LETTER WRITING

Some useful expressions - Openings: Dear Mr. Brown, Dear Ms / Mrs. Black, Dear Sir / Madam, Dear Jim, To whom it may concern, Starting: I’m writing... to confirm (our order for…) to enquire about… to apologize for… to advise you of… Stating a reference: Thank you for your letter of 16 June. With reference to… Further to (our telephone enquiry), Giving good news: I’m delighted to tell you that… You will be pleased to hear that… Giving bad news: Unfortunately,… I’m afraid… We regret to inform you… Making a request: I would be grateful if you could (deliver, send, confirm, etc.) I would appreciate it if you could kindly… Could you…? Will you please…? Making a stronger request: Please replace the faulty goods as soon as possible. We must insist on an immediate replacement/full refund Unless I receive the goods by the end of this week, I will have no choice but to cancel my order. I hope you will deal with this matter promptly as it is causing me considerable inconvenience. Agreeing to requests: I would be delighted to (attend the conference) Offering help: If you wish, we would be happy to… Would you like me to…? Apologizing: I am sorry about the delay in replying. I would like to apologize for (any inconvenience caused) We are sorry for… Complaining: I am writing… … in connection with my order XXX which arrived this morning. … to complain about the quality of a product I bought from your website. … to complain about the poor service we received from your company. …to draw your attention to the negative attitude of some people in your customer services. Our order dated 16 September clearly stated that we wanted 1,000 items, however, you… The goods were faulty/damaged/in poor condition There seems to be an error in the invoice / a misunderstanding The product I received was well below the standard I expected. To make matters worse, when I called the company your staff… Enclosing documents: Please find enclosed (a copy of…) I’m enclosing… I enclose… Closing remarks: Thank you for your help. Please contact us if (you have any further questions / we can help in any way, etc.) Please let me know if (you require any additional information on…) Please don’t hesitate to call us… Future contact: I look forward to... hearing from you soon. Looking forward to... meeting you / seeing you next week. Finishing: Yours sincerely, (if you know the name of the person; eg, Dear Mr Pirelli) Yours faithfully, (if you don’t know the name of the person; eg, Dear Sir / Madam.) Sincerely, Best regards, Regards, Best wishes, Give my regards to… Best wishes to… Speak to you soon See you soon Bye (for now) All the best Some Abbreviations: ASAP (As Soon As Possible) encs (enclosures) incl (including) pp (used before signatures in letters when another person has signed in the writer’s absence) RGDS regards (in e-mails) TKNS thanks (in e-mails) ATTN attention / for the attention of Re with reference to Dept. department PDQ Pretty Damn Quick (informal) PLS please (in e-mails or notes) cc carbon copy (to say that the letter or memo are being sent to other people) bc blind copy