Thanks for the quick solution. We write business letters
Do you write business letters in English every day? Or are you just learning the basics of official correspondence in business English courses? Our selection of useful phrases and expressions will teach you how to write correct business letters in English and help diversify your speech.
Thanks to business etiquette, it is common knowledge that clients should be greeted at the beginning of the letter and goodbye at the end. Do problems begin when composing the body of the letter? How, for example, can you tell customers that the cargo is delayed, or how can you hint that it would be nice to receive money for services rendered? All this can be explained competently if you use the right “blanks” for various situations. With such “blanks”, writing letters will be a simple and enjoyable task.
Starting a letter or how to start a correspondence in English
At the beginning of every business letter, immediately after the greeting, you need to explain why you are writing all this. Perhaps you want to clarify something, get additional information, or, for example, offer your services. The following phrases will help with everything:
- We are writing - We write to…
- I am contacting you for the following reason... – I am writing to you with the following purpose / I am writing to you in order to...
- I would be interested in (receiving/ getting information) - I would be interested in (acquiring/ receiving information)
To confirm... - confirm...
- to request ... – to request…
- to inform you that... – to inform you that...
- to enquire about ... - find out about ...
Establishing contacts or how to tell your interlocutor how you know about him
Sometimes it is worth reminding your business partner when and how you last saw each other or discussed your cooperation. Maybe you already wrote a business letter on this topic a couple of months ago, or perhaps you met at a conference a week ago and started negotiating then.
- Thank you for your letter regarding ... – Thank you for your letter on the topic….
- Thank you for your letter of May 30. – Thank you for your letter of May 30.
- In reply to your request, ... – In response to your request..
- Thank you for contacting us. – Thank you for writing to us.
- With reference to our conversation on Tuesday... - Regarding our conversation on Tuesday...
- In reference with your recent letter - Regarding the letter recently received from you...
- It was a pleasure meeting you in New-York last week. – It was very nice to meet you in New York last week.
- I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed yesterday – I would like to confirm the main points that we discussed yesterday.
Expressing a request or how to tactfully ask your interlocutor in English
In business letters, sometimes you have to ask your partners for something. Sometimes you need a delay, and sometimes you need additional samples of material. To express all this, business English has its own established phrases.
- We would appreciate it if you would ... - We would be very grateful if you...
- Could you please send me/ tell us/ let us... – Could you send me/tell us/allow us
- It would be helpful if you could send us ... - It would be very helpful if you could send us ...
- I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. “I would appreciate your immediate attention on this matter.”
- We would be grateful if you could ... - We would be grateful if you could ...
Complaining in English or how to make it clear that you are not happy
Unfortunately, it often happens that we don’t like something. But when writing business letters, we cannot give free rein to our feelings and say with a direct test what we think about the company and its services. It is necessary to use business English and carefully express your dissatisfaction. This way we can keep our business partner and let off some steam. Standard business correspondence phrases that will help with this:
- I am writing to complain about ... - I am writing to complain about ...
- I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ... I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with ...
- I am afraid there may be a misunderstanding... - I'm afraid there is a misunderstanding...
- I understand it is not your fault, but... - I understand that it is not your fault, but...
- We wish to draw your attention to…. – We would like to draw your attention to
How to convey bad or good news in business letters in English
In business correspondence it often happens that we have to upset clients. It’s worth doing this gracefully so as not to anger your partner even more.
Bad news
- I am afraid that I must inform you that ... - I am afraid that we must inform you that ...
- Unfortunately we cannot / we are unable to ... - Unfortunately, we cannot / we are unable
- We regret to inform you that... - We regret to inform you that...
- I"m afraid it would not be possible to ... – I’m afraid that it will be impossible…
- After serious consideration we have decided to...- After serious consideration, we decided that...
Good news
Fortunately, sometimes everything works out well and we can please our clients with good news
- We are pleased to announce that... – We are pleased to announce that...
- It is our pleasure to announce that... - We have the pleasure to announce that...
- I am delighted to inform you that .. – I am pleased to inform you...
- You will be pleased to learn that ... - You will be glad when you find out that ...
