Official letter to the organization of lawyers in English. Business letter in English

Knowing the rules of official correspondence in English will be useful for applications for admission to a foreign school or university, a trip to a summer or winter school abroad, passing the exam, correspondence with foreign partners. In this article, we will tell you how to write a business letter or e-mail in English.

The structure of a paper letter

There are nine mandatory elements that you cannot do without when writing a formal letter in English:

Sender's address: The first thing that is indicated in the letter is your address. It is written in the upper right corner of the sheet.

Date: under the address you indicate the date of the letter. Don't forget to skip the line between the address and the date.

Address of the recipient: the recipient's address is written after the date. It is located in the left half of the letter below the sender's address and the date the letter was written.

Greeting: Located below the recipient's address. Above and below the salutation, indent the size of a line.

Subject line: Like e-mail, a formal letter should have a subject line or a reason why you are addressing the recipient.

Body: This is where the body of the email is located. Remember the rule: one thought - one paragraph. At the end of the main part, indicate what actions you expect from the addressee after he receives the letter.

Conclusion: Don't forget to indent before closing. Read on for more information on how to finish a letter correctly.

Signature: the signature is placed after the final phrase of your letter manually.

Your name in block letters: Under the signature, indicate the name and surname.

How to write a greeting

Start a formal letter with "Dear". Words like "hi" or other informal greetings are prohibited. If you want to make the letter more strict, do not address the addressee by name, limit yourself to the surname. In some situations, addressing by name is acceptable: if you know the person personally or if he insisted on addressing by name. In other cases, adhere to the following rules:

• Sir and Madam - start the letter with "Dear Sir or Madam" in case you do not know the name of the recipient: when you write to the university administration and do not know who will read the letter.
• Mr, Mrs, Dr, etc. - when you know the name of the recipient, address him by his last name using the title or rank, if any. If the addressee is a man, use the abbreviation Mr. + surname: “Mr. Smith", if a woman - abbreviation Ms. + surname - "Ms.Smith". The exception is when you know the recipient has a title or rank, such as "Dr. Smith" or "Captain Smith".

How to write a conclusion

There are several ways to end a letter:

• Yours faithfully - used if you started the letter with the words "Dear Sir or Madam".
• Yours sincerely - written if at the beginning of the letter you addressed the addressee by name.
• Yours truly - used if you know the recipient but have not met in real life. The address is used mainly in America.

Don't forget that there should be a comma at the end of the final phrase.

Rules for writing emails

Emails are considered less formal than paper letters, but that doesn't mean they can use familiar expressions or slang. You must be polite, even if some liberties are allowed in the form of the letter.

Required items in the email:

Your e‑mail address

Keep a separate inbox for professional purposes, such as writing letters to university admissions or potential employers.

An address with a funny name will not impress the addressee, he may not take your letter seriously. Use the following template for an e‑mail address: firstname.lastname [email protected]

Topic

In this line, you need to briefly state the essence of the email. Do not make the description too detailed - state the main thing. This line plays an important role - it is it that can attract the attention of the recipient and distinguish your letter from others.

Avoid the words "Urgent!" in the subject line. or "Attention!" if your situation does not require an immediate response. If you write that the letter is urgent, and it really is not, this will anger the recipient.

Greetings

If you want to maintain a formal style in an email, then follow the guidelines for a formal paper letter.

If you have already corresponded - pay attention to how the person signed the letters: the letter was signed with the first and last name - follow the same format when contacting. Remember that you need to address the addressee in the same way as he addresses you: if his letter begins with "Dear", your answer must also begin with this word. If the letter begins with "Hi", you can also reply.

Another greeting option that can be classified as both formal and informal is "Good day" and "Good evening". It's a little more friendly and personal than Dear.

In the case of less formal communication, it is allowed to greet the addressee with the words "Hello" or "Hi".

Signature

Emails are more informal than paper letters, so "Yours sincerely" will look weird. If you started your email in a more formal style, then it makes sense to stick with it until the end.

