English business writing funded by Souktel and hosted by EHRD.

1. 1

2. 2

3. Today’s Topics
1. Guidelines for Writing a professional email
2. Guidelines for writing a professional
business letter
3. Guidelines for writing a professional cover
letter
3

4.  Write an email to your friend Ziad,
telling him that you are attending a
Professional Business Writing Course at
the Experts Hall and will meet him
tomorrow noon? The email should
include any email details based on
your knowledge.
4

5. Know your organization’s e-mail policy.
We are talking about professional email—not
personal email. Do whatever you like in
personal email, but remember this:
“ In a study of 500 companies with ethics
codes, 90% of them monitored their
employees’ email, and not all of their
employees knew it” And those are the
companies with ethics codes.
5

6. Have a professional email
Wrong: Right:
Love_you_04@hotmail.com fuad.tamimi@yahoo.com
f.a.tamimi@yahoo.com
Tome_and_jerry_5@yahoo. ftamimi@yahoo.com
com
Better:
fuad.tamimi@abc.edu
Show your institutional
affiliation if it will be
impressive to your audience
6

7. Make an outline or list of the main points
and details you want to include in the
email
Double check any facts, dates, times, or
other specific details that will be included
in the email
7

8. Who are you writing to and what is
your relationship with the person?
If the person you are writing to is in a higher position than
you, your email should use more formal language than if
the person is someone in the same level position than
you.
If you have never met the person receiving your
email before, you should use formal language in the
first email to him or her.
Once you have sent the first email and received a reply,
you can choose to continue using formal language or
choose to use less formal language in future emails.
8

9. Think about the reason you are sending the
email and decide if formal or informal
language is better.
If you are requesting a service or asking a favor,
you should use formal language.
If you are making a complaint, you should use
strong words to express your dissatisfaction or
problem but you must be polite.
If you are introducing yourself, you should use
formal language but you can use words or
phrases that let your personality show through
as well.
If you are writing a customer relation letter, you
should use formal language. 9

10. Think about the reason for writing the email and
what you want the person who receives the email
to do with it.
If you want the receiver to do something for you, make
it clear. Tell the receiver exactly what action you want
done.
Tell the receiver if no action needs to be taken.
If you want the receiver to respond by a certain date,
write the response date.
If you are negotiating or rearranging a meeting, write
your demands or available times clearly.
10

11. If the communication will require a lot of
back-and-forth discussion or if the subject is
delicate or sensitive you should call or
speak with the person directly
If a discussion is becoming emotionally
charged, stop exchanging emails.
Speak to the person directly to clear up any
misunderstandings.
11

12. 12

13. Don’t use unnecessary words and phrases that
distract from the main idea of the email or may
confuse the reader
The person reading your email does not have a
lot of time to read your email so you must make
it as direct as possible.
Make the reason for writing the email clear at
the beginning and only add details that are
directly related to the topic of the email.
13

14. Avoiding difficult or complex sentence
structures will help you avoid grammar
mistakes.
Simple sentences will make the email easier
for your reader to understand, especially if
the person reading the email is not a native
English speaker.
Don’t use long paragraphs. Anything more
than five sentences can be too long.
14

15. Remember that writing, is a form of indirect
communication. Unlike having a conversation
with someone, you do not have a chance to
clarify yourself by restating your ideas or use
nonverbal signals to make your meaning clear.
You have to make sure your reader
understands what you want to say and gets the
right “message” the first time.
15

16. Think about how the email might be
perceived by the reader. Are there any words
or phrases that may make the tone seem
angry, or disrespectful?
Avoid trying to make a joke or say something
funny in an email. Sometimes what you think is
funny might be misunderstood by the reader
and create a bad relationship.
Use words that are specifically related to the
topic but define any words or phrases that you
think the reader might not be familiar with,
especially words that are specific to a certain
type of job, field of study, or product.
16

17. Anatomy of an E-mail Message
E-mail messages are similar to letters, with two
main parts:
- The header contains the name and e-mail
address of the recipient, the name and e-
mail address of anyone who is being copied,
and the subject of the message. Most e-mail
programs also display your name, e-mail
address and the date of the message.
- The body contains the message itself.
17

