Business Letters in English

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

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")

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)