If you used informal greeting, choose one of the options:

- best wishes,

– kind regards,

– Best regards,

– All the best,

– many thanks,

The last two are more suitable for cases where you are contacting the recipient with a request or intention to find out the answer to a question. Remember to end each of these phrases with a comma.

If you have a template set up to automatically end emails, make sure that its content is acceptable to your recipient. Funny signatures and pictures are not acceptable for use in a formal letter.

Good manners rules

4 more tips for writing a formal letter:

• Do not use colloquial vocabulary and slang.
• Write to the point: if you want your letter to be read to the end, state your thoughts shorter and clearer.
• Re-read the letter before sending: there should be no mistakes - they can undermine your professional image!
• When writing emails, try not to attach documents unnecessarily, and also avoid using emoticons and emoji 🤓.

We hope that these tips will help you to show yourself as a professional in business correspondence.

Formal letters/e-mails are written in a formal (formal style) to people who hold official, leadership positions, such as managers, directors.

Official letters can be of different types:

• Business letter;
• Information request letter;
• Complaint letter;
• Letter of application for employment;
• Complaint letter;
• Letter of apology.

Structure of a business letter

Sender's name and address

Details of the sender and is located in the upper left corner.

The sequence of details is as follows:

• the name of the leader;
• his position;
• sender's company name;
• house number, street;
• city, postal code;
• country.

Example:

Mr Viktor Moskvin

154 Sadovaya St

The absence of punctuation marks in a business letter is called "open punctuation".

the date

The date is located under the details, indented three lines. There are several options for writing the date:

• July 28, 2017;
• July 28th, 2017;
• July 28, 2017;
• July 28th, 2017

Address of the recipient

The recipient's address is written after the date as follows:

• recipient's full name;
• job title;
• Company name;
• house number, street;
• city, postal code;
• country.

The name must be preceded abbreviated address:

• Mr. (mister, mister)
• Dr. (doctor),
• Ms. (Miss, for an unmarried woman),
• Mrs. (Mrs - for a married woman or if you are not sure of the status).

Example:

Mrs Jennifer Gray

editor publishing company “GoodBook”

The location of the address is similar to writing the sender's address.

Addressing the recipient of the letter

• Appeal to the addressee begins with the word " Dear... "(dear(s)): If the full name of the recipient is indicated, then the greeting begins like this, with a personal greeting: Dear Mrs Jennifer Grey.
• If the name is unknown, then the letter is addressed indefinitely: Dear Sir or Madam.
• When addressed to the company, the address is general: Dear Sirs.
• If the letter is addressed to an American company, a colon is put at the end of the address: Dear Mrs Jennifer Grey:

Sender's job title

If the letter is written by a man, then the word Mr is not put. If the letter is written by a woman, then after the name in brackets is (Mrs). Do not put a dot at the end of a sentence. For example: Yours sincerely,

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”, or

Yours sincerely, Nikole Noble (Mrs)

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”

Application mark

A business letter may be accompanied by other documents. To indicate this in business correspondence, an abbreviation is written after the signature Enc or Encs (« Enclosures- "Applications"). After this inscription, a comma is placed and all documents attached to the main letter are listed. For example:

yours sincerely,

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”

Enc, a copy of the license.

Business and formal letters. The structure of a business letter and speech patterns to use in it

Letter structure	Speech models
1. Formal address to the recipient (Address the recipient in a formal manner)	Dear Sir or Madam - Dear Sir (appeal to a man) or Madam (to a woman)
2. In the first paragraph, indicate the purpose of writing the letter. (Don't use abbreviated verbs!)	I am writing in connection with / to ask about ... - I am writing in connection with / in order to find out / ask .... I have read / found your advertisement in ... and would like to ... - I read / found your advertisement in ... and would like ... I am interested in ... - I am interested in ... I would like to know more details about… I would like to ask further information about/concerning… I would like to ask if/when/why/where… I look forward to your answer/ to hearing from you. - Looking forward to your response…
3. The end of the letter in the appropriate form:
If the letter begins Dear Sir or Madam, then the letter must end with the phrase	Yours faithfully, ... - sincerely yours, with respect ...
If the letter begins Dear Mr/Mrs Wilson then the letter ends	Yours sincerely, ... - sincerely yours, with respect ...

