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Guide to Basic Business Letters

The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. This basic of business letters are important because certain formulas are recognized and handled accordingly. Think of a basic business letter in three steps: 1. Introduction - The reason for writing The introduction helps the reader understand in which context the letter should be considered. Possibilities include job interview inquires, business opportunity requests, complaints, and more. Of course, Eeach type of business letter has its own standard phrases. 2. Details - What you would like to accomplish The detail section of a business letter is extremely important. This is where you achieve your goals in writing a business letter. 3. Conclusion / Next Steps - What you would like to happen in the future Provide a call for future action. This can be a chance to talk in person, a follow-up letter or more. It's important and expected to make it clear what you would like for the next step from the person reading your business letter. The phrases presented in this guide provide a frame and introduction to the content of business letters. At the end of this guide, you will find links to sites that give tips on the difficult part of writing successful business letters - arguing your business objective. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your English business letters. Once you understand these basics, you can refine your business letter writing skills by focusing on different types of business letters, as well as other business documents to refine your skills for your business needs at your employers or your own small business organization.

2 The Start The start of any business letter begins by addressing the recipient of the letter. Dear Personnel Director, Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to) Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss) Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend) Note: If you are unsure how formal you should be, always choose a more formal form. Writing to a specific person is always preferred if at all possible. The Reference Begin by referencing a specific conversation or other contact means. If this is the first letter in a conversation, you can also provide the reason for writing. With reference to your advertisement in the Times,your letter of 23 rd March, your phone call today, Thank you for your letter of March 5 th . The Reason for Writing I am writing to... ... inquire about ... apologize for ... confirm ... comment on ... apply for Examples: I am writing to inquire about the position posted in The Daily Mail. I am writing to confirm the shipment details on order # 2346. I am writing to apologize for the difficulties you experienced last week at our branch. Once you have introduced the reason for writing your business letter, move on to stating more specifically the purpose of your letter. Here are a number of possibilities: Requesting Could you possibly? I would be grateful if you could Agreeing to Requests I would be delighted to Giving Bad News

3 Unfortunately I am afraid that Examples: Could you possible forward your job requirements? I am afraid that I will be able to attend the conference next week. I would be delighted to give you a tour of our facility this coming month. Enclosing Documents I am enclosing Please find enclosed Enclosed you will find Closing Remarks Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way. there are any problems. you have any questions. Reference to Future Contact I look forward to ... hearing from you soon. meeting you next Tuesday. seeing you next Thursday. The Finish Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to) Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to) Best wishes, Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend) Sample Letter Here is a sample letter using some of these forms: Ken's Cheese House 34 Chatley Avenue Seattle, WA 98765 Tel: Fax: Email: kenny@cheese.com October 23, 2006 Fred Flintstone Sales Manager Cheese Specialists Inc.

4 456 Rubble Road Rockville, IL Dear Mr Flintstone: With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856 The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days. Please contact us again if we can help in any way. Yours sincerely, Kenneth Beare Director of Ken's Cheese House

Different types of business letters

Business English: Introduction to Meetings One of the most common requirements of business English is holding meetings in English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting meetings and making contributions to a meeting. Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts: I - Introductions Opening the Meeting Welcoming and Introducing Participants Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent II - Reviewing Past Business Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting Dealing with Recent Developments III - Beginning the Meeting Introducing the Agenda Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) IV - Discussing Items Introducing the First Item on the Agenda Closing an Item Next Item Giving Control to the Next Participant V - Finishing the Meeting Summarizing Finishing Up Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Thanking Participants for Attending Closing the Meeting

6 The following phrases are useful if you are called on to conduct a meeting. Opening Good morning/afternoon, everyone. If we are all here, let's get started / start the meeting / start. Welcoming and Introducing Please join me in welcoming (name of participant) We're pleased to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant) It's a pleasure to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to introduce (name of participant) Stating the Principal Objectives We're here today to ... I'd like to make sure that we ... Our main aim today is to ... I've called this meeting in order to ... Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent I'm afraid.., (name of participant) can't be with us today. She is in... Unfortunately, (name of participant) ... will not be with us to day because he ... I have received apologies for absence from (name of participant), who is in (place). Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting To begin with I'd like to quickly go through the minutes of our last meeting. First, let's go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date) Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date)

7 Dealing with Recent Developments Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing? Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along? John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package? Has everyone received a copy of the Tate Foundation report on current marketing trends? Moving Forward So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Shall we get down to business? Is there Any Other Business? If there are no further developments, I'd like to move on to today's topic. Introducing the Agenda Have you all received a copy of the agenda? There are X items on the agenda. First, ... second, ... third, ... lastly, ... Shall we take the points in this order? If you don't mind, I'd like to go in order today. skip item 1 and move on to item 3 I suggest we take item 2 last. Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes. (name of participant), would you mind taking the minutes? (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on ... (name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3. (name of participant), would you mind taking notes today? Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) We will first hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion of ...

8 I suggest we go round the table first. Let's make sure we finish by ... I'd suggest we ... There will be five minutes for each item. We'll have to keep each item to 15 minutes. Otherwise we'll never get through. Introducing the First Item on the Agenda So, let's start with ... I'd suggest we start with... Why don't we start with... So, the first item on the agenda is Pete, would you like to kick off? Shall we start with ... (name of participant), would you like to introduce this item? Closing an Item I think that takes care of the first item. Shall we leave that item? Why don't we move on to... If nobody has anything else to add, lets ... Next Item Let's move onto the next item Now that we've discussed X, let's now ... The next item on today's agenda is... Now we come to the question of.

Giving Control to the Next Participant I'd like to hand over to (name of participant), who is going to lead the next point. Next, (name of participant) is going to take us through ... Now, I'd like to introduce (name of participant) who is going to ...

9 Summarizing Before we close today's meeting, let me just summarize the main points. Let me quickly go over today's main points. To sum up, ...,. OK, why don't we quickly summarize what we've done today. In brief, ... Shall I go over the main points? Finishing Up Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items. If there are no other comments, I'd like to wrap this meeting up. Let's bring this to a close for today. Is there Any Other Business? Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Can we set the date for the next meeting, please? So, the next meeting will be on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ... Let's next meet on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ... What about the following Wednesday? How is that? Thanking Participants for Attending I'd like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London. Thank you all for attending. Thanks for your participation. Closing the Meeting The meeting is finished, we'll see each other next ... The meeting is closed. I declare the meeting closed.

10 The following phrases are used to participate in a meeting. These phrases are useful for expressing your ideas and giving input to a meeting. Getting the Chairperson's Attention (Mister/Madam) chairman. May I have a word? If I may, I think... Excuse me for interrupting. May I come in here? Giving Opinions I'm positive that... I (really) feel that... In my opinion... The way I see things... If you ask me,... I tend to think that... Asking for Opinions Are you positive that... Do you (really) think that... (name of participant) can we get your input? How do you feel about...? Commenting That's interesting . I never thought about it that way before. Good point! I get your point. I see what you mean. Agreeing I totally agree with you. Exactly! That's (exactly) the way I feel. I have to agree with (name of participant). Disagreeing Unfortunately, I see it differently. Up to a point I agree with you, but... (I'm afraid) I can't agree

11 Advising and Suggesting Let's... We should... Why don't you.... How/What about... I suggest/recommend that... Clarifying Let me spell out... Have I made that clear? Do you see what I'm getting at? Let me put this another way... I'd just like to repeat that... Requesting Information Please, could you... I'd like you to... Would you mind... I wonder if you could... Asking for Repetition I'm afraid I didn't understand that. Could you repeat what you just said? I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please? I missed that. Could you say it again, please? Could you run that by me one more time? Asking for Clarification I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean? I'm afraid I don't quite understand what your are getting at. Could you explain to me how that is going to work? I don't see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please? Asking for Verification You did say next week, didn't you? ('did' is stressed) Do you mean that...? Is it true that...? Asking for Spelling Could you spell that, please? Would you mind spelling that for me, please?

12 Asking for Contributions We haven't heard from you yet, (name of participant). What do you think about this proposal? Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)? Has anyone else got anything to contribute? Are there any more comments? Correcting Information Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said. Sorry, that's not quite right. I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying. That's not quite what I had in mind. That's not what I meant. Keeping the Meeting On Target (time, relevance, decisions) We're running short of time. Well, that seems to be all the time we have today. Please be brief. I'm afraid we've run out of time. I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting. Let's get back on track, why don't we? That's not really why we're here today. Why don't we return to the main focus of today's meeting. We'll have to leave that to another time. We're beginning to lose sight of the main point. Keep to the point, please. I think we'd better leave that for another meeting. Are we ready to make a decision?

13 Opening the Meeting Good morning/afternoon, everyone. If we are all here, let's . . . get started (OR) start the meeting. (OR) . . . start. Welcoming and Introducing Participants Please join me in welcoming (name of participant) We're pleased to welcome (name of participant) It's a pleasure to welcome (name of participant) I'd like to introduce (name of participant) I don't think you've met (name of participant) Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting We're here today to Our aim is to ... I've called this meeting in order to ... By the end of this meeting, I'd like to have ... Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent I'm afraid.., (name of participant) can't be with us today. She is in... I have received apologies for the absence of (name of participant), who is in (place). Reading the Minutes (Notes) of the Last Meeting First let's go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date) Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date) Dealing with Recent Developments Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing? Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along? John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package?

14 Has everyone received a copy of the Tate Foundation report on current marketing trends? Moving Forward So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Shall we get down to business? Is there any other business? If there are no further developments, I'd like to move on to today's topic. Introducing the Agenda Have you all received a copy of the agenda? There are three items on the agenda. First, Shall we take the points in this order? If you don't mind, I'd like to ... go in order (OR) skip item 1 and move on to item 3 I suggest we take item 2 last. Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes. (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on this matter. (name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3. (name of participant), would you mind taking notes today? Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) We will hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion round the table. I suggest we go round the table first. The meeting is due to finish at... We'll have to keep each item to ten minutes. Otherwise we'll never get through. We may need to vote on item 5, if we can't get a unanimous decision.

