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Letter Writing in English

Mohammad Fathi Electrical Engineering, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran mfathi@ieee.org February 2011

Writing
Letter Writing

Personal letter Business letter

Visit http://www.letterwritingguide.com/ http://www.sampleletters.in/ Book: A course in letter writing for Iranian students, Mrs. Sarah. J. Rutledge Moridi for sample letters.

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Personal Letters: Layout

Heading: Writer's address
261 Azadi Street Tehran July 20, 2010

Salutation: is the greeting of your letter.

A comma always follows the salutation. Examples: Dear Mr. Smith, Dear Ali, Dear Uncle Reza, Dear Mrs.

Jones

Never use both first name and last name.

Body: Here you say what you have to say

Introduction Development Conclusion

Personal Letters: Layout

Closing: choose the words that are closest to the meaning which

you wish to convey.

Only the first word is capitalized. The closing is always followed by a comma.

Examples: Sincerely yours, Regards, Best Regards, Best,Your friend

Signature
Sign the name you usually use. Do not place any punctuation after the signature.

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Personal Letters: Layout placement

Heading

Salutation

Body

Closing Signature

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Personal Letters: Body

Introduction
Refer to a letter you have recently received, e.g. I was very happy when I

received your letter yesterday, or Thank you so much for answering my latter so quickly. Refer to an event which has prompted you write, e.g. I am writing to tell you , or I am so sorry If you have a definite purpose or pressing need, write it directly, e.g. I need a letter of invitation from you to
Purpose
the most important part Write as tactfully as you can

Conclusion
Round off the letter with a polite wish. Example: I hop you will be able to, I am looking forward to hearing

from you soon, I appreciate your time and effort,

Personal Letters
Invitations
It is my pleasure to invite you to , I would like to invite you to

Thank-you
Informal:Thank you so much for,

Formal: I would like to thank you for ..

Congratulations: are sent to mark your happiness at someone

elses success.
Congratulations! , Please accept my warmest congratulations! Reply: It was very kind of you to send me good wishes.

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Personal Letters
Condolence: if someone dies and we write to a relative to

express our sympathy.

I was so sorry to hear about the death of your father; please accept

our condolence. I wish to express my sympathy for the death of your husband. It was a great shock to learn of the death of your brother. please accept our condolence. Reply: thank you very much for your kind letter of sympathy.
Apology
shows that you are sorry and says that you value your relationship

with the other party.

Sample: Invitation letter

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Sample: Apology letter

Sample: Thank you letter

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Sample: Apology letter

Homework
You are to write a personal letter and send it. The type of the

letter is optional.

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Writing
Letter Writing

Personal letter Business letter

Business Letter: Layout

Heading
It is similar to that of a personal letter. When you are using business stationery which has a letterhead, you

write only the date.

Inside Address
The name and address of the person to whom you are writing must be

included under your own address.

Sometime you do not know who is going to read your letter. In this case,

you can direct your letter to the company concerned. Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown.
Salutation
Usually use Dear .

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Business Letter: Layout

Body
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs

should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing. with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on.

Closing
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends

Signature Your name

The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or

position on the line underneath it.

Enclosure
If letter contains other document other than the letter itself, your letter

will include the word "Enclosure."

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Business Letter: Body

first paragraph:
Reference : begin by referring to something which has caused you

to write. Example: Thank you for your letter I have received on.., and You may remember that I visited last year.. Purpose: The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.
Middle paragraph: contain the relevant information behind

the writing of the letter. Last Paragraph : should state what action you expect the recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc.

Business Letters
The order letter: the most common use of business letter You request a Profroma invoice consisting of merchandise, prices and finally the amount of money you should send. Dear Sir, Please send me a proforma invoice for one copy each of the following books: Your prompt attention to this matter would be very much appreciated. yours faithfully, A. Jon The letter of request Write letters for information or advice Would you please let me know ?

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Complaint letter
65 Market Street Val Haven, CT 95135June 30, 2004 Customer Service Cool Sports, LLC 8423 Green Terrace Road Asterville,WA 65435 Dear Sir or Madam: I have recently ordered a new pair of soccer cleats (item #6542951) from your website on June 21. I received the order on June 26. Unfortunately, when I opened it I saw that the cleats were used. The cleats had dirt all over it and there was a small tear in front of the part where the left toe would go. My order number is AF26168156. To resolve the problem, I would like you to credit my account for the amount charged for my cleats, I have already went out and bought a new pair of cleats at my local sporting goods store so sending another would result in me having two pairs of the same cleats. Than you for taking the time to read this letter. I have been a satisfied customer of your company for many years and this is the first time I have encountered a problem. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at (555) 555-5555. Sincerely, Signature Ken Thomas

