Business Letters. The body

The body of the letter

First paragraph

In most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:

I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.

Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.

I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.

It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.

I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.

After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences:

I'm writing to enquire about...

I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.

We'd like to invite you to a members only luncheon on April 5th.

Second and third paragraphs

Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express unpleasant facts:

We regret to inform you...

It is with great sadness that we...

After careful consideration we have decided...

Final paragraph

Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business letter:

I look forward to...

Please respond at your earliest convenience.

I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.

For further details...

If you require more information...

Thank you for taking this into consideration.

I appreciate any feedback you may have.

Enclosed you will find...

Feel free to contact me by phone or email.