Sample letter to a pen friend in English. Business letter in English with translation

Communication skill for English language are increasingly included in the requirements for the qualification of a secretary. Writing a letter in English requires language proficiency, knowledge of etiquette business correspondence and traditions. Let's look at examples.

From the article you will learn:

There are several types of official messages in English. Each has its own rules for constructing a text. The main goal is to convey the idea to the addressee. To implement it, follow the established business correspondence rules.

Download related documents:

Writing a business letter in English: form and required details

Many companies have letterheads for business correspondence. English is considered the main international language of business communication. When developing a letter form or template, immediately translate it for correspondence with foreign partners.

Write a formal letter in English on a form that includes:

• emblem (logo) of the company;
• full name;
• occupation;
• mailing address;
• phone number;
• names of representative offices and branches with indication of cities and countries;
• Bank details.

The main difference from the Russian-language form is information about the addressing of the answer in the header of the form. For example:

In reply please address the Chief Accountant. Send the answer to the chief accountant.

All letters to be addressed to the Director General. All answers should be directed to the CEO.

If the document is drawn up on a regular sheet, and not on letterhead, the sender's address is placed in the upper left corner. The recipient's address is written below. Three lines below put down the date in the format day / month / year. Commas at the end of lines are not used when formatting an address.

Rules for writing a business letter in English require clear text formatting. All paragraphs start from one vertical line. Red lines are not used. Each paragraph corresponds to a separate semantic block. White fields are evenly spaced. Even if the text consists of one or two lines, they are placed in the center of the sheet.

Formatting a business letter in English: an example of a form

A form for conducting correspondence with English-speaking partners is developed to fulfill the terms of agreements and contracts. The agreement stipulates the condition of correspondence in two languages. This means that correspondence in Russian and English is considered legally equivalent.

Design is considered a universal option business letters in English according to samples ISO standards 90s. These rules are applied up to the present.

Rice. 1. Making a formal letter: a sample of a completed form in English

Rules for writing letters in English: letter structure

Destination name.

Job title.

Name of the organization.

House number, street.

City, postal code.

Mrs Barbara Stain

chief manager

Terra Inc.

25 Downing St

London SW1A 2AB

United Kingdom

day month Year

Appeal

Varies depending on gender and degree of acquaintance with the addressee.

To strangers:

Dear Sir / Madam / Sirs

To strangers:

Dear Mr. / Mrs. /Miss

Introduction

Introductory sentence: the purpose of the appeal and the source of information.

With reference to your advertisement in Publisher Journal

Main text

Explanation of the goals and reasons for the appeal, details of the problem under discussion, questions and assessment of the situation, wishes and suggestions.

Conclusion

Thanks for your attention, intention to continue the correspondence.

Please acknowledge receipt

(Please acknowledge receipt)

Looking forward to hearing from you soon

(Looking forward to your reply)

Politeness Formula

The generally accepted completion of the letter (analogous to the Russian "With respect").

To strangers:

Yours sincerely

To familiar people:

Yours faithfully

Sender's signature

Own signature, name, surname, position.

yours sincerely,

Aleksandr Klimov

Marketing Director

AlfaPLC

Application

Marking the presence of the application.

Inc. copy of supply contract

The correct format of the letter in English: a sample of the structure of the main part

When compiling an official message, keep in mind that all its parts must be arranged in a certain logical sequence. The rules apply not only to the order of mandatory details. The body of the letter also has a clear structure. Find out, how to make complex text simple In the magazine " Handbook of the secretary and office manager ". To read the articles, get a demo access to the magazine for 3 days.

The text is divided into semantic paragraphs, which are separated from each other by double spacing. The main ideas of the message with this formatting are easier to follow.

Table 2. Formatting the main text of the letter in English

Purpose and reasons for the appeal

Writing business letters in English has its own characteristics. If the secretary knows about them, he will be able to make a good impression on the addressee, which has a positive effect on the company's image.

Now in the world the study of foreign languages ​​is gaining more and more popularity. And it's not just a broad outlook and communication. It's about getting a profession and choosing high paying job. Informal letter is an essential part of the English language. So let's get to know her better.

informal letter

Translated means "informal letter", in other words, the letter that you wrote in simple words, especially without bothering about the design and culture of expressing thoughts. In this article, we will try to consider in detail what an informal letter to friend is, an example of such a letter, as well as a few set phrases and expressions that you can freely use. Go!

Some general information

Speaking about the example of an informal letter, we should note that it is usually written to a friend or acquaintance, one way or another, a person whom you know well and with whom you communicate freely. In fact, the most common area where structured informal writing is required is the variety of exams in English writing: starting from the OGE, which is taken by schoolchildren in the 9th grade, and ending with international exams for admission to foreign universities or to confirm their level of a foreign language.

