The rules for writing a letter in English are needed not only for those who conduct business correspondence, but also for those who have chosen English as an additional subject in the USE. The rules for both cases are similar, but still they have their own nuances.
Rules for writing a letter in English for the exam
At the exam, you need to write a personal letter to a pen friend. Accordingly, the rules for its design are not so strict, colloquial expressions and words are allowed. This material will also be useful not only for those who are taking the exam, but also for those who need to write a letter to a friend by hand.
- The "header" of the letter is located in the upper right corner, it indicates the sender's address, which is written from private to public. First, the house number is indicated, then the street name, then the country (it is customary for us to write the address the other way around - from general to particular). In the same part, at the top, one line later, the date is indicated. She may lookinformally - 06/18/13, or more strictly - 18 June 2013. The most common spelling of the date is June 18, 2013.
- The main text of the letter. Informal address begins with Dear, Darling, My dear, etc., without indicating the status (Mr., Ms., Mrs.), for example: "Dear Jenna". In official letters, Dear does not mean "dear", but "respected". After the appeal, only a comma is placed, the exclamation point is not used. If we are talking about writing a letter in the exam, then the body of the letter should have the following structure. The first is the introductory part - thanking a friend for his letter, an apology for not answering for so long. In any personal letter, these can be references to the previous ones, because this is how we correspond in life - as if continuing the conversation. In a letter for the exam, you must definitely thank and apologize. Next, you need to answer the questions indicated in the task, and ask counter questions. This is the main body of the letter. the third part is the final one. It includes all sorts of polite standard phrases confirming the desire to continue communication, such as “I'm waiting for an answer as soon as possible” (Hope to hear from you soon), “See you!” (Do keep in touch!)
- Bottom, under the main part of the letter, a phrase-cliché is indicated through the line. These phrases can be different depending on the degree of closeness of the relationship. The most official options are Sincerely, Sincerely yours, which is similar to our “Respectfully”, “Sincerely yours”. But you can use less formal expressions: Love, All my love (with love), With best wishes (With best wishes). The most suitable optionchoose based on the tone of the letter. This word is followed by a comma.
- After a comma, the name of the author of the letter is indicated. Since the letter is friendly, you do not need to indicate either the position or the last name.
The rules for writing a letter in English are easier to learn if you read the sample letters and learn the template phrases for each of the sections, the choice of which is very large. Example of a letter for the exam:
105 Lenina St
Novosibirsk
Russia
18 June 2013
Dear Tina, Thanks for your letter. I was very glad to receive it and know that you are fine. I must apologize for not writing earlier. I was very busy 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 song are you learning these days?
You asked me about my hobbies. I have to delay my photography classes, because after my exams I need to help my cousin. She also will have some exams and she asked me to explain her some aspects of Russian language and History.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
All my love, Olga.
Writing a letter in English for the exam requires compliance with specific rules. For example, a letter must be strictly between 90 and 154 words. The example above has 148 words.
Rules for writing a business letter in English
Many companies have a template for business letters, both paper and electronic. A business letter must contain the following elements:
- "Hat". It can be drawn up in different ways, but it must contain the name of the organization and the designation of the area of its activity, possibly its main contacts.
- Greetings. In a business letter, you need to address the addressee by name and surname, indicating 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".
- Content of the letter. It should be clear and concise, without unnecessary words. If it's an email, then it should be short. If you need to state something long, then it is better to send it as a separate file as an attachment. Polite formulas at the end of the letter are highly desirable, 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 on a new line.
- Sender's signature. The signature must contain the name and surname of the sender, his position and personal contacts. Contacts can also be listed below. In e-mails, you can fill in a signature that will automatically appear in each e-mail. Then at the end it is enough just to indicate your name.
- At the end, through the line, indicate the contacts of the company, a link to the site, if necessary - a logo. Contactsyou need to specify in as much detail as possible, your interlocutor should know all the ways to contact you and be able to choose the most convenient one for themselves. Here is 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: [email protected]
Skype: olga51121
Business e-mail: [email protected]
There are other rules for writing letters in English, but they concern not so much the design of letters as their content. Also, the rules may vary depending on the type of correspondence and its content. In order to write a business or personal letter correctly, also get acquainted with the rules of written etiquette and popular English written abbreviations.