Samples of business/formal letters

Examples of business formal letters

Letter of inquiry

1.Dear Sir/Madam,

2.I am writing in connection with an advertisement for your English course. I am 19 years old student from Russia. I am interested in English and have been looking for a course in English at higher level.

I would like to ask for more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could inform me about payment forms and enrollment requirements.

I look forward to your answer.

3.Yours faithfully

Dear Sir/Madame

I am writing to you in connection with an announcement regarding your English course. I am a 19 year old student from Russia. I am interested in English and therefore I am looking for English courses to improve my level.

I would like to know more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with information on payment methods and enrollment requirements.

Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Anna Rudova

Dear Mr. Stevens,

Mrs. M.K. Collins has applied for work as a saleswoman in my drugstore. She has referred me to you as one for whom she has done similar work. Please give me some general information as to her fitness for this work. I shall be grateful to you for this help.

Sincerely yours,

Dear Mr Stevens,

Mrs. M.K. Collins applied for a job as a sales clerk at our pharmacy. She listed you as a person to contact for more information because she did the work for you. Please provide me with general information about her suitability for this position. I will be grateful for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Warner

Letter of complaint (letter of complaint)

I am writing to complain about ineffective work of your book service centre. On February the third I ordered from you one copy of "Dandelion wine" by Ray Bradbury. The book arrived by mail and I found that some of the pages were transposed so that the book was not usable.

As a result I was left without a needed book. I would like the privilege of returning the defective book to you in exchange for a perfect copy. I hope it would be possible for you to replace it as soon as possible. I look forward to your answer.

yours sincerely,

Dear Mr Olsen,

I am writing to complain about the inefficiency of your book center. On February 3rd I ordered one copy of Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury from you. The book arrived by mail and I found that some pages of the book were in the wrong order, so the book was "unreadable".

As a result, I was left without the book I needed. I would like to replace the defective copy of the book with a normal one. Hope you can replace the book as soon as possible. Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Bill Barry

Additional speech models for a letter of complaint:

• I must express my dissatisfaction with...
• In fact I have already talked/written about it but nothing has changed/happened to…
• There has been no replay to my previous letter. There was no answer to my last letter.
• The item has not been replaced. – The product has not been replaced.
• It suddenly stopped working. – Suddenly, the product stopped working.
• The keyboard was missing. - The keyboard has been lost.
• Contrary to the description in the menu/brochure/time-table…The description in the menu/brochure/time-table does not match…
• The food was not cooked properly. – The food was not cooked properly.
• The price was expensive enough. - The price was too high.
• It was a very unfortunate event because ... - This event ended in failure because ...
• In this way it ruined all my plans as ... - Thus, all my plans were violated due to ...
• I hope I can expect ... - I hope that I can expect (expect) ...

Letter of application

(Letter of Statement)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to your job offer concerning the post of computer operator which I found in the latest issue of "Daily News".

I believe this position fits my expectations of a perfect job for a young person. As far as my qualifications are concerned I have been working for about two years as a computer operator in Gray Service Company, where I have had the chance to get "hands-on" experience with computers in a real working office and coming into contact with the public for the first time. There I have gained a lot of valuable professional experience. In addition to this, I consider myself to be hard-working and a very sociable person.

I would be happy to attend the interview at any time that is convenient to you. I am enclosing the names of two referees from Gray Service Company, whom you can contact for more details. I look forward to hearing from you.

yours faithfully,

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to respond to your ad for a computer operator position that I found in the latest edition of the Daily News.