15 Introducing the First Item on the Agenda So, let's start with Shall we start with. . So, the first item on the agenda is Pete, would you like to kick off? Martin, would you like to introduce this item? Closing an Item I think that covers the first item. Shall we leave that item? If nobody has anything else to add, Next Item Let's move onto the next item The next item on the agenda is Now we come to the question of. Giving Control to the Next Participant I'd like to hand over to Mark, who is going to lead the next point. Right, Dorothy, over to you. Summarizing Before we close, let me just summarize the main points. To sum up, ... In brief, Shall I go over the main points? Finishing Up Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items Is there Any Other Business?

16 Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Can we fix the next meeting, please? So, the next meeting will be on... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at... What about the following Wednesday? How is that? So, see you all then. Thanking Participants for Attending I'd like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London. Thank you all for attending. Thanks for your participation. Closing the Meeting The meeting is closed. I declare the meeting closed.

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The following dialogue is an example of a typical business meeting. As you can see from the dialogue, a typical business meeting can be divided into five parts:
(This example business meeting is followed by the two sections which provide key language and phrases appropriate for typical business meetings.)

Introductions Meeting Chairman: If we are all here, let's get started. First of all, I'd like you to please join me in welcoming Jack Peterson, our Southwest Area Sales Vice President. Jack Peterson: Thank you for having me, I'm looking forward to today's meeting. Meeting Chairman: I'd also like to introduce Margaret Simmons who recently joined our team. Margaret Simmons: May I also introduce my assistant, Bob Hamp. Meeting Chairman: Welcome Bob. I'm afraid our national sales director, Anne Trusting, can't be with us today. She is in Kobe at the moment, developing our Far East sales force. Reviewing Past Business Meeting Chairman: Let's get started. We're here today to discuss ways of improving sales in rural market areas. First, let's go over the report from the last meeting which was held on June 24th. Right, Tom, over to you. Tom Robbins: Thank you Mark. Let me just summarize the main points of the last meeting. We began the meeting by approving the changes in our sales reporting system discussed on May 30th. After briefly revising the changes that will take place, we moved on to a brainstorming session concerning after sales customer support improvements. You'll find a copy of the main ideas developed and discussed in these sessions in the photocopies in front of you. The meeting was declared closed at 11.30. Beginning the Meeting Meeting Chairman: Thank you Tom. So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let's move on to today's agenda. Have you all received a copy of today's agenda? If you don't mind, I'd like to skip item 1 and move on to item 2: Sales improvement in rural market areas. Jack has kindly agreed to give us a report on this matter. Jack?

18 Discussing Items Jack Peterson: Before I begin the report, I'd like to get some ideas from you all. How do you feel about rural sales in your sales districts? I suggest we go round the table first to get all of your input. John Ruting: In my opinion, we have been focusing too much on urban customers and their needs. The way I see things, we need to return to our rural base by developing an advertising campaign to focus on their particular needs. Alice Linnes: I'm afraid I can't agree with you. I think rural customers want to feel as important as our customers living in cities. I suggest we give our rural sales teams more help with advanced customer information reporting. Donald Peters: Excuse me, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please? Alice Linnes: I just stated that we need to give our rural sales teams better customer information reporting. John Ruting: I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean? Alice Linnes: Well, we provide our city sales staff with database information on all of our larger clients. We should be providing the same sort of knowledge on our rural customers to our sales staff there. Jack Peterson: Would you like to add anything, Jennifer? Jennifer Miles: I must admit I never thought about rural sales that way before. I have to agree with Alice. Jack Peterson: Well, let me begin with this Power Point presentation (Jack presents his report). Jack Peterson: As you can see, we are developing new methods to reach out to our rural customers. John Ruting: I suggest we break up into groups and discuss the ideas we've seen presented. Finishing the Meeting Meeting Chairman: Unfortunately, we're running short of time. We'll have to leave that to another time. Jack Peterson: Before we close, let me just summarize the main points: Rural customers need special help to feel more valued. Our sales teams need more accurate information on our customers. A survey will be completed to collect data on spending habits in these areas. The results of this survey will be delivered to our sales teaMs

19 We are considering specific data mining procedures to help deepen our understanding. Meeting Chairman: Thank you very much Jack. Right, it looks as though we've covered the main items Is there any other business? Donald Peters: Can we fix the next meeting, please? Meeting Chairman: Good idea Donald. How does Friday in two weeks time sound to everyone? Let's meet at the same time, 9 o'clock. Is that OK for everyone? Excellent. I'd like to thank Jack for coming to our meeting today. The meeting is closed. Interrupting May I have a word? If I may, I think... Excuse me for interrupting. May I come in here? Giving Opinions I (really) feel that... In my opinion... The way I see things... If you ask me,... I tend to think that... Asking for Opinions Do you (really) think that... (name of participant) can we get your input? How do you feel about...? Commenting on Other Opinions I never thought about it that way before. Good point! I get your point. I see what you mean. Agreeing with Other Opinions Exactly! That's (exactly) the way I feel. I have to agree with (name of participant). Disagreeing with Other Opinions Up to a point I agree with you, but... (I'm afraid) I can't agree

20 Advising and Suggesting We should... Why don't you.... How/What about... I suggest/recommend that... Clarifying Have I made that clear? Do you see what I'm getting at? Let me put this another way... I'd just like to repeat that... Requesting Information I'd like you to... Would you mind... I wonder if you could... Asking for Repetition I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please? I missed that. Could you say it again, please? Could you run that by me one more time? Asking for Clarification I'm afraid I don't quite understand what your are getting at. Could you explain to me how that is going to work? I don't see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please? Asking for Verification Do you mean that...? Is it true that...? Asking for Spelling Would you mind spelling that for me, please? Asking for Contributions for Other Participants What do you think about this proposal? Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)? Has anyone else got anything to contribute? Are there any more comments? Correcting Information Sorry, that's not quite right. I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying. That's not quite what I had in mind. That's not what I meant.

21 Keeping the Meeting on Time Well, that seems to be all the time we have today. Please be brief. I'm afraid we've run out of time. I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting. Let's get back on track, why don't we? That's not really why we're here today. Why don't we return to the main focus of today's meeting. We'll have to leave that to another time. We're beginning to lose sight of the main point. Keep to the point, please. I think we'd better leave that for another meeting.

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Here is a list of the principle factors that need to be understood in each communication situation:
Function: What is the main purpose of the conversation? Domain: What is my position in this conversation? What is my role? Register Use: Who am I speaking with? Urgency: How important is what I have to say? Function Function refers to the purpose of the conversation. Is the conversation about making a serious decision? Is the conversation entertaining? Take the following statement for example: You've got to be joking! In a serious conversation this statement would mean that the person does not take you, or what you have to say, seriously. This is obviously a bad sign and calls for you to explain your position in more detail. However, if this comment was made during a lunch while you were telling a funny story, the statement means that the person finds what you have to say amusing. You may want to even continue telling more of the story. Obviously, this is a simple example. However, taking into consideration the language function being employed helps you decide which forms and expressions to use. Generally, language functions which include negotiations, interviews, presentations, etc. call for more formal language structures. Informal occasions call for more informal language, in fact, informal occasions allow you the possibility to show off your knowledge of idiomatic language. It's best to not use colloquial or idiomatic language when using formal language functions.

23 Domain Domain includes knowing your rights and responsibilities in any discussion in which you may be participating. Is the discussion of a personal nature? Are you being interviewed for a job? In each of these instances personal questions need to be answered in different manners. If the conversation is of a personal nature you can feel free to answer any question you want. On the other hand, if you are interviewing for a job, personal questions concerning your family, personal preferences, etc. might well be out of place. The same is also true for the workplace. Certain questions may be asked and answered depending on the relationship between the speakers. Register Use Register use refers to the type of language you should use depending on the relationship between you and the speaker. Is the person you are speaking with a subordinate, or is he / she your boss? Do you have a friendly relationship with this person? Is joking allowed? In general, the more informal the situation the more informal the language can be. Generally, colleagues in the US go by a first name basis and also use more colloquial language with each other. If, on the other hand, you are speaking with a supervisor you will probably use more formal language for example: Ms. Smith Urgency Urgency concerns the importance of your message. This urgency will also be reflected in the language you choose to use. If the message is extremely important, and you are speaking with a subordinate (register use) the imperative form (i.e. Call Mr Jackson!) might be appropriate. On the other hand, if your message is not so important and you are speaking with a supervisor, you would use more formal forms to get that person's attention (i.e. Excuse the interruption Mr Brown, but would you mind taking a look at this report when you have the time?).

24 Once again, the tendency in the American workplace is for more important (urgent) messages to be expressed in simple direct language. The less important message are often softened with more formal language.

Mr Peterson is speaking to Ms Bank who is his direct supervisor. He would like to ask Ms Bank to analyze a report he has done. The first conversation has a number of errors in language usage based on the situation. See if you can spot the mistakes: Mr Petersen: Oh, Anne, come here. Ms Bank: Yes, Mr Peterson. How can I help you? Mr Petersen: Well, first of all, how about dropping the Mr Peterson and calling me Bob. Ms Bank: If you don't mind, I would prefer to talk about why you would like to talk to me. Mr Petersen: Come off it, don't be such a snob. Anyway, I finished the report you demanded. Wanna take a look at it? Ms Bank: Yes, I would as a matter of fact. Mr Petersen: Well, here it is. Give it a good one over and tell me what you think. Ms Bank: Thank you Mr Peterson. I'll get back to you tomorrow. Domain Mistakes: As a subordinate who has been requested to do a report, Mr Peterson is responsible for presenting a report in a positive manner to the supervisor who has asked for the report. The use of 'demanded' is much too strong in this case. Also, supervisors generally set the standard for whether or not first names are used between management and staff. However, it is true that in most business settings in the US today, a more informal environment is preferred and first names are generally used between most employees.

25 Register Mistakes: Mr Peterson is clearly not aware of the fact that he is speaking to his boss. His choice of informal language, imperative voice (tell me what you think, etc.) and idiomatic usage (wanna take a look?) are all inappropriate register choices for this conversation. Urgency Mistakes: While the message that Mr Peterson wants to get across is very important, his choice of language detracts from the importance of the fact that the report is finished. In this case, the most important business task at hand, i.e. the report, might be ignored because of his improper use of language forMs Conversation 1 - Corrections Here is the same discussion with a more appropriate approach: Mr Petersen: Excuse me, Ms Bank. Could I ask you to come over here for a moment? Ms Bank: Certainly, how can I help you? Mr Petersen: I've finished the report you requested and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking a look at it. Ms Bank: That's good to hear. I'd be happy to look through the work you've done. Mr Petersen: I'd also appreciate it if you could give me any feedback for future reports. Ms Bank: Certainly, I'll be sure to let you know what I think. Mr Petersen: Thank you. Ms Bank: Thank you Mr Peterson.

