business letters: writing it right

In spite of the increasing use of e-mail, letters still play an important role in international business. So, the ability to write effective business letters is an essential skill, in any profession. A good letter is written simply, clearly, and with an appropriate level of formality.

Letter layout:
There are many different acceptable layout styles. For example, there is no single „correct“ position for your company's logo and address, the date, the receiver's address or the subject line.

Alignment:
The date, the address of the person receiving the letter and the subject line all begin on the left („left-aligned“). So do all the paragraphs.

Date:
There is no „th“ after the „5“ in the date; this is unnecessary. Also, there is no full stop after the day of the month. However, always write the month out in full: „5 November 2006“ (British English) or „November 5, 2006“ (American English). If you write 5/11/2006, this could be confusing: in British English, it means 5 November; in American English, it means 11 May.

Extras:

• Useful phrases: Standardformulierungen für den englischen Geschäftsbrief.