How to learn to write a business letter in English
You will learn the secrets and rules for writing business letters in English, as well as understand their structure and content.
With the advent of e-mail, paper letters seemingly lost their popularity. However, it is impossible to do without them at all - as long as there is a need to write a cover letter for your resume, to contact a potential partner or, for example, to file a complaint with the bank.
In any of these cases, it is important that your letter has the desired effect on the addressee. For this letter should be:
properly arranged
short and meaningful
written in essence
written correctly
polite, even if it's a complaint or a complaint
If you respond to the letter, pay attention to how this letter is executed and what expressions are used in it. In turn, try to match the given level both in the selection of verbal formulations, and in the standards of registration.
The structure of the business letter
In English, there are a number of rules that should be adhered to when writing a business letter. General advice: try to write simply, clearly and concisely.
Address
The sender's address (without a name) is usually written in the upper right corner.
E-mail and phone number are not required here, but this is allowed.
The recipient's address is to the left, below the sender's address.
Structure of the business letter in English
An example of a business letter in English
Date
The date can be placed to the left or to the right below or above the recipient's address.
The date format is also quite flexible. For example, "April 7, 2016" can be recorded as 7 April 2016, 7th April 2016, 7/4/16, or 07/04/16. But do not forget that the dates in the United States and Great Britain are written differently (in the US, first write a month, then date: April 7, 2016). To avoid confusion, the name of the month is recommended for writing.
Appeal
If you do not know the name of the addressee, use the address Dear Sir or Madam. But if there is such an opportunity, try to find out the name of the addressee: so much more likely that your letter will pay attention.
If you know the name of the addressee, use the appropriate form of appeal and surname. For example, Dear Mr Johnson - if the letter is addressed to a man; Dear Mrs Johnson - a married woman; Dear Miss Johnson - unmarried.
Recently, many consider it incorrect to emphasize the marital status of a woman. If you write to a woman and do not know what kind of treatment she prefers, it is better to use a neutral form Ms: Dear Ms Johnson
If the recipient has an academic title, use it: Dear Dr. Huxley; Dear Prof. Atkinson
Pay attention to punctuation: in modern English English, there is no point after the forms of Mr / Mrs / Ms, and at the end of the statement a comma is placed:
Dear Mr Smith,
In American English, after point / Mr / Mrs / Ms, a point is placed, and at the end of the conversation, a colon:
Dear Mr. Stevens:
Make sure that the name of the recipient is correct. Nothing spoils the impression as mistakes or typos in the name.
Completion of the letter:
If you do not know the name of the addressee, complete the letter with the phrase Yours faithfully.
If you know the name, it is customary to finish the letter with Yours sincerely.
Your signature.
Leave the line for the painting, below enter your name and surname. In brackets you can specify which treatment you prefer:
Olga Smirnova (Ms)
The first paragraph should be short and reflect the purpose of the letter - a request, a complaint, a proposal, etc.
The middle paragraphs contain information explaining the purpose of the letter. It is customary to write business letters in English briefly, so try to present facts with restraint and in essence, avoiding unnecessary details.
The last paragraph should indicate what actions you expect from the recipient - to return the money for the goods, to report information, etc.
Rules for writing a business letter in English
Rules for writing a business letter in English
It's important to use the correct style and tone of the language in a business letter. Therefore, it is worth avoiding:
colloquial expressions, slang and jargon
abbreviations (I'm; it's; do not, etc., use full forms)
emotionally painted words - terrible, rubbish, etc.
Always keep a polite and respectful tone even if you write a complaint or claim. In English, the modal verbs would, could and should often be used to make speeches official. For example, instead of "Please send me ..." you can write "I would be grateful if you could send me ..." ("I would be grateful if you would you could send me ... ")
Try not to use phrasal verbs (they are typical, rather, for conversational style). Instead of going on, it is better to write continue, instead of turn down - decline or refuse.
Avoid cumbersome designs and words in the sense of which you are not sure. Try to write clear phrases that do not allow for double interpretation.
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