Nowadays, many companies have foreign partners or foreign branches, so knowledge of English for a secretary or personal assistant is not a fashion trend, but an urgent necessity. Today we will talk about how to properly prepare some types of documents often assigned to the secretary.
OFFICE NOTES
Service memo (memorandum)- These are written communications within companies or within company divisions. They are usually intended for announcements, discussion of business processes, reporting on the company’s work, and dissemination of information among employees. A memo is a public document, so you should not write any confidential information in it.
When writing, an informal style is usually used. A memo should not be too short or too official, but brevity is encouraged. The structure of the memo is as follows: the most important information is placed in the first paragraph, and in subsequent paragraphs it is explained in more detail. All memos contain the following elements:
- recipient: aligned to the left, at the top of the page;
- sender: left-aligned, directly below the recipient;
- date of: left aligned, below the sender;
- subject: left aligned, below the date.
For official notes, it is customary to use white printing paper, A4 format or smaller (official notes must be placed in incoming document trays).
Don't get carried away with sending out too many memos - remember that every employee is busy and has their own job to do. Some people think that memos are effective management tools, but this is not entirely true. While memos can be used to direct work and suggestions, criticism and praise are best delivered to the individual in person.
Despite the fact that most information today is transmitted via e-mail by entering a message in the letter field, the use of attached memos (documents) remains an important element in business correspondence. When sending documents by email, do not forget about their correct format (Examples 1, 2).
EXAMPLE 1
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To: Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov
From: Yulia Sergeeva/ Yulia Sergeeva Vice-president Communications ZAO Funny Cats/ Vice President for Public Relations of Fanny Cats CJSC Attached: Advance report #08/2011/ Advance report No. 8/2011 OAL (copy)/ Account statement (copy) Memorandum/ Service memo I ask to accept to the account 52,300 (fifty two thousand three hundred) rubles that I drew out as daily allowance for my first business trips to Sweden and Italy without the receipt (it was lost). Please take into account the amount of 52,300 (fifty two thousand three hundred) rubles withdrawn as travel allowances for my first two business trips to Sweden and Italy without a receipt, because it was lost. _________________ / Yulia Sergeeva / Yulia Sergeeva |
EXAMPLE 2
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To: Marketing Department ZAO Funny Cats/ Marketing Department of JSC "Fanny Cats" From: Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov Managing director Funny Cats, ZAO/ Managing Director of JSC Fanny Cats Subject: Customer Presentation/ Presentation for the customer The New Product Marketing presentation you prepared last week was exceptional! Your enthusiasm, sales strategy, and product knowledge were impressive and certainly sealed the deal with our partner. Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication! My congratulations to all of you! The sales presentation you gave for our new products last week was great! Your enthusiasm, sales strategy and product knowledge were impressive and will definitely guarantee a deal with our partner. Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication to the company! My congratulations to all of you! Sincerely yours,/ Sincerely, Igor Ivanov/ Igor Ivanov |
Letter of resignation
Resignation letter- this is an official document with which an employee notifies of his dismissal from a position or department. It is submitted to the immediate supervisor. If the company is foreign, the application may be written in English.
Why is it necessary to submit a letter of resignation? First of all, in order to maintain a good relationship with the employer and the organization in which you worked, and to receive a positive reference (letters of recommendation). Even if in some companies a verbal notice of dismissal is sufficient, the resignation letter can be retained by the employer and employee and used for legal purposes if necessary.
There are many options for writing applications in English, but it all depends on the specific company and accepted business practices. But there are important points: for example, the text of the application must contain the date of dismissal, the date of writing and a personal signature.
At the end of the application, it is necessary to indicate copies that are addressed to persons other than the immediate supervisor (for example, the HR manager or the head of the company).
The resignation letter must be written competently and concisely in a business style, based on the strict linguistic features inherent in modern English.
However, we note that the main thing in this situation is to be able to say goodbye to the company on a good note. This is one of the components of career success and professional growth.