26 Here is a discussion between two friends who work in the same building, but not for the same company. They are on their lunch break: Tom: Hello, Frank. How do you do? Frank: Well, I'm fine. How are you? Tom: I'm fine. Thank you very much for asking. I was wondering if you might be able to help me with a problem. Do you think you might have some time for me later today? Frank: Sure Tom. I'm your best friend. Hey, what did you think of the game last night? Tom: Oh, I thought that both of the teams played extremely accurate and well executed games. Frank: You mean they both were hot. Tom: I guess you could say that. Frank: By the way, what's the mtter with you today? Here is a list of the mistakes in this conversation: Language Function Mistakes: This is an informal discussion between two friends at lunch. Tom has a question, but the forms he uses are much too formal for the informal purpose of this conversation. Finally, the question "How do you do?" is completely inappropriate as the two friends are not being introduced, but, rather, saying hello. Domain Mistakes: Tom and Frank are friends and are eating lunch together. In this situation, informal discussion, idiomatic language and forms are absolutely normal. Asking a question is certainly within the domain of this conversation. However, a formal analysis of the way the teams played the night before (i.e. "both of the teams played extremely accurate and well executed games") is not called for in this situation.

27 Register Mistakes: Tom and Frank should be using informal, direct language forms due to their informal friendly relationship. Also the fact that it is lunch time calls for a more relaxed, informal tone. Urgency Mistakes: The message is not so urgent. Two friends are passing time together during a lunch break. The formal tone of the question and comment on the game make these messages too important. Conversation 2 - Corrections Here is a more friendly, and appropriate, version of the conversation: Tom: Frank. How are things today? Frank: Great. Good to see you. How's the wife? Tom: Just fine. Listen, can you pop by the office and give me a hand later today? Frank: Sure, no problem. Hey, how about the game last night? Tom: Incredible! Both teams were really on. Frank: Were they ever! They couldn't miss a shot! Summary As you can see from these simple example conversations, good English usage also depends on judging the situation well. Grammar is important. Knowing how to use various forms of the language in different situations can make the difference between communicating and communicating effectively.

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Core vocabulary and phrases when writing business letters or e-mails in English
This sheet focuses on core vocabulary and phrases used when writing business letters or e-mails in English. This business writing reference can be used in English for specific purposes classes as a starting point for students who need to use English on an everyday basis for written business communications. Teachers are often not equipped with the exact English terminology required in very specific trade sectors. For this reason, core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students with English for Specific Purposes needs. to act on behalf of to agree with always at your service as agreed as far as I'm concerned as far as the payment is concerned as follows as per invoice as per to the conditions as per your request as requested as soon as possible at your convenience at your earliest convenience at your expense awaiting your reply to be able to to be authorised to to be characterised by to be confident in to be delighted to to be held responsible for to be in arrears with payments to be in difficulty to be interested in on arrival of the goods to be late to have the power to to be overrun with orders hereby to be prepared to - to be in case of need willing to before the date we in compliance with agreed upon accordingly Best regards in due time - in due body of the letter course circular letter in good condition claim - letter of complaint in our favour to come to a decision in partial payment to come to an agreement - to in reply to your letter reach an agreement in the absence of complimentary close to inform in due time to cope with the competition inside address correspond to the sample to let someone know in to correspond with advance covering letter letter opening - beginning due to oversight of the letter enclosure - attachment letterheading - heading to fix an appointment to look forward to looking following your instructions forward to an early reply from order receipt looking forward to hearing further to our letter from you following our letter to make the goods goods listed below available greeting to meet a demand half-price to meet customer's to have the pleasure to to requirements stop negotiations to meet the demand

29 on behalf of on condition that provided that on delivery on receipt of the order on short notice on written request order to be confirmed our best attention our offer is still open outside address to pay the maximum attention to the matter payable in advance please allow us please send us please send us your instructions prices are increasing to reach the destination to refer to to return a letter to the sender to sell at the best to send under separate cover sender address short term similar to sample - up to sample to submit a sample Messrs to suit the quality - to meet to notify in advance about the quality on advanced payment to take into consideration we have received the aim of this letter we hope we'll receive the the following items goods soon the goods are available in our we look forward to your warehouse kind reply the goods are not similar to we must apologise for sample we remain - our kindest the goods are sold out regards the goods arrived in good we sent you conditions we thank you in advance the letter remained we wish to inform you unanswered that the matter in reference we would appreciate it if the meeting was cancelled you could answer to our mutual benefit we would appreciate your to the kind attention of reply under separate cover with no obligation up to an amount of without commitment utmost care with reference to - in we acknowledge receipt of reference to with the we apologize again for compliments of we apologize for with the utmost care we apologize for the delay with two weeks' notice we apologize for the mistake within the end of the we are sorry to have to we month are sorry to inform you within which without delay without notice would you please let us have would you please let us know you ordered you requested you sent us Yours faithfully (GB) Yours truly (GB)

Business Writing Resources

30 Written communication is especially important at work. Business writing often follows specific expectations. There are a wide range of standard phrases that are expected in business English that are generally not used in everyday English. Examples Please find attached ... We regret to inform you that ... It has come to our attention that ... Another challenge is that business writing follows very specific formulas in structure. Take the resume for instance, the writing style you use, the points you highlight about your career or education, and the overall look and feel can play a very important role in deciding whether you are offered a job or not. There are also a number of documents that are common to business writing. These include office memos, e-mails, and reports. These business writing documents also take on different styles depending on the audience of those who receive the documents. This guide to business writing points you in the direction of the wide variety of resources available on the site.

Business Writing: Basic Business Letters

31 These two articles provide an overall framework for writing business letters. They outline specific issues of salutation, structure, letter layout and language use. Finally, there is also a Business Letter Writing Basics - Business Letter Writing Basics for English learners. Guide to basic style questions and standard phrases used in business English letters. How to Write a Business Letter - This 'how to' provides a quick step by step guide to writing a basic business letter.

Specific Business Letters Building on basic business letters, these business letters provide specific examples of letters written for common business writing tasks such as making an inquiry, sales letters, placing an order, etc. They include key phrases commonly found in each of business letter types, as well as an example letter on which to model your own English business correspondence. Letters of Acknowledgement Making a Sale - Sales Letter Placing an Order Making a Claim Adjusting a Claim Making an inquiry Replying to an inquiry New Account Terms and Conditions Basic Business Letters Writing a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job Specific Business Documents There are a number of standard business documents that are used on a daily basis at the office. These documents follow standard outlines. These examples provide important structural details, an introduction and example document on which to model your own memos, e-mails and reports. How to Write a Business Report How to Write a Business Memo How to Write a Business E-mail

Guide to Basic Business Letters

32 The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. This basic of business letters are important because certain formulas are recognized and handled accordingly. Think of a basic business letter in three steps: 1. Introduction - The reason for writing The introduction helps the reader understand in which context the letter should be considered. Possibilities include job interview inquires, business opportunity requests, complaints, and more. Of course, Eeach type of business letter has its own standard phrases. 2. Details - What you would like to accomplish The detail section of a business letter is extremely important. This is where you achieve your goals in writing a business letter. 3. Conclusion / Next Steps - What you would like to happen in the future Provide a call for future action. This can be a chance to talk in person, a follow-up letter or more. It's important and expected to make it clear what you would like for the next step from the person reading your business letter. The phrases presented in this guide provide a frame and introduction to the content of business letters. At the end of this guide, you will find links to sites that give tips on the difficult part of writing successful business letters - arguing your business objective. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your English business letters. Once you understand these basics, you can refine your business letter writing skills by focusing on different types of business letters, as well as other business documents to refine your skills for your business needs at your employers or your own small business organization. The Start

33 The start of any business letter begins by addressing the recipient of the letter. Dear Personnel Director, Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to) Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss) Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend) Note: If you are unsure how formal you should be, always choose a more formal form. Writing to a specific person is always preferred if at all possible. The Reference Begin by referencing a specific conversation or other contact means. If this is the first letter in a conversation, you can also provide the reason for writing. With reference to your advertisement in the Times,your letter of 23 rd March, your phone call today, Thank you for your letter of March 5 th . The Reason for Writing I am writing to... ... ... ... ... ... inquire about apologize for confirm comment on apply for

Examples:

34 I am writing to inquire about the position posted in The Daily Mail. I am writing to confirm the shipment details on order # 2346. I am writing to apologize for the difficulties you experienced last week at our branch. Once you have introduced the reason for writing your business letter, move on to stating more specifically the purpose of your letter. Here are a number of possibilities: Requesting Could you possibly? I would be grateful if you could Agreeing to Requests I would be delighted to Giving Bad News Unfortunately I am afraid that Examples: Could you possible forward your job requirements? I am afraid that I will be able to attend the conference next week. I would be delighted to give you a tour of our facility this coming month. Enclosing Documents I am enclosing Please find enclosed Enclosed you will find

Closing Remarks

35 Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way. there are any problems. you have any questions. Reference to Future Contact I look forward to ... hearing from you soon. meeting you next Tuesday. seeing you next Thursday. The Finish Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to) Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to) Best wishes, Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend) Sample Letter Here is a sample letter using some of these forms: Ken's Cheese House 34 Chatley Avenue Seattle, WA 98765 Tel: Fax: Email: kenny@cheese.com October 23, 2006 Fred Flintstone Sales Manager Cheese Specialists Inc.