Structure

The structure of such a letter is as follows:

1. In the upper right corner, a comma-separated address is written, starting with a small one (home) and ending with a large one (country);

2. The date is written on the line below

3. Then, very importantly, one line is skipped! After that, the letter itself begins with the red line of the next line.

4. Address in the format "Dear, (addressee's name)".

6. From a new line we write the main part.

7. From a new line, the conclusion, which, according to the rules, should contain several questions to your interlocutor, but if you want, you can skip and write the conclusion without questions (although this is a personal letter, so most likely you will still have questions) .

8. On a new line, we apologize that it's time for us to go.

9. From a new line, a special phrase, which will be discussed later.

10. And the last new line- signature (your name).

It is from these ten points that any informal letter to friend consists. We will consider an example of an informal letter with a translation a little later, but for now we will find out what set phrases and phrases are usually used when writing an informal letter.

Linking words & phrases

There are quite a lot of important and useful words and phrases for writing an informal letter in English, so we will divide them into several groups:

• expressions for introduction;
• introductory words and phrases for the main part;
• phraseological units for the conclusion.

Introduction

• Thank you for your letter.
• Your last letter was a real surprise.
• I was glad to get your letter.
• It was great to hear from you! / I was happy to hear…

Optionally, as mentioned earlier, you can apologize for waiting so long for your response and do so with the following expressions:

• Sorry I haven’t been written for so long but …/ Sorry I haven’t been in touch for so long.
• I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with...

Main part

Here is already a flight of your imagination, ideally divided into 2-3 paragraphs. Dilute it with introductory words and set phrases:

• well...
• From my point of view,... / To my mind,... (from my point of view).
• As I know... (as I know).
• Do you know that...? (You know what...?).
• You know,... (you know...).
• look...
• By the way,... (by the way).
• anyway (in any case).
• so/therefore (so/therefore).
• Nevertheless (nevertheless).
• Besides... (besides).
• Unfortunately/Fortunately,... (Unfortunately/Fortunately...).

Conclusion

Almost the last paragraph of our letter should contain questions and the reason why we need to go. Of course, with apologies.

• Well, I'd better go, because unfortunately, I have to do my homework.
• Anyway, I have to go now because my mom has already called me.
• Sorry, I will leave you for a while. My favorite TV show is about to begin.

As we remember, the next line should contain the traditional final phrase. It can become:

• Drop me a line as soon as you can!
• Write me!
• Hope to listen from you soon.
• Love, (name).
• Sincerely yours, (name).
• Let's keep in touch!
• Can't wait to see you!
• Best wishes, (name).
• Hope to see you soon!

So we sorted out the structure of a traditional informal letter for, relatively speaking, a friend. Now it's up to the small - show finished example informal letter to friend.

An example

Nizhny Novgorod,

7/12/2017

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your letters! Sorry for not writing for so long, I was really busy with my exams. You asked me about my school projects.

Well, for sure I have some quite interesting projects at school. Usually, a teacher asks me to make reports once a two or three weeks, so this is a normal practice. Of course, it is an enjoyable process from time to time, and I truly appreciate this experience. As you know, I participate in the school theater meetings and rehearsals, so making oral presentations is not such a complicated issue for me. But, you can easily guess that writing reports is much easier. You are allowed not to hurry and think about the topic. You have not to learn your report by heart - moreover, just give it to a teacher and forget for some time about it! You know this is really cool. But anyway this is quite a controversial issue as so as you remember how I appreciate memorizing new information. In fact, this is much more useful for the further study. But anyway I prefer writing my projects.

It's really amazing to hear your brother's news! Tell me more about it. How does he do? Is he going to visit you in the nearest future? And you?

Oh, sorry, I should go. My mom asked me to wash dishes. Write me as soon as you can!

best wishes,

Translation

Nizhny Novgorod,

Russia
7/12/2017

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your letter! Sorry for not writing for so long. I was very busy with my exams. You asked me about my school projects.

Well, I must have had some pretty interesting projects at school. Usually the teacher asks me to give reports every two or three weeks, so this is a normal practice. Of course, at times it's a really enjoyable process, and I really appreciate the experience. As you know, I participate in rehearsals and meetings of our school theater, so public speaking presentations are not such a problem for me. But it won't be hard for you to guess that making written reports is much easier. You can take your time and think about the topic. Moreover, you don't need to memorize your report - just give it to the teacher and forget about it for a while! You know, it's really cool. But in any case, this is a rather moot point, because you remember how much I appreciate the memorization of new information. In fact, it is much more useful for further learning. But be that as it may, I prefer written work.

So cool to hear the news about your brother! Tell me more about it. How is he? Is he going to visit you soon? And you him?

Oh, I'm sorry, I have to run. Mom asked me to wash the dishes. Write to me as soon as you can!

All the best,

Daria.

Actually, this is what an informal or person with whom you have free communication looks like. Please note that if you are writing such a letter as part of an assignment, then you should adhere to the established time limit for the number of words, otherwise your work will not be credited.