Below is a modern standard resignation letter in English drawn up in the UK (Example 3).
EXAMPLE 3
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083, Oxford Road/ 083 Oxford Road Manchester, NH 23432/ Manchester, NH 23432 To: Mrs. Ann Clark/ Mrs Anne Clark Sales Senior Specialist MA Trade/ Senior Sales Specialist MA Trade Dear Mrs. Clark Please, accept this letter as an official resignation from my position as a Sales Manager, effective date September 24th, 2011. I am leaving this position because an opportunity to study a Master on Business Administration has appeared. I understand this position requires my full attention and, therefore, will not allow me to study part-time. I thank MA Trade for the given opportunity and thank you, particularly, for your valuable training and professionalism shown. I would be more than happy to give the company a month in order to find a replacement for my position. Dear Mrs Clark, Please accept this statement as my official resignation from the position of sales manager effective September 24, 2011. I am leaving this position because of the opportunity that has arisen to undergo training and obtain a master's degree in Business Management. This position requires my intense attention and it is difficult for me to find opportunities for additional training. I thank the MA Trade company for the opportunities provided to me and you personally for the knowledge and professionalism that you shared with me all this time. I am happy to give the company 1 month to find a candidate for my position. Very sincerely yours,/ Sincerely, Juliet Pratt/ Juliet Pratt Sales Manager, MA Trade/ Sales Manager MA Trade CC: Mrs. Cecilia Rodriguez, Human Resources Manager/ Cc: Cecilia Rodriguez, HR Manager |
Email correspondence
Modern emails, sent by employees to each other by mail, as a rule, are quite short, and can be both formal and informal. But even if the letter is informal, it should be neat and easy to read and absorb information.
Below are several options for standard email formatting (beginning and ending) depending on the recipient, current tasks and your relationship.
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You know each other well |
Do you know each other |
You don't know each other |
Hello dear friends! IN business letter It is important to use the correct style and tone of language. Therefore you should avoid:
- colloquialisms, slang and jargon
- abbreviations (I’m; it’s; don’t, etc., use full forms)
- emotionally charged words - terrible (terrible), rubbish (nonsense), etc.
Structure of a letter in English:
- Sender's address
- Date
- Recipient's address (inside address)
- Salutation
- Opening sentence
- Body of the letter
- Closing sentence
- Final polite phrase (complimentary close)
- Sender's signature
- Application (enclosure)
Example of a business letter
Standard expressions in business correspondence
| 1. Appeal | |
| Dear Sirs, Dear Sir or Madam | (if you don't know the recipient's name) |
| Dear Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms | (if you know the name of the addressee; in the case when you do not know the woman’s marital status, you should write Ms, blunder is the use of the phrase “Mrs or Miss”) |
| Dear Frank, | (Addressing a friend) |
| 2. Introduction, previous communication. | |
| Thank you for your e-mail of (date)… | Thank you for your letter from (date) |
| Further to your last e-mail… | Replying to your letter... |
| I apologise for not getting in contact with you before now… | I apologize for not writing to you yet... |
| Thank you for your letter of the 5th of March. | Thank you for your letter of March 5 |
| With reference to your letter of 23rd March | Regarding your letter of March 23 |
| With reference to your advertisement in "The Times" | Regarding your advertisement in the Times |
| 3. Indication of the reasons for writing the letter | |
| I am writing to enquire about | I am writing to you to find out... |
| I am writing to apologize for | I am writing to you to apologize for... |
| I am writing to confirm | I am writing to you to confirm... |
| I am writing in connection with | I am writing to you in connection with... |
| We would like to point out that… | We would like to draw your attention to... |
| 4. Request | |
| Could you possibly… | Could you… |
| I would be grateful if you could… | I would be grateful if you... |
| I would like to receive | I would like to receive...... |
| Please could you send me… | Could you send me... |
| 5. Agreement with terms and conditions. | |
| I would be delighted to… | I would be glad … |
