Letter Writing in English docx

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Mohammad Fathi
Electrical Engineering, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

February 2011
Letter Writing in English
Writing
Letter Writing
• Personal letter
• Business letter

Visit


Book: A course in letter writing for Iranian students, Mrs. Sarah. J.
Rutledge Moridi
for sample letters.
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Personal Letters: Layout
 Heading: Writer's address
261 Azadi Street
Tehran
July 20, 2010
 Salutation: is the greeting of your letter.
 A comma always follows the salutation.
 Examples: Dear Mr. Smith, Dear Ali, Dear Uncle Reza, Dear Mrs.
Jones
 Never use both first name and last name.
 Body: Here you say what you have to say

 Introduction
 Development
 Conclusion



Personal Letters: Layout
 Closing: choose the words that are closest to the meaning which
you wish to convey.
 Only the first word is capitalized.
 The closing is always followed by a comma.
 Examples: Sincerely yours, Regards, Best Regards, Best, Your friend
 Signature
 Sign the name you usually use.
 Do not place any punctuation after the signature.

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Personal Letters: Layout placement
Heading
Salutation
Body
Closing
Signature

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Personal Letters: Body
 Introduction
 Refer to a letter you have recently received, e.g. I was very happy when I

received your letter yesterday, or Thank you so much for answering my latter so
quickly.
 Refer to an event which has prompted you write, e.g. I am writing to tell
you …, or I am so sorry …
 If you have a definite purpose or pressing need, write it directly, e.g. I need
a letter of invitation from you to …
 Purpose
 the most important part
 Write as tactfully as you can
 Conclusion
 Round off the letter with a polite wish.
 Example: I hop you will be able to…, I am looking forward to hearing
from you soon, I appreciate your time and effort,
Personal Letters
 Invitations
 It is my pleasure to invite you to …, I would like to invite you to …
 Thank-you
 Informal: Thank you so much for…,
 Formal: I would like to thank you for
 Congratulations: are sent to mark your happiness at someone
else’s success.
 Congratulations! , Please accept my warmest congratulations!
 Reply: It was very kind of you to send me good wishes.

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Personal Letters
 Condolence: if someone dies and we write to a relative to
express our sympathy.
 I was so sorry to hear about the death of your father; please accept

our condolence.
 I wish to express my sympathy for the death of your husband.
 It was a great shock to learn of the death of your brother. please
accept our condolence.
 Reply: thank you very much for your kind letter of sympathy.
 Apology
 shows that you are sorry and says that you value your relationship
with the other party.

Sample: Invitation letter
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Sample: Apology letter
Sample: Thank you letter
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Sample: Apology letter
Homework
 You are to write a personal letter and send it. The type of the
letter is optional.
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Writing
Letter Writing
• Personal letter
• Business letter

Business Letter: Layout
 Heading
 It is similar to that of a personal letter.

 When you are using business stationery which has a letterhead, you
write only the date.
 Inside Address
 The name and address of the person to whom you are writing must be
included under your own address.
 Sometime you do not know who is going to read your letter. In this case,
you can direct your letter to the company concerned.
 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or
To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown.
 Salutation
 Usually use “Dear ….”
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Business Letter: Layout
 Body
 The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs
should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip
a line between the end of the body and the closing.
 Closing
 Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends
with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on.
 Signature
 Your name
 The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or
position on the line underneath it.
 Enclosure
 If letter contains other document other than the letter itself, your letter
will include the word "Enclosure."

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Business Letter: Body
 first paragraph:
 Reference : begin by referring to something which has caused you
to write.
 Example: Thank you for your letter I have received on , and You may
remember that I visited last year
 Purpose: The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose
of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.
 Middle paragraph: contain the relevant information behind
the writing of the letter.
 Last Paragraph : should state what action you expect the
recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc.

Business Letters
 The order letter: the most common use of business letter
• You request a Profroma invoice consisting of merchandise, prices and finally
the amount of money you should send.
Dear Sir,
Please send me a proforma invoice for one copy each of the following books:
Your prompt attention to this matter would be very much appreciated.
yours faithfully,
A. Jon
 The letter of request
• Write letters for information or advice
• Would you please let me know …?

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Complaint letter
65 Market Street
Val Haven, CT 95135June 30, 2004
Customer Service
Cool Sports, LLC
8423 Green Terrace Road
Asterville, WA 65435

Dear Sir or Madam:
I have recently ordered a new pair of soccer cleats (item #6542951) from your website on June 21. I received
the order on June 26. Unfortunately, when I opened it I saw that the cleats were used. The cleats had dirt all
over it and there was a small tear in front of the part where the left toe would go. My order number is
AF26168156.
To resolve the problem, I would like you to credit my account for the amount charged for my cleats, I have
already went out and bought a new pair of cleats at my local sporting goods store so sending another would
result in me having two pairs of the same cleats.
Than you for taking the time to read this letter. I have been a satisfied customer of your company for many
years and this is the first time I have encountered a problem. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at
(555) 555-5555.