In fact, there is a wide variety of written works in the English language. Essay, letter, note, email - each of them has its own requirements and limitations, so be careful! But, it is worth noting that, for example, informal letters, emails have almost the same spelling. We will not give examples of informal electronic messages, we will only say that their structure and the structure of informal letters are practically the same.

Conclusion

So we looked at the structure of writing informal letter and an example of informal letter in English. In conclusion, we will only say that in order to compose such letters, in fact, as well as for other written and oral works in the English language, a wide vocabulary and the ability to easily and freely appeal not only with introductory words, but also with a wide range of grammatical constructions, which loves so much this language. Learn English and remember the famous TED talks motto: "Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Stay tuned."

From this article you will learn about the styles of business letters, their structure, proper design, greeting and conclusion of such letters.

In addition, you will be able to see visual clichés and examples of business letters, as well as write down important tips that will always help you at the right time.

Writing a business letter in English can make many people worry about (and for no reason) their skills and the paucity of vocabulary for business correspondence.

Structure of a business letter

The format of business letters is a sequence of the following elements:

• Name and Address of Recipient(recipient's name and address).
• Date(date of).
• reference(link).
• Salutation(greetings).
• Body(main part).
• Closing(conclusion).
• Signature(signature).
• Typist initials(sender's initials).
• Enclosures(applications).

General rules for writing a business letter

• Use the correct format and greeting.

There are certain standards for business letters in English, although some deviations are acceptable (for example, between European and North American official letters in English).

It is imperative to create a good first impression at the very beginning of your letter. Use an appropriate greeting.

If necessary, if the formal letter is not in in electronic format, indicate the address and surname of the addressee in the upper right corner. And then start writing the text.

Make sure the person's first and last name are spelled correctly. Use "Dear Sir/Madam" if you don't know who the letter is addressed to.

Dear Sir/Madam- Dear Sir (Madam).
Dear Mr. Smith Dear Mr Smith.
Dear Ms. - Madam.
Dear Jack Johnson Dear Jack Johnson.
Dear customer- Dear buyer.
Gentlemen- Lord.

And here are examples of introductory phrases in a business letter (to use links to previous correspondence; to indicate how you learned about the recipient; to communicate the reason for writing the letter, etc.):

Business letters are usually always formal and the tone of the letter should always be polite.

IN letters of inquiry always used modal Verbs to make the request as polite as possible.

For example, it is incorrect to write: "I want you to come to our office on Wednesday". Instead, write: “Would you be able to come to our office on Wednesday?”

Letters of Complaint should also be polite and not overly emotional.

For example, if there was an untimely delivery and it delayed the production lines, then it would be correct to write: “The delivery was six days late and that caused severe disruption to our production.”

If you report bad news or apologize, you need to very politely and tactfully indicate the causes of the problem.

You can use expressions: "I regret to inform you", "Unfortunately" or "I'm afraid that".

• Specify your goal.

The purpose of your appeal in English in a business letter should be indicated in the first paragraph, and then write the main idea.

Almost every one of the following sentences in the example has 3 similarities:

• They explain the main point. Each answers the question: "What is it?".
• They are concise and not rude.
• They contain positive words: “thank you”, “please”, “pleased”, “appreciate”, “thank you”, “congratulations”, “success”, “endorsement”, etc.:

As per our phone conversation …
In continuation of our telephone conversation …
I am writing to provide the information you have requested.
I am sending you the information you requested.
It was a pleasure meeting you at the meeting/conference last Monday.
It was a pleasure to meet you at the meeting/conference last Monday.
Thank you for writing to us about your experience in our research center last week.
Thank you for writing to us about your experience at our research center last week.
I am happy to write to confirm our agreement about the summer workshop.
I am glad to write about the confirmation of our agreement with you regarding the summer workshop.
Thank you so much for contributing to our auction.
Thank you very much for your contribution to our auction.
I am applying for graduate schools in marine biology, and I would be very grateful if you would write a letter of reference for me.
I am applying for a PhD in Marine Biology and I would really appreciate it if you could write a letter of recommendation for me.
Thank you for writing to ask about attending the conference in Baltimore. I wish I could approve your request.
Thank you for your letter regarding the conference in Baltimore. I would like to approve your request. Unfortunately, ...
Please accept my apology for missing the meeting yesterday. I am very sorry that I was unable to attend.
Please accept my apologies for the missed meeting yesterday. I am very sorry that I was unable to attend.
Congratulations on successfully passing your bar exam. You are now officially an attorney!
Congratulations on successfully passing the exam. Now you are officially an authorized person!
I fully meet or exceed the requirements of the Business Analyst III position, and I am pleased to apply for it.
I fully meet the requirements of a business analyst Category III or surpass them, and I am excited to apply for this position.

10 types of business letters

• Commercial letter. sales letter.

Such letters include appeals, detailed description benefits for the reader, sequence of actions, and phone numbers or a link to the site.

