Business Letters in English.docx

1、Business Letters in EnglishBusiness Letters in EnglishBusiness 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

2、 concentrates on business letters but also looks at other business correspondence. It includes: letter memo fax emailWho 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

3、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 govern

4、ment official employer employee staff member staff memberWhy 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 o

5、r offer to introduce a person or policy to invite or welcome to follow up to formalize decisionsSample Business LettersBusiness Letter Envelope ComponentsThis sample business letter envelope includes formal components, some of which are optional for typical, employment-related business letters.The g

6、raphic below represents the US Postal Service automation guidelines for a standard business envelope that is 4-1/8 x 9-1/2 inches.Tips: Replace the text in brackets with the component indicated. Dont type the brackets. If your envelope does not have a preprinted return address, type it in the upper

7、left corner, in an area not to exceed 50% of the length and 33% of the height of the envelope. Leave a little space between your return address and the top and left edges. How much depends on the margin limitations of your printer or typewriter. For example, laser printers typically require margins

8、of at least 1/8 inch (9 points). 1/4 (18 points) to 1/2 inch (36 points) looks good. Type the Special Mailing Notation under the postage area. It doesnt have to line up perfectly with the stamp as shown, but it looks professional. Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. Examples include SP

9、ECIAL DELIVERY CERTIFIED MAIL AIRMAIL Type the On-Arrival Notation so that its right edge lines up with the left edge of the recipients address. This is not a post office requirement, but rather standard formatting. Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a notati

10、on on private correspondence, such as when mailing a resignation letter. Examples are PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL The gray shaded area is where the optical character reader (OCR) at the post office scans for the recipients address. Type the recipients address within the shaded area, below other informatio

11、n. Dont type anything to the left, right or below the recipients address. Its a good idea to include a line or two of space below non-address information (such as the notations shown), before typing the recipients address. It makes it easier for the OCR to distinguish the address. Including the reci

12、pients job title after his or her name is optional. If you know the recipients department or mail-stop name or number, include it after his or her name. Include the abbreviation USA after the Zip+4 code, if mailing to the United States of America from another country.Read through the following pages

13、 to learn more about the different types of business letters, and how to write them. You will learn about formatting, planning, and writing letters, as well as how to spot your own errors. These pages are designed to help you write business letters and correspondence, but they will also help you lea

14、rn to read, and therefore respond to, the letters you receive. You will also find samples that you can use and alter for your own needs. Vocabulary Vocabulary Quiz Letter Formats Planning Writing Proofreading Test to Check Your Understanding Business Letter Vocabularyattachmentextra document or imag

15、e that is added to an emailblock formatmost common business letter format, single spaced, all paragraphs begin at the left marginbodythe content of the letter; between the salutation and signaturebulletssmall dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered listcertified mailimportant letters that s

16、ender pays extra postage for in order to receive a notice of receiptcoherentlogical; easy to understandconcisegets to the point quicklyconfidential, personalprivatediplomacy, diplomaticdemonstrating consideration and kindnessdirect mail, junk mailmarketing letters addressed to a large audiencedouble

17、 spaceformat where one blank line is left between lines of textenclosureextra document or image included with a letterformaluses set formatting and business language, opposite of casualformatthe set up or organization of a documentheadinga word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be ab

18、outindentextra spaces (usually 5) at the beginning of a paragraphinformalcasualinside addressrecipients mailing informationjustified marginsstraight and even text, always begins at the same placeletterheadspecialized paper with a (company) logo or name printed at the toplogosymbol or image that iden

19、tifies a specific organizationmargina blank space that borders the edge of the textmemorandum (memo)document sent within a company (internal), presented in short formmodified block formatleft justified as block format, but date and closing are centeredon arrival notationnotice to recipient that appe

20、ars on an envelope (e.g. confidential)postagethe cost of sending a letter through the Post Officeproofreadread through a finished document to check for mistakespunctuationmarks used within or after sentences and phrases (e.g. periods, commas)reader-friendlyeasy to readrecipientthe person who receive

21、s the letterright raggedformat in which text on the right side of the document ends at slightly different points (not justified)salutationgreeting in a letter (e.g. Dear Mr Jones)sensitive informationcontent in a letter that may cause the receiver to feel upsetsemi-block formatparagraphs are indente

22、d, not left-justifiedsincerelyterm used before a name when formally closing a lettersingle spacedformat where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of textspacingblank area between words or lines of texttonethe feeling of the language (e.g. serious, enthusiastic)transitionswords or phrases used

23、to make a letter flow naturally (e.g. furthermore, on the other hand)Business Letter FormatsThere 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 (

24、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

25、 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

26、) Fold in three (horizontally) before placing in the envelope Use right ragged formatting (not justified on right side)Formatting Business LettersBlock format is the most common format used in business today. With this format, nothing is centred. The senders address, the recipients address, the date

27、 and all new paragraphs begin at the left margin, like this:Wicked Wax Co. Ltd22 Charlton WayLondon, SE10 8QY5th December, 2006Ms. Maggie JonesAngel Cosmetics Inc.110 East 25th StreetNew York, NY, 10021USAYour ref: 123Our ref: abcDear Ms. Jones,Forthcoming ExhibitionFirst paragraph.Second paragraph.

28、Third paragraph.Sincerely,Morris HowardMorris Howard, Presidentcc: Brian WaldorfEnc: catalogueSENDERS ADDRESSmay be printed company logo and addressDATERECIPIENTS ADDRESSRECIPIENTS REFERENCE (IF ANY)SENDERS REFERENCE (IF ANY)SALUTATIONSUBJECTBODY OF LETTERCLOSINGSIGNATURE (HAND-WRITTEN)NAME, TITLE (

29、TYPED)COPY TOENCLOSUREThis are other, slightly different ways of formatting a business letter, where for example paragraphs are indented or the date is typed on the right hand side. You can see examples of these in the sample letters.Formatting Envelopes for Business LettersIt is best to type an env

30、elope for a business letter. Most word document programs contain an envelope labelling function to help you. All you need to do is indicate the size of envelope you are using and type the correct information in the appropriate fields, for example:Sending companys name and addressis sometimes printed

31、 herePostagestampMs. Maggie JonesAngel Cosmetics Inc.110 East 25th StreetNew YorkNY 10021USAFormatting Business MemosMemos are short internal business letters, sent to other staff within the same company. A memo (or memorandum) may also be posted somewhere inside a company for all to see. Memos are becoming less common as