I believe this position meets my expectations of an ideal job for young man. Regarding my qualifications, I worked as a computer operator for 2 years at Gray Services, where I had the chance to get hands-on experience with computers in the work office and the first experience of communicating with people within the profession. In the workplace, I gained valuable professional experience. In addition, I consider myself a hardworking and very sociable person.

I will be happy to attend the interview at any time convenient for you. I am providing the names of two former colleagues who you can contact for more information about me. Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Jane Morrison

Additional speech patterns for a job application letter:

• I am writing in reply to/with regard to…
• I am writing in connection with ... - I write in connection with ...
• I would like to express my interest in ... - I would like to express my interest in ...
• I found the position/job/post offer extremely interesting because…
• I would like to apply for this job because…
• My reason for applying for this job is that…(I am very sociable, hard-working, talented in…)
• As for my experience it includes… - As for my work experience…
• I worked for ... as ... - I worked in a position ... during ...
• I am ready to come to an interview at any time. I am ready to come for an interview at any time.
• I enclose my CV/references from my previous employers. – I am enclosing resumes/recommendations from previous employers.

• I met him…in…, when he joined…
• …has asked me to write a letter of recommendation to accompany his application for… I am very pleased to do so…. asked me to write a letter of recommendation to be submitted at the place of demand…. I'm glad to do it.
• …distinguished himself / herself … revealed himself as…
• His/her greatest talent is … His/her greatest talent is…
• He/she is a creative person… He/she is a creative person…
• His/her excellent capacity to…was invaluable… His/her excellent capacity to…was invaluable…
• While he / she was with us he / she… His responsibilities included…
• His/her main responsibilities were… His/her daily tasks included… His/her daily tasks included…
• The only weak spot that I ever noted in his/her performance was…
• I am confident that…will continue to be very effective. He/she deserves my best recommendations. I am sure that … will continue to work very effectively. He/she deserves my highest recommendation.
• I would happily recommend …as a hopeful candidate. I am happy to recommend … as a promising employee.

business greeting letter

The purpose of a congratulatory business letter is to officially congratulate the head of the company or your colleague. This letter may be shorter than a formal business letter, but more emotional.

Additional speech models for congratulatory letters:

• Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year from …! Please accept best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year from...!
• In appreciation of our association during the past year, everyone at … extends our very best wishes for a wonderful holiday season! - Appreciating our cooperation during the past year, each employee ... expresses our best wishes in connection with the holidays!
• Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year! With the warmest wishes for happy holidays and a wonderful coming year!

Recruitment letter (cover letter for resume)

In the introduction to the cover letter, it is recommended to mention the source of information and the desired position.

The main part of the letter refers to the professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, contains information about the resume accompanying the letter. Express your desire to come to the interview, if possible at a convenient time for the employer or his representative, and also about the hope for a positive decision in the direction of the applicant. Finally, thank you for reading the letter.

Additional speech models for employment letters:

• I was interested to read your advertisement for …
• Please accept this letter as application for the … position currently advertised in the …
• I have exceptional verbal and written communication skills. I have exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• I can supply references from…if required. I can provide recommendations from…if needed…
• Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your attention.

business invitation letter

In the business world, meetings with partners are part of the key to success, so the correct design of invitations is very important. When drawing up an invitation, make sure that the name of the partner is indicated in full. The invitation should be short, the use of humor is appropriate, and of course, the time to send the invitation!

Phrases for the invitation:

• You are cordially invited to be the guest of…
• Allow me the pleasure of inviting you to… Do not refuse the pleasure of inviting you…

Reply to a business letter in English

Some letters received by the company require a response. The structure of such a letter is no different from a business letter.

Additional speech models for replying to a letter:

• Thank you for your letter. Thanks for your letter.
• We appreciate your offer. We appreciate your suggestion...
• We shall be pleased to supply you with…
• Regarding your question about… Regarding your question about…

Conclusion

The official letter consists of the following parts:

Formal greeting: Dear Sir/Madam - when you don't know the person's last name; Dear Mr/Mrs Wilson - When you don't know the recipient's name.

