Business Worksheets Copyright 2006 www.englishlearningworld.com All Rights Reserved Writing a Business Letter An effective letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary. Salutation Dear Madam Dear Sir (when you have addressed the letter to- The Manager etc) Dear Sirs (when you have addressed the letter to- The Company) Dear Ms Philips Dear Editor Dear Valued Customer Note that it is usual to use a colon in North America after the salutation. First paragraph Thank you for your letter of January 5th. It was good to meet you at the conference last month. After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences. I'm writing to enquire about... We'd like to invite you to... Second and third paragraphs We regret to inform you... After careful consideration we have decided... Final paragraph Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. I look forward to... I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.
If you require more information... I would appreciate any feedback you may have. I have enclosed... Enclosed you will find... Feel free to contact me by phone or email. Closing (when the salutation is Dear Mr or Dear Ms ). Yours faithfully (when the salutation is Dear Sir or Dear Madam). Writing Tips Use active voice whenever possible. Use polite modals (would rather than will). To avoid confusion, write out the month instead of using numbers (e.g. July 5th 2007). Example Ms Davina Kelp HJK Supplies Ltd 110 Frankton Street Southampton SF8 9HJ UK 27th May 2007 Dear Ms Kelp Reference: Museum Exhibition Frankfurt First paragraph... Second paragraph... Third paragraph... Toby Franks Head Buyer cc: Wendy Somerset 1. Use Dear Sir when you write to a manager but don't know his name. 2 Do not indent, but leave a line blank between each paragraph.
3 If you don't know whether a woman is married, address her in a letter as Ms. 4 Business letters should be difficult to read. 5 It is advisable to write out the name of the month. 6 In British letters, Dear Sir is not followed by a colon. 7 Thank you for your letter of January 12th is correct English. 8 I look forward to is followed by a gerund (verb1+ing). 9 If you want something, use I would be grateful if... 10 If the letter starts with Dear Mr... then it ends with 2. Enquiry Reply
Fill in the blanks with a suitable word. Times Travel Ltd 12 South Street, LONDON SW7 6AW, UK Tel: +44 20 103 4567 Fax: +44 20104 4567 Email: info@ttravel.com Ms Susan Keats Freedom Holidays Universal Ltd 54 Oxford Road Slough SL3 4RG 26th May 2007 Dear Ms Keats Ref: South Africa Tour Thank you for your letter ------------13 January ---------------- about our South Africa tour. I believe you will enjoy this premium holiday, and have pleasure in ------------------our latest brochure and price list. Should you require ------------------information please don t--------------------to contact me. Tom Sculley T Sculley 3. Order Not Received Fill in the blanks with a suitable word(s). Joe Sandfield Tamar Silk 15 Selby Rd Birmingham BS2 7ML 28th October 2007
Dear Mr Sanfield Ref: Invoice 347632 Order No 19372 I am ------------ to inform you that we have not ------------ received the order of silk carpets. Could you please ------------ us by email: Jacj@highlight.com ------------ when we can expect delivery. I would be ------------if you could treat this matter as urgent. Chief Buyer ANSWERS 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 2. Times Travel Ltd 12 South Street, LONDON SW7 6AW, UK Tel: +44 20 103 4567 Fax: +44 20104 4567 Email: info@ttravel.com Ms Susan Keats Freedom Holidays Universal Ltd 54 Oxford Road Slough SL3 4RG 26th May 2007
Dear Ms Keats Ref: South Africa Tour Thank you for your letter dated/of 13 January enquiring about our South Africa tour. I believe you will enjoy this premium holiday, and have pleasure in enclosing our latest brochure and price list. Should you require further information please don t hesitate to contact me. Tom Sculley T Sculley Enc: 1 3. Joe Sandfield Tamar Silk 15 Selby Rd Birmingham BS2 7ML 28th October 2007 Dear Mr Sanfield Ref: Invoice 347632 Order No 19372 I am writing to inform you that we have not yet received the order of silk carpets. Could you please advise/inform us by email: Jacj@highlight.com as to when we can expect delivery. I would be grateful if you could treat this matter as urgent. Chief Buyer