| I would be happy to | I would be happy… |
| I would be glad to | I would be glad… |
| 6. Delivering Bad News | |
| Unfortunately... | Unfortunately… |
| I'm afraid that... | I'm afraid that… |
| I am sorry to inform you that | It's hard for me to tell you, but... |
| 7. Attachment to the letter of additional materials | |
| We are pleased to enclose… | We are pleased to invest... |
| Attached you will find... | In the attached file you will find... |
| We enclose… | We are enclosing... |
| Please find attached (for e-mails) | You will find the attached file... |
| 8. Expressing gratitude for your interest. | |
| Thank you for your letter of | thanks for your letter |
| Thank you for enquiring | Thank you for your interest… |
| We would like to thank you for your letter of … | We would like to thank you for… |
| 9. Transition to another topic. | |
| We would also like to inform you… | We would also like to inform you about... |
| Regarding your question about… | Regarding your question about... |
| In answer to your question (inquiry) about… | In response to your question about... |
| I also wonder if… | I'm also interested... |
| 10. Additional questions. | |
| I am a little unsure about… | I'm a little unsure about... |
| I don’t fully understand what… | I don't fully understand... |
| Could you possibly explain… | Could you please explain... |
| 11. Transfer of information | |
| I'm writing to let you know that... | I am writing to inform you about... |
| We are able to confirm to you… | We can confirm... |
| I am delighted to tell you that… | We are pleased to announce… |
| We regret to inform you that… | Unfortunately, we have to inform you about... |
| 12. Offering your help | |
| Would you like me to…? | Can I (do)...? |
| If you wish, I would be happy to… | If you want, I'll be happy to... |
| Let me know whether you would like me to… | Let me know if you need my help. |
| 13. Reminder of an appointment or waiting for a response | |
| I look forward to... | I am looking forward, |
| hearing from you soon | when can I hear you again |
| meeting you next Tuesday | see you next Tuesday |
| seeing you next Thursday | meeting you on Thursday |
| 14. Signature | |
| kind regards, | Sincerely… |
| Yours faithfully, | Sincerely yours (if you don’t know the person’s name) |
| Yours sincerely, | (if you know the name) |
How to respond to complaints
English for Business_1
- Could you bear with me for 10 minutes while I get to the bottom of what went
wrong here? - I’m terribly sorry for the problems you’re experiencing.
- I can imagine that was terrible.
- I propose that we offer you some sort of compensation.
- I’ll make sure that it gets done by the end of the week.
- That must have been dreadful.
- Could you tell me exactly what happened?
- I do apologize for our part in this.
Now you answer
English for Business-2
1 And I had to wait for over an hour at the airport before the taxi came to pick me up.
…
2 The whole conference was a farce! Delegates were wandering from room to
room and nobody knew where they should be or what was happening. What went wrong?
…
3 And it was all your company’s fault.
…
4 So what are you going to do about it?
…
Do You Speak English? - Big Train - BBC comedy
Despite the fact that handwritten messages are almost completely replaced by electronic and printed versions, the rules in their design and correct presentation have not changed. A business letter, especially in English, is written according to strict principles that should not be violated. After all, a lot depends on a business letter: correct reaction to a complaint, fair satisfaction of a claim, conclusion of an agreement, and a lot of other important life moments.
A business letter in English can be called the “face” of the sender, through which the recipient will meet the author. What this “face” will be: neat, understandable, polite, or rude and chaotic - depends on the outcome of the case.
Main types of business letters and their purposes
The formatting of a business message also depends on the type of letter, although the rules for all business correspondence are almost the same. What business letters are most often written?
Inquiry letter
They write it if they are interested in details of information about goods and services.
Complaint letter
Such a letter contains a complaint about the goods/services received, a description of specific complaints and a list of demands for their satisfaction.
Reply letter
Or otherwise called reply quotation. The text of such a message is sent in response to an enquiry letter and contains the information about which the request was made.