Apologies or how not to anger the client even more
Of course, in business there are often problems. And it’s you who has to apologize for them. Be friendly, put yourself in the position of your interlocutor. Remember that it is better to apologize several times than to lose a valuable client.
- I regret any inconvenience caused by... We regret all the inconvenience caused by...
- Please accept our sincere apologies. – Please accept our sincere apologies.
- I would like to apologize for the delay /inconvenience... - I want to apologize for the delay / inconvenience
- Once again, please accept my apologies for... – Once again, accept my apologies for...
Money or how to show your partner that it's time to pay
Sometimes you want to write in plain text that it’s time to pay. But you can’t do this in business correspondence. Instead, we have to use softer constructions, behind which there is still the same tough question.
- According to our records... - According to our records...
- Our records show that we have not yet received payment of ... – Our records show that we have not yet received payment for ...
- We would appreciate if you cleared your account within the next days. – We will be grateful if you pay in the next few days.
- Please send payment as soon as possible/ promptly – Please send us payment as soon as possible.
Politeness in correspondence or how to hint at new meetings
You shouldn’t say goodbye to your business partners completely. Even after the end of the project, it is better for you to save the relationship for future orders.
Catch you later
At the end of business letters in English, it is often appropriate to remind your partner between the lines when you next expect information from him.
- I look forward to seeing you next week. – I look forward to our meeting next week
- Looking forward to receiving your comments, - I look forward to your comments.
- I look forward to meeting you on the (date). – I’m looking forward to our meeting with you (date).
- An early reply would be appreciated. – I will appreciate your quick response
See you
After a successful order, you should write the customer a short letter in English, informing him that you are not against a new project with him.
- I would be happy to have an opportunity to work with your firm again. – I would be glad to have the opportunity to work with your firm again.
- We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future. – We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
- We would be pleased to do business with your company. – We will be happy to do business with your company.
Of course, business English is not always easy. Luckily, our selection of business phrases should make your task a lot easier. Now it will take you much less time to compose a letter. So choose the right phrases, add your information and please your boss with beautiful business letters in English.
This article is the result of my observations on what aspects create a good impression of a business letter.
It happens like this: you receive an answer to your letter and immediately make an internal decision: I want and will continue to communicate with these guys, but with these guys I want to say goodbye right away. Has this ever happened to you? For me, yes. The last such practice happened to me quite recently: I corresponded with different companies regarding the selection of language courses.
Below are my summarized conclusions about what you should keep in mind if it is important for you that yours makes a good impression on the recipient and makes him want to continue doing business with you.
1. Letter response time.
- Positive ending of the letter
– the last thing that remains in the recipient’s attention when reading your letter. Secure the emotional and positive atmosphere of business communication in the last phrases. Create a good mood for the recipient so that he wants to communicate with you again!
Compare:
| Answer option 1 | Answer option 2 |
| Hello, Masha! First of all, thank you for choosing our institute! We are confident that you will be satisfied with our cooperation. In order to send you an invoice, we need to receive from you the details of your employer company. Please send them in response to this letter...... | Hello, Masha! First of all, thank you for choosing our institute! We are confident that you will be satisfied with our cooperation. In order to send you an invoice, we need to receive from you the details of your employer company. Please send them in response to this letter. If you have any questions, please contact us! |
Tip #4: Set up the recipient to continue the dialogue. Show respect! Create and strengthen the mood of comfortable cooperation! Share with the recipient your positive mood and sincere desire to continue business interaction!
Options for final phrases:
I will be glad to cooperate!
I will be happy to answer your questions.
If you have any questions, please contact us!
With hope for fruitful cooperation,
Always ready to help and answer your questions.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
With respect to you,
With respect and hope for fruitful cooperation,
5. Signature and contact information block.
It is important for a person conducting business correspondence to understand who is “on the other side of the monitor”: the addressee’s first and last name, position, contact coordinates.
What is it for?
First and last name – allows for personal communication.
Position – gives the recipient an understanding of the boundaries of authority and professional competence in resolving issues.