• Letter of instruction (letter of order). order letter.

Order letters are sent by consumers to a manufacturer, retailer, or wholesaler to order goods or services.

A formal letter in English should contain information about the model number, product name, desired quantity, and expected price.

Payment information is also sometimes included in the letter.

• Letter of complaint (complaint). Complaint letter.

Be direct but tactful, and always use a professional tone if you want management to hear you.

• Dispute Resolution Letter. Adjustment letter.

Such a letter is usually sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the situation is in favor of the client, then start the letter with this news.

If not, keep it factual while remaining polite. Let the client know that you understand their complaint.

• An inquiry. Inquiry letter.

Query letters ask a question in order to obtain information from the recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and concise - list only the essentials you need.

Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

• Reminder letter. Follow Up Letter.

It could be a sales team thanking a customer for placing an order, a businessman reviewing the results of a meeting, or a job seeker asking about the status of their application.

Often these emails are a combination of a thank you note and a sales letter.

• Letter of recommendation. Letter of recommendation.

Potential employers often ask candidates for such letters before hiring them.

This type of letter is usually a review from a previous employer (or employee) about the applicant from a professional point of view.

• Confirmation letter. Acknowledgment letter.

Confirmation letters act like regular receipts. Companies send them to inform the recipient that they have received a previous message with information, documents or other materials, previous agreements, intentions, etc.

An acknowledgment letter is a sign of deep consideration and respect for the recipient, but the action itself may or may not be taken.

• Covering letter. cover letter.

Such letters usually accompany a package of documents, a report or other goods. They are used to describe what is included in the package, why, and what (if necessary) the recipient should do.

Cover letters are usually quite short and concise.

• Resignation letter. Letter of Resignation.

When an employee plans to finish his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his direct manager, notifying him of the last day of work.

Often, the employee also explains in detail the reason for leaving the company.

Business letter writing tips

• When writing your letter keeping it simple is important And purposefulness so that the meaning of your letter is clear.
• Use simple and concise words instead of ingrained ones.
• The best way to start a letter is specify the target at the very beginning. This is called the direct approach, and it sets the tone for the letter's follow-up text by capturing the reader's interest.
• However, if your letter delivers bad news, direct approach is inappropriate. Instead use indirect , pointing out bad news in the second or third paragraph of the letter.
• The greeting in a business letter and the introductory part of the letter should be polite. Always pay attention to the efforts and feelings of the reader.
• After the introduction, you must specify the details of the problem.
• Specify the necessary information about the problem and the solution.
• Inform the reader of the reasons for the decision.
• Observe single spacing and leave double spaces between paragraphs, align your letter to the left (block style - alignment of lines to the end to the left). Stick to short sentences and clear paragraphs.
• Be frank And respect time your reader: your reader is busy, so get straight to the point without "water".
• Use Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, or Verdana fonts. Font size should be 10 or 12. Use 2.5 cm or 1 inch margins on all four sides.
• Always bet advantages of readers over their own. Instead of talking about what you expect from them for yourself, point out what you can offer them.
• Be careful And attentive with the recipient's name and company name.
• Make your tone conversational but professional; don't be overly formal.
• Avoid jargon, self-confidence, arrogance and bragging.
• Use the active voice and personal pronouns in your letter.
• Always end your letter a request for action.
• Leave a blank line after the greeting and before the closing part. Double indent between the last sentence and the end of the letter.
• If necessary, leave 4 or 5 indents for your handwritten signature.
• Business letters should always be printed on white A4 paper, not colored paper or any personal stationery.
• Finish your letter in a professional and polite way.

Once again, do not forget double-check the letter for errors (at least 2 times).

Benefits of Email

Writing a business email is much faster and easier than usual. However, some messages may not open and this is a minus.

If you want to be sure of the delivery of your appeal, then do not forget to control the process and check the box with a return notification.

Depending on who you are writing to and why, you may need to send a letter with a live signature, certified by documents with a seal (although no one canceled the scanned copy). Then, of course, the choice is obvious.

But remember that email is about saving money (it's basically free, while you have to pay for postage (and even stamps) for a regular business letter) and saving environment, unlike letters that require paper consumption. Remember the trees!

And also don't forget our special course " Business English”, where you can clarify all the nuances you do not understand related to formal English directly from an experienced teacher. Take your chances and be acknowledged!

Business letter ending

In the last paragraph of your artwork, write:

Please feel free to contact us in case you have any questions.
Contact us if you have any questions.

Or the following expressions, if you are attaching additional documents, photographs:

« I am enclosing… " or " Please find the enclosed/attached …»

The completion of the letter primarily depends on your relationship with the addressee. Use " Yours faithfully" if you don't know the person you're addressing, and " Yours sincerely” - for recipients whom you know well. And do not confuse! Since your sincerity for a stranger can be quite suspicious and cause embarrassment.