Application letter
Or statement letter. It is an application if you want to get a job, enroll in an educational institution, or become a member of a team working towards the same goal.
Acceptance letter
This type of business letter is a response to a statement with a positive answer. It notifies that the applicant has been accepted for work or study.
Refusal letter
The exact opposite of the previous one, that is, a refusal to the sender of the application.
Thank you letter
This text contains gratitude for the services provided, quality products, and assistance in solving various business issues.
Commercial letter
Or commercial offer. It formally addresses a potential partner for the desired business cooperation. The letter reveals the advantages of this cooperation and proposes its specific conditions.
This also includes a letter in continuation.
Congratulation letter
Basic principles of design
When writing a business letter, in addition to clear rules, there are also a lot of nuances that must be taken into account. Graphic design and writing style, if these subtleties are not observed, can have a negative impact on the outcome of communication and on further business cooperation.
1. Lately The “red line” rule has been canceled, that is, it is now customary to write a new paragraph without a left indent. This applies to both handwritten and printed texts.
2. The letter should not look like a solid “sheet”. Solid text, especially when it comes to business correspondence, is difficult to visually perceive and simply annoying.
3. Abbreviations are not allowed in business letters., taken in speech or informal correspondence. However, to give the letter a benevolent tone, you can remove some if their absence does not affect the understanding of the meaning.
For example:
Looking forward to your answer (Looking forward to your answer) - the absence of a subject (without loss of meaning) is allowed.
4. If the tone of the letter is strictly official from the very beginning, you cannot then switch to a more free one. And vice versa: when a slightly relaxed style was chosen in the “header” (introduction) of the text, there is no need to then stun the recipient with a sharp transition to a very strict tone.
5. The text is divided into paragraphs according to the principle “new thought - new paragraph”, spaces between them are required. If the letter is large and everything does not fit on one page, you should absolutely not try to put everything on one sheet of paper and remove the spaces. Text with correctly followed paragraphs on two (or more) pages - correct option; a letter without spaces, but on one page is unacceptable.
6. If in a friendly message you can calmly state several questions, raise different topics, then this cannot be done in an official letter. If there are several problems, the main thing should be highlighted in terms of importance, and one text should be dedicated to this. Even just two topics should not be combined into one letter - it is better to write two separate ones.
7. A business letter should be as brief as possible. There is no need to “spread your thoughts over the tree”, describing claims in colors or talking about impressions - only facts and to the point.
8. Even if the content of the text is negative, its tone remains polite. The use of slang and emotionally charged idioms is also unacceptable. It is not recommended to use in an official letter: for example, instead of go on it is better to write continue .
In addition to all of the above, the graphic structure of the letter is extremely important; here the rules are uniform and must be followed.
Correct structure
1. Appeal
The first line is a request starting with Dear. It is not “dear” at all, as the direct translation says: the word means “respected.”
When indicating the recipient's position, all words are written with a capital letter.
Dear Shift Manager– Dear shift manager.
When the text is compiled without specific information about the position or name, surname of the addressee, you should write:
Dear Sir– the message will be sent to a male person;
Dear Sirs– an appeal if the letter is intended for a group of men.
Dear Madam– if the recipient is a lady. Or Dear Madams, when official communication with an all-female team is expected.
Dear Mr. Wakeson (Dear Ms Wakeson)– the surname of the recipient (or recipient) is known. When the author of the letter knows about the married status of the lady, you can write before the last name Mrs. The letter is intended for an unmarried person - acceptable Miss. However, in modern business correspondence an unspoken rule has appeared: it is considered impolite to emphasize a woman’s marital status; in a business letter, it is better to start addressing her with Ms.
Dear Dimitri– starting a letter with a name is allowed if the interlocutor is a long-time business partner well known to the author.
2. Preface
The second paragraph is a preface containing strictly one sentence. His tone is friendly, even if the meaning of the letter is negative.
