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A letter is a written message from one person to another. Writing a letter is an old tradition.

Letter is a personal document and should have something that brings out your personality traits.

There are two types of Letters: Business Letters Personal Letters

Business Letter is an important part of business correspondence. Must look professional Gives first impression that a potential client or buyer receives about you. Shows your maturity and professionalism.

The format used to write business letter is specific.


A simple format of a letter helps in conveying the message clearly to the readers.

Block Format

The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format.

In the block format, all parts of the letter are started at the left margin.
The body of the letter is single spaced, with one line left between each paragraph. The paragraphs are not indented.

March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. Sincerely, Lucy Letter 123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345

Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. The body of the letter and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and single-spaced.

For the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.

March 16, 2001

Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345

Dear Mr. English:


The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.

Sincerely,
Lucy Letter

The final, and least used, style is semi-block.


It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

Date Sender's Address Inside Address Salutation Body Closing Enclosures Typist initials

Salutation

Dear Mr Brown Dear Ms White Dear Sir Dear Sirs Dear Madam Dear Sir or Madam Gentlemen

We are writing to inform you that ... to confirm ... to request ... to enquire about ... I am contacting you for the following reason. I recently read/heard about . . . and would like to know . . . Having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like to ... I would be interested in (obtaining/receiving) ... I received your address from ... I am writing to tell you about ... and would like to ...

Thank you for your letter of March 15 ... Thank you for contacting us. In reply to your request ... Thank you for your letter regarding ... With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday ... Further to our meeting last week ... It was a pleasure meeting you in London last month. I enjoyed having lunch with you last week in Tokyo. I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed on Tuesday . . .

We would appreciate it if you would ... I would be grateful if you could... Could you please send me . . .

Could you possibly tell us/let us have...


In addition, I would like to receive ... It would be helpful if you could send us ... I am interested in (obtaining/receiving...) I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

Please let me know what action you propose to take.

We would be happy to ...


Would you like us to ... We are quite willing to ... Our company would be pleased to ...

We are pleased to announce that ...


I am delighted to inform you that ... You will be pleased to learn that ...

We regret to inform you that ...


I'm afraid it would not be possible to ... Unfortunately we cannot/we are unable to ... After careful consideration we have decided (not) to ...

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ... I am writing to complain about ... Please note that the goods we ordered on (date) have not yet arrived. We regret to inform you that our order n--- is now considerably overdue. I would like to query the transport charges which seem unusually high.

We are sorry for the delay in replying ...


I regret any inconvenience caused I would like to apologize for (the delay/the inconvenience) ... Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience.

Thank you for your quotation of ... We are pleased to place an order with your company for ... We would like to cancel our order n... Please confirm receipt of our order. I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your order n... Your order will be processed as quickly as possible. It will take about (three) weeks to process your order. We can guarantee delivery before ... Unfortunately these articles are no longer available/are out of stock.

Please send us your price list. You will find enclosed our most recent catalogue and price list. Please note that our prices are subject to change without notice. We have pleasure in enclosing a detailed quotation. We can make you a firm offer of ... Our terms of payment are as follows :

Our records show that we have not yet received payment of ... According to our records ...
Please send payment as soon as possible. You will receive a credit note for the sum of ...

I am enclosing ...
Please find enclosed ... You will find enclosed ... Enclosed herewith

If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me If you require more information ... For further details ... Thank you for taking this into consideration Thank you for your help. We hope you are happy with this arrangement. We hope you can settle this matter to our satisfaction.

We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future We would be (very) pleased to do business with your company. I would be happy to have an opportunity to work with your firm.

I look forward to seeing you next week .


Looking forward to hearing from you .

"

"

to receiving your comments

I look forward to meeting you on the 15th

I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience.


An early reply would be appreciated.

Sincerely, } Yours sincerely, } (for all customers/clients) Sincerely yours, }

Regards, and/or

(for those you already know

with whom you already have a working relationship.)