For less formal letters, you can use: " best regards" or " kind regards". At the end of the letter you need to put (your signature) name and position.

We remind you to check your letter for errors before sending!

Examples of expressions at the end of a business letter:

Sincerely(Cordially);
Sincerely yours(Yours sincerely);
Regards(Sincerely);
best(All the best);
Best regards(Sincerely);
kind regards(Best wishes);
Yours truly(Yours sincerely);
Most sincerely(Cordially);
Respectfully(Sincerely);
Respectfully yours(With perfect reverence);
thank you(Thank you);
Thank you for your consideration(Thank you for your attention).

After that, put a comma, and write your data from the new paragraph:

Name
Email address
phone number

If you are informing your colleague about the status of an ongoing project, then a formal conclusion will not be entirely appropriate (although many simply prescribe it by default); and if you, for example, enter the struggle for the purpose of moving up the career ladder, then it will definitely be required.

And no "Later", "Thanks", "TTYL", "Warmly", "Cheers" and similar colloquial words! You will not be understood.

Example phrases for ending a business letter

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me at any time. / Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. / If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you need additional information, please contact us at any time.
I look forward to your reply. / I look forward to hearing from you.
I am looking forward to your reply.
I look forward to seeing you.
I look forward to seeing you.
Please advise as necessary.
Make your recommendations as needed.
We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
We are looking forward to successful cooperation with you in the future.
Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience.
Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience.
We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.
We hope we can count on your valuable orders.
I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.
I would be grateful for your direct attention to this issue.
I await your reply with interest.
I await your reply with interest.
We look forward to building a strong business relationship in the future.
We are committed to building strong business relations with you in the future.
I look forward to our meeting on the 7th of October.
I look forward to our meeting on October 7th.
Thanks for your extremely helpful attention to this matter.
Thank you for your extremely helpful attention to this matter.
Thanks again for your attention, consideration, and time.
Thanks again for your attention, consideration and time.
It's always a pleasure doing business with you.
It's always a pleasure to do business with you.
Thanks again for sharing your expertise in this matter.
Thanks again for sharing your experience on this matter.
I am looking forward to getting your input on this issue.
I look forward to your input on this issue.

Cliches of business letters

Due to the special format of this article, the intervals between paragraphs described by you are not observed. We hope you will forgive us this nuance.

• Introducing a new employee. Introduction of a new colleague.

I want to take this opportunity to inform you that will soon be joining us as the in the . will be taking over from and will begin work on .

Has been the of the at for years and we are delighted that has decided to join our company at this stage of our development.

Is a person of and I have no doubt will contribute significantly to all aspects of our work here.

I hope all of you will try to make feel welcome here as becomes accustomed to a new position.

Sincerely yours,

• The first reminder of non-payment. First reminder of an unpaid invoice.

I am writing to remind you that we have not yet received payment for invoice for , due on . I am enclosing a full statement of your account as of and a copy of the invoice.

We’re sure that this is an oversight on your part, and would appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. If your payment is already in the mail, please disregard this letter.

Should you have any questions about your account, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Examples of a business letter in English

The following two examples differ in email headers. This is due to the fact that companies have the right to make small changes in the format for their convenience. Both options are considered acceptable.

First example.

Company letterhead

Students Of The Future Co.
610 Fountain Ave
Burlington, NJ 08016

June 6, 2018
Burlington Township Student
street address
City, State Zip

Use this sample letter as a template to help you complete your activities throughout this course. I have purposely set up the spacing and content to make it easier for you to delete existing text and replace it with the content that you need to use. Please be sure to use all the tools provided to you, so that you are more efficient with your work.

Be sure to copy down the text boxes I have provided, they may be helpful when you need to compose different types of business letters. Be sure to save this document as: Letter Template.

Business Ed. teacher

*Enclosure* (if needed)

Second example.

Organization letter head

March 16, 2016

Mr. Ernie English

1234 Writing Lab Lane

Write City, IN 12345

Dear Mr. English:

The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go into detail until the next paragraph.

Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.

Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is related to your employment, consider ending your letter with your contact information and title if it is not included on letterhead. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.

Lucy Letter
President

Conclusion

Here you are in the know! Now you can try to get a job in a variety of foreign companies, beautifully declaring yourself and your skills, intentions and achievements in an appropriate official letter in English. And may luck smile upon you!

In the modern world, the ability to conduct business correspondence is a quality without which it is impossible to build a career. The ability to correctly compose business letters is a direct proof of the high level of professionalism and competence of the employee. A business letter is a common type of document that is used to exchange information in diplomatic, administrative and commercial correspondence. A business letter in English has its own characteristics and principles of compilation.

