Structure of a Business Letter

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The main parts of a business letter are:

1) the letterhead / дані про відправника листа;

2) the date / дата;

3) inside name and address / дані про одержувача листа;

4) salutation / привітання;

5) the message / повідомлення, інформація;

6) complimentary closure / заключна частина;

7) the writer's signature and official position / підпис відправника та його посада.

1. The letterhead expresses the firm's personality. It gives the first impression of the firm. It is placed at the upper right-hand side, on blank paper, and consists of the exact address of the writer, including the name and address of the firm, its telephone numbers. telegraphic address, e-mail, telegraphic (zip) codes used.

2. The date is always typed in full not in figures in the following order: day, month. year (UK); month, day, year (USA).

e.g. 12^th October 2002 12 October 2002 (UK)

October 12^th 2002 October 12, 2002 (USA)

3. Inside name and address are set out at the head of the letter at the left-hand corner in
official correspondence. The official title of the person is used.

e.g. The Sales Manager

The Hercules Engineering Co Ltd. Brazennose Street MANCHESTER M60 8AS

4. The salutation is the usual greeting with which the letter begins:

Dear Sir

Dear Madam

Dear Sirs (when partnership of men and women is addressed in the UK)

Gentlemen {in the USA)

Mesdames (when the partnership consists of women only)

5. The message (body) is the part that really matters. Before you begin to write ask
yourself the following questions:

What is the aim in writing this letter?

What do I hope to achieve by it?

What is the best way to do it?

Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and start a new paragraph for each new point you wish to stress.

Some letters consist of only one paragraph. The others usually have a three-paragraph plan:

· introduction or acknowledgement (if there has been previous correspondence);

· information and statement of the facts;

· future actions.

The closing sentence has to leave an impression of cordial and friendly communication. In business letters use 'we'/' our' instead of 'I'/'my'. Don't use the short forms 'we'll'/ 'we've'.

6. Complimentary closure depends on how well you know the reader: formal, semi-formal, informal.

7. The writer's signature and official position. The signature must be written by hand and in ink and plainly. It is placed just below the close.

e.g. Henry J. Gray

Henry J. Gray

President

AMERICAN BUILDING COMPANY

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