36 456 Rubble Road Rockville, IL

Dear Mr Flintstone: With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856 The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days. Please contact us again if we can help in any way. Yours sincerely, Kenneth Beare Director of Ken's Cheese House

How To Write a Business Letter in English

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By Kenneth Beare

There are many different reasons for writing a business letter. However, most business letters follow some general guidelines as described below. Here's How: 1. Use block style - do not indent paragraphs. 2. Include address of the person you are writing to at the top of the letter, below your company address. For example: Buyers Inc. Alan Smith, Director 28376 Red Ave. New York, NY 25009 3. After the address, double space and include date Buyers Inc. Alan Smith, Director 28376 Red Ave. New York, NY 25009 June 24, 2012 4. Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the center) and include the salutation. Include Mr. for men or Ms for women, unless the recipient has a title such as Dr. June 24, 2012 Dear Mr. Anders: 5. State a reference reason for your letter (i.e. 'With reference to our telephone conversation...' 6. Give the reason for writing (i.e. 'I am writing to you to confirm our order...') For example: I enjoyed our conversation earlier today. I am writing to follow-up with a few questions about your products. 7. Make any request you may have (i.e. 'I would be grateful if you could include a brochure...') For example: Could we meet next week to discuss the proposal in person? I am available any time between 9 and 2 Monday through Thursday. 8. If there is to be further contact, refer to this contact (i.e. 'I look forward to meeting you at...') For example:

38 I look forward to seeing you again next week. 9. Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. 'Thank you for your prompt help...') 10. Finish the letter with a salutation (i.e. 'Yours sincerely,')

11. Include 4 spaces and type your full name and title For example: Yours sincerely, Kenneth Beare 12. sign the letter between the salutation and the typed name and title Tips: 1. Keep the letter brief and to the point 2. Do not use shortened verb forms - write them out (i.e. 'don't instead of do not') 3. Always keep a copy of correspondence for future reference

Business Letter Writing: Letters of Acknowledgment

39 The following letters acknowledge the receipt of various items. Useful Key Phrases

I hereby acknowledge the receipt of the following documents... I am acknowledging receipt of... It will be brought to his attention immediately upon his return. If I may be of any assistance..., please do not hesitate to call.

Example Letters Acknowledgment Of Receipt [date] ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT I hereby acknowledge the receipt of the following documents from the firm of [firm] : ____________________________ [Signature of Client] Acknowledgment Of Letter Dear ______ Because ______ is out of the office for the next two weeks I am acknowledging receipt of your letter dated May 20, l983. It will be brought to his attention immediately upon his return. If I may be of any assistance during Mr. Jones' absence, please do not hesitate to call. Yours Sincerely,

Business Letter Writing: Sales Letters

40 Sales letters are used to introduce products or services to consumers. As such, sales letters tend to use formal letter structures and are rather impersonal because they are sent to more than one person. Sales letters often ask readers to consider a "pain point" - a problem that a person needs solved, and then introduce a product that will provide the solution. It's important to quickly move to your sales pitch in your sales letter as most readers will understand that your sales letter is a form of advertising. Sales letters also often include an offer to encourage customers to try the product. It's important that these offers are clear and provide a useful service to the reader. Useful Key Phrases

Are you having trouble ... This is why it is important to have ... At X, we have the skills and experience to ... May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost to ... If so, give us a call at X and set up and appointment with one of your friendly operators.

Example Letter Document Makers 2398 Red Street Salem, MA 34588 March 10, 2001 Thomas R. Smith Drivers Co. 3489 Greene Ave. Olympia, WA 98502 Dear Mr. Smith: Are you having trouble getting your important documents formatted correctly? If you are like most business owners, you have trouble finding the time to economically produce good-looking documents. This is why it is important to have a specialist take care of your most important documents.

41 At Documents Makers, we have the skills and experience to come in and help you make the best possible impression. May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost to get your documents looking great? If so, give us a call at and set up and appointment with one of your friendly operators. Sincerely, (signature here) Richard Brown President

Business Letter Writing: Placing Orders

The following letters place product orders.

42 Useful Key Phrases

Would you please send ... According to your website / magazine / leaflet, ... COD (cash on delivery) NOTE: The initials at the bottom of the letter indicate who the letter is from followed by who typed the letter - for example: from Ken Beare typed by Ron Easton = KB/re

Example Letters May 23, 1999 Mr. Jack Brown, Director Used Books Online Seattle, WA 98795 Dear Mr. Brown: Would you please send me the following used books via COD? According to your Web site, orders need to include the title, author, and publisher. Title: "Driving Home" Author: Peter Lawford Publisher: Jackson and Co. Title: "Landscaping for Fun" Author: Janet Patterson Publisher: Nature Ltd. Title: "Christmas Myth" Author: Margaret Smith Publisher: Smoothers Thank you very much, (signature here) Fred Finkleham, Professor, OUS

43 FR/to

Business Letter Writing: Claim Letters

Claim letters are used to make claims due to unsatisfactory work or products by companies that have contracted another party to complete work. For example, if a company outsources production of a part

44 required for a final product and is unsatisfied with the contractor's work, that company will write a claim letter to demand superior products. As such, claim letters have a very formal and serious tone. Use the suggested phrases and model letter below to model claim letters for use in your own business activities. The following letters make claims against unsatisfactory work. Useful Key Phrases

As someone who has worked with ... we were very disappointed to find / see / have discovered ... As our written agreement stipulated, we expected ... I think you will agree that a communication problem exists. We would like you to ..., or provide us with a refund.

Example Letter Drivers Co. 3489 Greene Ave. Olympia, WA 98502 August 17, 2001 Richard Brown, President Document Makers Salem, MA 34588 Dear Mr. Brown: As someone who has worked with your company for over 3 years, we were very disappointed to see the documents you produced for our latest Drivers Co. publicity campaign. As our written agreement stipulated, we expected full color leaflets with fancy explanatory texts, but instead, we found that black and white photos had been included in the prepared leaflets. I think you will agree that a communication problem exists. We would like you to send out a photographer to provide us with the promised color coverage, or provide us with a refund.

45 Yours truly, (signature here) Thomas R. Smith, Director

Business Letter Writing: Claim Adjustment Letters

The following letters adjust claims against unsatisfactory work. Once you've learned about the basics for claim adjustment letters, you might find this guide to different types of business letters to refine your skills for other business needs.

46 Useful Key Phrases

I was very disappointed to read your letter of ... dealing with ... As someone who values your business, I have already ... Also, we will deduct another X percent of the bill for the misunderstanding. Thank you for your patience.

Example Letter Document Makers 2398 Red Street Salem, MA 34588 March 10, 2001 Thomas R. Smith Drivers Co. 3489 Greene Ave. Olympia, WA 98502 Dear Mr. Smith: I was very disappointed to read your letter of August 17 dealing with the issue of incorrectly produced publicity leaflets. As someone who values your business, I have already begun to find a solution to resolve this problem. My top photographer will call you to arrange an appointment at your earliest possible convenience to re-take photos in full color. Also, we will deduct another 15 percent of the bill for the misunderstanding. Thank you for your patience. Sincerely, (signature here) Richard Brown President

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Business Letter Writing: Inquiries - Asking for Information

Write an inquiry to ask for more information concerning a product, service or other information about a product or service. These letters are often written in response to an advertisement that we have seen in the paper, a magazine, a commercial on television when we are interested in purchasing a product, but would like more information

48 before making a decision. Inquiries are also written to ask for business contact information to develop new business. For further types of business letters use this guide to different types of business letters to refine your skills for specific business purposes such as making inquiries, adjusting claims, writing cover letters and more.

Remember to place your or your company's address at the top of the letter (or use your company's letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to. The date can either be placed double spaced down or to the right. Important Language to Remember

The Start: Dear Sir or Madam To Whom It May Concern - (very formal as you do not know the person to whom you are writing) Giving Reference: With reference to your advertisement (ad) in... Regarding your advertisement (ad) in ... Requesting a Catalog, Brochure, Etc.: After the reference, add a comma and continue - ... , would (Could) you please send me ... Requesting Further Information: I would also like to know ... Could you tell me whether ... Signature: Yours faithfully - (very formal as you do not know the person to whom you are writing)

An Example Letter Kenneth Beare 2520 Visita Avenue Olympia, WA 98501

49 Jackson Brothers 3487 23rd Street New York, NY 12009 September 12, 2000 To Whom It May Concern: With reference to your advertisement in yesterday's New York Times, could you please send me a copy of your latest catalog. I would also like to know if it is possible to make purchases online. Yours faithfully (Signature) Kenneth Beare Administrative Director English Learners & Company

Business Letter Writing: Responding to Inquiries and Requests for Information

Inquiries arrive in order to ask for more information about a product or a service. The speed with which you reply, as well as how helpful you

50 are in providing information requested will ensure that your inquiry response is successful. It is very important to make a good impression when responding to inquiries from potential customers. Of course, the best impression will be made by providing the materials or information that the perspective client has asked for, this positive impression will be improved by a well written response. Remember to place your or your company's address at the top of the letter (or use your company's letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to. The date can either be placed double spaced down or to the right. You can also include a reference number for correspondence. Important Language to Remember

The Start: Dear Mr, Ms (Mrs, Miss VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss)

Thanking the Potential Customer for His/Her Interest: Thank you for your letter of ... inquiring (asking for information) about ... We would like to thank you for your letter of ... inquiring (asking for information) about ...

Providing Requested Materials: We are pleased to enclose ... Enclosed you will find ... We enclose ...

Providing Additional Information: We would also like to inform you ... Regarding your question about ... In answer to your question (inquiry) about ...

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Closing a Letter Hoping for Future Business: We look forward to ... hearing from you / receiving your order / welcoming you as our client (customer).

Signature: Yours sincerely (remember use 'Yours faithfully' when you don't know the name of the person you are writing and 'Yours sincerely' when you do.

Example Letter Jackson Brothers 3487 23rd Street New York, NY 12009 Kenneth Beare Administrative Director English Learners Company 2520 Visita Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 September 12, 2000 Dear Mr Beare Thank you for your inquiry of 12 September asking for the latest edition of our catalogue. We are pleased to enclose our latest brochure. We would also like to inform you that it is possible to make purchases online at http:\\jacksonbros.com. We look forward to welcoming you as our customer. Yours sincerely (Signature)

52 Dennis Jackson Marketing Director Jackson Brothers

Business Letter Writing: Account Terms and Conditions

Formal English letters have changed recently as email has become more common. In spite of this, understanding good formal English business letter structure will help you write both business letters and effective emails. The only significant change in formal business letters

53 is that the message is received via email, rather than on letterhead. In the case that you send an email, a date and recipient address is not required at the beginning of the letter. The rest of the letter remains the same. Here are helpful phrases and an example of a business letter focusing on opening an account. The following letter outlines the terms of a newly opened business account. Useful Key Phrases

Thank you for opening an account with... I would like to take this opportunity ... Invoices are payable within ... As..., I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding... ...and therefore encourage the use of... We consider this incentive...

