【正文】 tive reasons for delaying shipment, the seller expresses his modesty and leaves a “conscientious” impression to the buyer, which can maintain good trade relationship of both parties. Application of Agreement MaximThis maxim means to minimize disagreement between self and other and maximize agreement between self and other. (Leech, 1983: 111) Agreement Maxim is the one of the basic principles in business correspondence. Actually, in factual business munication, the benefit and opinion of both parties usually exist differences and conflicts. In accordance with this maxim, they should extend their agreement first, and mention the difference latter. E. g:Dear Sir:Thank you for your quotation of 20 August and for the samples of shoes you have sent us.We appreciate the good quality of your shoes, but unfortunately your prices appear to be on the high side even for the shoes of this quality. We regret that at these prices we cannot place an order.We, however, like the quality of your goods and would wele the opportunity to do business with you. May we suggest that you make some allowance on your quoted prices so as to introduce your goods to our customers? Yours faithfully, Joseph BlackThis is a reply from a buyer for quotation, aiming at requiring the seller to offer discount of the price. Although there is disagreement on the price, firstly the letter mentioned agreement on the good quality of shoes and then put forward the disagreement “…your prices appear to be on the high side even for shoes of this quality.” In this way, the seller is willing to accept the disagreement. In addition, in the end of the letter the buyer mentions the quality again (agreement)。 meanwhile, the writer makes the discount requirement which greatly e to possibility of munication and trade. Application of Sympathy MaximSympathy Maxim indicates to minimize antipathy between self and other and to maximize sympathy between self and other (Leech, 1983:112). The analysis is as following letter:Dear Sir,We have received your letter of 15th July, informing us that the sewing machines we shipped to you arrived damaged on account of imperfectness of our packing.Upon receipt of your letter, we have given this matter our immediate attention. We have studied your surveyor’s report very carefully.We are convinced that the present damage was due to extraordinary circumstances under which they were transported to you. We are therefore not responsible for the damage。 but as we do not think that it would be fair to have you bear the loss alone, we suggest that the loss be divided between both of us, to which we hope you will agree. Sincerely yours, Mortimer AdlerThis letter is sent from the seller to the buyer for the damage of goods. The damage has caused the buyer’s loss. Naturally the seller should be cautious to it. At the beginning of the letter, there is quotation from the original letter “the sewing machines we shipped to you arrived damaged on account of imperfectness of our packing”. That indicates the objective understanding of addressee’s careful investigation, which help to reduce the addresser’s antipathy. On the basis of investigation, it is found that the cause of damage is the transporting problem, but not the packaging problem of the seller. Furthermore, the letter offers suggestion for solving the damage problem, which gives out necessary sympathy from the seller “…but as we do not think that it would be fair to have you bear the loss alone, we suggest that the loss be divided between both of us, to which we hope you will agree”. In this way, the relationship can be kept more harmonious and close. Therefore trade relationship is built between the two parties.Brown and Levinsion’s theory and Leech’s six maxims can greatly direct business correspondence writing from the layout expression. The applications of these politeness principles on correspondence successfully transmit munication information and for the final purpose of realizing successful trading between two and among more parties. In the following parts, the strategies of using these principles in business correspondence writing from the aspects of grammar, lexical and “YouAttitude” will be discussed.4. Strategies of realizing the politeness principle in business correspondence writing Grammar strategy Passive voice sentence pattern The use of passive voice is to withhold a direct accusation or criticism, instead, to make a less informative, but undoubtedly true assertion. The deliberate omission of the agent of the verb in the sentence of passive voice is motivated by politeness, too. In this way, there is much more possibility to guess who is responsible for the deeds.Events and situations take precedence over people and their actions in the passive voice. Those sentences in the passive voice are often vague about who or what has created the situation and why. It does not directly suggest any responsibility by the subject. Using the passive voice can make the message less offensive to readers. Thus it saves readers’ positive face (to be approved of). Moreover, expressing requests in passive voice shows deference (negative politeness) and is more likely to bring satisfactory results.People also use the passive voice to deliver unpleasant news, or to avoid blaming someone directly for making a mistake. Because the passive voice focus on the situation or event, not on the person involved, the delivery of necessary unpleasant information will be less hurtful to the reader. For example:(1) You fail to deliver the goods in time.(2) The goods have not been delivered in time.(3) You did not enclose the cheque with your order.(4) The cheque was not enclosed with your order.Obviously, sentence (2) and (4) avoids direct