BUSINESS ENGLISH

If writing a business letter in English takes you much longer than in your own language, here are a few guidelines that you may find helpful.

Plan before you write. Look up the words you need before you start. Note the points you want to make, and order them into logical paragraphs. Tone Write as you would speak in a business conversation. The tone should be friendly and polite. Names Make sure you check the gender of the addressee (the recipient), as well as the correct spelling of the person's name and title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. You can use Mrs. for a women if you are 100% sure that she is married. Dates To avoid any confusion, write the month instead of using numbers (e.g. January 15th, 2011, or 15 January 2011) Be concise and clear. The easier it is to read a letter, the better. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and simple. Use straightforward vocabulary to avoid any misunderstanding. Ask direct questions. Rewrite any sentence that does not seem perfectly clear. If the recipient is not a native English-speaker, it is preferable to avoid words and expressions that are too technical or complicated. Remember this word order principle : Who - Does - What - How - Where - When (Subject - Verb - Object - Manner - Place - Time) Examples : Mr. Brown will travel by plane to London on Monday, June 5th. A technician will install the equipment in your office on Tuesday morning. I will confirm the transport arrangements as soon as possible. Avoid old-fashioned words Although they are used in legal documents and contracts, words like 'herewith', 'hereby', 'herein', 'aforementioned', etc. are rarely used in letters. The following style of sentence is preferable : "You will find more information on our products in the enclosed brochure."

WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS

Useful phrases Dear Mr Brown Dear Ms White Dear Sir Dear Sirs Dear Madam Dear Sir or Madam Gentlemen We are writing to inform you that ... to confirm ... to request ... to enquire about ... I am contacting you for the following reason. I recently read/heard about . . . and would like to know . . . Having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like to ... I would be interested in (obtaining/receiving) ... I received your address from ... and would like to ... I am writing to tell you about ... Thank you for your letter of March 15 ... Thank you for contacting us. In reply to your request ... Thank you for your letter regarding ... With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday ... Further to our meeting last week ... It was a pleasure meeting you in London last month. I enjoyed having lunch with you last week in Tokyo. I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed on Tuesday . . . We would appreciate it if you would ... I would be grateful if you could... Could you please send me . . . Could you possibly tell us/let us have... In addition, I would like to receive ... It would be helpful if you could send us ... I am interested in (obtaining/receiving...) I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. Please let me know what action you propose to take. We would be happy to ... Would you like us to ... We are quite willing to ... Our company would be pleased to ... We are pleased to announce that ...

Salutation

Starting

Referring to previous contact

Making a request

Offering help

Giving good news

 Complaining

I am delighted to inform you that ... You will be pleased to learn that ... We regret to inform you that ... I'm afraid it would not be possible to ... Unfortunately we cannot/we are unable to ... After careful consideration we have decided (not) to ... I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ... I am writing to complain about ... Please note that the goods we ordered on (date) have not yet arrived. We regret to inform you that our order n--- is now considerably overdue. I would like to query the transport charges which seem unusually high. We are sorry for the delay in replying ... I regret any inconvenience caused I would like to apologize for (the delay/the inconvenience) ... Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience. Thank you for your quotation of ... We are pleased to place an order with your company for ... We would like to cancel our order n... Please confirm receipt of our order. I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your order n... Your order will be processed as quickly as possible. It will take about (three) weeks to process your order. We can guarantee delivery before ... Unfortunately these articles are no longer available/are out of stock. Please send us your price list. You will find enclosed our most recent catalogue and price list. Please note that our prices are subject to change without notice. We have pleasure in enclosing a detailed quotation. We can make you a firm offer of ... Our terms of payment are as follows : Our records show that we have not yet received payment of ... According to our records ... Please send payment as soon as possible. You will receive a credit note for the sum of ... I am enclosing ... Please find enclosed ... You will find enclosed ... If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me If you require more information ...

Giving bad news

Apologizing

Orders

Prices

Referring to payment

Enclosing documents Closing remarks

For further details ... Thank you for taking this into consideration Thank you for your help. We hope you are happy with this arrangement. We hope you can settle this matter to our satisfaction. We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future We would be (very) pleased to do business with your company. I would be happy to have an opportunity to work with your firm. I look forward to seeing you next week Looking forward to hearing from you " " to receiving your comments I look forward to meeting you on the 15th I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience. An early reply would be appreciated. Sincerely, } Yours sincerely, } (for all customers/clients) Sincerely yours, }

Referring to future business

Referring to future contact

Ending business letters

(for those you already know and/or with whom you already have a working relationship.) Regards,

2ND YEAR WRITING PRACTICE LETTERS for Mediazione.