The first paragraph contains a greeting and opening statement, the purpose of the letter.

The main part of the letter reveals its content - arguments are provided, information of interest is requested (usually 1-3 paragraphs).

The last paragraph is the summary of the entire letter, namely, the actions you expect from the recipient, the final comments.

Formal letter ending: Yours faithfully,… – when you do not know the person's last name; Yours sincerely... when you don't know the recipient's name.

Formal letters can also be a response containing the requested information. The response letter has the same structure.

Make sure that when writing your letter, no part is left out.

A well-thought-out and neatly written business letter is an effective tool in business that can not only help in concluding various kinds of deals, when hiring, etc., but also spoil the impression of the sender, which does not guarantee him success in achieving his goal.

The standard format of a formal letter provides for several important points in its writing, however, you should try to keep your formal letter in English as simple as possible, clear, only to the point and not complicate it with long sentences, do not use too narrowly specific vocabulary, which not everyone understands, do not insert old-fashioned expressions.

It should also be taken into account that the formal letter in English can not use abbreviated forms, idioms, phrasal verbs, imperative mood, emotional, subjective and obscure words: very, really, actually, totally, terrible, nice, good and the like.

Addresses in a formal letter

A standard English official letter begins with the address of the sender of the letter, which is written in the upper right corner. Phone numbers and email addresses are usually not written, but this is perfectly acceptable.

On the left and below the name and recipient of the letter is written. If you don't know the name, use an appropriate title, but it's best to always address the letter to a specific recipient.

the date

Then the date is written. It is permissible to put it both under the sender's address and under the recipient's address. Date formats have recently become more free, but in order not to confuse the number with the month, it is better to write the month in a word: 1st March 2014, 1st March 2014

Greetings

Very important: always use reversal Ms for a woman, unless specifically asked to use Mrs, Miss

Some write without a title: Dear Jane Empson, but the British consider such treatment to be rude. Therefore, it is better to use the title. If you know that the person you are writing to has a special status, indicate it: Dear Dr. house

If not only the name is known at all, but also the man or woman will read this letter, then the appeal is as follows: Dear Sir/ Madam (Dear Sir or Madam). The end of the letter will depend on how you started it. If a name was specified, then the ending of the letter will be: "Yours sincerely,". If sir or madam - "Yours faithfully,". Immediately below this expression, your signature is placed, under it your name and surname are printed.

After the greeting, it has now become customary to immediately indicate the reason for writing this letter and even make it bold or underline so that, if necessary, without going into details, a person can pass it on to a more suitable candidate.

Essence of the letter

The essence of the letter should be stated clearly, briefly, only to the point. The text is divided into paragraphs. The person you are writing to may be inundated with letters, so if they receive three pages of tightly written text, then most likely your letter will end up in the wastebasket. The letter should be read in a few seconds, so do not use any extra information, especially the one that is attached to the letter separately.

Check your formal writing in English

Check grammar and spelling very carefully, mistakes can make a bad impression, and if you are applying for a job, then your letter with errors will definitely fly into the trash. If possible, give it to someone else to check. Be especially good at checking the spelling of the recipient's name.

The writing style should be polite, respectful, even if it is a complaint. One way to achieve this is to use auxiliary verbs. could, would, should, but don't overuse it, as there is a chance that the letter will become too formal and even old-fashioned.

The following table of expressions will help you compose a complete formal letter in English for a customer, contractor, supplier.

Remember that the first impression is very important, so it's better to choose paper, envelopes, center the letter on the page, avoid spots on the paper. All these are small, but very important little things in business that can help you achieve your goal.

I appreciate your understanding, and I look forward
to welcome you back to the site soon.