Coordinates – provide the possibility of additional operational communication if necessary.
Compare: which answer looks more professional and inspires more confidence in the information.
| Hello! I passed the preliminary test when registering for Spanish courses at your institute. Based on the test results, I am enrolled in group PS-A2.1. My tuition will be paid for by my employer. Please send me an invoice for tuition fees. Thank you. Best regards, Masha Petrova | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Answer option 1 | Answer option 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hello, Masha! First of all, thank you for choosing our institute! We are confident that you will be satisfied with our cooperation. In order to send you an invoice, we need to receive from you the details of your employer company. Please send them in response to this letter. If you have any questions, please contact us! In the practice of business communication, a special place is given to compliance with the norms and rules of speech etiquette in letters of various contents. Speech etiquette of a business letter is a manifestation of the culture of the addressee. The opening address and closing form of politeness are generally accepted standard formulas. Opening Address- This is a way to attract the recipient’s attention and establish contact with him. In the practice of domestic correspondence, until recently, the address was traditionally used in letters of a semi-official nature; in letters of invitation addressed to specific persons (honored figures of science, art, culture, deputies, persons occupying a high social position, etc.) or a group of persons related to the nature of their activities; in commercial correspondence. In modern official letters, the role of address has increased; it is used in cases where the situation requires direct appeal to an official or persons. The appeal is placed on a separate line in the center. The exclamation point gives the letter an emotional character and indicates the special importance the author attaches to the content of the question being posed. When contacting the addressee, one should take into account his official position, field of activity, the nature of the relationship between the parties, the purpose of the letter, etc. If a letter is sent to an institution, organization, enterprise, company or is addressed to an official whose name, surname and gender are not known, then the generally accepted addresses are the following: - Dear Sirs! - Gentlemen! When addressing persons of the same professional circle, it is possible to address: - Dear Colleagues! - Dear Colleagues! For Russian speech etiquette, gender leveling is a characteristic feature, since before 1917 there were practically no women in the civil service, and in the Soviet period the asexual address “comrade” was common (Comrade N. S. Ivanova). In recent years, when addressing a letter to a female official, a masculine noun has been used (investigator, general director, manager, etc.). If the recipient of the letter is a particularly important person: a high official (governor, mayor), an honored figure of science and culture, a famous public figure, president (chairman) of a society, campaign, company, etc., then use the following appeals: - Dear Alexey Petrovich! - Dear Pavel Anatolyevich! It is possible to apply with a position and without a surname: - Dear Mr. Minister! - Dear Mr. Governor! - Dear Mr. Deputy! - Dear Mr. Publisher! - Dear Mr. Chairman! When addressing a person with a title, you can use the following option: - Dear doctor! - Dear Professor! Authors of letters should keep in mind that today, more than ever, a personal appeal is important, which arouses increased interest in the letter among the addressee and demonstrates the sender’s attention and respect for the business partner. The inclusion of the addressee's surname in the address formula gives the text of the document a polite and official character. If the address indicates the first and patronymic, but does not name the last name, then it takes on a somewhat personal character. Addressing by first name and patronymic is allowed in a letter of invitation, letter of message, letter of gratitude and some others. These differences are due to the traditions of Russian speech culture: - Dear Mr. Petrov! - Dear Mrs. Petrova! - Dear Mr. Smirnov! - Dear Mrs. Demina! - Dear Mr. Gorsky! - Dear Mrs. Pronina! - Mr. Martynov. - Dear Dmitry Ivanovich! - Dear Ksenia Petrovna! -Igor Konstantinovich,... Final form of politeness completes the main text, is