We appreciate your patience, but we had serious reasons to delay the answer. – We appreciate your patience; there were serious reasons for the delay in response.
Thank you for sending us your application letter, your resume is written very professionally. – Thank you for sending us your application, your resume is written very professionally.
3. Main part. Main thought
The third part of a business letter, which can contain several paragraphs, is the main part; it sets out the main idea. On the one hand, you need to present the essence as accurately and in detail as possible, on the other hand, you need to avoid cumbersome phrases and unnecessary details. It is better to use phrases with would/could/should instead of incentive sentences.
For example:
Please send me the details of order No.... (Please send me the details of order No....) - not recommended.
Would you be so kind to send me... (Would you be so kind to send me...) - a much better option.
When the letter contains negative information, expressions that smooth out the negative tone are required. No one knows how the relationship with the recipient will develop further: today the contract is terminated, or the employee is fired, but after some time the situation may change. Therefore, expressions like:
We are very sorry - Our huge apologies;
Unfortunately - Unfortunately;
We apologize for... - We deeply apologize for...
4. Conclusion
The penultimate part of a business letter is a brief conclusion. It, like the introduction, consists of one sentence, a maximum of two in rare cases. This paragraph contains the general idea of the letter and motivates further communication.
I hope that our cooperation will be very effective. – I hope that our cooperation will be very effective.
Looking forward for your answer to my complaint. - I look forward to your response to my complaint.
5. Polite phrases and signature
A business letter ends in two parts, the first contains a polite phrase, for example:
Best regards – C Best wishes;
Thanks a lot for the cooperation – Many thanks for your cooperation;
With respect and best regards - With respect and best wishes.
Important: after a polite phrase a comma is placed, after the first and last name with a transition to the position - no. First name and surname are written first, then position, never vice versa.
For example:
kind regards,
Peter Makhon
Pit Boss.
Best wishes,
Peter Mahon
Shift manager.
Example of a complaint letter
Below is an example of a business complaint letter:
I am writing in order to inform you that today in the morning I received my package, and I have a complaint for your shop.
When I came to our post office, I was very surprised that my package was damaged and taped. The postalworker gave me the official letter, that my package was received like that (I enclose the screen). I opened the package and found it empty. Where is my iPhone I bought in your shop? I suspect it was stolen. Would you be so kind to make the full refund to my credit card.
Unfortunately, I did not receive the goods from you, but I am sure it is not your fault.
As soon as you refund my money, I will give you the best stars in the feedback.
Yours faithfully,
Mira Simonian.
Dear Sirs!
I am writing to inform you that I received my parcel this morning and I have a complaint against your store. When I arrived at the post office, I was extremely surprised that my parcel was damaged and sealed. The postal office employee gave me an official letter stating that the parcel was delivered in this form (I am attaching a screenshot).
Everyone knows that the column “knowledge of foreign languages” is in the resume of any serious company. And if you write “free possession” in such a column, then the chances of getting a sweet spot increase many times over. And the phrase “business English” will have an almost magical effect.
As a rule, business English involves written communication. And this is good. Firstly, there is always the opportunity to think and look into the dictionary. Secondly, there are so many standard expressions that a person who speaks English from the Pre-Intermediate level and above will have almost no difficulty writing a decent letter and sending it to business partners.
The main thing in composing a letter is its framing. That is, the beginning and the ending. As they say, you meet people by their clothes, but... last words are remembered best (thanks to Stirlitz). Accordingly, if you start your appeal correctly and finish it just as correctly, then the very essence of the letter will be perceived better, and the overall impression of your speech can play a decisive role.
By adhering to certain writing rules, you are sure to achieve success. Let's start writing a business letter in English!
Greetings
As everyone should polite people: any communication begins with a greeting. And in the same simple way, the structure of a business letter also begins with a greeting.
Dear Sir or Madam- addressing a person if you do not know their name, title, or even whether they are a man or a woman. Important: there is no exclamation point after this greeting! And there’s not even any punctuation at all, just the next sentence starts on a new line. You can put a comma if you really want.
