Since English is the language of international business communication, writing a business letter in English is very important. Business correspondence in English has its peculiarities and rules that should be followed to make communication as effective as possible. Use our tips and you will succeed in writing a formal letter in English.

Nowadays, due to the use of the Internet and modern technology, writing paper letters is becoming less common, and communication, including business one, is usually carried out online, so writing business emails is now more relevant. Sometimes, you may need to send a letter with a handwritten signature or certified documents. In such cases, you can choose a paper format, although scanned copies are also widely used.

Writing official letters in English and sending them via email is faster and easier. In addition to saving money and time (free and almost instant delivery), email is also a more environmentally friendly way of communicating, as it does not require the use of paper.

Therefore, this article will focus on the general rules of writing a business letter in English, and an email in particular.

Of course, official letters in English may have different purposes, but they all have a clear structure and general formatting rules.

The structure of a formal letter in English usually includes the following elements:

	Element	Example
1	Sender's Address	123 Main Street Kyiv, 01001 Ukraine
2	Date	February 9, 2025
3	Recipient's Address	Mr. John Smith ABC Corporation 456 Business Rd. New York, NY 10001 USA
4	Salutation	Formal: Dear Mr. Smith, Dear Ms. Johnson, Dear Sir or Madam,   Less formal: Dear John,
5	Body of the Letter Consists of 3 parts:
	Opening Paragraph	I am writing to inquire about... I am contacting you regarding...
	Main Content	We would appreciate it if you could provide us with... Please find attached the requested documents.
	Closing Paragraph	I look forward to your response. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
6	Closing	Formal: Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,   Less formal: Best regards, Kind regards,
7	Signature	John Doe Sales Manager
8	Enclosures	Enclosures: Contract Agreement, Invoice #1234

Let's look at a sample of an official letter in English:

123 Main Street  Kyiv, 01001  Ukraine    February 9, 2025    Mr. John Smith  ABC Corporation  456 Business Rd.  New York, NY 10001  USA    Dear Mr. Smith,   I am writing to inquire about the possibility of establishing a partnership between our companies. We are particularly interested in your latest product line, which aligns with our current market expansion strategy.   Could you please provide more details regarding your pricing and distribution terms? Additionally, we would appreciate any marketing materials you could share.   Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.   Yours sincerely,    John Doe  Sales Manager

And here is a sample of a formal email in English:

To: From:   Subject: Re: Trade fair in Finland   Dear Mr Miara   I am writing to inform you that I am going to be at the innovation trade fair in Finland in November. Our business partner, William Francis passed on your details to me.   I understand you are an expert in this area and it would be helpful for me if I could phone you next week to discuss some of the important points. Can you let me know if this would be convenient for you?   I look forward to your reply.   Yours sincerely,   Tasso Baies

Whether it is a paper letter or an email, they should create a positive impression at once. Be sure to use an appropriate format and salutation. Check the spelling of the name. If the recipient is unknown, use Dear Sir/Madam / Dear Colleagues / Dear Customer, etc.

Start the main part of the letter with introductory phrases that refer to the previous contact, indicate how you got the information about the recipient if you are writing for the first time, explain the purpose of the letter, etc.:

• I recently read your article / advertisement...
• I was given your name by [name]...
• Thank you for your letter / email / message of [date] concerning / about / enclosing / enquiring...
• I have received your letter / email of [date]...
• Following our telephone conversation today...
• I am writing to ask… / to inform you… / to confirm… / enquire about…
• I am interested in ordering… / learning about…
• I am writing to you about / with regard to...
• I am writing in response to...
• I am writing to enquire / complain about...
• I would like to apologize for...
• In reply to your email...

 

Then, in the main body of the letter, state its essence. As a rule, business correspondence in English is formal, so the message must be concise, polite, and devoid of excessive emotion, even if you are complaining about a product or service. However, if you need to write an apology letter or report bad news, use the following phrases:

• We regret to inform you that...
• I am sorry to let you know that...
• Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will not be able to...
• Please accept our sincere apologies for...
• We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

 

After stating the main idea in the main part of the letter, write the closing paragraph, which may contain the following phrases:

• I hope you will find this information of use.
• I trust you will look into this matter fully.
• I hope you understand my concern about this matter.
• I would be very grateful for your help in this matter.
• Please contact us if…
• Please let me know if…
• Do not hesitate to contact us if...
• Let me know if you need any more help.
• I look forward to / I am looking forward to hearing from you.
• I look forward to receiving your reply / report / order /…
• Looking forward to...