2006 - 2007

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Formal Letters.

Useful phrases ( Skills for 1st Certificate Writing, Macmillan)

Greeting

Name unknown: Dear Sir/Madam, Name known: Dear Mr/ Dear Mrs / Dear Ms..+ surname

Reason for writing

I am writing to I am writing with regard to I am writing on behalf of

Asking questions

I would be grateful if

I wonder if you

could . Could you ? Referring to their letter /points As you stated in your letter, . Regarding / Concerning With regard to . Closing expressions If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you. Signing off If Dear + name: Yours sincerely, If Dear Sir/ Madam: Yours faithfully (Dear + first name : Yours,) name Your first name + surname printed clearly under your signature

Plan of letters.

Dear . Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Closing expression Yours First name and surname

Sample letter.

You recently visited a local sports centre and were dissatisfied with the service provided. You have decided to write to the manager. Carefully read this advertisement for the sports centre and the notes you have made. Write a letter to the manager, complaining about the service you received and suggesting improvements. Newtown Sports Centre Now in its third year, your sports centre offers So, get your A fully- equipped gym Professional staff A swimming pool Full-size tennis courts Lessons in many sports trainers on and come on down.

Practise your backstroke! Lose a few pounds! Newtown Sports Centre is the place to be!

Model. Your address The Manager, Address of Sports Centre. Date

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing following a recent visit to the Newtown Sports Centre. I would like to express my disappointment with the service I received.

Although the staff were generally polite and helpful, they seemed to lack basic sports knowledge. None of them could offer any advice to me on choosing a tennis racket. I suggest that you send your employees on suitable training courses..

Another cause for complaint was that the swimming pool was closed. I understand that repairs and maintenance need to be carried out. However, when I called for information the day before my visit, the receptionist did not mention that the pool was closed. If I had known, I would have visited the sports centre at another time.

Finally, offering lessons in different sports is a good idea, but in my opinion they seem to be very expensive. Considering the membership fee, the prices of lessons should be lower, and more sports should be offered. I was disappointed that neither diving nor windsurfing was available.

I hope you will take these points into consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Joe Bloggs.

Checklist. When you have written your letter, check:

It is a formal letter It includes all the information necessary You have asked all the questions you need to The questions are correctly formulated indirect questions The letter is divided into paragraphs You have checked the letter carefully for mistakes

Letters of Apology.

The following phrases are useful when writing letters of apology

(English for International Tourism , Longman)

Thank the person for bringing the matter to your attention Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Express sympathy We are very sorry to hear that Apologise if necessary

We apologise for Please accept our apologies for State what action you will take Please be assured that we will Remind the reader that his / her relationship with you is important We value your custom highly. Your satisfaction is our priority. Make a goodwill gesture if appropriate Please find enclosed a voucher for Mediazione Writing Practice: 1. May 2003
Recently you went on a business trip to America. You flew with Virgin Atlantic as usual, but this time you were not satisfied with the service. Below is a list of things that went wrong.

Flight was delayed by 4 hours no explanations or refreshments offered at Londons Gatwick Airport. You missed your connection to Pittsburgh. Your luggage did not arrive at your destination until 2 days later. You had no clothes for an important meeting. Staff were unhelpful. On the flight some passengers were noisy and you could not sleep, but cabin crew refused to deal with the situation. You asked for an aisle seat but were given a seat in the middle.

Use this information to write a letter of complaint to the Virgin Atlantic Customer Relations Department, UK. The Office, Manor Royal, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9NU. Pay attention to the layout of the letter. Use your own name and address.

2. September 2003

Charles Pinter recently flew to America on a business trip. He had a very unpleasant flight and wrote to Virgin Atlantic to complain about it. These are the points he mentioned in his letter: Flight was delayed by 4 hours no explanations or refreshments offered at Londons Gatwick Airport. Missed his connection to Pittsburgh. Luggage did not arrive at his destination until 2 days later. He had no clothes for an important meeting. Staff were unhelpful. On the flight some passengers were noisy and he could not sleep, but cabin crew refused to deal with the situation. He asked for an aisle seat but was given a seat in the middle.