Main types of business letters

There are several classifications of business correspondence. The following types of letters in English can be distinguished:

1. Invitation (The Letter of Invitation)
2. An Offer
3. Request (Inquiry Letter)
4. Answer (to a request or offer) - (Reply)
5. Documents of the established form (invoice, packing list, bill of lading, etc.)
6. Report (Statement)
7. Congratulatory letter - (Letter of Congratulation)
8. Thank you letter - (Note of thanks)
9. Letter of demand
10. Letter of complaint, etc.

Some examples of business letters with translation are presented below:
A. Letter in English - Invitation (The Letter of Invitation)

Translation of the letter:

B. Business Letter - An Offer

C. Business letter in English - Request (Inquiry Letter)

Dear Sirs,
We are in the market for 1000 piece Fountain pens and 1500 piece Ball pens which we need for an export order.

Please send us your lowest quatation for your "Tasso" and "Onset" pens, packed in export cases of 100 piece each.

your faithfully,
…………….

An inquiry

We are going to purchase 1,000 fountain pens and 1,500 ballpoint pens for an export order.

Please tell us the minimum prices for your Tasso and Onset pens in export boxes of 100 pieces each.

Sincerely,
…………

Some of these letters are courteous and do not require an immediate response, while others should be answered as soon as possible. The ethics of business correspondence does not allow delaying the response to a letter for more than 5 business days. Although, of course, large companies with a large volume of incoming messages, it may take much longer to process correspondence. Be sure to answer any letter of request, a letter - a request, a letter - an offer and a letter - a demand.

Features of business correspondence

Business correspondence is an important and voluminous component of the business life of an organization. Through correspondence, a working process is built and organized, communication issues and disagreements are resolved. In organizations that are involved in international market, the fact of how well developed and established the process of international correspondence is of particular importance.

In most organizations, documents are drawn up according to a predetermined template. All official letters, as a rule, are drawn up on the letterhead of the organization (if any).

The main advantage of working with forms is that a person does not need to re-enter some template information every time, for example, the name of the company and its details. The static part of the information does not change, unlike the operational part. This saves a lot of time writing letters.

When composing a business letter for a foreign partner, you need to remember some of the distinctive features of business correspondence. A well-prepared letter will meet the following informative requirements.

First, the information in the business letter should be:

1. credible
2. up-to-date
3. objective
4. Complete
5. Correct
6. logical
7. Not emotional.

It should also be remembered that a business letter should be as concise as possible. In this case, the tone of the letter is very important. He should be as courteous and polite as possible. The recipient will definitely feel the negativity and disrespect on the part of the author. And this, in turn, can make it difficult to achieve your goals. Therefore, you should always pay special attention to the tone of the letter. The English language has enough standard phrases, which are used to make the letter more polite.

In the English grammar course, there is a section: business correspondence. To write business letters in English, so-called template phrases are often used, depending on the type of letter and the tasks assigned to it. For example:

The letter always ends with wishes of good luck and gratitude: Best wishes, With kind regards, Looking for your answer and so on.

In addition, in business correspondence, do not neglect connecting unions. With them, the text is complete and complete. Feel free to use modal verbs. Could, should, to be to, have to fit perfectly into the style of business correspondence.

The structure of a business letter in English

Universal rules for writing a business letter on foreign language No. It all depends on the type of letter, the addressee and the purpose of the letter.

A business letter in English traditionally begins with an address. As a rule, it is written in the upper right corner, without the name and phone number of the recipient. An example of such a letter is shown below:

The position of the date varies quite widely and is determined mainly by personal preferences. The date is placed both on the left and on the right, both above and below the recipient's address. The date format can be uppercase or numeric. For example: "March 8, 2016" can be written as March 8, 2016 (or the American version, in which the month comes first, not the day) March 8, 2016, 8/3/2016, or 08/03/16.

The address and date are followed by a greeting. What will be the appeal largely depends on whether the recipient of the letter is known or unknown to the author. If the letter does not have a specific addressee, it can be limited to the phrase to whom it may concern - to whom it concerns. If the author does not know the name of the addressee, then you can simply write Dear Sir / Madam. But if the name and surname are known, then they must be indicated. This will draw additional attention to the text of the letter, especially if the organization has a corporate mailbox. The appeal is written from the red line and is separated by a comma at the end. Do not put a dot after Mr/Mrs/Ms. (In American English, Mr/Mrs/Ms is followed by a full stop and a colon at the end: Dear Mr. Philips).

For example:

If the sender is known:

Dear Mr Smith,
Dear Ann,

If the sender is unknown:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Dear all,
Dear colleagues,

As can be seen from the examples in classical British English, a comma is placed after the treatment. The subsequent text of the letter is written from a new line with a capital letter.

Now you can proceed directly to the content of the letter. In English business letters, the first paragraph is usually the shortest. It reveals the main purpose of the letter. Request, complaint or suggestion - all this is prescribed in the introduction. Sometimes, in cases of particular importance, at the beginning of the letter, immediately before the appeal, the phrase Regarding to is inserted, this allows you to draw additional attention to the subject of the letter recipient.