Sincerely,
Signature
Ken Thomas


Apology letter: formal
5868 Maple Wood Street
Fairfield, PA 37626November 29, 2004

Mr. Joseph Bicman
358 Noncook Road
John's Town, PA 57323
Dear Mr. Bicman:
I apologize for the mix-up of order #: 26429782. We have just implemented a new
packaging system that still has a few bugs to be worked out, but we did fix your order
and sent it out this morning. For your trouble, we have enclosed a $25 gift certificate
which can be used at any of our stores. Once again I would like to apologize for the
mix-up in your order and any inconveniences this may have caused you.

Sincerely,
Signature
Scott Mahoney
Customer Service Manager

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Invitation letter: formal
Lockwood Middle School
307 Main Street
Lockwood, NJ 51686December 17, 2008
Mrs. Jody Coling
President
Lockwood Health Association
23 Main Street
Lockwood, NJ
Dear Mrs. Coling:
My name is Susan Harris and I am writing on behalf of the students at Lockwood Middle School. We would like to invite you
to attend a special event being held at our school in a week's time.
A significant amount of the students at the school have been working on a project which relates to the unemployment

problem within the youth demographic of Lockwood. You are invited to attend a presentation that will be held within the
media room of the school where a variety of proposals that will demonstrate the ability of the community to develop
employment opportunities for the youth within the community.
At the presentation, there will be several students receiving awards which will recognize them within the community from
the Mayor. Refreshments will also be available at the presentation.
As one of the prominent figures in the community, we would be honored by your attendance. Please reply by Monday the
26th of February to confirm your attendance to the function.
We look forward to seeing you there,

Sincerely,
Signature
Ms. Susan Harris

Resignation letter
483 Spring Road
Ft. Berliner, VA 58265October 21, 2004
Mr. Jack Wilkins
Head of Inventory Control
Widgets Unlimited, Inc.
16 Ferris Blvd.
Clinton, VA 58763
Dear Mr. Jenkins:
I am formally notifying you that I'll be tendering my resignation from Widgets Unlimited, Inc. My last day
will be on November 12, 2004
I never imagined that I would have to leave Widgets Unlimited, but due to the relocation of my wife's work to
New York, I have made the decision with my wife to move up to New York as a family.
If there is anything that I can do to make this transition easier for the company, let me know and I'd be more
than willing to help out.
I have truly enjoyed my work here and I would like to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me
to work here at Widgets Unlimited.

Sincerely,
Signature
Scott Nelson
Inventory Specialist


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Letters of Application
 An application for a job may include several parts:
 The letter of application
 A Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Gives the essential facts
about yourself, your education, your work experience, personal
qualities, and what you have actually accomplished.
 The letter of Recommendation from references

CV: is almost enclosed with the letter of
application
Bear in mind that you are trying to sell yourself by an application
for job, so include
 The highlights of your education and business career.
 Your important honors and publications.
 Your important jobs and the highest position you have had.
 Hobbies and Interests
 Skills
 Your age, martial status, and the number of children (if
applicable).
 Points of interest for your prospective employer.
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The Letter of Recommendation
 Place a fair, moderate and impartial judgment on the person
your are recommending.
 Not to praise too much, and not to criticize mercilessly.
 At the end of the letter,
 you either recommend him/her positively for the position,
 or you state that he is not qualified or he is unable to fulfill the
duties of the position for the reasons you mentioned above.
 The person who will read your recommendation should be able
to believe you; otherwise your recommendation is totally
worthless.
Recommendation letter
562 Banquest Street
Fair Valley, AL 81356September 28, 2004
To Whom It May Concern:
It is with great pleasure that I am recommending Rose Berdinger to you. I am the Head Sales Manager at
Vacuums Plus and Rose has been under my supervision from November of 2000 to August of 2004 as a
saleswoman.
Rose would be a great asset to any company. She is one of the brightest employees that I have ever had. She
also has a great drive and passion for her work.
Rose is such a quick learner. Within her first two weeks at Vacuums Plus she had learned all the product
names, their features, and how they work. It normally takes a new employee at least two months to get
familiar with all the products that we sell.
Rose's drive has led her to great success at Vacuums Plus. She has had the honor of receiving the "Top Sales
Person of the Month Award" ten times in her last year at Vacuums Plus, which is a feat that no employee has
ever achieved here before.
I believe that Rose Berdinger will be an excellent fit for your company. Rose has been nothing short of an
exemplary employee. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at (555) 555-555 and I'll be
happy to answer any questions you have.

Sincerely,
Signature
Peter Ziggad
Head Sales Manager

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Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing
The following abbreviations are widely used in letters:
 asap = as soon as possible
 cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one
person, you use this abbreviation to let them know)
 enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)
 pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing
the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it
themselves, etc)
 ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've
finished and signed it)
 pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other
person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page)
 RSVP = please reply