Structure of the business letter

There are seven main parts to a business letter: the letterhead (I), the date (II), inside name and address (III), salutation (IV), body of the letter (V), complimentary closure (VI), the writer’s signature and official position (VII).

I. The letterhead (Дані про відправника листа). It is placed at the upper right-hand side and consists of the exact address of the writer which include the name and address of the firm, its telephone numbers, telegraphic addresses, e-mail, telegraphic (zip) codes used.

II. The date (Дата). Always type the date in full not in figures, in the following order of day, month, year (UK) / month, day, year (USA).

e.g. 12^th October 2003 12 October, 2003

October 12^th 2003 October 12, 2003

III. Inside name and address (Дані про одержувача листа). The usual practice is to set out the name and address of one’s correspondent at the head of the letter, at the left-hand corner.

Courtesy titles.

The courtesy titles used in correspondence are Mr., Mrs., Miss (if unknown whether a woman addressed is married or single), Messrs. [¢mes ə rz], Mmes. [¢meidæm].

Postcodes.

It consists of letters and figures in Britain and five figures in the USA.

IV. The salutation (Привітання). This is the greeting with which every letter begins. The customary greeting in business letter is Dear Sir, but others are used as follows:

Dear Madam (for both single and married woman);

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

Gentlemen (when a partnership of men and women is addressed in the USA);

Mesdames (when a partnership consists of women only).

V. The message (body). (Інформативна частина листа). It generally consists of three parts as follows:

Introduction (only one paragraph) – states the subject of the letter. It also may say if a correspondent’s letter was received.

Development (one, two or more paragraphs) – gives some facts, arguments, explanation, etc.

Conclusion (only one paragraph) – It refers to future action.

VI. Complimentary closure (Заключна частина) It should be consistent with other parts of the letter. The following are correct in business letters:

Respectfully yours (highly formal – to a high-ranking addressee)

Very truly yours (politely neutral – usually used in general correspondence)

Yours sincerely (friendly and less formal)

Most cordially (more friendly and informal)

VII. The writer’s signature and official position (Підпис відправника листа та його посада). Always sign your letter by hand and in ink. The signature is placed just below the close. The signature of a letter sent out by a business organisation includes the name of the firm and position of the writer. The following are examples of correct signatures:

Henry J. Gray Henry J. Gray President AMERICAN BUILDING COMPANY

Frank G. Wilson Frank G. Wilson Business manager BROWN PRINTING COMPANY

№2.Read the following words and word combinations and learn them.

requirement layout accuracy hackneyed expressions letters of condolence upper right-hand side zip (zone improvement plan) codes courtesy titles consistent

вимога схема розташування точність банальні вирази листи співчуття верхня права сторона поштовий індекс “титули ввічливості” послідовний, відповідний

№3. Answer the following questions.

What are the two general classes of letters?

Why is studying of business letters writing important?

What are the requirements to a good business letter?

Should business letters be typed or handwritten?

What parts does a business letter consist of?

What does the letterhead include?

In what way is it necessary to write the date?

What courtesy titles are used in correspondence?

What are the salutations accepted in Britain / the USA?

What parts does the body of the letter consist of?

№4. Put the parts of the business letter into the correct places.

______(1)______ _______________ ________(2)_________ ____________________ _________(3)________   ________(4)__________   __________________________(5)_____________________ __________________________________________________   __________________________(6)_____________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________(7)______________________ ___________________________________________________   _________(8)___________ __________(9)__________   __________(10)_________ _______________________  

Sincerely yours,

Michael Walton

Utah University

155 Lori Boulevard

Marino, Utah

Dear Dr. Jackson:

Thank you for your last delivery of computers research literature.

May 13, 2003

We also would like to purchase such a system. However, we need some additional information before purchasing it. Please provide us with any information that may help us in evaluation of this new product.

Dr. Mary Jackson

Jackson Laboratory

20 Hill Avenue

York, Colorado 75513

Michael Walton

Chairman

Computer Department

Last week we had a stuff meeting of our Computer Science Department. One of our professors mentioned that you have a new system of computer-supported instruction. All of us are interested in learning more about it.

№5.Read and memorise the following rules for writing letters.

TEXT B

“GOLDEN RULES” FOR WRITING LETTERS

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

Decide what you are going to say before you start to write or dictate: if you don’t do this, the sentences are likely to go on and on until you can think of a good way to finish. In other words, always try to plan ahead.

Use short sentences.

Put each separate idea in a separate paragraph. Numbering each paragraph may help the reader to understand better.

Use short words that everyone can understand.

Think about your reader. Your reader …

… must be able to see exactly what you mean:

your letter should be CLEAR

… must be given all necessary information:

your letters should be COMPLETE

… is likely to be a busy person with no time to waste:

your letter should be CONCISE ( короткий, чіткий)

… must be addressed in a sincere, polite tone:

your letters should be COURTEOUS

… may get a bad impression if there are mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling:

your letters should be CORRECT.

№6.Confirm or contradict the following statements.

It is desirable that any business letter should be concise, courteous and correct in tone.

As a rule, a message in the business letter has three parts.

“Development part” of a letter states the subject of the letter, acknowledges a correspondent’s letter if one was received.

“Introduction part” of a business letter has one or more than one paragraph. It deals in a methodical way with the subject previously referred to.

“Conclusion part” has usually one paragraph. It shows the reader goodwill and is intended to leave a favourable impression in the reader’s mind.

It isn’t necessary to sign your letter by hand.

№7. Read and translate.

TEXT C

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