placed on the right side on the same vertical with the date located at the top, and is separated from the body of the letter by two or three intervals. At the end of the final politeness formula, as a rule, a comma is placed, but its absence is also acceptable. The “Signature” detail (name of the position of the person who signed the document, personal signature and its explanation) is placed below the final courtesy formula in accordance with GOST R 6.30-97. In letters issued on official letterhead (as well as in some private letters), the title of the position and the signature are not included. In business correspondence, there are several options for the final politeness formula. If the letter begins with the phrase: Dear Sir ..., then it should end with the phrase: Sincerely,... In letters of congratulations and thanks, and in letters of a personal nature, the following language formulas are used: - Sincerely yours); ... - Sincerely yours,... - WITH the bestwishes, ... - Best wishes and greetings, ... -With warm regards, ... - With heartfelt greetings and wishes, ... -With thanks. Your... - WITH friendly greetings,... - With friendly greetings, ... - Our best wishes to Mr. (name). In a real situation, the sender must be guided not only by the standard, but also by the rules of good manners. In letters to unfamiliar people or business partners, formal wording should be used: - Sincerely,... - With gratitude and respect, ... - With deep respect, .. LETTER OF THANK YOU As a rule, such letters are personally addressed. Words of gratitude are appropriate both at the beginning and at the end of the letter. A letter expressing gratitude can have different contents, for example: a letter of request, a letter of confirmation, a letter of invitation, a letter of response to an invitation, a covering letter, a letter of request, etc. When choosing one or another wording for expressing gratitude the nature of the business and personal relationship between the sender and recipient of the letter should be taken into account. At the beginning of the letter, you can testify your respect, respectful attitude towards the addressee, recognition of his merits, positive assessment of the business partner’s intelligence, etc. or express gratitude for the correspondence received: -It's very kind of you ... - I greatly appreciate your kindness... - Recognizing and appreciating your contributions to... - We were happy to receive... - This letter - expression of deep gratitude (appreciation) ... - We gratefully acknowledge receipt of your order for... - Thank you very much for the fax from... - Thank you for the catalog we received... - Thank you for your letter from... - Please accept my sincere (deep) gratitude for... -I would like to express my deep gratitude for... -I am (sincerely) grateful for your... - Let me express my gratitude for participating in... - Let me thank you for... - Let me express my gratitude to you - We are grateful to you for... - We express our gratitude on behalf of... - Thank you for your participation... At the end of the letter You can also once again use words of gratitude, express hope for a quick response, for continued cooperation, for possible prospects for business relations, etc.: WITH I remain grateful for your interest in this matter, ... - Thank you in advance for your assistance, I remain, Your... - I will (we will) be very grateful (grateful) for a quick (urgent) response. - We would be very grateful if wouldYou answered as soon as possible. - Thank you very much for your (kind) assistance. - Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated. - With heartfelt greetings and gratitude for your action (patience) in this matter. - I truly appreciate your patience and continued progress. interest. - We are waiting for your kind response. With best wishes and confidence in the development of mutually beneficial cooperation... LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS A letter of congratulations is proof of the sender’s goodwill towards the recipient Congratulations and wishes are most often the main aspect of a letter, postcard, telegram, but they can also be part of a multifaceted letter. In this case, words of congratulations and wishes are usually placed after the address and greeting. For letters that are written and sent long before the significant date, it is possible to place congratulations at the end of the letter. In official letters of congratulations the most common formulas are: allow me to congratulate you; Let me congratulate you; Please accept my (our) congratulations.