Example Letter Dear ____, Thank you for opening an account with our company. As one of the leaders in this industry, we can assure you that our products and our services will not disappoint you. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly set forth our terms and conditions for maintaining an open account with our firm. Invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, with a 2% discount available if your payment is remitted within ten (10) days of receipt. We consider this incentive an excellent opportunity for our customers to increase their profit margin, and therefore encourage the use of this discount privilege whenever possible. We do, however, require that our invoices be paid within the specified time, for our customers to take advantage of this 2% discount. At various times throughout the year we may offer our customers additional discounts on our products. In determining your cost in this case, you must apply your special discount first, and then calculate your 2% discount for early payment.

54 As the credit manager, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your new account. I can be reached at the above number. Welcome to our family of customers. End of Letter

How to Write a Business Report

Business reports provide important information for management that is timely and factual. English learners writing business reports need to make sure that the language is precise and concise. The writing style used for business reports should present information without strong opinions, but rather as direct and accurately as possible. Linking language should be used to connect ideas and sections of the business

55 report. This example business report presents the four essentials that every business report should include: Terms of Reference Procedure Findings Recommendations Read the short example business report and follow the tips below. Reports: Example Report Terms of Reference Margaret Anderson, Director of Personnel has requested this report on employee benefits satisfaction. The report was to be submitted to her by 28 June. Procedure A representative selection of 15% of all employees were interviewed in the period between April 1st and April 15th concerning: 1. 2. Overall satisfaction with our current benefits package Problems encountered when dealing with the personnel department 3. Suggestions for the improvement of communication policies 4. Problems encountered when dealing with our HMO Findings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Employees were generally satisfied with the current benefits package. Some problems were encountered when requesting vacation due to what is perceived as long approval waiting periods. Older employees repeatedly had problems with HMO prescription drugs procedures. Employees between the ages of 22 and 30 report few problems with HMO. Most employees complain about the lack of dental insurance in our benefits package. The most common suggestion for improvement was for the ability to process benefits requests online.

56 Conclusions 1. Older employees, those over 50, are having serious problems with our HMO's ability to provide prescription drugs. 2. Our benefits request system needs to be revised as most complaints concerning in-house processing. 3. Improvements need to take place in personnel department response time. 4. Information technology improvements should be considered as employees become more technologically savvy. Recommendations 1. Meet with HMO representatives to discuss the serious nature of complaints concerning prescription drug benefits for older employees. 2. Give priority to vacation request response time as employees need faster approval in order to be able to plan their vacations. 3. Take no special actions for the benefits package of younger employees. 4. Discuss the possibility of adding an online benefits requests system to our company Intranet. Important Points to Remember A report is divided into four areas: Terms of Reference- This section gives background information on the reason for the report. It usually includes the person requesting the report. Procedure- The procedure provides the exact steps taken and methods used for the report. Findings- The findings point out discoveries made during the course of the report investigation. Conclusions- The conclusions provide logical conclusions based on the findings. Recommendations- The recommendations state actions that the writer of the report feels need to be taken based on the findings and conclusions. Reports should be concise and factual. Opinions are given in the "conclusions" section. However, these opinions should be based on facts presented in the "findings". Use simple tenses (usually the present simple) to express facts.

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Use the imperative form (Discuss the possibility ..., Give priority ..., etc.) in the "recommendations" section as these apply to the company as a whole.

How to Write a Business Memo

Business memos are written to an entire office. When writing business memos make sure to clearly mark for whom the memo is intended, the reason for writing the memo and who is writing the memo. Memos tend to inform colleagues of office and procedural changes that apply to a large group of people. They often provide instructions using the imperative voice. Here is an example memo with follow-up important points to use when writing business memos in English. Example Memo

58 From: Management To: Northwest Area Sales Staff RE: New Monthly Reporting System Wed like to quickly go over some of the changes in the new monthly sales reporting system that we discussed at Mondays special meeting. First of all, we'd once again like to stress that this new system will save you a lot of time when reporting future sales. We understand that you have concerns about the amount of time that will be initially required for inputting your client data. Despite this initial effort, we are confident that you will all soon enjoy the benefits of this new system. Here is a look at the procedure you will need to follow to complete your area's client list: 1. Log on to the company web site at http://www.picklesandmore.com 2. Enter your user ID and password. These will be issued next week. 3. Once you have logged on, click on "New Client". 4. Enter the appropriate client information. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have entered all of your clients. 6. Once this information has been entered, select "Place Order". 7. Choose the client from the drop down list "Clients". 8. Choose the products from the drop down list "Products". 9. Choose the shipping specifications from the drop down list "Shipping". 10. Click on the "Process Order" button. As you can see, once you have entered the appropriate client information, processing orders will require NO paperwork on your part. Thank you all for your help in putting this new system into place. Best regards, Management

59 Important Points to Remember

Use the following structure to begin a memo: MEMO From: (person or group sending the memo) To: (person or group to whom the memo is addressed) RE: (the subject of the memo, this should be in bold)

The term "memorandum" can be used instead of "memo". A memo is generally is not as formal as a written letter. However, it is certainly not as informal as a personal letter. The tone of a memo is generally friendly as it is a communication between colleagues. Keep the memo concise and to the point. If necessary, introduce the reason for the memo with a short paragraph. Use bullet points to explain the most important steps in a process. Use a short thank you to finish the memo. This need not be as formal as in a written letter.

How to Write a Business Email

Business emails are generally less formal than business letters. Business emails written to colleagues are generally direct and ask for specific actions to be taken. It's important to keep your business emails short, as the easier it is to reply to an email the more likely it is that a business contact will reply quickly. Here are both formal and informal email examples, as well as important points to remember when writing business emails in English. Example 1: Formal

60 Hello, I read on your web site that you offer Music CD copying for large quantities of CDs. I'd like to inquire about the procedures involved in these services. Are the files transferred online, or are the titles sent by CD to you by standard mail? How long does it usually take to produce approximately 500 copies? Are there any discounts on such a large quantity? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I look forward to your response. Jack Finley Sales Manager, Young Talent Inc. (709) 567 - 3498 Example 2: Informal At 16.22 01/07/2002 +0000, you wrote: > I hear you're working on the Smith account. If you need any information don't hesitate to get in > contact with me. Hi Tom, Listen, we've been working on the Smith account and I was wondering if you could give me a hand? I need some inside information on recent developments over there. Do you think you could pass on any information you might have? Thanks Peter Peter Thompsen Account Manager, Tri-State Accounting (698) 345 - 7843

61 Important Points to Remember

Email is much less formal than a written letter. Emails are usually short and concise. If you are writing to someone you don't know, a simple "Hello" is adequate. Using a salutation such as "Dear Mr Smith," is too formal. When writing to someone you know well, feel free to write as if you are speaking to the person. Use abbreviated verb forms (He's, We're, He'd, etc.) Include a telephone number to the signature of the email. This will give the recipient the chance to telephone if necessary. It is not necessary to include your email address as the recipient can just reply to the email. When replying eliminate all the information that is not necessary. Only leave the sections of text that are related to your reply. This will save your reader time when reading your email.

Sample Business Letters

Here is a selection of sample business letters and other correspondence that you can copy and modify as you wish. Letter Requesting Information How to ask somebody to send you information. Letter Sending Information What to say when you send information.

62 Letter Changing Information When a person or company changes important information, such as an address, price, or date, it is necessary to send valued customers a letter with the new information. This letter informs customers of a change in price. Resume or CV A resume (AmE) or CV (BrE) is usually requested by a prospective employer as a record of your qualifications and professional experience. CV stands for the Latin words "curriculum vitae", meaning "the course of one's life". Covering Letter for Resume or CV It is usual to send a covering letter (BrE) or cover letter (AmE) with your resume/CV when applying for a job. Letter of Reference Companies and other organizations often ask for a letter of reference. This is a character reference written by someone such as an exemployer who knows the subject personally. Letter of Resignation Though it is not necessary to give a reason, it is standard business procedure to send written notice informing your employer that you are planning to quit your job. Lay-off Notice Companies and other organizations are usually required by law to present a written notice to employees informing them of a lay-off. This letter usually cites reasons for the lay-off, and acts as a formal apology. Employee rights may be included. Letter of Invitation It is often necessary in business to send an invitation to a person or group requesting their attendance at a special event. Letter of Request for Payment Sometimes it is necessary to remind customers that they owe you money! Internal Memo or Memorandum Memos are sometimes used internally to inform an entire company or department of something. This is an example of a memo referring to a staff Christmas party.

63 Welcome Email It is a common business practice to welcome new staff members to a company. This is usually an informal note expressing best wishes and may contain contact information. Companies may also send welcome letters to other companies that move into a shared office building, or to visiting guest speakers and business travellers. Business Correspondence Glossary The letters above contain useful vocabulary you may want to use in your own business correspondence. If you decide to copy and modify any of these letters for your own personal use, make sure that you are choosing the correct words. This glossary offers simple definitions of the vocabulary used in these samples.

