstudiestheinflectionsandthelatteristhestudyofword-formation”[3].
2.2clarificationofsyntax
Syntaxisasubfieldoflinguistics.Itstudiesthesentencestructureoflanguage.ThetermsyntaxcameoriginallyfromGreek.Itliterallymeantarrangement.Itmeansthatsentencesarestructuredaccordingtoaparticulararrangementofwords.Well-arrangedsentencesareconsideredgrammaticalsentences.Grammaticalsentencesareformedfollowingasetofsyntacticrules.
Asamajorponentofgrammar,syntaxconsistsofasetofabstractrulesthatallowwordtobebinedwithotherwordstoformgrammaticalsentences.“Asentenceisconsideredgrammaticalwhenitisinagreementwiththegrammaticalknowledgeinthemindofnativespeakers.Universallyfoundinthegrammarsofallhumanlanguage,syntacticrulesprisethesystemofinternalizedlinguisticknowledgeofalanguagespeakerknownaslinguisticpetence”[3].
3.morphologicalanalysisofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences
Englishbusinesscorrespondenceisakindofmonstyleintradingactivities.Itservesvarietiesofbusinessandreflectsthemaincontentofmerce,soitsdictionandsentencesbothpossesssomespecialfeatures.Inthischapter,thepapershallexplainthemorphologicalfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Andthischapterisdividedintosevensub-parts:formalwords,oldEnglishwordsadopted,mercialterms,wordsofpoliteness,wordclassshift,theusageofmandatoryverbsandacronym.
3.1formalwords
Englishbusinesscorrespondenceisakindofformalstyleforcorrespondences.Itisusedtotranitbusinessinformationandtostatebusinesssituations.“Englishbusinesscorrespondenceisalwaysconcernedwitheconomicbenefits,soitissupposedtobedirect,simpleandunderstandablewithaewaodificationaspossible̶ 1;[4].Anditisoidedtochoosedaintywordswhenmakingsentences,butitispreferredtochooseformalandgrandwords.“Theformalwords,insteadoforalwordsorbasicwords,canshowtheformalityandproprietyofbusinesscorrespondencespletely”[5].
Formalwordsarebetterlikedthaninformalwords.Whendraftingabusinessletter,peopleshalladopt“inform”ratherthan“tell”.“‘Inform’and‘tell’arebothacceptedinasentence,but“inform”isaformalword.Andthus“inform”isusedtomakeasentence”.Whenthewriterofabusinessletterwantstostatetheresultsbroughtbytheformercause,hecontinuesthesentencewiththeadverb“therefore”insteadoftheconnective“so”.Because“so”isoftenusedinorallanguage,whereasthereforeisoftenemployedinwrittenpositions.Inthesentence“wecannotgrantyouinsurancecoverageof15%oftheinvoicevalue”,“grant”hasthesamemeaningwith“give”,while“give”isoftenusedinoralspeech.Theadoptionof“grant”canmaketheletterlookedformalandshowstheseriousattitudeofthewriter.
Inthesentence“theobligationsshallbeaffectedbytheliquidationofthecontractorbyaprematureterminationofthesame”,thewords“liquidation”and“termination”arebothformalwords.Here“liquidation”hasthesamemeaningwith“cancel”and“termination”isverysimilarto“end”inmeaning.However,thewriteruses“liquidation”and“termination”ratherthan“cancel”and“end”,fortheformerareformalandcanattractthereaderstopaymoreattention.
Andfromthisexample,wecanalsoseethatinmanysituations,anounioreformalthanitscorrespondingformofverb.Therearealsomanyverbsthatareusuallyreplacedbyanotherverbwithsimilarmeanings,suchas“mence”insteadof“begin”,“manufacture”insteadof“make”,“assist”insteadof“help”,“purchase”insteadof“buy”,“anticipate”insteadof“expect”,“trust”insteadof“believe”andsoon.
Somephraseaylookmoreformalthanotherones.Inbusinessletters,peoplelikeusing“aor”or“inrespectto”insteadof“about”,“inviewof”insteadof“for”,foraphraseisalwayoreformalandcanattractmoreattentionthanasingleword.Takethesentenceasanexample:“contractsshallbeconcludedinaccordancewiththeprincipleofequalityandmutualbenefitandofachievingagreementthroughconsultation”.Inthissentence,thephrase“inaccordancewith”isidenticalwiththeword“by”and“under”,but“inaccordancewith”ispreferredduetotheformalityofbusinessletters.“Accordingto”alsohasthesamemeaningwith“inaccordancewith”,butitisnotaormalas“inaccordancewith”.“Accordingto”isbetterlikedinoralspeech.
