According to Mr. Swift, which is the polite and appropriate way of writing.’? [o

Mr. Swift: You’ve done a very good job for a first letter.
Mr. Sun: Thanks. But you’ve marked some lines oil the page.
Mr. Swift: They don’t mean that something is wrong about your grammar. I mean that, maybe they can be improved in the light of Western writing habits.
Mr. Sun: Can you show me how?
Mr Swift: Of course. For example, some things aren’t clear enough. Now look here. Your sentence about graduate school is confusing.
Mr Sun: Why? "I left the Northwestern Electronic Technology Institute in the year 1998."
Mr. Swift: Well, it’s not clear whether you dropped out or whether you completed your studies there when you used the word "left".
Mr Sun: Of course I completed my studies.
Mr Swift: Then make it clear. Another point. You referred to this institute here as an "Institute", here as a "college" and still here as a "university", What on earth is it?
Mr Sun: I see your point.
Mr Swift: Now, this one. You said. "May I take the liberty to introduce myself to you?"
Mr Sun: Isn’t it polite to say so?
Mr Swift: Yes, but we probably wouldn’t write like this be- cause you have already taken the liberty, so why ask permission now?
Mr Sun: I wrote according to my Chinese standards.
Mr Swift: In our country it’s more polite and appropriate to sweep clean extraneous material, fancy sentences, and extra adjectives and adverbs.
Mr Sun: I don’t quite understand why that’s more courteous.
Mr Swift: Well. Suppose that I’m the one you addressed to. I’m sitting behind my desk preparing a lecture for the postgraduates next week. All around my desk are piles of notes and references. Now and then a publisher has called in to know the progress of the; book for correction. The executive board has called for my arrangement of next year’s research fund as well as my intention for next year’s postgraduate enrollment. My car is to be taken out of the garage. I have to go to the hospital to receive an annual examination at 2; 00 in the afternoon. I shall remember to meet my friends in the airport at 4:00 in the afternoon. There are some students waiting outside of my office...
Mr Sun: OK, OK, I get our point. Then you get my mail among other things of the same quality.
Mr Swift: You see it now.
Mr Sun: Well, maybe I shall forget the whole thing.
Mr Swifl: No, no. Not at all. You just want to make things as easy as possible for your addressee. You need tell him immediately the purpose of your letter, that is, that you are applying for a fellowship. Then he has a context in which to judge the rest of the in- formation you supply.
Mr Sun: You are quite right.
Mr Swift: Then he wants tile rest of the information in a form that makes it fast and easy for him to digest.
Mr Sun: Are you suggesting that I send a resume with the letter?
Mr Swift: That is most welcome.
Mr Sun: OK. Thanks a lot for your advice.
Mr Swift: You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.
Mr Sun: See you.