• Writing strategies

Writing an effective business letter is an important skill for every educated person who wants to be successful in formal communication. Formal letters are normally sent to people in an official position or people you don’t know well (e.g. Director of Studies, Personnel Manager, etc.) They are written in a formal style with a polite, impersonal tone.

Remember "Golden Rules" for writing business letters:

1. Give your letter a heading if it helps the reader to see at a glance what you are writing about.

2.  Decide what you are going to say before you start to write.

3.  Use short sentences.

4.  Put each separate idea in a separate paragraph.

5.  Use short words that everyone can understand.

6.  Think about your reader. Your reader…

…must be able to see exactly what you mean: your letters should be clear;

…must be given all necessary information: your letters should be complete;

…is a busy person with no time to waste: your letters should be concise;

…must be addressed to in a polite tone: your letters should be courteous;

…may get a bad impression if there are mistakes in grammar: your letters should be correct.

Hence there are five main steps considered in creating an effective business letter:

1. Identify your aims

Establish what you want to achieve from the letter. Create your letter based on your aims.

2. Establish the facts

Make sure you have all necessary relevant and accurate facts. For example, if you are a job applicant, you might include some resume facts, interview impressions or references.

3. Know the recipient of the letter

It works better if you write in the language of your recipient. Try to imagine yourself in the place of your recipient. Read tour letter from this point of view. It will help you to get your desired response.

4. Create a sample copy

Having established your aims and thought of the relevant facts with a view of the recipient – write down the main part of your letter.

5. Decide on the layout of the letter

The physical appearance of a letter consists of the paper and the envelope. It is essential that the name and address should be spelt correctly. Design your letter following the formal elements of business letters.

Task 4. Match the steps and their functions.

1) Identifying the aims means…	A. thinking of the meaningful facts combined together
2) Establishing the facts means…	B. knowing his/her language, interests, knowledge
3) Knowing the recipient means…	C. thinking of the envelope and letter style design
4) Creating a sample copy means…	D. writing the main elements of the letter
5) Deciding on the physical layout of the letter means…	E. realizing what you want to get from the letter

A business letter has a specific format. It should consist of:

1. A formal greeting (e.g. Dear Sir/Madam – when you do not know the person’s name; Dear Ms Smith – when you know the person’s name);

2. An introduction in which you write your opening remarks and mention your reason(s) for writing e.g. I am writing to apply for the position of …);

3. A main body in which you write about the main subject(s) of the letter in detail, starting a new paragraph for each topic;

4. A conclusion in which you write your closing remarks e.g. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible…;

5. A formal ending (Yours faithfully – when you do not know the person’s name; Yours sincerely – when you know the person’s name; + your full name).

Task 5. Analyze the structure of the business letter.

GIMBEL& CO Ltd 21 High Street, Blackheath, London SE3B 5HY Tel: 01-564-8843 7th May 2002	The address of the firm sending the letter (the letterhead) is often printed on the paper   The date
M.Lawson Esq, Manager, Filbury & Johns, 20 Shaftsbury Avenue, London W1A 4WW	The name, position, firm and address of the addressee
Our ref: DM/SK Dear Mr Lawson,	The reference (the initials of the person writing the letter and the person who types it)
Thank you for your letter of 4th May enquiring about our range of office equipment.	The first paragraph says why you are writing
I enclose an up-to-date price list and our latest catalogue which I hope includes something of interest to you. You will notice that we offer very favourable terms of payment.	The second paragraph says what you want or what you are doing (the real reason for writing the letter)
I look forward to hearing from you again.	The final paragraph is a polite ending
Yours sincerely	You write 'Yours sincerely", if you know the name of the addressee and 'Yours faithfully" if you don't
David Jones Sales Manager	The signature The person writing the letter His position in the firm
Encs	Here the enclosures are the catalogue and price list

The formal style of business letters is usually considered in four aspects:

1. Format:

There are three main formats, accepted in formal written communication:

1. blocked – all the elements of a letter are left oriented;

2. modified blocked – the parts are left oriented except the date and closing which are placed in the center;

3. semi-blocked – looks like the modified blocked style, only each paragraph is indented.

1. Prose:

Clarity of communication is the primary goal. Don’t use any jargon or slang if your recipient doesn’t understand or share it. Short sentences are preferable, because they are easier to understand and interpret in the right way. Don’t ramble, dive precise and relevant information.

3. Manner:

Personalize your letters, be polite and friendly in all cases, whatever the subject of your writing is. Your letter should leave an impression that much effort and thought has been put into writing it.

4. Accuracy:

The final copy of your letter is to be polished and checked for spelling and punctuation.

Task 6. Identify the functions ticking the right columns.

	format	prose	manner	accuracy
Spelling and punctuation checking
Using short, laconic sentences
Using modified blocks
Personalizing the letter
Using semi-blocks
Polishing the grammar and vocabulary of the letter
Using proper vocabulary
Being precise, avoiding non-meaningful phrases
Trying to be friendly in all cases
Using blocks
Giving impressions of hard and meaningful work over the letter
Checking sentences for their relevance

The formal style is characterized by the use of:

• advanced vocabulary

e.g. I am writing to enquire whether ... (not: / want-to know if)

• linking words/phrases (consequently, however, therefore, for this reason)

e.g. I have worked as a primary school teacher for ten years and therefore have experience working with children.

• passive voice

e.g. I can be contacted... (not: You can contact me...)

• polite forms without contractions

e.g. I would be grateful if ..., I would appreciate it if you could ..., I would like to apply

Colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms and short forms are not used in formal style