A few examples:

I refer to your e-mail dd. 04/08/2016. – I refer to your letter dated 04/08/2016.

We understood from your letter that you are going to organize an exhibition in Murmansk. – As we understood from your letter, you are going to arrange an exhibition in Murmansk.

I am writing to you in response to your offer. I am writing in response to your proposal.

The following paragraph expands and clarifies the information that has been claimed. As already mentioned, the English language is very concise and concise. Therefore, business correspondence should also be kept short and extremely formal, not going into unnecessary details, trying to state only specific facts and provide only essential and important information. The body of the letter can be divided into paragraphs. The expressions below will help you with this:

First of all ... - First of all;
Firstly ... - firstly;
Secondly ... - secondly;
Thirdly ... - thirdly;
moreover - in addition;
Finally ... - in conclusion;

In the last paragraph, you need to describe what exactly the author of the letter wants, what kind of reaction or response he expects from the recipient. Be sure to dilute the dry official text with polite words that are acceptable for business correspondence: thank you, kindly, could you be so kind, it will be a great honor.
I hope our offer will be interesting for you and we start to work together successfully. – I hope that my offer will interest you and I hope for further productive cooperation.

In the final part of the letter, they also usually once again thank you for the assistance provided, the service or help provided:

Thank you again for your interest in my project. Thanks again for your interest in my project.
I appreciate your help. - I appreciate your help.
Thank you very much in advance. – Thanks in advance for your help.

You can also offer your help or encouragement for further cooperation:

Please, contact me if you need further information. – Please contact me if you require further information.

If you need some help do not hesitate to contact me - If you need help, be sure to contact me.

It is customary to complete a business letter in English with the phrase Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely.
Then comes the name and position (optional) of the sender. Sometimes, under the name of the sender, the name of the direct performer is indicated.

The text of a business letter should not contain abbreviations, jargon, colloquialisms, colloquial and slang expressions, emotionally expressive words terribly - terrible, nightmare - a nightmare, stuff and nonsense - nonsense. Phrasal verbs are also best avoided. They are more suitable for conversational style. And you should not overload the text with too complex speech structures and words that can be interpreted in different ways or the meaning of which is doubtful. Simplicity and clarity are the keys to the success of any negotiation. And, of course, we must not forget about the format and grammatical errors. Formatted and well-formed text leaves a much better impression.

Thus, writing a business letter in English is not such an impossible task. You just need to stick to general rules when compiling it. The letter should be written in a formal style, polite and accessible. The text of the letter should be divided into logical paragraphs. Each paragraph is written with a red line. In the upper left corner of the letter, the full name of the sender or the name of the company with the address is indicated. At the end of the letter, before the name of the author, they usually write words of gratitude for the assistance.

Good day, friends.

Once in correspondence with his future partner from Ireland, one of my acquaintances used words and phrases like hereby And acknowledge receipt of in their messages. He was rather embarrassed when they met in Russia, and John (that was the name of his partner) played a joke (very delicately) on his excessive officialism. Their further communication led to the fact that business style my friend became more natural, and John began to understand different semantic shades of Russian obscene language with his help ...:)

Today I will be happy to tell you how to write a business letter in English. You will get acquainted with both the basic principles and rules of business correspondence, as well as some of its nuances. Let's analyze the main types of letters, the structure common to all, as well as typical phrases often used in them. Perhaps, after reading this article, you will not become an ace in compiling business messages, but you will definitely increase your level.

Content:

In our time, the correct design, competent construction and well-chosen style of a business letter are very important. By the way you conduct business correspondence, your partner creates the first impression about your professionalism and the solidity of the company you represent.
Let's get acquainted with some features of the preparation of such messages.

Main types of business letters

• Congratulations -
• Offer -– sent to your potential business partner with your conditions and cooperation proposals.
• About hiring -- notifies you that you have been hired.
• Statement -- contains your resume and an offer of yourself as an employee.
• Refusal -- a business turn-around to your statement or proposal.
• Complaint -- contains a complaint or claims about the quality of the purchased goods or services rendered.
• letter of apology This is a response to a letter of complaint.
• An inquiry -– sent when it is necessary to obtain information about a service or product.
• Response letter to request- it actually contains the requested information.
• Letter of thanks -– everything seems to be clear here.

There are still a huge number of types and subspecies of business messages ( Order, Response to Order, Invoice, Statement etc.), and it will take more than one article to pay attention to the majority.

kind regards - an excellent and serious guide from a foreign author, a communications specialist, who has collected in this book her own and someone else's experience in business correspondence in English. There you will find many live examples and tips.

Business correspondence in English is also a popular book. There are many samples, even more common clichés, as well as a lot of advice and recommendations from the authors. As they say, study and apply!

Steep online course in business English from Lingualeo - after passing it, you can gain confidence both in correspondence and in a conversation on business topics. By the way, you can try it for free before buying it.