18. Always write the subject of the email on the
subject line
Remember that business people often receive
hundreds of emails every day. If you don’t write
the subject in the subject line the person
receiving the email might think it is SPAM or junk
email and delete the message. If the subject
isn’t clear they might delete the email as well,
so make sure the subject is direct-don’t use too
many words.
18

19.  If you just are providing information to
the person, start the subject line with FYI.
 FYI—New Programmer begins Monday.
 Let the person know that he or she
doesn’t need to do anything—it’s just for
your information.
 If you just want the reader to review
something, start the subject line with FYR.
19

20.  Clarity
 Descriptive
 Critical information
Never, ever have a blank
subject line.
20

21. Subject: Date:
Hi 9:17 am
questions 10:11 am
Meeting 12:44 pm
One more thing........... 3:02 pm
Some thoughts 4:21pm
21

22. Subject: Date:
Party planning meeting rescheduled for 3pm 9:17 am
Help: I can’t find the draft for the Smith Paper 10:11 am
Reminder: Weekly report due tomorrow (3/30) 12:44 pm
Questions about the Math Assignment # 2 3:02 pm
Congratulations to Fuad for winning Nobel Prize 4:21pm
22

23. Subject: Date:
Re: Question about Smith paper (was: please 10:11
help with this!) am
Change
subject line
when
necessary
23

24. Subject: Date:
Re: Re: Re: [Fwd: [Fwd: [Reminder: Deadline for
9:17 am
Spring Semester Is Jan. 15]]
Remove
extra email
prefixes
24

25. Subject: Date:
9:17
Thanks for the help today! <eom> <end of message>
am
10:11
Got your message <nm> <no message>
am
12:44
Today’s group meeting canceled <ssia>
<subject says it all> pm
Subject: 10/5 Meeting, 10am, Conf. Rm. A, On PASS Procedure EOM
25

26. 1. Subject: Important! Read
Immediately!!
2. Subject: Meeting
3. Subject: Follow-up About Meeting
4. Subject: Announcement
5. Subject: Do we need a larger room
for Social meeting on May 14?
26

27.  Now, how was your email subject that
you prepared earlier today? Was it
effective or not?
27

28.  Limit to who really needs to know.
 Make it clear in text who has action and
who is info addressee.
 Use BCC to protect Email addresses
unless everyone knows each other.
 Watch Reply All.
28

29.  Use address book with mail groups &
validate often.
› Avoid typing addresses free hand;
many addresses are similar; watch
auto fill.
› Send same message to multiple
recipients by editing message as new
or cutting and pasting.
29

30.  Make sure forward does not embarrass
sender.
› Get permission if in doubt.
 Fill in addresses last to avoid sending an
incomplete Email by mistake.
30

31.  It’s sneaky. Don’t use it unless you can
100% trust the person you are bcc-ing.
 Mostly, just don’t use it.
31

32. Subject: Meeting
Hi Jim,
I just wanted to remind you about the
meeting we have scheduled next week.
Do let me know if you have any questions!
Best wishes,
Mark
32

33. Subject: Reminder of 10am Meeting Sched. 10/05 on PASS
Process.
Hi Jim,
I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have
scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 10:00am. It's being held
in conference room A, and we'll be discussing the new PASS
Process.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch ( Phone:
02-2234512).
Best Wishes,
Mark
33

34. The Opening Tells the reader why you are writing
The Focus Tells the details about the topic
The Action Tells what you want to happen and
gives a time frame
The Closing Thank the reader and mention
future communication
34

35. From: reliablelandscapes@domain.com
Subject: Proposal
Lynn,
Did you get my proposal last week? I
haven't heard back and wanted to make
sure.
Can you please call me so we can discuss?
Thanks!
Fuad
35

36. Subject: Checking On Reliable Landscapes Proposal
Dear Lynn,
I just wanted to check that you have received the
landscaping proposal I emailed to you last week. I haven't
heard back and wanted to make sure it went through.
Can you please call me by Thursday so we can discuss?
This is when our discount offer expires, and I want to make
sure you don't miss it!
The quickest way to contact me is by cell phone.
Thanks!
Fuad Tamimi , Owner
Reliable Landscaping, Inc.
555.135.4598 (office)
555.135.2929 (cell)
36

37.  If you have never met the person, use Dr.,
Mrs., Mr. and Ms. .
 If you have met the person, and they
have invited you to call them by their first
name, go ahead and do so.
 However, if you think they might not
remember that invitation (it was at a
cocktail party or a long time ago) revert
to the title.
37

