It is common to write your address and telephone number at the top of the page. In British English, this appears on the right-hand side, with the date underneath.
The full name (Ms Penne Smith) or a title (The Manager, Customer Services), and the address of the person you are writing to goes on the next line, on the left-hand side of the page.
1) If you know the name of the person to whom you are writing, begin your letter: Dear Mr Smith, Dear Ms Brown. Only write the title and the surname, not the first name (Dear Mr John Brown – is wrong).
2) If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, begin your letter: Dear Sir (if you know that you are writing to a man), Dear Madam (to a woman), or Dear Sir or Madam (if you do not know the gender).
3) If you do not know the particular company or person you are writing to, begin your letter: To Whom It May Concern.
In British English, there is usually no punctuation after the opening greeting, although a comma is possible.
Beginning your letter.
A letter of complaint can begin by summarizing the purpose of the letter: I am writing to complain about the computer that I bought from your company. | I am writing regarding a complaint I made about the Goldlink train service this week.
Ordering ideas.
Try to group your ideas into logical paragraphs. Group your paragraphs either chronologically or in order of importance.
Ending the letter.
The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. You should state what you expect the other person to do next and tell him/her how you can be contacted.
1) State the next course of action: I hope to hear from you in the near future. | I would like to request a refund of the full amount. | I will wait to hear from you before I take any further action.
2) Tell them how they can contact you: I can be contacted at the above address at any time Monday to Friday. | Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
Write a final greeting on a new line.
1) If you began your letter Dear Mr Brown, end it: Yours sincerely.
2) If you began your letter Dear Sir/Madam or To Whom It May Concern, end it: Yours faithfully.
If you began your letter with a comma after the opening greeting, add a comma after the closing statement.
Sign your name on a new line and print your full name clearly on the line below.
СПИСОК ИСПОЛЬЗОВАННОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ
1. Dellar, H., Walkley, A. Innovations. Coursebook / Hugh Dellar, Andrew Walkley. – Thomson, 2007.
2. Dellar, H., Walkley, A. Innovations. Workbook / Hugh Dellar, Andrew Walkley. – Thomson, 2007.
3. Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture. – Longman Group UK Limited, 1992.
4. Longman Exams Dictionary. – Pearson Education Limited, 2006.
5. Swarming the shelves // The Economist, November 11th, 2006.