General principles

Graphic design must comply with the following:

1. All sentences start from one vertical line.
2. The text is divided into paragraphs without red lines.
3. To simplify perception, the written text is divided into semantic blocks approximately equal in size.
4. The white space should evenly surround the text. Do not put one or two lines of text at the top of the sheet if the letter is small. Do not print to the bottom of the sheet and do not narrow the margins if the message is verbose - it is better to use the second page.

By style:

1. Do not use colloquial abbreviations in correspondence - we write You are instead of You "re, etc.
2. Do not solve two problems at the same time in one letter - it is preferable to write two letters.
3. Decide which tone will be more appropriate - official or relaxed.
4. It is necessary to take into account those rules that we do not have, but have a specific meaning for them, national and territorial features.

Components

And now we will analyze the so-called skeleton of a business letter, its structure and arrangement of elements:

• header(a cap):
  A) The sender's address is in the upper left corner. If the form is company, then the address is already affixed.
  B) The recipient's address is on the left, below the sender's address. Format: from smallest to largest (Name, house number, street, city, postal code, country).
  IN) Date - three lines below the recipient's address or in the upper right corner. Format: day/month/year. Commas are not used.
• Greetings(address), or how to start a letter.
• the main idea(the main text of the message) - in the central part of the letter.
• Closing phrase(expression of gratitude and further intentions).
• The final formula of politeness; Signature; First name, last name and position of the sender.
• The attachment- indicates that additional materials are attached to the letter ( advertising booklet or brochure).
• May contain P.S., artist's initials.

Here is a sample business letter of inquiry with a translation into Russian:

John Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, Wisconsin

Lemann & Sons
3597 43rd Street
New York, NY 12008

With reference to your advertisement in Business Weekly Journal could you please send me more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about discounts that you provide.

yours faithfully,

Translation:

From: John Stewart, 1304 Sherman Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
To: Lehmann & Sons, 3597 43rd Street, New York, NY 12008
May 24, 2015

Dear Sirs,

With a link to your ad in a business weekly
could you send me a more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about the discounts you provide.

Sincerely,
John Stewart
Sales Manager

Now let's take a closer look at the elements.

The address or greeting should look like this:
Dear Sirs, Dear Sir or Madam- if you do not know the name of the recipient
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms[last name] - if you know the name of the recipient
Dear Frank- if the person is familiar to you
Dear sales manager– if only the position is known (in this case, the sales manager)

The courtesy formula before the signature looks like this:

kind regards, - Sincerely…

Yours faithfully, - Sincerely yours (if you do not know the addressee's name)

Yours sincerely, - Sincerely yours (if you know the name)

Now you have a general idea of ​​how to write messages to business partners and various companies.

Standard Expressions

Here are some typical phrases as an example:

It is very kind of you to- it's very kind of you

We apologize for- We apologize for

Please let me know- Please tell me

According to- In accordance with

In case- When

As you requested- At your request

until now- Still

With reference to your...- Concerning your...

unfortunately- Unfortunately

We enclose- We are applying

We are sorry- We regret

How to end a business letter? A few more courtesy phrases:

Thank you for responding to my offer Thank you for taking up my offer.

We look forward to hearing from you soon We hope to receive your reply in the near future

And at the end before the signature:

With best regards- Best wishes

With respect- Sincerely

Thanks for your cooperation- Thank you for your cooperation

With best wishes- Best wishes

Not tired of the theory yet? Then some practice!

This time, a rejection letter (such a letter must be in a correct and delicate style):

Mr Robert Brown
general manager
KLM Co Ltd
32 Wood Lane
London
Great Britain WC37TP

John Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, Wisconsin

Thank you for sending us your resume.
We are sorry to inform you that your candidature does not suit us.
kind regards,

Translation(translate the address and date yourself):

Dear Mr Stewart

Thank you for sending us your resume.
We regret to inform you that your candidacy is not suitable for us.

Sincerely,

Robert Brown

CEO

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You will begin to understand business English, speak it and write excellent business letters that will blow your mind all your partners and colleagues.

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Emails

Everyone's favorite e-mail messages account for about 80% of business turnover. It differs from ordinary correspondence in greater specificity and brevity. Unnecessarily long phrases are trying there avoid, in addition, they use acronyms (phrases formed by the first letters of the phrase), as IMHO. Email correspondence is characterized not only by personal messages, but also by mailing lists (they use the BCC field when confidentiality is required). Well, the main difference is that from the transfer of confidential information via e-mail most prefer to abstain.

Of course, in the age of “OK, Google!” you can not look for difficult ways and just insert the typed text into the online translator. You are likely to be understood, but you are unlikely to achieve a favorable impression. Remember, the quality of your business correspondence is an indicator of the quality of your company.

Thank you for reading my article to the end. Encourage your friends to read it on social networks! Who knows, maybe someone needs this information here and now!

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Bye everyone! Take care of yourself!