INVITATION LETTER A letter of invitation can be addressed to a specific person or several persons, or to institutions. An invitation to a specific person should be drawn up taking into account the status of the addressee, the nature of the relationship between the parties, as well as the degree of formality of the event. The most common expressions in business correspondence are the words: allow me to invite; let me invite. Expressions that are neutral in style emphasize the interest of the inviting party. Such expressions also have the nature of a discussion, that is, a unilateral invitation without the consent of the other party. In the case when the other party agrees, an official invitation is sent. - We would be glad to see you at... - We will be very grateful for your participation in ... -We would be grateful if you could accept our invitation to... In the case when the initiator of the invitation is the other party (We would like to take part in your owl longing), In a response letter of invitation, the following expressions are appropriate: - We will (with great) joy receive (meet) your representatives (your delegation). - We are glad to invite you... - We agree to receive your delegation ... - We can accept your representatives. - We have no objection to your participation in the meeting. - For our part, we are (with joy) ready to receive (invite, meet) your representatives. If the first party is particularly interested in agreement, then after the actual invitation phrases the following expressions are used: - We hope that you will accept our invitation. - We would like to hope for your consent. - We express our hope that you will accept our invitation (offer). LETTER OF APOLOGY The generally accepted formulas for expressing regret are as follows: -Unfortunately,... - To our great regret, ... - To my great regret, ... - Regretfully... - We are very sorry ... - We are extremely sorry ... - I'm very sorry that... - I regret to learn from your letter that ... - Regret ... Expressing regret about a failed transaction, late payment, delay in delivery of ordered goods, etc. may not be enough to maintain good relations between both parties and the possibility of further successful cooperation, therefore, the rules of business etiquette recommend that you apologize for the inconvenience caused. Apologies in letters can accompany requests (Sorry for asking you), failures (Sorry, but unfortunately we cannot fulfill your request) and so on. The typical and most commonly used apology formulas are the following: COVERING LETTER A covering letter is drawn up when sending any material assets to the addressee; documents that do not have an address part; documents requiring additional clarification. Covering letters are also required in cases where the documents being sent include several sheets. Covering letters indicate the name of the document being accompanied and the purpose of its sending, the deadline for execution, the reason for the delay, etc., is explained.
- (We) attach... - We send an application to ... - We send (to you) cash on delivery ... - I submit for approval ... - We forward (to you) for consideration ... - According to the attached list ... - We are sending you samples along with this letter...
This is an official letter expressing gratitude for the assistance, service, support, invitation, etc. The “code of politeness” of a business person stipulates: you should not wait for an opportunity to express gratitude to the addressee. This should always be done on time. Letters of gratitude are a guarantee of establishment and further support. Anna, good partnerships. Such letters will help you to be known as a well-mannered and decent person. Of course, it is impossible to list all forms of expressing gratitude, but we will give examples of typical ones. By using them, you can be considered a decent person and realize your plans in communication. UNI with partners: . Dear Sirs! . Let me express my sincere gratitude for the friendly welcome that... You arranged for the representative of our company, Mr.(surname) . We hope that the agreements reached at the meeting will have positive results . With this letter we also confirm the preliminary oral agreement that our representative Mr. will visit. you at the end of the month to continue negotiations . Dear Sirs! . Yesterday, (date), we completed negotiations with Mr.(surname) and hope that the results achieved are mutually beneficial . We would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you. Thank you for visiting Mr.(surname). We are especially grateful for the friendly and open tone of the negotiations between the gentleman and the management of our company . Thanks again. Company team . Dear Sirs! . Please accept my sincere gratitude for the financial assistance that. You contributed to our publishing house. By. With your assistance, we will be able to provide the public with a much-needed “Dictionary of Synonyms.” We hope that it will help effectively master the Ukrainian language. . With gratitude and respect. Publishing team TYPICAL turnover1 will allow us to express our sincere gratitude for. Your generous charitable contribution 2 wants to thank. for your help and to assure you that we will be happy to provide mutual favors at the earliest opportunity 3. Express. I sincerely thank you for your hospitality 4. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for agreeing to extend the delivery time. During this time we were able to receive goods from the manufacturer 5. We write. With deep gratitude to you for your patience regarding the delay in delivery of the ordered item. Your product 6. Very grateful. To you for postponing the invoice payment deadline 7. First of all, thank you for. We send your order. Special offer for you 8. Thank you for the congratulations on the occasion of the company’s anniversary 9. We value highly. Your contribution: he. Will significantly support our foundation We express 10 on behalf of the management and the entire team. We sincerely thank you for your many years of fruitful work. 11. Sincerely grateful. To you for that. You spared no effort and time and always directed your talent to achieve success in our common cause 12. Once again we thank you and express our hope that this is only a successful beginning of our cooperation and that we can count on it in the future. Your help 13 Once again we express our sincere gratitude for everything. You have done for our university, and we wish you success. Your work 14. On behalf of all those interested in this noble cause, please accept our sincere gratitude 15. