Tips for Business English Correspondence
Good English writing skills are important. They help you make sure that
what you write gives the correct impression and is accurate and clear. Follow
our ten-point guide to help you write well every time.
Make a Plan (20:60:20 Formula)
Time spent planning what to write is never wasted. Plans help you to
focus on what you want to write so that you can organize your ideas and
structure your text logically and clearly. A plan helps you stay focused and
relevant - and ultimately, saves you time.
Say Why You Are Writing in the First
Sentence
Tell your reader why you are writing by starting your correspondence
with an objective sentence. Use phrases such as "I am writing to inquire
about…" or "We have been experiencing some technical problems
with…" If you're replying to someone, you can write "Thank you for
your letter / email."
Keep It Short and Simple (KISS)
Don't make your reader wade through
long, rambling sentences. Write concisely and clearly and use a simple sentence
structure. Avoid using over-formal words such as "hereby" and
"herewith". They will make you sound old-fashioned. They don't add any meaning to your sentence.
Stick to your plan and only include relevant and necessary information.
Link Your Ideas
Guide your reader through your text by using linking words and phrases.
Words such as "and" and "because" make your text flow and
prevent your sentences from appearing isolated from each other.
Get the Tone Right
The tone of your text depends on who you are writing to, and why you are
writing. If you are answering a colleague's email, your tone will be friendly
and helpful. If you are writing a letter of apology to a customer, you tone
should be polite and impersonal. Even if you are angry about something, use
professional tone.
Getting the tone right also means thinking from your reader's point of
view. For example, using "you should" instead of "perhaps you
could" to seniors makes tone over-direct. Similarly, giving bad news
without introducing it first with phrase such as "unfortunately" or
"We are sorry, but…" reader might assume that we don't care. Thinking
about the impact your writing has will help you to choose the right tone and
avoid giving the wrong impression.
Keep Your Style Appropriate and Consistent
When you write your plan, bear in mind the formality of the situation.
Writing to a friend is very different from writing to your bank manager and
there are a number of factors which determine style, such as vocabulary choice,
length and complexity of sentence and so on. When in doubt, the safest course
of action is to choose a neutral style to avoid sounding either too formal or
too informal.
End Your Correspondence by Referring
Back to the Reader
Make sure your reader knows what the next step should be. If you are
asking for help in an email, you could end "Thanks for your help". In
a letter you could write "I look forward to hearing from you." If you
are replying to an inquiry, you could end the email or letter with "Please
do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further information". You
could also end your correspondence by referring forward to a meeting, such as:
"I look forward to meeting you next Thursday” or in an email “See you next
week” or by asking the reader to do something, such as Please sign and return
the enclosed by the end of the month."
Make Sure Your Salutation and Ending
are Correct
This is probably the simplest thing to get right. If you start a letter
with "Dear Mr. X" or "Dear Ms X", end "Yours
sincerely" (or in American English, "Sincerely yours"). If you
know your reader quite well, you can start "Dear + first name" and
end with "Best wishes" or "Best / Kind regards". If you
don't know the name of the person you are writing to and start "Dear Sir
or Madam", end with "Yours faithfully" rather than "Yours
sincerely". You can also start and end emails in the same way as letters.
But if you are writing to more than one person, you can omit the salutation
completely and start with your objective. Other ways you can end emails is by
writing "Thanks" or even "Cheers", but never
"Bye".
Pay Attention to Your Punctuation
Most common punctuation mistakes are made with capital letters, commas
and apostrophes. Remember that commas are used in lists, and to separate
clauses, to give a kind of "breathing space". Capital letters should
be used for proper nouns, and in the first sentence of your correspondence.
Apostrophes are used to show possession or contraction, but never for plurals.
Edit Your Writing
Read through what
you have written to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Some typical
grammatical mistakes are article use (a, an, the), tense use and preposition
use. However, each person has their own "weak spot" and you should be
aware of your own difficulties when you write.
As you read, check also that you have followed your plan and that there
is no redundant information. If possible, ask someone else to read your text.
It's sometimes hard to see your own mistakes and a second pair of eyes may pick
up something you've missed.