Formal writing in English - example (click to enlarge) Sources: Birmingham City University Highly experienced EFL teacher Kate from

Nowadays, many companies have foreign partners or foreign branches, so the knowledge of a secretary or personal assistant in English is not a fashion trend, but an urgent need. Today we will talk about how to properly prepare some types of documents often assigned to the secretary.

OFFICE NOTES

Service note (memorandum) are written communications within companies or within company divisions. They are usually intended for announcements, discussion of business processes, reporting on the work of the company, dissemination of information among employees. The memo is a public document, so you should not write any confidential information in it.

When writing, an informal style is usually used. A memo should not be too short and too official, but conciseness is welcome. The structure of the memo is as follows: the most important information placed in the first paragraph, and in subsequent paragraphs explain it in more detail. All memos contain the following elements:

• recipient: left-aligned, at the top of the page;
• sender: left-aligned, directly below the recipient;
• the date: left-aligned, below the sender;
• topic: left-aligned, below the date.

For memos, it is customary to use white paper for printing, A4 size or smaller (memos must fit in the incoming document trays).

Don't get carried away sending out excessive memos - remember that every employee is busy and has their own work to do. Some people think that memos are effective management tools, but this is not entirely true. Although memos can be used to guide work and suggestions, criticism and praise are best given to the person in person.

While much of the information today is transmitted by e-mail by entering a message in the letter box, the use of attached memos (documents) remains an important element in business correspondence. When sending documents by e-mail, do not forget about their correct formatting (Examples 1, 2).

EXAMPLE 1

To: Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov From: Yulia Sergeeva/ Julia Sergeeva Vice President Communications ZAO Funny Cats/ Vice President for Public Relations, CJSC "Fanny Cats" Attached: Advance report #08/2011/ Advance report No. 8/2011 OAL (copy)/ Account statement (copy) Memorandum/ memo I ask to accept to the account 52 300 (fifty two thousand three hundred) roubles that I drew out as daily allowance for my first business trips to Sweden and Italy without the receipt (it was lost). I ask you to take into account the amount of 52,300 (fifty-two thousand three hundred) rubles withdrawn as travel allowances for my first two business trips to Sweden and Italy without a check, because he was lost. _________________ / Yulia Sergeeva / Julia Sergeeva

EXAMPLE 2

To: Marketing Department ZAO Funny Cats/ Marketing Department of CJSC "Fanny Cats" From: Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov Managing director Funny Cats, ZAO/ Managing Director of CJSC "Fanny Cats" Subject: Customer Presentation/ Presentation for the customer The New Product Marketing presentation you prepared last week was exceptional! Your enthusiasm, sales strategy, and product knowledge were impressive and certainly sealed the deal with our partner. Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication! My congratulations to all of you! The sales presentation of our new products that you prepared last week was great! Your enthusiasm, sales strategy and product knowledge was impressive and will certainly guarantee a deal with our partner. Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication to the company! My congratulations to all of you! Sincerely yours/ Sincerely, Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov

Resignation letter

resignation letter- This is an official document by which an employee notifies of his dismissal from a position or from a unit. It is submitted to the immediate supervisor. If the company is foreign, the application may be written in English.

Why is it necessary to submit a letter of resignation? First of all, in order to maintain good relations with the employer and the organization in which you worked, and to receive a positive reference (letters of recommendation). Even though verbal notice of termination is sufficient in some companies, the notice of termination may be retained by the employer and employee and used legally if necessary.

There are many options for writing statements in English, but it all depends on the specific company and accepted record keeping standards. But there are important points: for example, the date of dismissal, the date of writing and a personal signature must be present in the text of the application.

At the end of the application, it is imperative to indicate copies that are addressed to other persons, except for the immediate supervisor (for example, the HR manager or the head of the company).

The letter of resignation must be written competently and concisely in a business style based on the strict language features inherent in modern English.

However, we note that the main thing in this situation is to be able to say goodbye to the company on a good note. This is one of the components of career success and professional growth.