Apology letter: formal

5868 Maple Wood Street Fairfield, PA 37626November 29, 2004 Mr. Joseph Bicman 358 Noncook Road John's Town, PA 57323 Dear Mr. Bicman: I apologize for the mix-up of order #: 26429782. We have just implemented a new packaging system that still has a few bugs to be worked out, but we did fix your order and sent it out this morning. For your trouble, we have enclosed a $25 gift certificate which can be used at any of our stores. Once again I would like to apologize for the mix-up in your order and any inconveniences this may have caused you. Sincerely, Signature Scott Mahoney Customer Service Manager

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Invitation letter: formal

Lockwood Middle School 307 Main Street Lockwood, NJ 51686December 17, 2008 Mrs. Jody Coling President Lockwood Health Association 23 Main Street Lockwood, NJ Dear Mrs. Coling: My name is Susan Harris and I am writing on behalf of the students at Lockwood Middle School. We would like to invite you to attend a special event being held at our school in a week's time. A significant amount of the students at the school have been working on a project which relates to the unemployment problem within the youth demographic of Lockwood.You are invited to attend a presentation that will be held within the media room of the school where a variety of proposals that will demonstrate the ability of the community to develop employment opportunities for the youth within the community. At the presentation, there will be several students receiving awards which will recognize them within the community from the Mayor. Refreshments will also be available at the presentation. As one of the prominent figures in the community, we would be honored by your attendance. Please reply by Monday the 26th of February to confirm your attendance to the function. We look forward to seeing you there, Sincerely, Signature Ms. Susan Harris

Resignation letter
483 Spring Road Ft. Berliner, VA 58265October 21, 2004 Mr. Jack Wilkins Head of Inventory Control Widgets Unlimited, Inc. 16 Ferris Blvd. Clinton, VA 58763 Dear Mr. Jenkins: I am formally notifying you that I'll be tendering my resignation from Widgets Unlimited, Inc. My last day will be on November 12, 2004 I never imagined that I would have to leave Widgets Unlimited, but due to the relocation of my wife's work to New York, I have made the decision with my wife to move up to New York as a family. If there is anything that I can do to make this transition easier for the company, let me know and I'd be more than willing to help out. I have truly enjoyed my work here and I would like to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me to work here at Widgets Unlimited. Sincerely, Signature Scott Nelson Inventory Specialist

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Letters of Application
An application for a job may include several parts:
The letter of application A Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Gives the essential facts

about yourself, your education, your work experience, personal qualities, and what you have actually accomplished. The letter of Recommendation from references

CV: is almost enclosed with the letter of application

Bear in mind that you are trying to sell yourself by an application for job, so include The highlights of your education and business career. Your important honors and publications. Your important jobs and the highest position you have had. Hobbies and Interests Skills Your age, martial status, and the number of children (if applicable). Points of interest for your prospective employer.

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The Letter of Recommendation

Place a fair, moderate and impartial judgment on the person

your are recommending. Not to praise too much, and not to criticize mercilessly. At the end of the letter,
you either recommend him/her positively for the position,

or you state that he is not qualified or he is unable to fulfill the

duties of the position for the reasons you mentioned above.

The person who will read your recommendation should be able

to believe you; otherwise your recommendation is totally worthless.

Recommendation letter
562 Banquest Street Fair Valley, AL 81356September 28, 2004 To Whom It May Concern: It is with great pleasure that I am recommending Rose Berdinger to you. I am the Head Sales Manager at Vacuums Plus and Rose has been under my supervision from November of 2000 to August of 2004 as a saleswoman. Rose would be a great asset to any company. She is one of the brightest employees that I have ever had. She also has a great drive and passion for her work. Rose is such a quick learner. Within her first two weeks at Vacuums Plus she had learned all the product names, their features, and how they work. It normally takes a new employee at least two months to get familiar with all the products that we sell. Rose's drive has led her to great success at Vacuums Plus. She has had the honor of receiving the "Top Sales Person of the Month Award" ten times in her last year at Vacuums Plus, which is a feat that no employee has ever achieved here before. I believe that Rose Berdinger will be an excellent fit for your company. Rose has been nothing short of an exemplary employee. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at (555) 555-555 and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. Sincerely, Signature Peter Ziggad Head Sales Manager

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Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

The following abbreviations are widely used in letters: asap = as soon as possible cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let them know) enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter) pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc) ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it) pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page) RSVP = please reply

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