L E T T E R S
Formal letters
when the name or sex of the recipient is not known:	OPENING: Dear Sir(s), Dear Madam or Dear Sir or Madam CLOSING: Yours faithfully (In American English, sometimes: Yours truly,)
when their name is known but you do not know them very well:	OPENING: Dear Mr Jenkins, Dear Ms Hopkins (or, if you know their marital status and know that they prefer to be addressed as Mrs or Miss: Dear Miss Hopwell, Dear Mrs Jenkinson) CLOSING: Yours sincerely (In American English, sometimes: Sincerely Yours, Sincerely
Informal letters
to business contacts that you know well:	OPENING: Dear Tony, Dear Estelle CLOSING: With best wishes or With kind regards followed by Yours sincerely or, sometimes, in public service Yours ever
Letters to friends or close family members
OPENING: Dear Maggy, Dear Freddie CLOSING: Yours, Your, Love, Lots of Love (Hugs and Kisses)
Business letters
Your business address	Your business address will normally be printed on your official stationery at the top of the page, perhaps with a logo. If not, insert it at the top, centrally or to the right: name of business, then street number and street, then town and district. There is no need to use commas after each of these categories and do not put your own name with the address.
Date	There are three possibilities: directly under your business address, telephone and fax numbers and email address after a space OR above the name and address of the person you are writing to OR beneath the name and address of the person you are writing to. In English there are various ways of writing the date. The preferred mode in business correspondence is 30 November 2001.
Addressee details	Put the name, designation and address of the person you are writing to on the left-hand side of the page.
Beginning the letter	Leave as much space as possible so that the body of the letter sits tidily in the middle part of the page. If you know the person you are writing to very well or are on friendly terms, begin simply with the first name, Dear Mary or Dear Henry. If you don't know the person you are writing to so well, but know of him as a named individual, start with title and surname: Dear Mr Potter or Dear Dr Baker or Dear Miss Taylor or Dear Mrs Cook or Dear Ms Barber. If you are not sure which of the last three titles is appropriate in any particular case, it is probably best to stick to Ms.
Ending the letter	Finish this type of letter with Yours sincerely. If you know the person you are writing to well, it may be appropriate to insert a closing formula, such as With very best wishes, before the ending itself. Sign the letter with your first name, if you are on first-name terms, or with your full name, if it needs to be a little more formal, but without any title. If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to end your letter with Yours faithfully, followed by your full name and designation.
Sample of a business letter
Supersoft Hygiene Ltd The Technology Park All Products Road Boxham Surrey BH11 4TY Telephone: 0178 55 66 777 Fax: 0178 55 22 333 Direct Dial: 0178 55 98 678 Email: info@softhy.co.uk Ms Felicity White Promotions Manager Softskins The Chemist The High Street Bexford Kent BX44 0JB 30 September 2001 Dear Ms White Catalogue and Price List As requested, please find enclosed our catalogue and price list for your attention. All of our promotions which are new this year are highlighted NEW in the top left hand corner for each item. They can all be viewed in greater detail on our website www.softhy.co.uk on the new promotions webpage. As an introductory offer, they are all available to you until the end of this calendar year at an additional discount of 5% from list price. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Should I be unavailable, my personal assistant, Ms Violet Rose, will be very pleased to help you. We look forward to receiving your order in the near future. Yours sincerely (space for signature) James Smellsnice Sales Manager. Enclosures: 2002 Catalogue, Price List & Order Forms.
Letter of application
If you are responding to a job advertisement you may be asked to write a letter of application. This is the letter which lists all your work experience and qualifications and should also explain why you want the job.
Beginning the letter	I am writing to apply for the post of Fashion Shop Manager advertised in the 'News Shopper' of 14 February 2004.
list your experience and relevant qualifications:	I have worked in the retail industry for a total of ten years, first as a sales assistant in a department store and for the last three years as a Section Head and Deputy Manager at Jones the Bootmaker.
why you are particularly interested in this job and mention the particular abilities and skills that you have	I am applying for this position as I am looking to progress from junior to senior management. I have always been interested in the latest fashion trends and developments and I believe your organisation is a well-run quality fashion business. I would very much like to work for your company. I believe I have all the skills, knowledge and expertise that you are looking for. I have lots of retail initiative, can schedule and prioritise tasks and can work to strict deadlines. I also work particularly well with people and would enjoy leading the team and working with clients and customers.
Ending the letter	I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to invite me for an interview.
Covering letter
Many employers will ask you to write to them or phone them for an application form and further details when they advertise jobs. Sometimes you will be asked to send your CV or resume. Your CV or curriculum vitae lists your educational and career history and is a useful summary for an employer of all your educational and employment achievements up to the present time. You must always ensure that it is up to date. A covering letter may then be very useful because you can enclose it with your CV or a completed application form. In your covering letter you can draw attention to particular information which you wish to highlight.
Sample of a covering letter
Dear Mr Sorefoot Fashion Shop Manager Please find enclosed my completed application form for the above position. As you will see from my form, I have ten years experience with Bates Retail as a Fashion Shop Manager. I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to invite me for an interview. I can be contacted at any time by phone, fax or email at work or at home. I would very much welcome an opportunity to discuss my application in greater detail and convince you that I am the right person for the job. Yours sincerely Frances Slimwaist
Cover	cover = protection (from enemy attack or for talking about insurance) cover = address or report on a topic (to talk about studying a subject or in a journalistic context to talk about reporting) cover for = substitute for someone at work Can you cover for me this afternoon while I visit my father in hospital? Does your travel insurance cover you against theft or loss of valuables?
E - M A I L S
There are no standard formulas for starting or finishing emails. Only one thing is clear. Emails are invariably of an informal nature, so informal language tends to be the norm.
Starting emails Opening formulas	Hi, Roger Hello Roger Dear Roger Hey you guys Hey Roger Roger (Note that using the given name alone is reminiscent of business memos among colleagues within the same organisation) Dear Mr Woodham (business correspondence) Dear Roger Woodham (this formula is also used in letters sometimes) Good morning Roger
text-messaging body of the e-mail	Hey babe b4 u leave b'ham pls spk 2 NG & tell her we'll b @ r hse in sth ldn till nxt weds. Ta v much. C u soon. Luv ND Dearest (the opening here is slightly old-fashioned) Before you leave Birmingham, please speak to Angie and tell her we'll be at our house in South London until next Wednesday. Thanks very much. See you soon. Love, Andy
Ending emails	Best wishes Regards Best regards Good wishes Let me know if you need more information, Dave Look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Dave