Business letter in English: sample drafting, typical phrases

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

A business letter is a short official document with a given structure. It has a certain format. The ability to write it can come in handy in different circumstances. From applying for a job to writing a thank you note or sending an apology. This article will be a detailed description of how to write a business letter + sample in English. It is important that the design and structure of a business letter depends on its type.

Main types of business letters

Letters of sale, commercial (Sales Letters). Direct mail, which is used to tell your potential customers about what they are offered, what services and conditions. The letter reveals the benefits of cooperation and is designed to interest the client

Business Proposal Letters. Proposal for a deal or partnership. The letter says what both parties will get from the deal, what are the benefits and benefits

Making an Inquiry. The letter contains a request for additional information aboutproduct or service in the form of brochures, catalogs, telephone contacts, etc

Replying to an Inquiry. A successful response to an inquiry can help you complete the sale or lead to new sales. Customers who make requests are interested in specific information

Business Congratulations. If one of your former colleagues or acquaintances has opened a new business or received a promotion, then writing a letter is a great opportunity to congratulate him

Resignation Email. Sometimes, by coincidence, you have to send an email instead of a call or a personal meeting. A professionally and politely written letter will help you stay on good terms with your employer

Thank you Letter. If a business partner has helped you or a client has recommended your services to someone, then such a letter is a good opportunity to say thank you. A thank you note, in addition to showing your appreciation, can advance your career, help you land a job offer, and strengthen your relationship with a client or supplier

Apology Letter. Apologizing can seem like a daunting step, but once you get the hang of it, you're sure to make a good impression. Apologies can be made on behalf of the company or on behalf of the company

Making a Claim. These letters are used to file claims for unsatisfactory performance or company products. In case the customernot satisfied with the work of the contractor, he writes a letter demanding that the work be done better

Cover Letter. They are extremely important when applying for a new position. They should include a brief introduction, highlight the most important information on your resume, and reassure the potential employer that you are a good fit for the job

Rules for writing a business letter

1. The text of the letter should be direct and short.
2. Information in the text must be true.
3. The use of abbreviated words is not recommended.
4. No corrections or strikethroughs.
5. The meaning should not be twofold.
6. Slang is not allowed.
7. Telling should be polite.

Also if you write an email:

1. Pay attention to the choice of size, font color. Make sure your letter is written in a simple and professional font. Otherwise, the addressee may not even take the time to read such a letter. Fonts that are too small or illegible can result in your email not being read.
2. The best fonts are Times New Roman, Cambria, Calibri, Arial, Courier New.
3. Recommended font size is 10-12. The size depends on how long your message is. Try to fit the letter on one page.
4. Avoid bold, underline, and italics. Such letters can be difficult to read.

Beforesend a letter, check it for literacy and spelling errors, as their presence may repel the recipient. Make sure all personal and company names are spelled correctly. For ease of reading and perception of information, break the text into paragraphs.

Letter structure

1. Start your letter with a formal greeting.
2. You can use a link to a previous contact or conversation.
3. Next, state the reason for your letter.
4. In the main part, state the essence of the problem with the necessary arguments.
5. In the final paragraph, summarize the meaning of what was written and complete the letter.
6. Thank the recipient for reading the email.
7. Please sign and date below.

How to address the recipient in a business letter in English? Sample

Your appeal to the recipient directly depends on your relationship with him. If you have already known a person personally for many years, then it would be appropriate to use only his name. Otherwise, use Mr., Ms. or Dr.

It is not recommended to use informal greeting phrases such as Hello or Hi (hello), Greetings (greetings), Good Morning (good morning), Good Evening (good evening). Use a personal greeting that includes the recipient's first, last name, or title. For example: Dear Mr. Dawson (Dear Mr. Dawson), Dear Manager (Dear Manager).

If this is not the first time you write to this contact, it would be appropriate to addany phrase for politeness. For example, I hope you are doing well.

Examples of official address

1. Dear First name Surname - eg Dear Josh Dawson.
2. Dear Mr. or Ms. Surname (dear Mr./Ms. surname) - e.g. Dear Mr. Dawson or Dear Ms. Dawson.
3. Dear Mr. or Ms. First name Surname (dear Mr. or Ms. first and last name). For example, Dear Mr. Josh Dawson or Dear Ms. Jane Dawson.
4. Dear Manager
5. Dear Sir or Madam (dear sir or dear madam). Write like this if you don't know the recipient's name.
6. To Whom It May Concern (for the person concerned). In case you do not have information to whom this letter is specifically addressed.

