Business letters and e-mails in English follow simple rules: a clear layout, standard phrases, and a polite but direct style. Avoid old-fashioned phrases (« we beg to acknowledge », « enclosed herewith »): write simply.
| Part | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sender's address (letterhead) | At the top | ATLAS Office Supplies, 25 Bd Zerktouni, Casablanca, Morocco |
| Date | Day + month in letters + year | 12 March 2025 (UK) / March 12, 2025 (US) |
| Inside address | Name and address of the receiver, on the left | Ms Mary Thatcher, Sales Manager, Galaxy Supplies, 221 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2RW, UK |
| Reference / Subject | Optional, often in bold | Re: Order No. 118 |
| Salutation | Dear + title + surname | Dear Ms Thatcher, / Dear Sir or Madam, |
| Body | Reference, information, purpose, conclusion | See below |
| Complimentary close | Depends on the salutation | Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully, |
| Signature | Name, job title | Karima Alaoui, Purchasing Manager |
| Enclosures | If documents are attached | Enc.: price list |
| Salutation | Close | When |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Sirs, | Yours faithfully, (UK) | You don't know the name |
| Dear Mr Smith, / Dear Ms Smith, | Yours sincerely, (UK) / Sincerely yours, (US) | You know the name (Ms for a woman whose status is unknown) |
| Dear John, | Best wishes, / Kind regards, | A close business contact |
| Step | Useful phrases |
|---|---|
| 1. Reference | With reference to your letter of 25 April… / Thank you for your e-mail of… / Further to our telephone conversation today… |
| 2. Reason for writing | I am writing to enquire about… / to confirm… / to apologise for… / to complain about… |
| 3. Request | Could you possibly…? / I would be grateful if you could… / Please send us… |
| 4. Agreeing / good news | I would be delighted to… / I am pleased to inform you that… |
| 5. Bad news | Unfortunately… / I'm afraid that… / We regret to inform you that… |
| 6. Enclosing | Please find enclosed… / I am enclosing… / (e-mail) Please find attached… |
| 7. Closing remark | Thank you for your help. / Please contact us if you have any questions. |
| 8. Future contact | I look forward to hearing from you. / I look forward to meeting you next Tuesday. |
FOTOTECHNIQUE – 31, rue de Constantine – Cognac – France
Ms Mary Thatcher
Sales Manager
Galaxy Computer Supplies
221 Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 2RW
27 October 2024
Dear Ms Thatcher,
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm our order for 10 photoconductors, ref. No. 76905 A/K.
I would be grateful if you could deliver them as soon as possible.
Thank you for your help.
Yours sincerely,
Christophe Terrien
Director – Procurement
© TSC COMMERCE – OTHMAN ZT · Cours protégé, reproduction interdite
| Letter | Plan | Key phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry (demande de renseignements) | How you know the company ; what you want ; ask for catalogue, prices, terms | We saw your advertisement in… ; Could you send us your catalogue and price list? ; Please let us know your terms of payment and delivery times. |
| Reply / offer | Thank ; send documents ; give terms ; encourage an order | Thank you for your enquiry of… ; Please find enclosed our catalogue ; We can offer a 5 % discount on orders over… |
| Order | Reference to the offer ; list of items ; delivery and payment terms | We would like to place an order for… ; Please deliver by… ; Payment will be made by bank transfer within 30 days. |
| Complaint | Reference ; the problem ; what you want ; deadline | We are writing to complain about… ; Unfortunately, the goods arrived damaged ; Please replace them as soon as possible. |
| Apology / reply to a complaint | Thank, apologise, explain, solution | We apologise for the inconvenience ; This was due to… ; We have sent replacement goods today. |
| Payment reminder | Invoice number, amount, due date ; ask for payment | According to our records, invoice No. … for … is still unpaid ; We would be grateful if you could settle this account within 7 days. |
© TSC COMMERCE – OTHMAN ZT · Cours protégé, reproduction interdite
Use: Thank you for ; I'm afraid ; I am enclosing ; I apologise for ; Yours sincerely ; Unfortunately. « Dear Mr Cochet, (1) ___ your phone call today. (2) ___ not sending you our price list. (3) ___, it is still at the printers. However, (4) ___ a copy of the old list with the new prices pencilled in. (5) ___, Jacqueline Scott »
1. Thank you for ; 2. I apologise for ; 3. Unfortunately (or I'm afraid that) ; 4. I am enclosing ; 5. Yours sincerely.
You work for RIAD EVENTS, Marrakech. You saw an advertisement for folding chairs from ChairPro Ltd (Leeds, UK) in « Events Today ». Write an enquiry for 60 chairs: catalogue, prices, discounts, delivery time to Morocco, terms of payment.
Dear Sir or Madam,
We saw your advertisement for folding chairs in the latest issue of « Events Today ».
We are an event company based in Marrakech and we are interested in buying 60 chairs for our new reception room. Could you please send us your catalogue and price list? We would also like to know if you offer a discount for this quantity, your delivery time to Morocco and your terms of payment.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Nadia Idrissi
Office Manager, RIAD EVENTS
a) The 60 chairs arrived, but 5 are broken. Write a short complaint e-mail to Mr Brown (ChairPro). b) Write Mr Brown's reply: he apologises, explains that the packing was poor and sends 5 new chairs free of charge.
a) Subject: Order No. 452 – damaged goods. « Dear Mr Brown, our order No. 452 arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, 5 of the 60 chairs were broken. Could you please send us 5 replacement chairs as soon as possible? We can return the damaged ones if necessary. Kind regards, Nadia Idrissi, RIAD EVENTS. »
b) Subject: Re: Order No. 452 – damaged goods. « Dear Ms Idrissi, thank you for your e-mail. We are very sorry that 5 chairs arrived damaged ; this was due to poor packing. We have sent 5 new chairs today, free of charge, and you do not need to return the damaged ones. We apologise for the inconvenience. Best regards, Michael Brown, Customer Service, ChairPro Ltd. »
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