The Date.

In English Business letters the date is typed on the right hand side. It is typed in full, e.g. 2^nd May 2003 or 2 November 2003 without “nd” and without a comma after the month.

In American letters the date is written in the following way: June 14, 2002. The name of the month may be abbreviated: April to Apr., November to Nov.

The Inside Address.

This is the address of the person receiving the letter. The name and address of the company written to are usually typed on the left-hand against the margin, all lines starting at the same margin not diagonally. The use of Messieurs (the French word for Gentlemen) in front of the name of a limited company should be typed mostly when a partnership is being addressed, as in this example:

Messrs. Anderson and Martin

Great West Road

London № 25

The number of the street in the address always precedes the name of the street, and that in the case of large towns and cities in the UK the name of the country is not required.

The Salutation.

“Dear Sirs” is the usual greeting with which every letter addressed to a company begins. Very often comma is typed after a salutation. The customary greeting in a business letter is also “Dear Sir”, but others are used as follows: Dear Madam (for both single and married women);

Gentlemen (when a partnership of men and women is addressed in the USA). When we write to a man, we write: Mr. P. Herman. When we write to a woman, we write Miss I. Smith. If the woman isn’t married, Mrs. A. White and Ms. S. Gooding if the woman is married. But Ms. A. Herman either for married or unmarried woman.

If we don’t know the name of the person we are writing to, we can write the Managing Director, the Personal Manager or on Hiring Manager, but it is always well worth making a real effort to find the person’s name. You’ll make a much better impression.

So, there are no hard-and-fast rules, but every firm has its own policy.

The Body of the Letter.

Begin the letter two spaces after the greeting, you can either double space between paragraphs or indent five spaces for each new paragraph. Don’t do both.

As business letters are written on behalf of a firm, the first person plural “we”, is preferred to the first person singular “I, “My”. The short forms “we’ll”, “we’ve” should be avoided in all formal and business letters. Extra spacing used between paragraphs to separate the various points more effectively. As you write, keep in mind that the words you choose create the impression readers have of you. Your diction (word choice) paints a picture of the person speaking. If your language is pompous, readers may think of you as self-impressed and arrogant. On the other hand, if your language seems genuine and clear readers react positively. It’s a common myth that large words and elongated phrases sound impressively professional: “Pursuant to your letter of June 25 ...” Or “As per your letter ...” instead of “As you requested in your letter of June 25 ...” Or “I am in receipt of your materials ... instead of “I have received your materials” ... Using such diction not only wastes space but also creates the negative impression that the writer is still and overly formal. That’s why you must try to find the clearest, most direct words to express your point. Readers will be grateful for your clarity and will find reading your messages a pleasure.