6123 Farrington Road Apt. B11 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 January 11, 2005 Taylor, Inc. 694 Rockstar Lane Durham, NC 27708 Dear Human Resources Director, I just read an article in the News and Observer about Taylor's new computer center just north of Utah. I would like to apply for a position as an entry-level programmer at the center. I understand that Taylor produces both in-house and customer documentation. My technical writing skills, as described in the enclosed resume, are well suited to your company. I am a recent graduate of XYZ Institute of Technology in Atlanta with an Associate's Degree in Computer Science. In addition to having taken a broad range of courses, I served as a computer consultant at the college's computer center where I helped train users to work with new systems. I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and discuss how my education and experience match your needs. You can reach me at my home address, at (919) 233-1552, or at krock@devry.alumni.edu. Sincerely, Raymond Krock

6123 Farrington Road Apt. B11 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 January 11, 2005 Taylor, Inc. 694 Rockstar Lane Durham, NC 27708 Dear Ms. Jones: I am seeking a position in your engineering department where I may use my training in computer sciences to solve Taylor's engineering problems. I would like to be a part of the department that developed the Internet Selection System but am unsure whether you have a current opening. I expect to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from North Carolina State University in June and by that time will have completed the Computer Systems Engineering Program. Since September 2000, I have been participating, through the University, in the Professional Training Program at Computer Systems International in Raleigh. In the program I was assigned to several staff sections as an apprentice. Most recently, I have been a programmer trainee in the Engineering Department and have gained a great deal of experience in computer applications. Details of the academic courses I have taken are included in the enclosed resume. If there is a position open at Taylor Inc., please let me know whom I should contact for further information. I look forward to hearing from you soon. I may be reached at my office (919-866-4000 ext. 232) or via email (Brock@aol.com). Sincerely, Rebecca Brock

January 11, 2005 Brian Eno, Chief Engineer Carolina Chemical Products 3434 Pond View Lane Durham, NC 27708 Dear Mr. Eno, Enclosed is the final report on our installment of pollution control equipment at Eastern Chemical Company, which we send with Eastern's Permission. Please call me collect (ext. 1206) or email me at the address below if I can answer any questions. Sincerely, Nora Cassidy Technical Services Manager ncassidy@company.com Enclosure: Report

January 11, 2005 Brian Eno, Chief Engineer Ecology Systems, Inc. 8458 Obstructed View Lane Durham, NC 27708 Dear Mr. Eno, Enclosed is the report estimating our power consumption for the year as requested by John Brenan, Vice President, on September 4.

The report is the result of several meetings with Jamie Anson, Manager of Plant Operations, and her staff and an extensive survey of all our employees. The survey was delayed by the transfer of key staff in Building A. We believe, however, that the report will provide the information you need to furnish us with a cost estimate for the installation of your Mark II Energy Saving System.
We would like to thank Billy Budd of ESI for his assistance in preparing the survey. If you need more information, please let me know.

Sincerely, Nora Cassidy XYZ abc&company.com


Enclosure: Report

Oriental Carpets 1/6 West Patel Nagger New Delhi 8th February 20_ M/s Kosher All & Sons Loll Bazaar Agra Dear Sirs Today we unpacked the goods sent by you against our Order No.38/ 8/III-D, dated I5'h January 20 _ and your invoice No.310 dated I2'h February 20_. We regret to bring to your notice that items No. 3, 12, and 16 are not according to your samples. Against item No. 13 you have mentioned 25 rugs whereas we found only 18 pieces. Also, we are sorry to say that packing was so defective and the carton used was so old that it gave way in transit, with the result that item No.4, 5 and 15 has been soiled. It wont be possible for us to sell them as fresh. We can accept them only if you allow us a discount of 40%' In the meanwhile, goods are lying with us as they have been received, involving no risk on our part. Awaiting an expeditious response. Thanking You Yours faithfully XYZ

Thank YOU

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