Requesting Information

Dreamtime Movies Universal Ltd 54 Oxford Road, Skagnes SK3 4RG Tel: 0223 123 4567 Fax: 0223 765 4321 Email: info@dreamtimemovies.com.uk Date Lingua Services Galactic Ltd

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69 Milk Street LONDON SW7 6AW Dear Sirs Translation Brochure I should be grateful if you would send us your brochure and price list about your translation services. We are currently developing our sales literature and web sites and are interested in translating these into five languages apart from English. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully Andrea Philips Andrea Philips Marketing Manager

Sending Information

Lingua Services Galactic Ltd 69 Milk Street, LONDON SW7 6AW, UK Tel: +44 20 123 4567 Fax: +44 20 765 4321

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Email: info@linguaservicesgalactic.com Date Ms Andrea Philips Dreamtime Movies Universal Ltd 54 Oxford Road Skagnes SK3 4RG Dear Ms Philips Translation Services & Fees Thank you for your letter of 22 January enquiring about our translation services. Lingua Services Galactic offer a full range of translation services to help you in the development of sales literature and web sites. I have pleasure in enclosing our latest brochures and price list from which you can see that our prices are highly competitive. I look forward to calling you in a few days. Yours sincerely James Brown James T Brown Sales Manager Enc: 3

Price Change Notice

Symphony of Sound

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12 Main Street, Arrington, Tennessee, 37014 Tel: (615) 395-8765 November 21st, 20-Alicia Hathoway 14 Sparks Rd Arrington, Tennessee, 37014 Dear Ms. Hathoway: Forthcoming Price Change Season tickets for this year's symphony are going on sale next month and we wanted you to be among the first to know. As you probably know, rental prices have skyrocketed throughout Tennessee this year. Due to our increase in rent at the Arrington Forum, we are finding it necessary to raise the price of our season tickets from $228 to $275. Single viewing tickets will also be subject to a price increase. We hope that you will consider purchasing season tickets for next year despite this change. The Arrington Symphony has been together for 23 years, and relies on season-ticket holders to fill 25% of the seating at each event. Without your support the Arrington Symphony could be forced into retirement before its 25th anniversary. To purchase tickets for the 20-- season, please visit our website at www.arringtonsymphony.net, or call the ticket agent representative at (615) 395-8750. We look forward to having you in our audience again next year. Yours truly, Colin Fairchild Colin Fairchild Promotional Director

Letter of Reference

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A.N.Y. Company Ltd 69 Any Street, Anyville, Anystate Tel: 0123456789 Date To Whom It May Concern: Reference for Mr James Blond James Blond joined the A.N.Y. Company in July 1998. Since then he has proved to be a most reliable and effective member of the sales team. James is professional and efficient in his approach to work and very well-liked by his colleagues and executive clients. He is wellpresented and able to work both independently and as part of a team. His contribution to all areas of company activity in which he has been involved have been much appreciated. I believe that James will make a valuable addition to any organization that he may join. We deeply regret his decision to move on and I recommend him without hesitation. I would gladly answer any request for further information. Sincerely, Penny Farthing Penny Farthing Managing Director penny.farthing@a-n-y.com

Letter of Invitation

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PJ Party 22 Yew Street, Cambridge, Ontario Tel: 416-223-8900 April 7th, 20-Dear Valued Customer: Our records show that you have been a customer of PJ Party Inc. since our grand opening last year. We would like to thank you for your business by inviting you to our preferred customer Spring Extravaganza this Saturday. Saturday's sales event is by invitation only. All of our stock, including pajamas and bedding will be marked down from 50-80% off.* Doors open at 9:00 AM sharp. Complimentary coffee and donuts will be served. Public admission will commence at noon. In addition, please accept the enclosed $10 gift certificate to use with your purchase of $75 or more. We look forward to seeing you at PJ's on Saturday. Please bring this invitation with you and present it at the door. Sincerely, Linda Lane Linda Lane Store Manager pjpartyinc@shoponline.com *All sales are final. No exchanges. Enclosure: Gift Certificate #345 (not redeemable for cash)

Internal Memo

69 CHOCOLATE HEAVEN EMPORIUM MEMORANDUM TO: All Staff FROM: Management T.C. DATE: November 9th, 20-SUBJECT: STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY It's that time of year again. As you all know, Christmas is our busiest season of the year. Every year it is a struggle for management and supervisors to find the time and energy to organize a staff Christmas party. This year, we have decided to postpone the Christmas party until after our busy season. Party Details Date: Second or third Saturday in January (T.B.A) Theme: Beach Food: Caribbean Special events: Karaoke and belly dancing We apologize that the celebration will have to wait until the new year, but we guarantee that it will be worth the wait. Anyone interested in volunteering to help out with the event is encouraged to call Lucy, our events coordinator. Lucy's cell phone number is 222-3098. Please contact Lucy outside of business hours regarding this matter. Thank you. T.C.

Welcome Email to New Staff Member

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To: "Adrienne Moore" <amoore@kcelectronics.com> Cc: All Staff From: "Jackie Morris" <jmorris@kcelectronics.com> Subject: Welcome to our Team! Dear Adrienne, Welcome to our Team! It is a pleasure to welcome you to the staff of KC Electronics. We are excited to have you join our team, and we hope that you will enjoy working with our company. On the first Monday of each month we hold a special staff lunch to welcome any new employees. Please be sure to come next week to meet all of our senior staff and any other new staff members who have joined us this month. Alice Peters will e-mail you with further details. If you have any questions during your training period, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at my email address or on my office line at 340-2222. Warm regards, Jackie Jackie Morris, Sales Manager jmorris@kcelectronics.com Tel: 340-2222

Business Correspondence Glossary

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apologize verb approach noun attitude noun by invitation only commence verb complimentary adjective concerns noun confidential adjective conscientious adjective contribution noun convenient adjective cooperation noun coordinator noun dedication noun dependable adjective

say "sorry" method or style of doing something outlook on life only those who are asked to come will be allowed in start free problems, issues private cares about quality of work individual effort or support in a group suitable, favourable, makes life easy the act of working together person who organizes something a lot of effort put into something can be trusted

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disregard verb do not hesitate phrase dropped verb effective adjective efficient adjective enclosed adjective encouraged verb enquire (BrE) inquire (AmE) verb extravaganza noun formal adjective grateful adjective guarantee verb impact noun indicates verb invoice

ignore, pay no attention to don't wait fell to a lower amount produces a positive response performs well included inside persuaded or inspired looking for information

exciting and rare event following set requirements thankful promise effect shows document detailing purchases and money owed

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noun latest adjective lay-off verb notice noun outstanding balance adjective pleasure noun postpone verb preferred customer present verb professional adjective profound adjective punctual noun reach me verb records noun regarding verb most modern take a job away from an employee (when employee is not at fault) document that indicates a change or event money still owed

enjoyment delay until later buyer who comes back often award something to someone exhibits suitable behaviour on the job deep always on time find and talk to me files that keep track of business matters being about

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regret verb reliable adj replacement noun representative noun resignation noun respected adj retirement noun senior staff noun severance noun sharp adverb skyrocketed verb stock noun struggle verb sufficient adj support noun

feel bad dependable someone who fills the position of another a person who acts on behalf of another person, company, policy... the act of leaving a job position considered good and honest a permanent leave from the workplace (usually due to aging) employees who hold high positions or have been working at the same place for a long time money paid to make up for a separation exactly (in reference to time) went up higher very quickly share in ownership work at with difficulty enough financial help

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T.B.A versatile adj welcome adjective

To Be Announced with a variety of skills and abilities (happily) permitted to do something

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Business letter writing phrases

Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Dear Mr On this page we look at important phrases for writing letters and emails, such as when to use Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, and so forth. You know how important it is to speak good English in an international working environment. If you work for a company which does business abroad, you probably read and write a lot of English, too. Writing, like speaking, is communication. When writing letters and emails we need the skills to be able to express ourselves well and with the correct level of formality. Do you have that skill? Ask yourself these questions: Do you present yourself in a professional manner when you write? What image do you give to the people who read your letters and emails? In short, you want to give a professional image when you write to your customers and business partners. To get you started, weve prepared some lists of standard phrases: 10 good opening lines We need an opening line in a business letter or professional email: to make reference to previous correspondence; to say how we found the recipients name/address; to say why we are writing to the recipient. With reference to your letter of 8 June, I . I am writing to enquire about . After having seen your advertisement in , I would like . After having received your address from , I . I received your address from and would like . We/I recently wrote to you about . Thank you for your letter of 8 May.

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Thank you for your letter regarding . Thank you for your letter/e-mail about . In reply to your letter of 8 May, .

10 good closing lines We need a closing line in a business letter or email: to make a reference to a future event; to repeat an apology; to offer help If you require any further information, feel free to contact me. I look forward to your reply. I look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to seeing you. Please advise as necessary. We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future. Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience. We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom. I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely in a business letter? When the recipients name is unknown to you: Dear Sir Yours faithfully Dear Madam Yours faithfully Dear Sir or Madam Yours faithfully When you know the recipients name: Dear Mr Hanson Yours sincerely Dear Mrs Hanson Yours sincerely Dear Miss Hanson Yours sincerely Dear Ms Hanson Yours sincerely When addressing a good friend or colleague: Dear Jack Best wishes/Best regards Addressing whole departments: Dear Sirs Yours faithfully

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Business 101: Writing a Formal Business Letter How you present yourself and your business in a letter speaks volumes about you and your company. Constructing and formatting your letter is one of the most important pieces of formal business correspondence. In this guide we will show you formats by indicating what goes where, rather than giving you actual sample letters and memos. Formal Business Letter Format Salutation. Given the informality of business in the United States (in contrast to Europe and Asia), its often acceptable to use a first name simply on the basis of having spoken with the person on the phone. If you dont know the person, however, use Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. plus the last name. Its always best to write to a specific individual, but if you dont have a name of a person, use Dear Sir: or Dear Sir or Madam: rather than the somewhat old-fashioned Gentlemen: which may be considered gender-biased. Paragraph. Another format that is now considered old fashioned is the indented paragraph. Today, nonindented (or flush) paragraphs are considered the standard. Whether you use ragged or justified right margins is largely a matter of personal taste, subject to the custom in your organization. I prefer ragged right and I believe most readers do. I also see it far more often. The ragged right margin creates more white space and a less boxy and more inviting look. Here are two examples of a formatted letter. Note that the first example has a ragged right margin as opposed to a justified right margin (which can be seen in the second example).

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81 Font. If you do use justified right margins, use a proportional font (such as Times New Roman) rather than a nonproportional font (such as Courier). A proportional font automatically adjusts the spacing between the letters in a word so that there are no gaping spaces between the words in a line. A nonproportional (monospaced) font cant make this adjustment, so you wind up with some large spaces between the words when you use a justified right margin. The spacing between words is not an issue with a ragged right margin, which is another good reason to use ragged right margins in your letters and memos. Closings. Besides Sincerely, the accepted closings for a business letter include Very truly yours, Yours very truly, Yours truly, and Very truly all of which are considered more formal than Sincerely (which I prefer and most often use). Cordially is still more informal. Regards and Best wishes can be used for a personal touch when you have a personal as well as business relationship with the reader and the subject matter is somewhat personal.