You work for Virgin Atlantic Customer Relations Department, UK. The Office, Manor Royal, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9NU. Write a reply to Charles Pinter, Sales Manager, Premium Electronics, 17, The Waters, Funtley, Hants.

Pay attention to the lay out and tone of the letter.

3. September 2004
You work for a management training company which specializes in seminars to create team spirit in top management. Mr Igor Lendl, an important prospective customer from Havel Engineering, Prague, phoned you ten days ago to ask your boss, Ms Jenny Baron, to give an introductory talk at a two day management training session in Prague in November.
Your boss, Ms Baron, is away and has asked you to write a letter on her behalf. She left the following note for you.

Confirm dates, times, facilities & equipment needed etc

Apologise for delay writing reason. Confirm interest. State terms for 2 days incl. talk & workshop

Give my usual special requirements so they can arrange accommodation Are there areas of special interest for Havel Eng. I should know about?

Your company:
Team Management Services

36 North Road, Winchester.

Clients: Havel Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic

Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Dear Mr

On this page we look at important phrases that we need when 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. 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 Dear Dear Dear

Mr Hanson Yours sincerely Mrs Hanson Yours sincerely Miss Hanson Yours sincerely Ms Hanson Yours sincerely

When addressing a good friend or colleague:

Dear Jack Best wishes/Best regards

Addressing whole departments:

Dear Sirs Yours faithfully

1 The Opening Greeting of the Letter Your letter will probably need to be a reasonably informal letter to a friend or a semi-formal letter. The opening of your letter should reflect which one you are writing. A friendly letter will open with Dear followed by a name which should then be followed by a comma, eg: Dear John, A semi-formal letter will also open with Dear and then be followed by a name, (if you decide that in the situation you would know the name) or by Sir (if it's a man),

Madam (if it's a woman) or Sir/Madam if you don't know, eg: Dear Mr. Phillips, Dear Mrs. Phillips, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir/Madam, The question also might specify how you are to begin so follow what it says. 2 The Opening Paragraph of the Letter In a semi-formal letter, I feel it is important to state the reason for the letter straight away. You could use the following to help you: I am writing to ask/ tell//inform you that... I am writing to ask/inquire... I am writing with regard to... I am writing with reference to... I am writing in connection with... I am writing in response to... In reply to your letter, I am writing to... (if the question indicates that you have had a letter)

The Substance of the Letter I've already gone into detail about answering the question fully and using your imagination to produce a realistic letter fulfilling all functions so I won't repeat that. Through great experience with IELTS, I can say that questions tend to ask you to do certain things. Here I will give you some ideas about some language to use in the substance of the letter which will help you to answer the task well.
Asking for Help

I would like you to... I would be grateful if you could... I need to ask your advice about...

I'd like to ask for information about... What I'm looking for is... Complaining I'm writing to express my dissatisfaction/annoyance/ about... I'm writing to express my anger at... I am not happy about... ... is not what I expected/was expecting. I want to know what you are going to do about this situation. NB When complaining, don't get too angry. I've had students who really became too heated in their complaints. In a polite semi-formal letter, this should not happen. Also, do not over-exaggerate. If it's a reasonably small and understandable problem, do say that you're not satisfied but show that you understand and stay calm in your expressions.
Thanking

I'm very grateful for... I'd like to thank you very much for... I very much appreciated... Apologizing I'm very sorry that/about... Please forgive me for... I'd like to apologize about... Please accept my apologies

5 Ending your Letter First of all, in English we often end letters before the sign off with certain phrases. These can be included in most letters and will make your letter seem realistic and polished. For a formal letter, you could use:
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanking you in advance for your help, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

For a more informal letter you could use:

If you need to know anything else, just get in touch with me as soon as you can. Thanks a lot for your help and I hope to hear from you soon.

