The main body of the letter

This is the most important part of the letter, because it contains the message. Bear in mind that effective communication should be as simple as possible. Therefore,

aDon't include any unnecessary information.

bExpress yourself as concisely as possible.

c Start a new paragraph for each point you wish to make.

dConfirm to all standard punctuation and grammar rules.

NOTE. Many business letters fall easily into the framework of a three-paragraph plan, which can be generally summarized as:

Paragraph 1 Introduction: this can be an acknowledgement, a reference to previous communication, or any generally informative statement which introduces your main theme.

Paragraph 2 Specific information (facts/reasons).

Paragraph 3 Reference to further action/conclusion.

The subscription (complimentary close)

aIn most documents Yours faithfully should be used.

bThe first word should begin with the capital letter, but the second with a lower one.

cThe subscription should be followed by a comma.

dYours sincerely can be used if the recipient is known to the writer on a personal basis, or if it is desirable to dispense with formality.

eThe subscription should be started at the middle of the page.

The signature

aThis should be normal signature of the writer, and should not include any courtesy title or otherwise.

b A woman can indicate her title in brackets if she wishes, e. g., Miss; Mrs.; Ms

e.g. Margarete Watson

M. E. Watson (Mrs.)

The designation

This simply gives the official status of the writer and, if required, is best printed directly underneath the signature.

Remember! · If your stationery has a letterhead, skip sender’s address. · If the recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice number, type Re:on one or two lines, immediately below the Date (2). If you're replying to a letter, refer to it here, i.e. Re: Job # 625-01 or Re: Your letter dated 1/1/200x. · Always include the name of a specific individual at the organization you are writing to. · The salutation is always formal and includes the recipient’s last name. · The body of your letter should be written in block format. Do not indent the paragraphs. · Business letters should never be handwritten. · Include a professional closing such as “Sincerely”. · Make sure to include a handwritten signature. · Be sure to include your address, phone number, and email (either in the letterhead or at the end of your letter). · Business letters should be single-spaced except for a double space before salutation (Dear….) and leave 4 spaces for handwritten signature. · Use 1-1.5 inch margins (1 inch = 2,5 cm) · Do not use shortened verb forms – write them out (i.e. "~~don't~~ instead of do not"). · Do not use professional jargon or slang. · Use KISS (Keep it Short and Simple) principle when writing a letter. · Keep the letter brief and to the point. Try to keep your letters to one page. Don’t worry if your letter does not take up the whole page. Don’t try to expand your letter to fill the page by including unnecessary information. · If you enclose some documents, don’t forget to write Enc: (or Enclosure(s):)(you can give number(s) of enclosed documents or list them). · If you send a copy to somebody else, write cc: (list the names of people to whom you distribute copies in alphabetical order. If addresses would be useful to the recipient of the letter, include them.) · Remember to always be polite and check your work for spelling and grammar mistakes. · Always keep a copy of correspondence for future reference.

There are many types of business letters according to the purpose of their writing. We’ll consider the following types of business letters:

1. Cover(ing) Letters/Application Letter

2.Reference Letter/Letter of Recommendation

3. Enquiry Letter/Request Letter «» Answer Letter

4. Letter of Complaint/Complaint(s) Letter «» Apology Letter

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 796

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