English on the Internet - Business English 1. Business Letters 1.1. Layout of Business Letters 1.2. Information & Enquiries 1. Business Letters 1.1. Layout of Business Letters Top of this page All business letters should have a specific layout as well as every letter of formal correspondence: HEADING - SENDER'S ADDRESS RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS DATE GREETING BODY OF THE LETTER COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE SIGNATURE Your letters should have all 5Cs! They should be: clear - jasné complete - úplné concise - stručné correct - bez chyb courteous - zdvořilé Examples of: HEADING & RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS: (address, telephone number...) Mr J.Cliffon 58 Moor Street Liverpool LD4 UK Motorent plc 61 Tree Alley Cambridge CF5 2GE Tel.: 03-448 7564 Telex.: 201498        * DATE: 23 January 1999 23rd January 1999 January 23, 1999 January 23rd, 1999 Never write!! 23.1.1999 or 23/01/99 These forms of dates are not polite in a formal letter.        * GREETING: Dear Sir(s), Dear Madam, Dear Mesdames, Dear Mr Brown, Dear Mrs Green, (Gentlemen, only in US English!!!)        * BODY: We refer to... In reply to...        * COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: We look forward to hearing from you soon.        * SIGNATURE: We use before the signature: Yours faithfully if we do not know the addressee/the recipient's name Yours sincerely if we know the recipient's name Yours truly US English Very truly yours US English Recommendations & comments: We use no academic titles in business letters. It is not common to write them on business cards too. To express the Czech abbreviations: Czech English v.z. p.p., on behalf of, for Příloha: Enc.:, See enclosure:

Useful phrases:

* We have seen your advertisement in...and would be pleased to have details of...
* We are interested in your goods demonstrated at the recent trade fair...
* We have been given your name by...
* We have been referred to you by...
* We would like to enquire whether...
* Your company has been recommended to us by...

* Could you please send us a copy of...
* Please inform us on what terms you can supply...
* We would appreciate your sending us your latest catalogue a price list...
* We would be glad to receive an up-to-date quotation for...

* We trust that your prices will be sufficiently attractive for us to conclude this business...
* We hope that you will be able to help us...
* We thank you in advance for your cooperation...

Example: