- Reference contains
a registered number of the received letter – Your Ref:
a registered number of the mailed letter – Our Ref:
A number can be written by
numbers – 661/17 where 661 is a number of the document according to a register, 17 is a number of the department being responsible for
letters – DS/MR where DS is author’s initials, MR is secretary’s initials
or it can be mixed.
Situation: above the Date, on the same side.
Your Ref: C 361
Our Ref: D/1439
August 15th, 2006
- Special Mailing Indication
Situation: under the Date, on the same side.
August 15th, 2006
EXPRESS MAIL
3. Confidential means that the letter must be opened by an addressee only or an accredited representative.
Situation: under the Date or the Inside address on the same side and on the envelope too.
August 15th, 2006
EXPRESS MAIL
CONFIDENTIAL
4. For the attention of names the person (position) of the company who the letter is written for (if a sender doesn’t have full information about addressee and a letter is addressed to a company not a definite officer).
Situation: under the Inside address.
Ms. B. Kaassen
Bredgade 51
Copenhagen K
Denmark
For the attention of the Production Manager (Attn.: Production Manager)
Dear ….,
- Subject is a few words summary of the letter.
Situation: under the Salutation
It may begin with Subject: or Re.:
Dear ….,
Subject (Re.): order No. 5658 of 15 May 200..
….
or without any introduction just underlining these words:
Dear ….,
Order No. 5658 of 15 May 200..
….
- Enclosures (Enc., Encl.)
If there are any enclosures to the letter (prospects, price-lists, catalogues) it should be noticed
- Encl.: 2
- 3 Enclosures:
Bill of Lading
Certificate of Quality
Invoice
- Enc.: Application forms (2 copies)
Situation: at the end of the letter (lower left corner), under the Signature.
Yours sincerely,
Handwritten signature
D. Sampson
Sales Manager
Encl.: 2
- Copies
In the situation when copies of the letter are sent to some addressees.
Situation: under the Enclosure
Yours sincerely,
Handwritten signature
D. Sampson
Sales Manager
Encl.: 2
c.c.: Prof. S. Johnson; Dr. Thomas Burke
If a sender doesn’t want anybody to know about sent copies he uses b.c.c (blind carbon copy) on the internal correspondence (sender’s copy of the letter), omitting any notes on the external one.
- PostScript = P.S.
PostScript is an additional information of the letter which is not included into it. It is the last part of the letter and begins with the abbreviations “P.S.”.
Situation: 2-4 spaces under the previous part.
ULTRASONIC Ltd.
Warwick House, Warwick St., London SW2
Telephone (081) 566 1861 Fax (081) 566 1385
Your Ref: C 361
Our Ref: D/1439
15th August, 2006
EXPRESS MAIL
CONFIDENTIAL
Ms. B. Kaassen
Bredgade 51
Copenhagen K
Denmark
For the attention of the Production Manager
Dear Ms Kaassen,
Subject: order No. 5658 of 15 May 200..
Yours sincerely,
Handwritten signature
D. Sampson
Sales Manager
Encl.: 2
c.c.: Prof. S. Johnson; Dr. Thomas Burke
P.S.
opening a formal letter (Introduction):
We have received your letter of…
We thank you for your letter of…
Your letter enclosing... (stating that..., asking us to..., requesting us to...,)
In reply (In response) to your letter of…
In confirmation of our telephone conversation we wish to inform you that...
With reference to our letter of... we wish to inform you that...
With further reference to...
The category of recurrence can also be applied to the binding (связывающие) (Main part) and closing (Close) phrases, for example:
We express confidence that...
We are sure (confident) that...
At the same time we would like to remind you that...
Apart from the above...
Further to the above...
In addition to the above...
We would welcome the opportunity...
We are taking the opportunity to remind you that...
In this connection...
In connection with your request...
Your early reply will be appreciated...
If we can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to contact us...
We look forward to hearing from you...
We would like to assure you that...
Your prompt execution of our order will be appreciated....
The phrases and short utterances offered above are not invented every time one writes a business letter but are borrowed from the common property resources of the language of business communication.
