How to write a letter in English

The rules of correspondence in English have their own subtleties and nuances. And if the rules can be neglected in a personal letter, then this is unacceptable for business paper. Therefore, for written communication with colleagues and partners abroad, it is worth studying the structure of writing in English.

Instruction manual

one

Addresses

In the upper right corner write your address according to international standards, i.e. starting with the street, house and apartment (office) numbers, then indicate the city, region, zip code and country. Set the full date below. After a couple of empty lines, give the address of the recipient of the letter in the same order. In British addresses, the house number is traditionally preceded by the street name (both options are acceptable).

2

Address and introductory phrase

If the addressee of the letter is unknown to you, write Dear Sir / Madam, in other cases, use Dear Mr./Mrs. Smith (as part of the formal style) or Dear David (if the recipient of the letter is familiar to you). After the treatment, put a comma, the introductory phrase, start with a new line with a small letter. In the first line you need to indicate the reason for your appeal: response to the request, reminder, request, etc.

3

In the main part, briefly and accurately state the purpose of the message: discuss the details of the agreement, recall the delivery / payment dates, provide a price list, place an order, and so on. This cliche may use the following cliches:

I am writing to inform you that - I am writing to inform you that …

Enclosed is - Attached to the letter …

Please contact me - Please contact me …

I look forward to your reply / further cooperation - From reliable to your prompt reply / to further cooperation …

Thank you for your answer - Thank you for your reply.

4

At the end of the letter, use the form of politeness:

Yours Faithfully - Regards …

Sincerely - My respect …

Best regards - Best regards …

Put a comma and write your name on a new line. In a paper letter, leave space for handwritten signature.

note

Don’t worry that you write letters in too simple a language. Better to sacrifice stylistic beauties than to be misunderstood. Use classic epistolary clichés especially carefully when communicating with people for whom English is not their native language. In this case, the simpler the better.

Useful advice

If you are sending to the same addressee not the first letter of the day, just write the name as an appeal:

David,.. (no need to greet the recipient every time).

writing advice in English