Be careful though! IELTS examiners quite rightly look for writing that has been memorised and just repeated so, if you use expressions like the ones above, make sure that they fit in with the rest of your letter. Finally you'll need to sign off your letter. For a formal letter use: Yours faithfully, OR Yours sincerely, Remember the commas (it makes a good impression on the examiner if you use good punctuation) and spell "sincerely" correctly (a lot of people don't!). For an informal letter, love is not always appropriate though English speakers use it a lot. Better would be to use: Regards, Yours, Best wishes, WRITING FORMAL LETTERS

. Useful Phrases for writing formal letters a) Writing formal letters generally:

Greetings:

Dear Dear Dear Dear Dear

Sir Madam Sir/Madam Mr Brown Ms Jones

Reason for writing:

I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter

Ending the letter:

I look forward to receiving your reply I look forward to your reply I look to hearing from you I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to) I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to) Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

b) Writing formal letters to complain:

Reason for writing:

I am writing in order to complain about I am writing to complain about

Introducing the complaint:

Firstly In the first place First of all My first complaint is The first problem is The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is My first concern is

Introducing further complaints:

Secondly In the second place Not only .but also In addition In addition to this Added to this .was also unacceptable

Demanding action:

I suggest that you replace the item I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund I would be grateful if my money was refunded I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Ending the letter:

I look forward to hearing from you

I look forward to receiving a full refund I look forward to receiving a replacement I look forward to receiving your explanation

c) Writing formal letters to make suggestions:

Reason for writing:

I I I I

am am am am

writing writing writing writing

to suggest to arrange to offer suggestions make arrangements

Making first suggestion:

My first suggestion is First of all I suggest I would like to suggest

Making further suggestions:

Another possibility is A further possibility is I further suggest I would further suggest Secondly

Offering a choice:

Would you therefore mind choosing between .? Eitheror You might choose either . Or

d) Writing formal letters to request information

Reason for writing:

I am writing to receive further information about I am writing to enquire about I am writing to receive more detailed information about I am writing to receive further details about

Requesting first piece of information:

The first thing I would like to know is First of all I would like to know I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all .?

Requesting further information:

Could you also tell me.? Could you also inform me .?

Would you also mind informing me .? Would you also mind telling me .? Do you know .? I would also like to know if I would also like to know whether I hope you might also let me know about

Thanking for information:

I would like to thank you in advance for this information Thanking you in advance for this information Thanking you in advance

e) Writing formal letters to give information:

Reason for writing:

I am writing to inform you about I am writing to provide you with information about I am writing to let you know that

Providing first point:

The first thing I would like to inform you of is The first thing I would like to tell you is The first thing I wish to inform you of is I would like to begin by informing you

Providing further points:

I would also like to let you know that I would also like to inform you that You might also find the following information useful It might also be useful for you to know that Another piece of information that might be useful

Ending the letter:

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to as If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask I will willingly provide further information on request I am at your disposal should you require further information I am at your disposal should you need further assistance Please do not hesitate to ask should you require further information

f) Writing formal letters to request permission

Reason for writing:

I am writing to ask permission for I I am writing to ask permission to am writing to request permission to I am writing to request permission for I am writing to ask if I might

Making first request:

Firstly I wonder if you would First of all I wonder whether you would mind The first request I would like you to consider is

Making further requests:

I I I I

would be grateful if you would also consider wonder if it might be possible for me to would also like to request permission for would also like to request permission to

Thanking for permission

Many thanks for kindly considering my requests Thank you for considering my requests
Request for information
I am writing to inquire about . . .

I am writing in reference to . . . I read/heard . . . and would like to know . . .

Could you please send me . . .

at the address below/above Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you.

Response to request
Thank you for your interest/inquiry Enclosed is the information you requested. You can learn more about this at . . . If you have further questions, If you require assistance, please contact: If I can be of more help, please feel free to contact me at . . .

Sample Sentences: Requests

Could you please send me your most recent brochure? Could you fax me the results of the market survey? I would like to order ten copies of the book, Touchy Situations. I would be very grateful if you could send me this information. Please return the enclosed envelope with your payment.

Sample Sentences: Goodwill

Thank you for your hospitality. I enjoyed having lunch with you last week while I was in New York. Congratulations on your promotion to General Manager. I want(ed) to congratulate you on your new position.

I was happy to hear that contract negotiations went well.

Sample Sentences: Introduction of Product/Service.

I am writing to tell you about . . . (Our new product) is coming out next month. This product/service is designed to (help you) . . .

Sample Sentences: Reference

I am writing in regard to . . . I am writing in reference to . . . Please refer to the enclosed invoice/brochure. I hope you have had a chance to look over the materials we sent.

Sample Sentences: Confirmation

I am writing to confirm . . . I would like to confirm what we discussed last Friday. I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed . . .

Sample Sentences: Notification

I am writing to let you know that . . . Please be aware/informed that . . . I would like to inform you of a recent policy change. I am happy to inform you that . . . Your request for funding has been approved.

