HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER.docx

HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTERWriting a business letter in English is somewhat formulaic. The formats are standardized and the style, punctuation and language are quite formal. There are several standard phrases that people use when writing business letters, which makes writing business letters somewhat straight forward. As to content, the most important thing you must include in a business letter is all relevant information!Style, Punctuation and Language:Business letters are written in a concise, clear style just say what you need to say simply, clearly, and respectfully. Do not add any information that is not necessary to the purpose of the letter.Style: The style is formal, so do not use contractions, slang, or expressions/idioms. The structure of a business letter usually comprises three paragraphs: 1st paragraph: Introduction states what the purpose of your letter is (i.e., why are you writing it) 2nd paragraph: Main bodygives details/explanation 3rd paragraph: Closeconcludes the letterLanguage and Standard Phrases: You can use some standardised phrases for the introductory and closing paragraphs.1st Paragraph: Introduction:with regard toto ask youto request to inquire aboutto advise you thatto inform you thatto invite to complain aboutapologise forI am writing you couldyou wouldappreciate it ifwould be grateful if3rd Paragraph: CloseI would your time and attentionconsidering this requestattending to this matterThank you for Greeting: If you know the name and title of the person you are writing to, use the full title, followed by a colon. e.g., Dear Mrs. Smith: If you dont know the name of the person you are writing to, use Sir/Madam, followed by a colon. e.g., Dear Sir/Madam: If you know the name and title of the person, but dont know whether they are male or female, write the name as it appears, followed by a colon. e.g., Dear L. Lee:Complimentary close: If you use a persons name in the greeting, use “Yours sincerely,” (make sure you remember the comma!) If you use “Dear Sir/Madam”, use “Yours faithfully,” (make sure you remember the comma!)Signature:Your hand-written signature is directly below the complimentary close. Leave a line and then print your name below your signature. FormatPersonal Business Letter: There are a few different formatting styles for business letters. As most people now type their business letters on the computer, the block format is becoming the most commonly used and accepted. The block format is the one you will learn in this class.If you are writing a business letter as part of your professional work, your company will have a standard format that they use, so you will just follow the rules for that one. The format given below is what most people use when they are writing a personal business letter:YOURE ADDRESS:Unit or house number, name of roadName of city/town, name of province/stateCountry (if you are sending to another country)Postal/zip code (if there is one)DATE (you must leave a double space between the address and the date)RECIPIENTS ADDRESS:Unit/building number, name of roadName of city/town, name of province/stateCountry (if you are sending to another country)Postal/zip code (if there is one)RE: in a few short words write what your letter will refer toAccount/Customer/Billing number:Dear Sir/Madam:1st paragraph -.2nd paragraph-. -.-.3rd paragraph-.Yours faithfully,John DoeJohn DoeEXAMPLE BUSINESS LETTER1876 Fuller AvenueSeaton, KentPO49 4DK18 August 2012Seaton Library4660 High Street, KentPO65 8DKRe: Lost library cardMembership number: 2765410Dear Sir/Madam:I am writing to request a new membership card because I have lost mine. I would be very grateful if you could send me the new card by post because I am an invalid and so I am unable to get to the library to pick it up in person. Could you also send it to me by the end of this week because the mobile library comes on Monday and I will ne