Personal Business Letter Format The following example shows a letter formatted without letterhead. (This kind of letter is sometimes called a personal business letter to distinguish it from a business letter, which goes on letterhead.)

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You would use this format if you were writing to a company from your home. But even so, with a computer it would be easy to create personal letterhead, as in the following example:

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Just as computers have created the standard of zero errors and no cover-ups or erasures, the reasonable standard has become some form of letterhead done on a computer. From the practical standpoint, this makes the inside address positioned to the right obsolete. However, I include it here because it is acceptable, andwho knows?someday you may find yourself without access to a computer and the need to write to a business from your home. Paper Size and Margins The standard size for paper in the United States is 8 by 11 inches. Do not use legal-size paper, which is 8 by 14 inches, for business correspondence. Proper margins for a letter or a memo are from 1 to 1 inches on the right and left sides. Letterhead can begin from inch to 1 inches from the top of the page. This also applies to any other typing at the top of a page, such as the page number lines, but not to the text itself, which should be 1 inches from the top or two lines below the page number lines. The To and From lines for a memo should begin from 1 to 1 inches from the top. The bottom margin should be from 1 to 1 inches. In practice, most of us who work with word-processing software on a personal computer use the default settings for margins, which on most packages are 1 inches on all four sides. The default setting on a computer is the setting that the program automatically uses unless you manually override it.

84 Customary Layout of Extra Information Often in a business letter, several lines below the closing, signature, name, and title of the sender, youll see two sets of initials, separated by a slash, at the left-hand margin, for example:

This means that the document is from Thomas F. Gorman and that his secretary, Mary Celia McCaffrey, did the typing. This is formal practice for a secretary, and I include it for that reason. If you are enclosing an attachment or additional information with a letter, it is customary to note that fact after the closing, signature, name, and title, as follows:

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Or

Finally, you will often need to use a cc or distribution list to send out multiple copies of your document. Heres where the cc or distribution list would go in a business letter:

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or:

If the attachment or enclosure is integral to the letter, you would include it for those on the cc or distribution list as well. If its not integral, it would be acceptable for those people to receive just the letter. Following these basic rules, you can format any kind of business letter or correspondence. Happy writing!

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Writing a business letter

There are some situations in which writing a letter is more appropriate than writing an email. If you need a permanent record of what you are writing, or if you are writing in a formal situation, a letter is a better choice. For example, you would probably write a letter of resignation and a covering letter with your CV. Letter writing often contains the following elements: - A standard greeting (For example: Dear Sir / Madam) - A reference to previous contact or reason for writing In this first paragraph, say why you are writing the letter. Use a sentence that refers to a previous contact, such as a previous letter or phone call. Or use an objective sentence to say why you are writing: to confirm, clarify or enquire about something, for example. - (The background to the letter.) This is an optional paragraph and gives your reader more information to become familiar with the subject of the letter. - Main point or idea - Additional points - Asking for action / reference to the future In the final paragraph, close the letter with an offer of further help, or ask for future action. Standard closing (For example: Yours faithfully) Business letter samples Making reference "With reference to your letter, I" "In response to your letter, I can confirm" "With regard to your memo, I" "Following our phone conversation, I.." "I am writing with reference to your enquiry." "Thank you for your letter of" - Replying to a request "As you requested, I am enclosing a brochure about our adventure holidays."

88 "As you suggested, I am sending you my CV." "In answer to your enquiry, I am enclosing information which I hope will be useful to you." "As promised, I am sending you the" - Establishing context "Your name was given to me by (source)" "My colleague, Ewan Jones, suggested that I write to you concerning" "I have been advised to contact you regarding your policy on insurance claims." "I am the Marketing Manager of a search engine optimisation company, and I am writing to you to ask if your company would be interested in promoting " - Making reference to something your reader knows "As you may already know / have heard, the Production Division is merging with" - Saying thank you "Thank you for your letter in which you enquired about" "Thank you for your advice regarding" "I am writing to thank you for your assistance." - Informing "It has come to our notice that" "I am writing to inform you that" "Please be advised that" "I am writing to advise you that" - Confirming "I am writing to confirm ." "I would like to confirm ." - Asking for information or advice "I am writing to enquire about ." "I would be interested to receive further details about ." "Please could you give me the necessary details concerning ?" "I would be grateful for your advice concerning" "I would appreciate your advice on "

89 - Explaining and clarifying "I am writing to explain " "I would like to clarify certain points regarding" "I would like to take this opportunity to clarify " - Making a suggestion or giving advice "In response to .. may we suggest that you contact ." "With regard to your enquiry about we advise you to " "We would like to advise all our customers to " - Enclosing "Please find enclosed ." "Enclosed please find " "Enclosed is a " "Enclosed are ." "I am enclosing a " "I have pleasure in enclosing " - Apologising "Please accept our apologies for this misunderstanding." "We apologise for our mistake and we would like to take this opportunity to assure you that it will not happen again." "We hope that this misunderstanding has not caused you too much inconvenience." - Referring to a meeting "I look forward to seeing you on" "I look forward to meeting you on" "I would be delighted to arrange a meeting with you." - Asking for action "I "I "I "I would would would would be grateful if this matter could be resolved" appreciate further information on" be grateful for further advice." be grateful if you could send me"

- Offering help "Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance." "If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to

90 contact me on" "Please feel free to contact me again if I can be of further assistance." - Expressing urgency "As this matter is now urgent, we would appreciate a prompt reply." "We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience." "Due to the urgency of the situation, I would appreciate receiving your advice as soon as possible."

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Writing Meeting Minutes

The minutes of a meeting are a meeting report that is sent after the meeting, and include a report of what was said and decided during the meeting. The minutes contain the date of the meeting, as well as the initials and names of the people who attended. You can write the term "apologies for absence were received from" to say which people didn't come to the meeting. Meeting minutes layout Minutes of meetings usually include: Minutes of the last meeting Matters arising from the last minutes The agenda of the meeting itself Any other business (AOB) Meeting minutes also show who is responsible for carrying out action. In a column on the right-hand side, you can put the person's initials in bold to show that he or she will perform the action. Report what was said When you take minutes of a meeting, it is useful to report the ideas, rather than every sentence. To do this, you need to use a variety of speech verbs. Here's a list that you might find useful: suggested = "CA suggested raising the budget." promised = "MB promised to find out more." discussed = "Three issues were discussed." decided = "It was decided to delay action until the next meeting." agreed = "Everyone agreed on the proposal." "LS agreed to get further information." "Everyone agreed with the chairman." brought up = "The issue of pay was brought up." mentioned = "RJ mentioned the possibility of extra funds." reported = "The Sales Manager reported on the results of the trade fair." asked = "The Chairman asked to see a copy of the report."

92 wondered = "DM wondered if there would be extra funding." recommended = "Five strategies were recommended." explained = "SB explained the reason for the delay." emphasised = "TA emphasised the necessity of a new product range." stressed = "RR stressed his commitment to the project." complained = "TM complained about the delays."

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Writing thank you letters

Everyone likes to receive thanks for their help and support, and colleagues also appreciate being thanked in writing. You might want to thank someone for helping you with a project, donating their time or for sharing their expertise. Thank you letter samples: I just wanted to write and thank you for your help in / with / at This is just a quick email to show my appreciation for your support. I just wanted to let you know that your help has been invaluable. I really appreciate(d) your contribution to Many thanks for your help in / with / at Thank you so much for helping me with

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Writing email auto responders

Set up an email auto responder letting people know that you won't be able to answer them immediately if you're going to be out of the office for a while. Here are three examples of writing an auto responder message: Example 1 Thank you for your message. I am out of the office from (date) to (date) and I will reply to you when I return / on my return. For urgent matters, please contact (name) at (email address). (Your name) Example 2 Thanks for your email. I'm out of the office / away until (date). I'll reply to you as soon as I return. (Your name) Example 3 Our offices are closed until (date). I'll reply to you when I return. (Your name)

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How To Write An Email

Emails are generally shorter than letters. As they are often written quickly, in response to a request or question, they may contain only a few lines. Informal English, abbreviations, and absence of standard salutations are common when you write emails. Emails may contain the following elements: - Subject line This shows the reader the exact subject of the email - (Salutation) This is optional. Some people start with "Hi", others with the first name "Clare", or others with no name or salutation at all. - Reason for writing - Main point - (Closing) There are a variety of closing phrases, such as "Cheers" or "Thanks". These are also optional. How to write better emails 1. Use a descriptive subject line. Say what the email is about in a few words. Instead of writing "Urgent", write "Meeting at 10am about pay rise". Use a subject line each time you reply to an email, to avoid subject lines starting Re: or R:R: Be careful to avoid writing general subject lines, such as "Hello" or "Hi", as some email providers automatically delete these as spam. 2. Keep your emails short. Try to keep to only one point in each email. If necessary, you can send more emails on different points. If you write a descriptive subject line for each email, it's easier for your reader to understand the content of your email.

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You don't need to quote all the previous messages in the one you send. You can selectively quote (only including the previous question, for example) by using the angle brackets < < quote here >>. 3. Write simple, direct English. This is especially important if you're writing to someone whose first language is not English. Here are some ways of writing simple English: - use active forms instead of passive forms - write short sentences rather than long ones (if in doubt, stick to a who did what to who, how, where and when) - don't use idioms - use common words rather than technical or jargon words if your reader is not in the same field as you 4. Make sure your reader knows what to do next. Help your reader act on your email. For example, if you want your reader to find some information for you, write "Please can you find me the sales figures for 2009" instead of the vaguer "I'm going to need the sales figures for 2009". 5. Reduce the amount of email you send. Most people receive more rather than less email every day. Here are some ways you can reduce the number of emails you send to people: - make a phone call rather than write an email. This is particularly effective if you only want a quick piece of information - only send an email to the people who need to see it. Don't automatically click "reply to all" if only one or two people need to read your message. - don't take part in chain emails (when you have to forward something on to five of your best friends, for example) - don't reply to spam 6. Don't send heavy attachments. If possible, send a zip file, or give web addresses where your reader can find information.