Notonlycanprepositionalphrasesbereplacedbyanotherone,butalsoverbphrases.Forexample,inthesentence“weareinthemarketforyourchemicalproducts”,theverbphrase“beinthemarketfor”issimilartothephrase“wanttobuy”.However,“beinthemarketfor”soundormalandissuitabletobeusedinabusinessletter,whereas“wanttobuy”ioresuitableinspokenlanguage.
3.2oldEnglishwordsadopted
InEnglishbusinesscorrespondences,therearemanyoldEnglishwordsadoptedwhicharenotorseldomusednowadays.AndtheseoldEnglishwordsarealmostplexadverbs.ThemostseenoldEnglishwordsusedinbusinesscorrespondencesarethesethatbeginwith“here”,“there”and“where”astherootandwithoneorseveraladverbssuchas“by”,“after”followed.Andthewordswith“here”or“there”andwithaprepositionfollowedaremostlyadverbs.Thiskindofwordsisoftenusedinasentenceastheadjunct.Thewordsbeginningwith“where”andwithaprepositionfollowedaremostlyconnectivesandrelativeadverbs.Andtheyareusedtoconnectsentences.Takeanexample:“providedsuchdraftsaredrawnandpresentedinaccordancewiththetermsofthiscredit,weherebyengagewiththedrawers,endorsersandbona-fideholdersthatthesaiddraftsshallbehonoredonpresentation”.Inthissentence,“hereby”isanadverbandusedasanadjuncttomodifytheverb“engage”.Inthesentence“weherebyconfirmhingsoldtoyouthefollowinggoodsonthetermsandconditionsassetforthhereunder”,thetwowords“hereby”and“hereunder”arebothadverbsandplaytheroleofadjunctstomodifytheverbs“confirm”and“setforth”respectively.Buttheword“whereof”isarelativeadverbtoconnectthewholesentenceanditplaystheroleoftheadjuncttomodifytheverb“he caused”inthesentence“inwitness,whereof,thepartiesheretohecausedthisagreementtobeexecutedinduplicatebytheirdulyauthorizedrepresentations”.
ThiskindofplexwordsisdifficultifonetriestounderstandthemjustfromtheirChinesetranslation.Butitwillmakeeasiertounderstandtheirmeaningsaftermasteringtherelationbetweentheirformsandmeanings.Inthiskindofwords,“here”issupposedtoreferto“this”,“there”referringto“that”and“where”referringto“which”.Andaccordingtothisassumption,“hereafter”shouldbeunderstoodas“afterthis”.Itisthesamewith“there”and“where”,for“thereafter”canbeinterpretedas“afterthat”and“whereby”means“bywhich”.Inthesentence“thesaidL/Chasjustetohand,butregretfullywefindthatsomeoftheclausesthereinarenotinagreementwithwhatisstipulatedinthecontract”,theword“therein”means“inthesaidL/C”.Takeanotherexample:furthertoourlastdiscussioninMelbourneandthefaxesexchangedthereafteronajointventureinAustralia,wewereverypleasedtoreceiveyourletterofDecember12withdetailedproposalsonthesubject.Inthissentence,theword“thereafter”means“afterthat”,exactly“afterthediscussionandthefaxes”.
Sometimes,thereiorethanoneprepositionfollowing“here”,“there”and“where”,suchasthewordhereinafter”.Forexample,inthesentence“inthisagreementwordsandexpressionsshallhethesamemeaningasarerespectivelyassignedtothemintheconditionofcontracthereinafterreferredto”,“hereinafter”means“inthefollowingtext”.
TheadoptionofoldEnglishwordscannotonlypresenttheseriousattitudeofthewriter,butalsooidsomeunnecessaryrepetition.Andthereforethebusinessletterbeeoreconsciousandclearer.Generallyspeaking,theproperadoptionofoldEnglishwordscanmakethewholeletterlookedformal,buttheexcessiveadoptionshallmakethebusinessletterhardtoread.
