Business English Group No. VS_819 (B1.2–B2.

1) Lecturer: Ilmārs Mežaraups

Lesson 5 (13/11/2023)

Business Letters
Handout Material

Letter writing strategy

1. Prepare an outline

2. Greeting phrases

3. Include introduction, body and ending

4. Closing phrases and signature

5. Check grammar, spelling, punctuation

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Business English Group No. VS_819 (B1.2–B2.1) Lecturer: Ilmārs Mežaraups
Lesson 5 (13/11/2023)

The structure of a business letter

The business letter’s precise structure is crucial to its look and readability. As you
write your letter, you can follow the structure below to create an effective document.
Opening: Include your mailing address, the full date (for example, July 30, 2017),
and the recipient’s name, company, and address. Skip one line between your
address, the date, and your recipient’s information. Don’t add your address if you’re
using letterhead that already contains it.
Salutation: Address the recipient using “Dear,” along with their title and last name,
such as “Dear Mr. Collins” or “Dear Director Kinkade.” If you don’t know the
recipient’s gender, use their full name, such as “Dear Taylor Dean.” Finally, be sure to
add a colon (:)/comma (,) to the end of the salutation.
Body: In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and the main point of your letter.
Following paragraphs should go into the details of your main point, while your final
paragraph should restate the letter’s purpose and provide a call to action, if
necessary.
Closing: Recommended formal closings include “Sincerely” or “Yours truly.” For a
more personal closing, consider using “Cordially” or “Best regards.” Regardless of
what you choose, add a comma to the end of it.
Signature: Skip four lines after the closing and type your name. Skip another line
and type your job title and company name. If you’re submitting a hard copy, sign your
name in the empty space using blue or black ink.
Electronic signature
Enclosures (aka. Attachments): If you’re including documents with this letter, list
them here.

Adapted from: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/business-communication/how-to-write-a-formal-business-letter/1/

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Business English Group No. VS_819 (B1.2–B2.1) Lecturer: Ilmārs Mežaraups
Lesson 5 (13/11/2023)

Table for task:

Structure Details to include Useful phrases

Opening and
salutation
Identification Dear…

Body
Main point
Details
C2A (call to action)

Closing, signature Sincerely

and enclosures Yours truly
Best regards

see … enclosed

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Business English Group No. VS_819 (B1.2–B2.1) Lecturer: Ilmārs Mežaraups
Lesson 5 (13/11/2023)

Opening the letter

Dear Mr./Ms. Smith: (If you know the recipient’s name.) Miss / Mrs.
Dear Jane: (If you know the recipient quite well and call each other by your first
names.) => Dear Jane Smith,
Dear Sir or Madam: (If you don’t know the recipient’s name.)
To Whom It May Concern: (If you don’t have a specific person to whom you are
writing. It is a bit more general than “Dear Sir or Madam.” It is best to try to find a
contact person when writing a business letter.)

Phrases for the body of the letter

Letter of complaint  I am writing to complain about…

 I am writing to draw your attention to…
 I recently purchased … from your company.
 Not only…(did the product arrive late), but…(it was
faulty as well) bad quality, damaged
 As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed/upset
when…
 I suggest that I get a full refund.
 I feel entitled to a refund.
 I would be grateful if you could give me a refund.
 I would appreciate it if you could replace the
product.
 I look forward to receiving a prompt reply. quick
Letter of inquiry  I am writing to inquire about…
 Would you be kind enough to provide me with some
information about…
 I would be appreciative if you could help me find
out…
 Could you tell me whether …
 I would also be interested in…
Letter of  Please accept our apologies for…
adjustment  We sincerely apologize for…
 The mistake was apparently due to…
 We are currently working on…
 To prevent this from happening again,…
 We understand how upset you must have been
when…, but unfortunately…
Order letter  We would like to place an order for…
 We look forward to receiving your offer for…
 Could you please confirm the prices for…
 We are looking forward to your confirmation...
 As we already discussed (in phone call with Jane)…
 As we have agreed…

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Business English Group No. VS_819 (B1.2–B2.1) Lecturer: Ilmārs Mežaraups
Lesson 5 (13/11/2023)

Closing the letter

Close the letter appropriately, depending on the salutation you used at the
beginning:
(Dear Ms. Smith:) Yours sincerely / Sincerely / Sincerely yours
(Dear Jane:) Best / Best regards / Kind regards / Best wishes
(Dear Sir or Madam: / To Whom It May Concern:) Yours faithfully / Faithfully /
Faithfully yours

Your sincerely,
Ilmārs Mežaraups
Project Manager
Company X
Phone. No. …