Dear Mr White(Ms White/Mrs White/Miss Catcher) - addressing the recipient by last name (the first name is not placed after Mr, Ms, etc.!) I hope everyone remembers that Mr is an address to a man, Miss is an address to an unmarried woman, Mrs - for a married woman, Ms - for a woman who does not want to emphasize her marital status.
Important: never write the full word Mister, Mistress - only in abbreviation (Mr, Mrs)!
Dear Mr John- addressing the recipient by name (with a closer business acquaintance)
Dear Nick- addressing the recipient by name in a very old, almost friendly business acquaintance
It is important to focus on appeals to women. Nowadays the universal address Ms (both married and unmarried) is very common. Therefore, in business letters they often write this way, so as not to offend :) If you know for sure that the addressee is a married woman, you can safely indicate Mrs. But if you know that you are definitely not married, it’s better not to take risks with Miss. Because, oddly enough, this offends some people.
After the greeting, you can remind yourself. More precisely, about the last communication: by email, by phone, in person, etc. Even if the recipient’s memory is not that of a girl and he addressed you 5 minutes ago.
Thank you for your message.- Thank you for your message.
Thank you for your e-mail of…- Thank you for your email dated (date)...
With reference to your phone call/ letter of (date)/ advertisement in “NW Magazine”…- regarding your phone call/letter (on such and such a date)/advertisement in NW Magazine…
In reply (in answer/ in response) to your request…- In response to your request...
In accordance (in conformity) with your request…- In accordance with your request...
In compliance with your request…- In fulfillment of your request...
Further to our conversation/ telephone talk…- Continuing our conversation / telephone conversation etc.
We are writing in response to your publication in…- We are writing in response to your publication in...
We were pleased to receive your inquiry…- We were pleased to receive your request...
Reasons for contacting
After the greeting and reminders, there should be a phrase that will bring the addressee up to date and explain why you are sending him this letter in the first place.
We are writing to inquire about…- We are writing to make inquiries about...
We apologize for…- We apologize for...
We confirm that…- We confirm that...
We would like to clarify…- We would like to make it clear...
We kindly ask you to…- We kindly ask you...
I am writing to enquire about/ to apologize for/ in connection with/ get more details about/ explain…- I am writing to you to find out about/ to apologize for/ in connection with/ to find out details about/ to explain...
This is to confirm… To confirm...
We hereby inform you… We hereby notify you...
Completing the letter
This is your catchphrase.
As always, if you have any questions, please send them directly to me. - As always, if you have any questions, please contact me directly.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me. /Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly- If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me/directly to me, please.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. - If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (literal translation).
Thank you and I am looking forward to hearing from you.- Thank you and I look forward to your response.
Thanking in advance.- Thank you in advance.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.- Please contact us again if we can help you in any way.
Signature, or politeness formula
The final touch remains. In Russian official letters, everything ends in the standard way: “With respect, …”. In English it is customary to say “sincerely yours.” But in accordance with etiquette, it will still have to be translated into Russian as “with respect.”
Yours faithfully,
Sincerely, ... (if the person's name is unknown, i.e. the letter began with Dear Sir or Madam)
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely, ... (if you know the name, i.e. the letter began with Dear Mr/Miss/Ms/Mrs)
If you have been communicating with a person for a long time and address him in a letter by name, then it is appropriate to use any of the following options (can be translated as “with best wishes”):
Best wishes
kind regards,
Warmest regards.
For this, I say goodbye.
Kind regards,
iLoveEnglish.
We hope that this sample business letter in English will help you find new job or create business connections in the near future.
An English formal letter is not difficult to write, but you should know the order in which it is written, the position of each of its individual parts, and how it should look as a whole. Below you can find examples of formal writing in English. We hope they help you write your own letter.
Example of an official letter in English No. 1 (regarding an announcement of admission to courses)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to enquire about language courses organized by your school. I found out information about it in local newspaper and I would like to know more.