Below is a modern standard English language resignation letter drawn up in the UK (Example 3).

EXAMPLE 3

083, Oxford Road/ Oxford Road, 083 Manchester, NH 23432/ Manchester, NH 23432 To: Mrs. Ann Clark/ Mrs Ann Clark Sales Senior Specialist MA Trade/ Senior Sales Specialist MA Trade Dear Mrs. clark, Please, accept this letter as an official resignation from my position as a Sales Manager, effective date September 24th, 2011. I am leaving this position because an opportunity to study a Master in Business Administration has appeared. I understand this position requires my full attention and, therefore, will not allow me to study part-time. I thank MA Trade for the given opportunity and thank you, particularly, for your valuable training and professionalism shown. I would be more than happy to give the company a month in order to find a replacement for my position. Dear Mrs Clark, Please accept this application as my official resignation from the position of Sales Manager effective September 24, 2011. I am leaving this position due to the opportunity to study and get a master's degree in business management. Working in this position requires my increased attention, and it is difficult for me to find opportunities for additional training. I thank the MA Trade company for the opportunities provided to me and you personally for the knowledge and professionalism that you have shared with me all this time. I am happy to give the company 1 month to find a candidate for my position. Very sincerely yours/ Sincerely, Juliet Pratt/ Juliet Pratt Sales Manager, MA Trade/ Sales manager MA Trade CC: Mrs. Cecilia Rodriguez, Human Resources Manager/ Cc: Cecilia Rodriguez, Human Resources Manager

Email

Modern electronic messages, sent by employees to each other by mail, as a rule, are quite short, can be both official and informal. But even if the letter is informal, it should be neat and easy to read and assimilate information.

Below are several options for the standard design of electronic messages (beginning and ending) depending on the addressee, current tasks and your relationship.

you are well acquainted	Do you know each other	You are not familiar

Only at first glance, the question “how to write a formal letter” seems scary. If it is better to delve into the essence, it becomes clear that writing a business letter in English is a fairly simple task.
You will need a formal letter in English when applying for a job, establishing working relationships and partnerships. Even a person who owns foreign language at an intermediate level, will be able to write it without difficulty. You need to know the key rules of writing and the general scheme. You can not use ornate phrases with hidden meanings, metaphors and euphemisms. Write as concisely and clearly as possible. The recipient should pick up the sheet, look down and immediately understand what you want from him. The ability to write business messages correctly is one of the most important skills in business.

Structure. Start.

Messages of this type have a certain structure and rules for writing. The first thing that is important and must be remembered - no extra punctuation marks (open punctuation). Second - All paragraphs are written without red lines. Third - abbreviations are not allowed (You're, can't...). And the most important rule is The message should be short and concise, but meaningful.

Schematically, the beginning can be depicted as follows:
departure date
Destination name
Position of addressee
Company name
Company location address

Note that there are no punctuation marks. No dots or commas are required. Instead, a line break is used.

the date in different countries may have different spelling. In many countries, the date format is: day month Year(March 18, 2014 ). But there are countries in which the spelling is found in the format: month/day/year(March 18, 2014 ), and a comma after the number . It is better to write the month in text to avoid misunderstandings.

Name recipient indicated in the format in which he himself signs his letters. That is, if a person signs as John Smith, then you should not write Mr J Smith and the like.

Also indicated at the beginning special notes , indicating, for example, the confidentiality of the letter. They are most often written in capital letters (CONFIDENTIAL).

Main part.

As you know, any message begins with an appeal to the addressee or a greeting.

Formal writing in English is no exception. You can start in several ways:

• Dear Sir or Madam - if you do not know the gender;
• Dear Mr / Ms Marshman - in the absence of a very close acquaintance and friendship;
• Dear John Marshman - if the relationship with the recipient is close partnership or friendship;
• Dear Sirs - an appeal to a company of people;
• Dear Gentlemen - an appeal to two or more males;
• Dear Valued Customer - a standard appeal to the client;
• Dear General Manager (CEO) - CEO;
• Dear Dr. Marshman - if the title or special status is known.