Sample Sentences: Offering Assistance

We would be happy to . . .

If we can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sample Sentences: Collection

According to our records . . . Our records show that . . . Your monthly installment is past due. Please send payment as soon as possible.

EFL and ESL - WRITING FORMAL LETTERS OR EMAILS

Writing formal letters is a necessary skill that you need for most ESL or EFL exams at Intermediate Level and above. Below we offer English writing help, useful phrases and writing tips for formal letter writing. Shortly we will provide you with sample questions which you can send in, to be corrected in class, if you are a student at Bray's Santander. Examples: a. You are given an article to read from a newspaper. You write to the newspaper disagreeing with the article. b. You write to complain about something. c. You write making suggestions about something. d. You write requesting information. e. You write giving information. f. You write requesting permission. Useful Phrases for writing formal letters or emails a) Writing formal letters generally: Greetings:

Dear Dear Dear Dear

Sir Madam Sir/Madam Mr Brown

Dear Ms Jones etc.

Reason for writing:

I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter

Ending the letter:

I look forward to receiving your reply I look forward to your reply I look to hearing from you I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to) I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to) Yours faithfully Yours sincerely

b) Writing formal letters to complain: Reason for writing:

I am writing in order to complain about I am writing to complain about

Introducing the complaint:

Firstly In the first place First of all My first complaint is The first problem is The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is My first concern is

Introducing further complaints:

Secondly In the second place Not only .but also In addition In addition to this Added to this .was also unacceptable

Demanding action:

I I I I

suggest that you replace the item therefore suggest that I be given a full refund would be grateful if my money was refunded would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Ending the letter:

I I I I

look look look look

forward forward forward forward

to to to to

hearing from you receiving a full refund receiving a replacement receiving your explanation

c) Writing formal letters to make suggestions: Reason for writing:

I I I I

am am am am

writing writing writing writing

to suggest to arrange to offer suggestions make arrangements

Making first suggestion:

My first suggestion is First of all I suggest I would like to suggest

Making further suggestions:

Another possibility is A further possibility is I further suggest I would further suggest Secondly

Offering a choice:

Would you therefore mind choosing between .? Eitheror You might choose either . or

d) Writing formal letters to request information Reason for writing:

I am writing to receive further information about I am writing to enquire about I am writing to receive more detailed information about

I am writing to receive further details about

Requesting first piece of information:

The first thing I would like to know is First of all I would like to know I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all .?

Requesting further information:

Could you also tell me.? Could you also inform me .? Would you also mind informing me .? Would you also mind telling me .? Do you know .? I would also like to know if I would also like to know whether I hope you might also let me know about

Thanking for information:

I would like to thank you in advance for this information Thanking you in advance for this information Thanking you in advance

e) Writing formal letters to give information: Reason for writing:

I am writing to inform you about I am writing to provide you with information about I am writing to let you know that

Providing first point:

The first thing I would like to inform you of is The first thing I would like to tell you is The first thing I wish to inform you of is I would like to begin by informing you

Providing further points:

I would also like to let you know that I would also like to inform you that You might also find the following information useful It might also be useful for you to know that Another piece of information that might be useful

Ending the letter:

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to as If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask I will willingly provide further information on request I am at your disposal should you require further information I am at your disposal should you need further assistance Please do not hesitate to ask should you require further information

f) Writing formal letters to request permission Reason for writing:

I I I I I

am am am am am

writing writing writing writing writing

to to to to to

ask permission to ask permission for request permission to request permission for ask if I might

Making first request:

Firstly I wonder if you would First of all I wonder whether you would mind The first request I would like you to consider is

Making further requests:

I I I I

would be grateful if you would also consider wonder if it might be possible for me to would also like to request permission for would also like to request permission to

Thanking for permission

Many thanks for kindly considering my requests Thank you for considering my requests

Business English: Useful Expressions. Apologizing

I'm sorry. I made a mistake.

Please accept my apologies. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . . (I'm) sorry. I didn't realize that . . . .

That's okay.

No problem.

Prefacing bad news

I'm sorry (I have) to tell you this, but . . . I hate to tell you this, but . . . I don't know how to tell you this, but . . . I have some bad news.

(Formal) written apologies

We regret to inform you that . . . Regretfully, . . . Unfortunately, . . .