The rules of writing letters in English: personal and business correspondence

The rules for writing letters in English are needed not only for those who conduct business correspondence, but also for those who chose English as an additional subject in the USE. The rules are similar for both cases, but nevertheless they have their own nuances.

The rules of writing a letter in English for the Unified State Examination

On EGE it is required to write a personal letter to a friend by correspondence. Accordingly, the rules for its design are not so strict, spoken expressions and words are allowed. This material will also be useful not only for those who pass the exam, but also for those who need to write a letter to a friend by hand.

1. The "cap" of the letter is located in the upper right corner, it indicates the address of the sender, which is recorded from the private to the general. First, the number of the house, then the name of the street, then the country (we have decided to write the address on the contrary - from the general to the particular). In the same part of the top, after one line, the date is indicated. It can look informally - 18/06/13, or more strictly - on 18 June 2013. The most common variant of writing the date is June 18, 2013.
2. The main text of the letter. Informal treatment begins with Dear, Darling, My dear, etc., without indicating the status (Mr., Ms., Mrs.), for example: "Dear Jenna". In official letters, Dear means not "expensive", but "respected". After the call, only a comma is inserted, the exclamation point is not used. If it is a question of writing a letter in the USE, then the body of the letter should have the following structure. The first is the introduction - thanks to a friend for his letter, an apology for the fact that you have not answered for so long. In any personal letter, these can be references to previous ones, because that's how we correspond in life - as if continuing the conversation. In a letter for the USE, you must thank and apologize. Next, you need to answer the questions listed in the assignment, and ask questions. This is the main part of the letter. The third part is the final one. It includes all sorts of polite, standard phrases that confirm the desire to continue communicating, such as "Hope to hear from you soon," "Do keep in touch!".
3. Below, under the main part of the letter, a line -cliche is indicated through the line . These phrases may be different depending on the degree of proximity of the relationship. The most official versions are Sincerely, Sincerely yours, which is similar to our "Yours", "Yours sincerely". But you can also use less formal expressions: Love, All my love, With best wishes. The most suitable option should be chosen based on the tone of the letter. After this word is put a comma.
4. After the comma the author's name is indicated. Since the letter is friendly, you do not need to specify either a position or a last name.

The rules of writing a letter in English are easier to learn if you read the samples of letters and learn the template phrases for each of the sections, the choice of which is very large. Example of a letter for the Unified State Examination:

105 Lenina St

Novosibirsk

Russia

18 June 2013

Dear Tina,

Thanks for your letter. I was very glad to receive it and you know that you are fine. I must apologize for not writing earlier. I was very busy with preparing for exams. I will take them soon. I am especially worried about my English language exam, because I think that my vocabulary is not big enough.

How are you doing? I received your photo with electronic guitar. You look like real rock star. What are you learning these days?

You asked me about my hobbies. I have to delay my eyelids, because after my exams I need to help my cousin. She also will have some of the exams and she asked me to explain her.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

All my love,

Olga.

Writing a letter in English for the USE requires compliance with specific rules. For example, the letter should be strictly from 90 to 154 words. The example above contains 148 words.

The rules of writing a business letter in English

In many companies, there is a template for processing business letters, both paper and electronic. A business letter must contain the following elements:

1. "A cap". It can be formed in different ways, but it necessarily contains the name of the organization and the designation of the field of its activity, possibly its main contacts.
2. Greeting. To address to the addressee in the business letter it is necessary by a name-surname, with the indication of the status (Mr., Ms., Mrs.). Be sure to start with the word "Dear", that is, with "Dear ...". For example, "Dear Mrs. Julia Johnson". The most official address is "Dear Sir".
3. Content of the letter. It should be clear and precise, without superfluous words. If this is an email, then it should be short. If you want to expound something long, then it's better to send it as a separate file in the attachment. Very polite formulas are very desirable at the end of the letter, for example: If you have any question pls feel free to contact me. Looking forward to your early reply. Best regards. Each sentence should be written from a new line.
4. Signature of the sender. The signature should include the sender's name and surname, his position and personal contacts. Contacts can also be listed below. In e-mails, you can fill out a signature that will automatically appear in each e-mail. Then in the end it's enough just to indicate your name.
5. At the end, the company's contacts, the link to the site, and, if necessary, the logo, are indicated through the line. Contacts should be specified in as much detail as possible, your interlocutor should know all ways of communicating with you and be able to choose the most convenient one for yourself. Here's what modern companies include in their electronic signature:

Contact Name: Ms Olga Petrova

Company: GreenHouse.ltd

Website: www.greenhouse.ru

Office Address: Room202, 45, Lenina St., Novosibirsk, Russia

Telephone: +7 (383) 258-89-65

Mobile: +7 (800) 389-08-90

Fax: +7 (800) 335-08-91

MSN: olga51121@mail.ru

Skype: olga51121

Business e-mail: sales@greenhouse.ru

There are other rules for writing a letter in English, but they are not so much about writing letters as about their content. Also, the rules may vary depending on the type of correspondence and its content. In order to correctly write a business or personal letter, get acquainted with the rules of written etiquette and popular English written abbreviations.