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for 16. Let me thank you again. You for 17. Thanks. With your help, we were able to solve the problem of paying scholarships 18. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you. Thank you for a wonderful meeting 19. Please accept our sincere gratitude for the support (help) provided to us during the renovation of the school premises 20. We sincerely hope that. You will continue to provide us with all possible (certain) financial assistance. 21. I would like to express my gratitude for the financial support provided to me 22. Thank you for sending the corrected invoices, thanks to which we were able to detect an unfortunate mistake that our accounting department made 23. In this letter I want to express. We sincerely thank you for the invitation to take part in the conference (exhibition, round table meeting) 24. Thanks. We will be able to successfully implement the action planned for this month to help children affected by the Chernobyl accident. Please accept our sincere gratitude 25. Thank you. You for the offer to take part in the implementation of the project to organize joint production. We hope that future cooperation will be successful and mutually beneficial 26. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the organization. Meeting with you, which I hope was just as useful and enjoyable for you. for you, as for me 27. First let me thank you. Thank you for finding the time and opportunity to visit our company 28. This letter is a manifestation of our great respect and gratitude for the invaluable help that. You provided us 29. You undoubtedly deserve sincere and deep gratitude. 30. I don’t know how. Thank you too. You did me a great (invaluable) favor 31. I am greatly indebted to. You 32. This is very kind of you. by your side 33. Very. I am obliged to you (grateful) 34. Praise. To you from the bottom of my heart 35. I am very pleased, thank you 36. Very grateful for. Your concern Basic words of gratitude in English and answer options To express gratitude in English, you can use the words “Thank you”. But what to do if you need to not just thank, but thank you very much, thank you from the bottom of your heart? How to respond to words of gratitude? How to thank for something specific? Read about all this below. How to express gratitude in English in everyday speechLet's take a closer look at how to thank in English, respond to gratitude and thank for something specific. 1. Words of gratitude in EnglishIn the most common everyday situations, the following phrases are used to express gratitude in English:
Between thank you And thanks there is no difference. Both are “thank you” or “thank you.” The only nuance is that for a formal situation thanks less suitable than thank you.
These three options are also practically no different from each other. These are all different variations of “Thank you very much” and are suitable for both informal and formal situations. I note that in the USA they often like to add the phrase “I appreciate it” after words of gratitude. For example:
This phrase can be said with or without reason. You can hear it from a friend who was helped lift a piano to the 8th floor, and from a stranger who had the door held in an elevator. It's just a way to increase gratitude a little.
Word cheers used as a “thank you” in informal situations. It is inappropriate in business correspondence or formal conversation.
You saved my life- this is not in the literal sense “You saved my life,” but an analogue of our “Thank you for helping out!” or “You saved me!”, that is, gratitude for some kind of help. I owe you one or I owe you big time- the equivalent of our “I am in your debt!”
“Thanks, it wasn’t worth it!” This is what they say, for example, after receiving a gift. This means that it was not worth giving something so valuable. You shouldn’t (have) – this, like “shouldn’t,” is an incomplete phrase. The full version might sound like this: You shouldn’t have done it! – You shouldn’t have done this! You shouldn't have presented this to me! – You shouldn’t have given this to me!
2. How to respond to words of gratitudeThe easiest way to respond to gratitude is in a universal, error-free way:
This answer applies to every situation! There are other variations:
Like “You’re welcome”, they are appropriate almost everywhere. I will name a few more possible answers:
All the options mean something like “You’re welcome” or “No thanks needed.” Option no problem can be called informal, appropriate in a friendly conversation. 3. How to say thank you in English for something specificOften you need not just to say “Thank you,” but to thank you for something specific. There are two main ways to do this:
We choose an option depending on whether the reason for gratitude can be expressed with a noun or a verb. Here are typical examples with nouns:
And some examples with verbs:
Formal ways of expressing gratitude in EnglishThere are quite a few formal, polite ways to say thank you in English. In speech, they are used at celebrations, official events, ceremonies, but for the most part, formal thanks are needed for written speech, especially for. In many cases, the usual “Thank you for + reason” will do. Here, for example, are typical phrases of gratitude from business correspondence:
But there are other ways to express gratitude. They are all clichés, templates for different occasions.
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