3.3wordsofpoliteness
CourtesyisthemostimportantprincipleofwritinganEnglishbusinesscorrespondence.Notonlydoesthisprinciplerefertotheadoptionofwordsofpoliteness,butalsoitisshownintherespectandconsiderationoftheoppositeparty.Awisewritershallrespecthistradingpanyandvieweverythingfromtheoppositeparty’sperspectivetoknowhispany’isgiving.Andbythewayofrespectingtheoppositeparty,thewriterwillalsogettherespectfromhispanyandthenacceleratethetradetogoonoothly.“Evenifsomeissuesriseduringtheirdeal,thewritershouldalsopaymuchattentiontocourtesy.Andevenwhenmakingaclaim,thewriterhadbetterusepolitewordstoprovideagoodbasiorfurthercooperation”.
Whenothershelpedyou,innormalsituation,youcanjustuse“thankyou”or“thanks”inyourgracefulletter.Butinbusinessletters,therearemanyformsthatyoucanchoosetoshowyourthanksanddifferentformspresentdifferentdegreesofthanks.Forexample,ifyouwanttotheotherpartytoshipthegoodsasearlyaspossible,youcansayinyourletter:“wewillappreciateyoureffectingimmediateshipment.”Andwhenaskingforalowprice,onemaywritethesentence“wewillbeobligedifyoucouldquoteusaforableprice”.“Inthefuriouspetitionofbusiness,theadoptionofwordsofpolitenessoftenplaysanimportantpart”.Sothewritersofbusinesscorrespondencesshouldthinkathirdtimetouseaword,andtrytotranormtheharshsentencesintopoliteandperiphrasticones.
Notonlywhenaskingforsomethingshallawriteradoptpolitewords,butwhenrefusingtherequestthatiadebytheotherparty,politewordsarealsoailable.Andwhenfacingahardsituation,awriterissupposedtopaymoreattentiononthechoiceofwordstotackletheproblem.
Forexample,ifawriterwantstorejecttheoffergivebytheoppositeparty,hecanwriteasentencelike“weregretthatwearenotinapositiontoacceptyouroffer”.Andifhewantstorejectanorder,hecanwrite:“weregrettoinformyouthatwearenotinapositiontosupplyyouwithsuchlargedemands”.Inthesetwosentences,itisnotadvisabletouse“cannot”or“unable”insteadof“notinaposition”.Thephrases“notinaposition”canshowthesincereattitudeofthewriterandtherespecttohispartner.
Theadoptionofwordsofpolitenessreferstonotonlythepoliteexpressions,butalsothewayofexpression.
Wecanmakeaparisonbetweenthetwofollowinggroups:
A.(1)Wearesorrythatyoumisunderstoodus.
(2)Youmustgiveusyourreplyduringtwoweeks.
B.(1)Wearesorrythatwedidnotmakeourselvesclear.
(2)Wouldyoupleasegiveusyourreplyduringtwoweeks
Throughtheparisonofthetwogroups,wecanseethatthefirstgrouppossiblymakesitsreaderhethefeelingofplaintandthewayofwritingseemsanorder.Andofcourse,thefirstgroupofsentencesisnotpoliteatall.Whilethesecondgroupfinishesthesentenceswiththeaccentofdiscussionandconsultation,andundoubtedlyitcanbeeasiertakenbythereader.Whenmunicatingwithhispa rtner,oneshouldholdsuchanattitudethat“evenifthisdealcannotbemade,heshallgivehispartneragoodimpressionforhisadoptionofpolitewordsinbusinesscorrespondenceswhichcanprovideagoodenvironmentforfurthercooperation”.
“Politenesakespeoplepleased,andthenitbeeseasytobuildacooperativerelationshipwiththem”.Beforewritingabusinessletter,awritershouldthinkabouthisaccentandtriestobefriendly.Andtheadoptionofwordsofpolitenesswillhelphimachievethiseffect.
4.conclusion
ThispaperfocusesonthemorphologicalandsyntacticfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Andthroughtheanalysis,thepapermakesasummaryofthefeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondenceromtheviewofmorphologyandsyntax.
TherehebeenarticlesaboutthefeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondences.Butthroughreadingthesearticles,thewriterfoundthatsomeofthearticlesareoutoftime,andsomeofthearticlesarenotprehensive.Sothispapertriestosummarizethe（下转第101页）（上接第５６页）featuresasprehensiveaspossibleandtriestofindthenewfeaturesthatmodernEnglishbusinesscorrespondencespossess.
Asthedevelopmentofbusiness,itiscertainthatsomenewfeaturesofEnglishbusinesscorrespondenceswillappear.Andatthattimethispaperwillbeoutoftimeandnewpaperswillbecalledfor.
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