How to write a formal or business letter What is it? – m ostly used for external written business communication – c ompany-specific layout (often full block form, i.e. all lines starting at the left-hand margin) – w ell-structured into paragraphs What language to use? – formal openings and closes – salutation lines and complimentary close – no contracted forms such as I’d, I can’t … – avoid long and complicated sentences 1 Letterhead (= return adress): usually pre-printed on company stationery; gives the sender’s contact details 2 I nside address (recipient): house number precedes street name; Britain: write town and postal code on separate lines; America: zip code after town and state (abbreviation) on the same line 3 Reference line: states e.g. job reference, order number or invoice number 4 Date: best format: 1 May 2022 (type month to avoid misunderstandings) 5 Attention line: the particular person in the company 6 Salutation line: in British English, salutation line and complimentary close are linked. If you use personal names (Dear Mr Tomlin, Dear Mrs Smith, Ms Young), the correct way to sign off is Yours sincerely. An impersonal address (Dear Sir / Madam), is followed by Yours faithfully. The salutation line ends with a comma or no punctuation mark in British usage (Dear Sir / Dear Madam,) while in American English a colon is used (Gentlemen:). To whom it may concern can be used if the addressee is not known (e.g. reference letters, doctor’s certificates), or to replace German “Bestätigung” 7 Subject line: before or after the salutation; it should be underlined or in bold print 8 Body: start with a capital letter (Dear Madam, Thank you …); use paragraphs 9 Complimentary close: see salutation line. In American usage, letters can also close Yours truly 10 Position in the company: … of the person signing the letter 11 Enclosure notation: Enc., Encl. or Enclosure(s) 12 Distribution notation: cc means that copies are sent to (an)other person(s) 146 Writing guide / Business communication 146 Letter 147 Email 148 Blog post 150 Blog comment 151 Report 153 Flyer / Leaflet / Brochure 153 Handout Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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