English Business Correspondence

The Letter Form Letter Structure Salutation Date Style Inquiry Letter Replying an

Inquiry Letter

Full Block

Modified Block

Modified Semi Block

Simplified Letter

Indented Letter Style

Letter Structure

Head of letter

DateRecipient & complete

anddress

Salutation

Opening,& Content

Closing Statement

The writer

Closing Salutation

Warm upDear sir or madamDear sirDear madamDear Mr. smithDear Ms. SmithDear Miss smithDear John

To an unmarried womanTo a companyTo a man if you don’t know his nameTo a friend or someone you know wellTo married or unmarried manTo a woman if you don’t know her nameTo a married or un married womanTo married woman

Mr. or Mrs.

Warm upDear Mrs. WilsonDear MadamDear Ms. HemsuchyiDear susanaDear Mr. GonzalezDear davidDear sir or madam

Your s faithfullyYour s sincerelyBest wishes

Salutation

Message style1. Write in a natural style. Do not use an

old-fashioned, very formal style. Say thank you for your letter,dated 14 june; not, we have received your letter of the 14th of this month.

2. Do not use very informal language, unless you know the person well. Do not write Hi! Or Hello! John! Write Dear john (if you know the person) or Dear Mr. Saladin

3. Do not use text message abbreviation such as I hope I can c u soon or Yr order is waiting 4 u.

4. Do not use slang. Write someone in the office can help, not a guy here can help.

5. Do not use “emoticons”. Emoticons are symbols which people often use in the internet chat such as (happy) or (sad)

British and American English Spelling -re in BE is often -er in AE: centre /center,

theatre /theater, metre /meter -our in BE is often –or in AE: colour /color,

favourite /favorite, labour /labor, harbour/harbor -se in BE is often –ze in AE : analyse/analyze,

criticise/critisize, recognise/recognize -ogue in BE is often –og in AE :

catalogue/catalog, dialogue/dialog

VocabulariesCV resume

Note (money) billBill (in restaurant) checkGround floor first floorPetrol gasPost code zip codeProperty real estateShop storeCity/town centre downtownMobile phone cell phone

GrammarAE usually uses the simple past, whereas BE uses the present perfect.

BE I have spoken to Per about this. Have you asked Margareta?

AE I spoke to Per about this. Did you ask Margareta?

Date style

American StyleMM/dd/YYYY

EUROPE/ British styleDD/MM/YYYY

Inquiry letter Ordering some stuffs A new catalog Latest price list Sample of products A quotation Term of payment Terms of delivery Method of transport

(dispatch) Other information

Notice!See pg 30

Enquiry letterSee pg 31 - 34

exerciseSee 39-40