Business
Letters in English
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). This lesson
concentrates on business letters but also looks at other business
correspondence. It includes:
- letter
- memo
- fax
- email
Who writes Business
Letters?
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
- staff
member «» staff member
Why write Business
Letters?
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
Business Letter Vocabulary
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attachment
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extra document or image that is added to an email
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block format
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most common business letter format, single spaced, all
paragraphs begin at the left margin
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body
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the content of the letter; between the salutation and signature
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bullets
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small dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list
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certified mail
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important letters that sender pays extra postage for in order to
receive a notice of receipt
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coherent
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logical; easy to understand
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concise
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gets to the point quickly
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confidential, personal
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private
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diplomacy, diplomatic
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demonstrating consideration and kindness
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direct mail, junk mail
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marketing letters addressed to a large audience
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double space
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format where one blank line is left between lines of text
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enclosure
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extra document or image included with a letter
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formal
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uses set formatting and business language, opposite of casual
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format
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the set up or organization of a document
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heading
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a word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be
about
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indent
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extra spaces (usually 5) at the beginning of a paragraph
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informal
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casual
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inside address
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recipient's mailing information
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justified margins
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straight and even text, always begins at the same place
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letterhead
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specialized paper with a (company) logo or name printed at the
top
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logo
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symbol or image that identifies a specific organization
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margin
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a blank space that borders the edge of the text
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memorandum (memo)
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document sent within a company (internal), presented in short
form
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modified block format
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left justified as block format, but date and closing are
centered
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on arrival notation
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notice to recipient that appears on an envelope (e.g.
"confidential")
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postage
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the cost of sending a letter through the Post Office
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proofread
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read through a finished document to check for mistakes
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punctuation
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marks used within or after sentences and phrases (e.g. periods,
commas)
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reader-friendly
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easy to read
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recipient
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the person who receives the letter
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right ragged
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format in which text on the right side of the document ends at
slightly different points (not justified)
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salutation
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greeting in a letter (e.g. "Dear Mr Jones")
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sensitive information
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content in a letter that may cause the receiver to feel upset
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semi-block format
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paragraphs are indented, not left-justified
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sincerely
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term used before a name when formally closing a letter
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single spaced
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format where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of text
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spacing
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blank area between words or lines of text
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tone
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the feeling of the language (e.g. serious, enthusiastic)
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transitions
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words or phrases used to make a letter flow naturally (e.g.
"furthermore", "on the other hand")
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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)