38.  If you have been exchanging emails with
the person all day, it’s okay to skip the
greeting and salutation as if you’re
having one long conversation.
38

39. Formal Greetings
 For a formal business email message, the
guidelines are essentially the same as those
for a formal mail letter. The greeting should
include the word "Dear," the person's title
(optionally) and name, and a colon (:)
39

40. Informal Greetings
 If the email message is business-related but
more personal or social in nature, such as a
congratulatory, thank-you or condolence
message, a comma (,) replaces the colon
at the end of the greeting.
40

41. From: Bob Anderson <anderson@rand-unix>
Date: 21 Dec 84 11:40:12 PST (Fri)
To: randvax!anderson, randvax!gillogly,
randvax!norm
Subject: meeting ...
we need to setup a meeting bet. jim you and i --
can you arange?
i'm free next wed. thks.
41

42. Subject: MEETING ON FY PLANNING, 2PM
12/28/2011, CONFERENCE ROOM 1
There will be a meeting of the FY planning task
force in Conference Room 1 on December 28,
2011 at 2pm. The Agenda for the meeting is
attached.
Best Regards,
Ali
42

43. Subject: Revisions For Sales Report
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it
yesterday and feel that you need more specific
information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also
felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is
going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to
reflect our professionalism.
Also, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a
meeting with the PR department for this Friday, regarding
the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00, and will be in the small
conference room.
Please let me know if you can make that time.
Thanks!
Monica
43

44. Subject: Revisions For Sales Report
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday
and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales
figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal.
The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to
reflect our professionalism.
Thanks for your hard work on this!
Monica
 ================================================
Subject: Friday 10/9, 11am Meeting w/PR Dept
Hi Jackie,
I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR
department for this Friday, 10/9, regarding the new ad campaign.
It's at 11:00am, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me
know if you can make that time.
Thanks!
Monica
44

45. Instead of: Use:
Bold or italics *bold*
Bullets -hyphens to begin
phrase
Automatic
numbering 1.Regular typed
numbering
45

46.  Write in standard professional English
with Capitalization and correct spelling.
› Don’t try to impress.
› Avoid chat speak, e.g., Keek 7alak &
emoticons, .
 Don’t type in All Caps – like yelling.
 Avoid !!!
 Proofread & spell check.
46

47.  Identify yourself clearly to cold
contacts.
› Hello, I am…The reason I am writing…
› Hello, so-in-so suggested I contact you…
 Respond Promptly.
› Apologize if you don’t.
› Interim reply when too busy.
 Don’t shoot the messenger.
 Be polite and watch your email tone
47

48. To: Female employees
From: H. Honcho
Re: Dress code
Date: 1 July 2012
Clients will be visiting next week. Jeans will not make the right
impression. It’s time you started dressing for the office instead
of the beach. Leave your flip-flops at home!
48

49. To: All staff
From: H. Honcho
Re: Reminder about what to wear to work
Date: 1 July 2012
During the summer, our dress code is business casual. We
think “business casual” means clothes that feel comfortable
and look professional.
Men Women
•khaki pants •casual pants and skirts
•leather shoes… •leather or fabric shoes…
49

50.  Use carefully.
 Cut and paste relevant parts of attachment into text of Email.
 Use URL links instead.
› Upload attachments to website and cite URL.
› http://www.scribd.com/ is a free service.
 Recipients who do not know you may be unwilling to open
attachments or click URLs.
 Post attachment first to avoid “Oops, here’s the attachment.”
 When you are sending an attachment tell your recipient what the
name of the file is, what program it is saved in, and the version of
the program.
 Ex. The attached file is in MSWord (.doc or .docx) under the name
“LabFile.docx”
If you use an open source word processor send files as RTF or PDF.
50

51. Formal closings Informal closings
Sincerely
Sincerely yours Best,
Regards Take care,
Best regards Regards,
Kind regards Warm regards,
Yours truly
Most sincerely
Respectfully
Respectfully yours
Sincerely yours
Thank you
Thank you for your consideration
Follow the closing with a comma, a space, and then
your name. For example:
Best regards,
Your Name
Your Email Address
Your Phone Number
51