How to sign a business letter in English? Sample

If you do not know the person personally, it is appropriate to start the letter with Dear Sir or Dear Madam, and end it by signing Yours faithfully First name Surname

The phrases Yours sincerely or Yours truly, which translates as "Yours Sincerely", are used in cases where you previously addressed the recipient by name or surname.

How should I sign a business letter in English? A sample is shown below.

Address design

Your address and contacts must be indicated in the upper right corner. In the same place, if desired, indicate the name of your company, address, phone number. If you are sending a letter on behalf of a company, you should not use your own name.

From the leftparties, indicate the address of the recipient. It should be below your address.

A sample business letter in English (address) is as follows.

Date decoration

There are no strict rules indicating where to put the date. Usually it is indicated above or below the recipient's address.

It's important to know that not all countries write dates the same way. For example, in the UK, the number comes first, and then the month - 26 July, 2019. In America, the opposite is true. Example: July 26, 2019.

We recommend writing the name of the month in letters, as this will help avoid possible misunderstandings.

Letter content

Any official letter should be written simply and clearly. You should not paint everything on several pages (maximum 2-3 paragraphs). As we know, brevity is the sister of talent.

First, understand the purpose of your letter: thanks, grievance, job offer, etc.

There is a phrase that is convenient to start the first sentence with: I am writing…, after which you can write the purpose of the letter.

Examples:

• to inform you about - to inform you about;
• ipso facto - for this reason alone;
• to recommend - recommend;
• to explain - to explain;
• to request - request;
• in this connection - in connection with this;
• in reference - relatively;
• to remind you - remind;
• to congratulations - congratulations.

In the next paragraph, describe the essence and purpose of yourletters. Avoid using unnecessary words and phrases. Express your thoughts clearly.

And in the last paragraph you can write about what you now expect from the addressee. Depending on the purpose of writing, this may be a request to redo the work, an offer to buy a product or service, send more information, and so on.

Completing the letter

Be sure to thank the recipient for reading and let them know that you hope for a response soon.

Useful Phrases:

1. Thank you for your interesting - thank you for your interest.
2. Please, let me know what you think - please let me know what you think.

Sample letter

How to write a request letter? A sample in business English style looks like this.

This is a sample business letter in English in the request form. It is sent to companies that may not be actively looking for new employees at the moment. This way you get a chance to show your resume to the hiring manager. Through the letter, the employer will notice that you are interested in the company and in a certain position.

In case they weren't planning on hiring new employees, the letter will help you stay on the radar. When the situation changes, you will be considered as a candidate.

How to write a business email?

First you need to know a few rules:

1. Your email address should look professional and simple. For example, [email protected] or [email protected]. Make sure your email address is not named something like this - [email protected].
2. It's also important to keep letters short. On average, people don't spend more than a minute reading a single email. In order for your message to interest the addressee, and he read it to the end, write only on business.
3. Use the subject line to convince the reader to open your email. Don't make it too long, but include more keywords. For example, if you are writing a letter asking for a job, simply include the position and your first and last name.
4. Complete your letter professionally. Take the time to sign it correctly. Your signature must include your name and email address. You can also include your phone number, your job title, or your personal website.
5. And the last rule - edit. Check several times to make sure the email is clearly written and edited. Before sending a message, re-read it and correct any spelling and grammatical errors.

What should be excluded from the letter?

• emoticons;
• errors and typos;
• fancy or colored fonts;
• extra and unnecessary information;
• images;
• slang or abbreviated words.

Examples of writing different types of emails

How to write a business letter in English? Samples and templates help you format and organize the information in your email. But while samples can be a good starting point, don't forget to make your emailpersonalized.

This is what a business email looks like in English (sample pictured):

This type of letter is congratulations on starting a new business. Your words of support and recognition will be remembered by the recipient, and may also be useful in the future.

Here's how to write a business letter in English. Photo sample.

When you thank a person, say what exactly. Let the recipient know that this is not a thank you note. List the ways in which you have been helped. For example, Suzanne was very helpful in organizing the conference. In response, Mary offers her services if needed. This shows that her words are not empty and she really appreciates the work done, that she is ready to offer something in return.

Cooperation

To start cooperation and further develop the partnership, you need to write the first letter that will contain your offer or information about the deal. A professional letter will interest the firm or client and encourage partnership.

This is how a business cooperation letter looks like in English (sample).

In the letter, do not forget to include your contacts: phone, mail and address, so that the recipient can contact you in any way convenient for him.

Using the English business email template, you can easily write your own.