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Business letters






 

Business letters are formal paper communications between, to or from businesses and usually sent through the Post Office or sometimes by courier. Business letters are sometimes called " snail-mail" (in contrast to email which is faster).

Most people who have an occupation have to write business letters. Some write many letters each day and others only write a few letters over the course of a career. Business people also read letters on a daily basis. Letters are written from a person/group, known as the sender to a person/group, known in business as the recipient. Here are some examples of senders and recipients: business - business, business – consumer, job applicant – company, citizen - government official, employer – employee, and staff member - staff member.

There are many reasons why you may need to write business letters or other correspondence: - to persuade, - to inform, - to request, - to express thanks, - to remind, - to recommend, - to apologize, - to congratulate, - to reject a proposal or offer - to introduce a person or policy - to invite or welcome, - to follow up, - to formalize decisions.

v Task 1. Increase your Business Letter vocabulary:

Attachment extra document or image that is added to an email
block format most common business letter format, single spaced, all paragraphs begin at the left margin
Body the content of the letter; between the salutation and signature
Bullets small dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list
certified mail important letters that sender pays extra postage for in order to receive a notice of receipt
Coherent logical; easy to understand
Concise gets to the point quickly
confidential, personal private
diplomacy, diplomatic demonstrating consideration and kindness
direct mail, junk mail marketing letters addressed to a large audience
double space format where one blank line is left between lines of text
Enclosure extra document or image included with a letter
Formal uses set formatting and business language, opposite of casual
Format the set up or organization of a document
Heading a word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be about
Indent extra spaces (usually 5) at the beginning of a paragraph
Informal casual
inside address recipient's mailing information
justified margins straight and even text, always begins at the same place
Letterhead specialized paper with a (company) logo or name printed at the top
Logo symbol or image that identifies a specific organization
Margin a blank space that borders the edge of the text
memorandum (memo) document sent within a company (internal), presented in short form
modified block format left justified as block format, but date and closing are centered
on arrival notation notice to recipient that appears on an envelope (e.g. " confidential")
Postage the cost of sending a letter through the Post Office
Proofread read through a finished document to check for mistakes
Punctuation marks used within or after sentences and phrases (e.g. periods, commas)
reader-friendly easy to read
Recipient the person who receives the letter
right ragged format in which text on the right side of the document ends at slightly different points (not justified)
Salutation greeting in a letter (e.g. " Dear Mr Jones")
sensitive information content in a letter that may cause the receiver to feel upset
semi-block format paragraphs are indented, not left-justified
Sincerely term used before a name when formally closing a letter
single spaced format where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of text
Spacing blank area between words or lines of text
Tone the feeling of the language (e.g. serious, enthusiastic)
Transitions words or phrases used to make a letter flow naturally (e.g. " furthermore", " on the other hand")

 

v Task 2. Study the Business Letter formats:

There are certain standards for formatting a business letter, though some variations are acceptable (for example between European and North American business letters). Here are some basic guidelines:

 

· Use A4 (European) or 8.5 x 11 inch (North American) paper or letterhead

· Use 2.5 cm or 1 inch margins on all four sides

· Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial

· Use 10 to 12 point font

· Use a comma after the salutation (Dear Mr Bond,)

· Lay out the letter so that it fits the paper appropriately

· Single space within paragraphs

· Double space between paragraphs

· Double space between last sentence and closing (Sincerely, Best wishes)

· Leave three to fives spaces for a handwritten signature

· cc: (meaning " copies to") comes after the typed name (if necessary)

· enc: (meaning " enclosure") comes next (if necessary)

· Fold in three (horizontally) before placing in the envelope

· Use right ragged formatting (not justified on right side)

 

v Task 3. Study the structure of Business Letters:

 


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