 

To end a formal letter, use one of the following clichés:

• Yours sincerely
• (Most) sincerely
• (Best) regards / Respectfully
• Best
• Kind regards

 

After that, put a comma, and in a new paragraph, indicate your details – name, position (if applicable) and phone number (optional).

 Let's take a closer look at the most common types of formal letters in English.

A Sales Letter starts with a catchy statement to attract the recipient's attention, as its main goal is to motivate them to take a certain action. It contains a call to action, a clear description of the benefits for the client, instructions on how to take further steps, and contact information such as a phone number or a link to a website or a social media page.

An Inquiry Letter is used to request information. It should be short, clear and contain only the most relevant questions. Be sure to include your contact details to receive the information you need.

A Cover Letter is attached to documents, reports or goods and is intended to explain what is being sent, why and what further action is expected from the recipient. Cover letters are usually as concise and informative as possible.

An Order Letter is sent by a customer to a manufacturer, seller or supplier to order goods or services. The letter should include the model, product name, quantity, and desired price. You can also add information about the payment method.

A Follow-Up Letter is sent after a previous contact (for example, if an order has not been placed). It can also be a summary of the meeting, or a clarification of the status of a job application from a candidate. Usually, such letters contain the elements of gratitude and commercial appeal.

An Acknowledgment Letter serves as an acknowledgement of receipt of a message, document or material. It demonstrates attention and respect for the recipient, although further action may not be necessary.

A Complaint Letter is a formal complaint about a defective product or service and a request for compensation. The choice of words and tone is crucial for the successful handling of the complaint. You should be firm, and clear, but polite, and make sure to use a professional style.

An Adjustment Letter is a response to a complaint or claim. If the issue has been resolved in the client's favour, state this at the beginning of the letter. Otherwise, use a neutral and polite tone to explain the situation and demonstrate your understanding of the client's problem.

A Letter of Recommendation is usually required by employers before hiring a candidate. This is a reference from a previous employer or colleague that highlights the candidate's professional qualities.

A Letter of Resignation is sent by the employee who is going to leave to their manager, indicating the date of the last working day. The letter often also explains the reasons for the resignation.

 General guidelines for writing a formal letter in English

Of course, drafting of any message is individual, you write about specific situations and provide specific details, but there are general tips on how to write a formal letter in English.

When writing business letters, you should be clear and concise, and the content of the letter should be clear. Use simple, understandable vocabulary, do not use contractions, and avoid colloquial language preferring a professional style.

As for the visual design of the email text, you should divide the message into meaningful parts, separating them into paragraphs. If necessary, use subheadings, bulleted lists, and bolding, but do not CAPITALIZE words or use underlining. As a rule, when writing a business letter, use Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, or Verdana fonts in size 10 or 12, single line spacing and double indentation between paragraphs, with margins of 2.5 cm on all sides. Leave 4-5 blank lines for the signature.

When starting a formal letter, choose an appropriate greeting depending on your relationship with the recipient. State the purpose of the email right away. This is called a direct approach, which sets the tone for the entire message and helps to grab the reader's attention at once. However, if you are delivering unpleasant news, it is better to use an indirect approach – first, prepare the reader and only then get to the point – in the second or third paragraph. In the main body of the letter, clearly state the details of the situation, indicating the essence of the problem and possible solutions, and be sure to include the reasons for your decision or proposal. Remember that the body of the letter can be divided into meaningful paragraphs. Use a polite closing phrase to smoothly conclude your email, and then choose an appropriate farewell depending on your relationship with the recipient.

Be sure to double-check your email before sending it to make sure it contains all the needed information and is written properly. Be careful to spell the recipient's name and company name correctly.

 Sample business email in English

To: delltechnology@gmail.com From: surajverma@gmail.com   Subject: Enquiring about Laptops   Dear Sir,   I am Ernest Green writing this letter to you to enquire about the DELL. laptop. I am planning to purchase 20 DELL Laptops for business purposes. I am running a media and advertising firm. I require laptops with good graphic features and my budget for 20 laptops is ___ USD. We would like to buy laptops which are portable, lightweight, 8GB RAM, and suit our budget.   I would like to know the details of all the available laptops with the above-mentioned features. If DELL laptops are not available with the above-mentioned features then I would like to buy any other brand laptops as well.   So, please explain to me more about the available laptops and their features.   I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible.   Best regards,   Ernest Green Director

 

Read also: 

• Rules of reading in English
• How to quickly learn and memorize English words
• Selection of online English dictionaries and their useful features

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