Body Of The Letter

Opening Salutation

Inside Address

Date

Reference

PARTS OF LETTER

References are usually printed below the letterhead or on the same line as the date, but on the left. References consist of the initials of the person who signs the letter and those of the typist. Sometimes other letters or figures are added, according to whatever may suit the filing system of the firm in question.

Date is written under the references or on the same line but on the right. You should be very careful writing the date. In Britain, they write the day first, but in the United States they write the month first. So 10.02.03 is the tenth of February in Britain and the second of October in the United States. That is why to avoid any misunderstandings the date should be written like this:

10 February, 2003 OR

10th February, 2003 OR

February 10, 2003 OR

February 10th, 2003 OR

10 Feb., 2003 etc.

The name and the address of the firm written to should be typed on the left against the margin. The address should be written in the following way:

The addressee’s name (not necessary)	Mr. A.J.Fisher
The name of the firm	Great Furniture Ltd.
The building number, the name of the street	18 Hill Street
The name of the town or city, post code	London W1M 5RN
Country	Great Britain

There are several types of opening salutation:

Dear Sirs	to a company
Dear Sir	to a man if you do not know his name
Dear Madam	to a woman if you do not know her name
Dear Sir or Madam	to a person if you know neither the name, nor sex
Dear Mr. Green	to a man
Dear Mrs Green	to a married woman
Dear Miss Green	to an unmarried woman
Dear Ms Green	to a married or unmarried woman
Gentlemen:	the most common salutation in the United States

A question frequently asked is: «How long should a good letter be?» The answer is: «As long as it is necessary to say what has to be said». The manner of interpreting this varies, of course, with the writer, and also very greatly with the nationality of the writer and of course it depends on the subject of the letter. It is a question of how much information you put in the letter. Your letter should be neither too long nor too short. The right length includes the right amount of information. Still it is better to include too much information than too little.

The way to get the right amount of information in your letter, and to get it in the right order, is by planning your letter in advance. This four point plan provides a useful but simple framework for structuring all business communications:

	Introduction (Background and Basics)	Why are you writing? Refer to a previous letter, contact or document.
	Details (Facts and Figures)	Give instructions Ask for information Provide all relevant details Separate into paragraphs for separate themes Ensure a logical flow
	Response? Action?	What action is necessary by the recipient? What action will you take? A conclusion
	Close	A simple, relevant closing sentence is all that is often necessary

The first sentence or paragraph of a letter is an important one since it sets the tone of the letter and gives your reader his first impression of you and your company. Here are some ways to begin a letter:

We are writing to enquire about... у цьому листі просомо повідомити / Нас цікавить інформація про …
We are writing in connection with... Ми звертаємося до вас, тому що …
We are interested in... and we would like to know... Ми зацікавлені у … і хотіли б дізнатися про …
Thank you for your letter of (date), Дякуємо Вам за Ваш лист від… We have received your letter of (date), Ми отримали Ваш лист від …	asking if... enquiring about... де було виражене прохання … enclosing... , що містить… concerning... , що стосується…

Middle paragraphs are the main part of your letter and will concern the points that need to be made, answers you wish to give, or questions you want to ask. It is in the middle paragraphs of the letter that planning is most important, to make sure that your points are made clearly, fully and in a logical sequence.

When closing the letter, encourage further enquiries or correspondence and mention that you look forward to hearing from your correspondent soon.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. Ми сподіваємося отримати Вашу відповідь якомого швидше.

We look forward to receiving your reply / order / products / etc. Із нетерпінням чекаємо на Вашу (е) відповідь (замовлення) тощо.

Please acknowledge receipt. Будь ласка, підтвердіть отримання.

Your soonest reply will be appreciated. Ми будемо вдячними за найшвидшу відповідь.

We hope that this information will help you. Сподіваємося, що ця інформація допоможе Вам.

Please do not hesitate / feel free to contact us if you need any further information. Будь ласка, не зволікайте зв’язуватися із нами щодо подальшої інформації.

We hope to hear from you soon. Сподіваємося отримати Вашу відповідь.

Дата добавления: 2015-01-03