If at the beginning, along with the address of the organization, the name of the recipient was indicated, then the greeting should be personal.
When addressing a woman, it is worth writing Ms, but only when she herself did not ask to write Mrs or Miss (Ms - universal appeal to married and single women).
Next comes the line called heading and reflects the main theme of the message. As a rule, it is written in capital letters (you can use an underscore) one line after the greeting.

The main part should be broken down into short, but meaningful and understandable paragraphs. A person must read the message in the shortest possible time, but at the same time understand everything that you wanted to convey to him. If you send the addressee several pages filled with text close to each other, then they are immediately in the recipient's wastebasket, without being read. Write short and to the point. Correct punctuation must be present in the main body.

Conclusion.

The ending consists of a polite farewell phrase, the name of the addressee, his position and additions. Often used final phrases: "Yours faithfully" ( written when the recipient's name is unknown) and "Yours sincerely" ( written in person). Addressee's name written 4-5 lines after the ending. You can write it in full capital letters, or use them at the beginning of a word. If the sender is male, then the postscript "Mr" is not used. But if the message is sent by a woman, then after the name you need to write in brackets (Ms / Mrs).

When a letter should be signed by a third party instead of the addressee, they write pp (per procurationem) in front of the name - on behalf of someone, or for. Position of addressee indicated on the next line after the name. The following are additional notes about investments or copies. As a rule, the presence of attachments is indicated by the mark Enc (Encs) a line after the position. If you want to send copies of the letter to a third party, then there must be marks cc ( courtesy copy or copy circulated) or Copy , followed by the copy recipient's name and title. If there are several, then they must be listed in alphabetical order. If the addressee is unwilling to inform the recipient that third parties will have copies, use the symbol bcc (blind courtesy copy). It is not written on the original, which the addressee will receive, but only on copies.
Business partners and employers will evaluate not only the text, but also the paper on which you write and the envelope in which you send the letter. This means that the presence of spots and bruises, sloppy and torn edges is unacceptable. It is important to check the letter for punctuation and spelling errors. The writing style should be clear, concise, formal. All these are small things, but they are as important as the suit in which you will come to the meeting. If it is crumpled and stale, then no one will take you seriously.

Writing a formal letter in English is not a difficult task. But here is a small list of helper phrases to make this task as easy as possible:
We would like to inform you that…– we would like to inform you that…;
We guarantee fulfillment of our obligations under the contract– we guarantee the fulfillment of our obligations under the contract;
I would like to schedule a meeting for a business dinner- I would like to make an appointment for a business dinner;
We would like to sign a contract of cooperation as soon as possible– we would like to sign a cooperation contract as soon as possible;
We will wait for you in the office at (time) We will be waiting for you at the office at (time);
It was decided to take on your place another employee, because- it was decided to take another employee in your place, because;
We are forced to refuse you, because- we are forced to refuse you, because;
We will gladly employ such a qualified employee— we will be happy to hire such a qualified employee;
We guarantee the delivery of goods in the near future and we apologize for the delay– we guarantee the delivery of goods in the near future and we apologize for the delay;
I enclose a copy of the signed contract to the letter I enclose a copy of the signed contract with the letter.

An example of a business (formal) letter.

CONFIDENTIAL
March 18, 2014
John Marshman
CEO
ABC Company
52 Lime street
Washington
USA
Dear Mr Marshman
COMMERCIAL PROPOSAL
Our firm is interested in our supplies. Please send the price list, product information with detailed specifications and several samples. To conclude a contract, we will send our representative to you as soon as possible.
With hope for further cooperation
Yours sincerely

Samantha White (Mrs)
distributor
Copy Joanna Mason
Andrew Yung
Edgar Wilson, Managing Director