Even if Icannot certify my knowledge of English, after years of learning the language at school I can safely assume that I am an upper-intermediate student. Are you able to offer me any course that would be good for me?
I understand from your advertising that your courses are free. Are they free for everyone, or just only for students from your school?
The last question I have concerns about your methods of teaching. As I particularly hope to improve my fluency, I would like to know how much attention is paid and what methods are used by the school teachers to develop the skill of speaking. It is very important for me, because my fluency is the worst side of my English.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
XYZ
Example of an official letter in English No. 2 (with questions about an advertisement in a newspaper)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to ask about the holiday apartments in the Golden Sands advertised in “Vacations Abroad” magazine this month.
In your advertisement you mentioned that all the apartments are self-catering. Could you tell me what cooking facilities are available in the kitchen? Could you also tell me if cooking utensils are also provided?
I noticed from your advertisement that the beach is quite nearby. However, I would also like to know if the apartments have an access to a swimming pool.
I would be very grateful if you could send me a list of apartments and prices with a view to making a reservation in July.
Yours faithfully,
Tom Smith
Example of an official letter in English No. 3 (regarding the announcement)
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing to you because I saw your advertisement in the net and at first sight it looked interesting. I am interested in this advertisement deeper because I like rock music, so I think I will feel comfortable in this place.
I could be a ticket seller because I am good at maths. Also I could be a person, who provides rock stars with everything they need because I am a helpful person.
I would like to have free drinks and snack during the festival. Of course, I promise I would not let you down and do what you ask for.
If you can, please send me some more information about accommodation conditions and transport to the gig place.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Example of an official letter in English No. 4 (regarding a job advertisement)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing with regard to your adventisement, which appeared on your website: ? Future graphics? on 20 July 2013. I would like to apply for the post of computer graphics artist.
I enclose my CV with the details of my previous work experience. As you can see in the document, I have been working as graphic designer for two years and have a diploma for ?The best worker?. I can use Photoscape, Gimp, but I can learn new programs, too.
I am a very hard working person, thus working with me is effective. I am creative and have many good ideas. My level of proficiency in English is pre-intermediate.
I have worked with companies in England, China and India, I have no problems in communicating with people from these countries. Could you please send me more information on that post?
Thank you for considering my application.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours faithfully,
Example of an official letter in English No. 5 (with questions about the announcement)
You want to attend a course in English and American Studies in and English speaking country and you see this section in a college prospectus:
SCHOLARSHIPS
Every year, two scholarships are offered to candidates from overseas who can show how our one-year course would help their career. Scholarships cover fees, accommodation and food, but not transport or personal spending money. Apply in writing, explaining why do you think you deserve a scholarship.
Write your letter. Do not include any postal addresses. Write your answer in 120-180 words in an appropriate style.?
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to apply for one of the scholarship programs I saw advertised in your prospectus. Presently, I am training to be a secondary school teacher of English and I am finishing my course at the end of June. However, I feel I still have a lot to learn about the language and culture of The English-speaking country.
The reason I am applying for a scholarship is that I cannot afford the cost of studying abroad. I have no income except for my student grant, so if I am fortunate enough to be given the scholarship, I would have to work part-time to save some personal spending money. My parents will borrow some money for my airfare if I am succesful.
I would appreciate being given the opportunity to study at your college and would be very grateful if you would consider my application.
Yours faithfully,
Example of an official letter in English No. 6 (complaint about a purchased product)
Dear Sir Or Madam
I am writing to complain about a denim vest that I bought from your online shop last month.
When I took it out of the box, I was very unhappy to find that in different color. As if this were not enough, this denim vest was too small.
I had a similar situation last year when I bought a dress online. It was too big. I wrote an e-mail to this company about this problem and they sent me another dress in the right size.
You can replace this vest for the right one or if it will not be possible I want to get a full refund.
I am enclosing the receipt.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.