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7. Be careful what you write in your email. Try to make your emails informative and polite, and use a neutral tone. Remember that your reader could forward your email to other people, so only write what you would be happy for other people to read. (No gossip, no personal comments, no confidential information and no ambiguous English such as sarcastic humour.) Avoid using emoticons and smilies in business emails, or too many exclamation marks. 8. Check your email before you send it. Use a spell check to eliminate spelling mistakes. Read your email aloud to check for grammar and punctuation errors. Ask yourself these questions: "Is this clear?" "Does my reader know what to do next?" "Is this polite?" Samples for writing emails There are a number of ways to start the email. In many cases, you can copy the sender and use the same greeting, but if you are the one to write first, here are some possible greetings. - Friends and colleagues "Hi" is informal, and you can use it for friends and colleagues. You can also use "Hello" or "Hello + first name" if you know the person well. - For acquaintances Use "Dear Mr Jones" / "Dear Ms Jones" if you know the name of the person. Like with letters, use Ms instead of Miss or Mrs. - Formal emails If you don't know the name of the person, you can write "Dear Sir", "Dear Madam" or "Dear Sir / Madam". - Writing to a group of people If you are writing to a group of people, you could use a collective noun: "Dear customers", "Dear partners". If you are writing to a group of people who work in the same company or department, you could write "Dear All", "Dear colleagues", or "Hello everyone".

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- Writing to a group of bosses in your company Here you could write "Dear Managers", "Dear Directors" or "Dear Board members". - No greeting Often in companies, you write quick emails to colleagues. Using email in this way is almost like using the telephone. In these situations, you don't need to write any greeting or name, but just start the message. Starting your email Your first sentence should tell the reader what your email is about. Here are four of the most common reasons for writing an email, along with some sentences you can use to start: 1. Replying to a previous email Thanks for the information. Thanks for your phone call. Thanks for getting me the figures. 2. Giving brief updates Just a quick note to tell you Just a quick note to let you know Just to update you on 3. Referring to an attachment Take a look at the attached file. Have a quick look at the file I've attached about Thought you might find the attached interesting. 4. Changing plans Sorry, but I can't make the meeting tomorrow. Sorry, but I won't be able to meet you next week. Sorry, but something has come up and I can't meet you for lunch. Your first sentence should only have one theme. For example, your reason for writing may be to ask for help, or to share some information, or to ask a question. Your first sentence for these different situations could be:

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"Have you got a few minutes to help me with?" "Just wanted to let you know" "Regarding X, can you tell me if?" If you have more than one reason for writing, give each reason its own paragraph. It doesn't matter if your paragraph is only one line long. In fact, the extra space helps your reader to understand you have more than one reason for writing, and that each reason is different from the other. Sample email writing Hi Jo Just wanted to let you know we got the project! They're signing tomorrow, so we should be starting the planning next week. Regarding your presentation to them last year, do you still have the Powerpoint files? Thanks

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How to Start and End a Business Letter or Email

A common mistake in ending an email is to write "Bye" or "Bye Bye". As this is not a standard way of ending business emails, it makes your writing look unprofessional. Here are some widely used phrases for starting and ending correspondence in British English. 1. Formal letter of application (for a job) Dear Sir / Madam I am writing to apply for End: I look forward to hearing from you Yours faithfully 2. Formal business correspondence (for example: letter of enquiry) Dear Mr Smith (Dear Ms Smith) I am writing to enquire about your prices End: An early reply would be appreciated / I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Yours sincerely 3. Formal letter of reference To whom it may concern I write with reference to Ms Smith End

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Yours faithfully 4. Business email friendly Dear (+ first name) Just a quick note to remind you about End Best wishes / Kind regards 5. In-company email request (no salutation) Could you End Thanks / Cheers

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How to write a letter to your boss

You need to be careful to sound polite and diplomatic when you write to people with high status, such as your boss or a client. Make sure you use the correct verb forms to avoid sounding too direct. Here are some tips and samples for writing politely. 1. Make a suggestion rather than giving advice. "We should commission a report" becomes "Perhaps we could commission a report." 2. Make a request rather than saying what you think. "We need to discuss my salary" becomes "Would it be possible todiscuss my salary?" 3. Instead of giving orders, make a request. "I would like you to sign this letter" becomes " Could you sign this letter?" 4. Involve the other person, rather than focusing on your own needs. "We need to meet the suppliers" becomes " Do you think we should / could meet the suppliers?" Or "It might be useful to meet the suppliers."

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How to write politely

It's important to achieve the right tone when you write. If you sound angry, impatient, or even over-formal, you risk alienating your reader. Here are some phrases which make you sound impatient when you write: 1. Could you please Putting "please" after "could you" makes it sound as if you have already asked the person to do something, and that you are reminding them again. It makes you sound exasperated with the other person. Instead, you could write "Please" at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Please could you send me the details of the insurance policy? Could you send me the details of the insurance policy, please? Alternatively, omit "please", as using "could you" is already polite enough. 2. Would you be so kind as to This phrase makes you sound almost sarcastic, as if you think the other person is likely to refuse your request. In business, a person doesn't need to be "kind" to do something: it's generally their job! Instead, use a phrase such as "Could you" or "I'd be grateful if you could." to make a request. 3. Kindly This word makes you sound angry, or that you think the other person is incompetent and can't do their job properly. It's much better to use a phrase such as "Could you.." to give instructions to someone. 4. Immediately / without further delay

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Avoid using these. If something is urgent, use the following expressions: "As this matter is urgent, I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible." "I would be grateful for your prompt reply." "I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible." "I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience." (Slightly oldfashioned.)

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Writing directions and instructions

When writing directions and instructions make sure you're clear, so that there is no chance your reader will misunderstand you. Here's an example of an attempt to describe the rules of cricket. If you're not a cricket fan, how easy is it to understand the instructions? Cricket As explained to a foreigner You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game. If you're not a cricket fan, the chances are that you found the extract difficult to understand. It's written in a humorous way to show how some aspects of English (such as prepositions and phrasal verbs) can cause confusion. So how can you make sure that your writing is unambiguous? Writing clear directions and instructions 1. Use numbers and sequencers When you use numbers, your reader can see the sequence of instructions in a stepby-step format, which means that he or she is less likely to miss a written instruction. You can also use sequencers, such as "firstly", "secondly" etc.

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2. Avoid phrasal verbs (go out, come in, go in, get out, stay out, etc) as they are not always easy to understand. Instead, use "latinate" verbs. For example, "go out" in this context can be written as "enter the cricket pitch". 3. Use precise verbs rather than prepositions, which can be hard to use and to understand. For example, "You have two sides, one out in the field and one in" can be written: There are two sides. One side is "in the field" (trying to score "runs") and one side is waiting inside the pavilion for the first side to finish. 4. Move from the general to the specific. Let your reader know the basics before going on to more detailed information. For the cricket example, you could write "In the game of cricket, there are two sides of players, and two umpires." 5. Keep sentences short and grammatical structures simple. The simpler your sentences, the easier they are to understand, and the less likely you are to make mistakes. Use imperatives if you are telling your reader how to do something. Is there anyone out there brave enough to try and rewrite the cricket rules?

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Writing invitations and responding

What should you write when you accept or decline a written invitation? The phrases you use depend on the formality of the invitation. Sample phrases to use in an informal invitation "Please come to our party on" "Would you like to come to dinner on"" "Can you make a meeting at 3pm" To accept an invitation to an informal party / dinner, you can write: "Thanks for your invitation / invite. I'd love to come." "Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I'm looking forward to it very much." (For a meeting) "I'm able / free to come to / attend / make the meeting at" To decline these invitations, you can write: "Thank you for your invitation, but I'm sorry I can't come." "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it on" Writing invitations samples "We would be delighted if you could attend the opening ceremony of" "Mr and Mrs Jones request the pleasure of (name's) company to celebrate the wedding of their daughter Rebecca." To accept a formal invitation: "Thank you for your invitation to the opening ceremony. I would be delighted to attend." Thank you for your invitation to Rebecca's wedding. I would be delighted to attend."

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To decline a formal invitation "Thank you for your invitation. However, I regret that I will be unable to attend." "Thank you for your invitation to. Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I will not be able to attend. Writing tip If you are declining a formal invitation, it's customary to say why you can't attend with a phrase such as "Due to a prior commitment, I will not be able to attend" With formal invitations (but not wedding invitations) you can also end your letter / email with a phrase such as "Wishing you every success with the (name of event)."

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Common writing mistakes

A recent newspaper article has highlighted the writing mistakes of students from a British university. The students' tutor kept a diary of their writing mistakes, which include spelling, preposition and punctuation mistakes, as well as mistakes in word choice. In fact, there were so many writing mistakes that the tutor recorded over 24 sides of A4 paper with examples such as occassions, deffective, sufferrers and nuetral. There were mistakes with particular words, such as occcurs, occurence, occuring and occured. Other students used "herd" instead of "heard", and "been" instead of "bean". Fortunately, you can eliminate many potential mistakes when you write. First of all, the spell check on computers can pick up many errors and give you suggestions for correct spelling. You should also read for sense. Some words sound the same, but are spelt in different ways, such as "been" and "bean". Your spell check won't find these sorts of errors, so you will need to read your writing with a critical eye. You might also want to keep a list of words that you find difficult to spell. Check with your list when you use the words and get into the habit of spelling them correctly first time. Finally, one of the easiest ways to write without common mistakes is to keep it simple. Avoid long sentences and complicated constructions and make sure that what you write is clear and as concise as possible.

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Writing dates and holidays

If you write to people around the world, it's easy to forget that not everyone knows the dates of your national holidays. You can avoid making your reader scratch his or her head in confusion by writing the exact date. For example, instead of just writing "We'll need the documentation before Labor Day," write "We'll need the documentation before Labor Day (September 7)." Or, instead of "I'll be back after Chinese New Year," be more explicit and write "I'll be back after Chinese New Year (2nd February)." There are a number of ways of writing dates in English. The most common options tend to be writing month then day (September 7) or day then month (2nd February). You can also give the month, date and year (February 2, 2009). However, avoid using a number-only format, such as 2/7/09. This would be interpreted as 2nd July, 2009 in British English, but 7th February in American English.

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