Correspondence

•Personal•Official or Government•Business

Business Letter• It is a letter written in formal language.

Parts of a Business Letter

Letterhead/Heading

Date/Dateline

Inside AddressFull Name of RecipientTitle/Position of RecipientCompany NameRecipient's Address Line 1Recipient's Address Line 2

Subject Line

Salutation Body Complimentary

Closing Signature Block Typed Name Title Notations - Reference Initials

- Enclosure- Courtesy Copies

Business Letter FormatsBlock Date (Month Day, Year) 

Full Name of RecipientTitle/Position of RecipientCompany NameRecipient's Address Line 1Recipient's Address Line 2

Subject: Title of Subject 

Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 

Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ClosingSignature Your NameYour Title 

Semi-block

Indented Date (Month Day, Year) 

Full Name of RecipientTitle/Position of RecipientCompany NameRecipient's Address Line 1Recipient's Address Line 2

Subject: Title of Subject 

Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 

Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Closing Signature Your Name Your Title 

Types of Business Letters

Apology Appeal Application Complaint Inquiry Interest Internal Memo or Memorandum Recommendation Request Resignation

Important Phrases in Business Writing

Starting

•  We are writing - to inform you that ...- to confirm ...- to request ...- to inquire 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 ...

Referring to previous  contact

• 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.

Making a request

• 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.

Offering help

• Would you like us to ...?• We would be happy to ...• We are quite willing to ...• Our company would be pleased to ...

Giving good news

• We are pleased to announce that ...• I am delighted to inform you that ..• You will be pleased to learn that ...

Giving bad news 

• 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 ...

Complaining 

• 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 number ----- is now considerably overdue.• I would like to query the transport charges which seem unusually high.

Tips in Writing Business Letters1. Identify your purpose and

goals in writing.2. Write chronologically.3. Allow for “cooling off”

and revision time.4. Make your letter short.5. Make your letter

presentable.

1234 Bagong Lipunan St., TamboParanaque City, Metro ManilaAugust 26, 2008

Fire DepartmentParanaque City HallSucat, Paranaque City

Dear Sir:

I, Mr. Juancho Z. Menoy, a Paranaque resident since birth and a representative of my parents, am filing a complaint against our neighbor, Mr. Arsenio Dizon, regarding his apartment which is a fire hazard.

The three-storey apartment does not comply with the safety requirements for commercial buildings. First, it has no fire exit and no fire wall. Second, there are no fire extinguishers. Third, it has no electricity; some of the occupants who may be using candles can pose a hazard, especially that there are portions of the apartment that are made of light materials. Fourth, there are some occupants who store their kalakal (used paper, plastic bottles, plastic cups, plastic containers, and easily combustible materials) here and nearby. 

Just recently, a fire which lasted for days hit the Baclaran commercial area. My family and I were once fire victims. I do not want to encounter the same traumatic experience. Concern for my safety and that of my family and my neighborhood prompted me to air this complaint. 

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure; thus, it is best to act upon this matter before another fire in our area breaks out.

Your prompt attention and favorable action on this matter shall be highly appreciated.

Very truly yours,

JUANCHO Z. MENOY

Write Thing!

•Write an example of a letter based on a situation.

Memorandum• It is a written business

communication that conveys basic information. 

• It is a widely circulated document in the office conveying a message, a brief report, an announcement, or invitation.

Purposes of Writing a

Memo• to inform others about new or changed policy, procedures, organizational details• to announce meetings, events, changes• to present decisions, directives, proposals, briefings• to transmit documents (internal)

Parts of a Memo Heading SegmentTO: (readers' names and job titles)FROM: (your name and job title)DATE: (complete and current date)SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way) Body Typist’s Initials/Enclosures

College of Arts and Sciences-EducationCENTRAL COLLEGES OF THE PHILIPPINES52 Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City

MEMORANDUM

TO: Humanities and Freshman English Instructors

THRU: Dr. Rosenda de Gracia, AVPAA

FROM: Prof. Jesus Z. Menoy

DATE: July 21, 2008

SUBJECT: Change of Schedule of Film Viewing

Please be informed that the film viewing of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Swan Lake” slated on July 23 and 30, 2008, respectively, was postponed to September 24 and October 1, 2008 inasmuch as the Studio Theater will be used by some student organizations who scheduled their activities there earlier.

To make use of the afternoon slot, the members of the Art Appreciation Club of Central Colleges of the Philippines will hold a general assembly in HR 230 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm to discuss matters pertaining to the membership fees, the organization’s constitution and by-laws, and the election of officers. Therefore, please advise your students who applied for membership in the AACCCP to attend its initial meeting.

Your cooperation in this regard is expected.

Write Thing!•Write an example of memo and present it.