Rules of formal writing

Business correspondence writing belongs to the most important part of professional activities. A correspondent is a professional who knows well all the problems of business events about which he/she wants to inform his/her partner.

Business correspondence is formed according to established rules. There is an emphasis on the vocabulary of the special branch of business. Grammar rules also have to be applied in business writing. Wrongly made sentences cannot clearly express our thoughts, and in business writing such mistakes could be fatal. It is important to line up your ideas systematically – with the use of paragraphs which separate different thoughts and ideas. What you always have to remember is that no contractions are allowed in formal writing (can’t – cannot, don’t – do not, isn’t – is not). Think also about the correct salutation (Dear Sir or Madam – Yours faithfully, Dear Mr. Brown – Yours sincerely). The punctuation is also very important – there are no exclamation marks in formal letters. Layout is very important! The letter should also be attractive for the reader.

Ø Look at this model letter:

5, High Street

OXFORD

7th October, 2009

The Sales Manager

Carrick-Gateway

34 Waterloo Bridge Road

LONDON SE2G 1ED

Dear Sir or Madam,

Would you please send me details of your copying machines which were advertised in the May edition of Business World magazine? I am especially interested in the Super fax A3 types.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Kingsley