52.  Use an appropriate signature
 Brief (4-5 lines)
 Informative
provide all contact information
 Professional
do not include pictures, quotes,
animations
52

53. Your name
Title
Organization / Employer
Email address
Website
Fax, Phones & Mobile
Fuad Sultan Tamimi
Capacity Development and Projects Management Specialist
ABC Excellence Center for Training
Office: 02-2773888
Fax:02-2773889
Mobile: 0599-XXXXXX
Email: ftamimi@abc.net
53

54.  Always spell-check before sending
 Set your email program to automatically
check before sending
 Re-read email for other spelling, grammar
and punctuation errors.
 Read it out loud
 Sleep on it
54

55.  Negative comments about management
 Criticisms of staff or performance issues
 Bonuses or salary issues
 Gossip
 Humor or other ambiguities
55

56. Common e-mail pitfalls
 Unintentional replying to all.
 Omitting the context of a reply.
 Shooting the messenger.
 Misaddressed recipients.
 Displaying addresses of recipients who are
strangers to each other.
 Replying vs. forwarding.
56

57. 57

58.  Writing good business letters is an art that
all technical people should master.
 When writing a business letter, the writer
produces a one-sided conversation with
the reader in the sense that he/she has
to anticipate the reader's questions and
provide answers to those questions.
58

59.  A business letter is a letter written in
formal language, usually used when
writing from one business organization to
another, or for correspondence
between such organizations and their
customers, clients and other external
parties.
59

60. 1. It provides a record of the activity for
someone's file.
2. It allows the writer to provide more
context or explanation than is usually
possible on a form.
3. It helps the audience( reader )
remember what is to be done.
60

61.  Business letters usually contain the following information (in this
order):
1. Writer's address (street, city, country).
2. Date of writing
3. Recipient's name, job title, and address
4. Subject
5. Salutation or Greeting (Dear Mr./ Mrs./ Ms…..)
6. Message (body of the letter)
7. Closing
8. writer's signature, typed name, and position of sender
9. In some situations, a business letter may also include the following
optional information:
10. Writer's Initials: typist's initials ( if writer did not type letter).
11. Enclosures (Encl:)
12. Carbon copy Recipients (cc:)
13. Photocopy recipients (xc:)
Note: The last four components are not always included.
61

62.  There are three common formats
for the business letter:
1. The unblocked format.
2. The semi-blocked format.
2. The blocked format.
62

63.  The first line of the
paragraph is indented
a few spaces
 The writer's address,
the date, the closing,
the writer's signature ,
and the typed version
of the writer's name
and job title are
indented two thirds of
the way across the
page.
63

64.  The first line of the
paragraph is lined up
with the left margin
 There is a blank line
between paragraphs
to signal the start of a
new paragraph.
 The writer's address,
date, closing, and
signature are indented
as in the unblocked
format.
64

65.  The first lines of
paragraphs and all the
other address, date,
closing and signature
information are lined
up with the left margin.
65

66.  When a writer is representing a
company or organization,
he/she should use the
organization's letterhead
stationery for correspondences
with people outside the
organization.
 When using letterhead, the
location of the writer's address,
city, state will be changed
 These are usually given in the
letterhead typed at the top of
the page.
 If a letter requires more than one
page, the additional pages are
called continuation pages are
typed on plain paper, not
letterhead.
66

67.  Letters normally begin with some sort of salutation.
 In formal correspondence, it is customary to use the
recipient's title and last name: “Dear Dr. Smith.”
 If the person does not have a title, use “Mr.” or “Ms.”
 In the American business world, it is becoming increasingly
common to address people by their first name as a sign of
goodwill. However, sometimes it is seen as disrespectful. So,
try to make sure whether it is acceptable or not.
 If you do not know whether the reader is male or female, do
one of the following:
 Use the complete name: “Dear J.L Williams.”
 Use both titles: ” Dear Mr. or Ms. Williams.”
 Use a memo format: “ To: J.L Williams.”
From: your name.”
67

68.  Dear Personnel Director,
 Dear Sir or Madam (use if you don't know
who you are writing to)
 Dear Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms (use if you know
who you are writing to.
 VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women
unless asked to use Mrs. or Miss)
 Dear Frank (use if the person is a close
business contact or friend)
68

69.  In the first paragraph, consider a friendly
opening and then a statement of the main
point.
 The next paragraph should begin justifying
the importance of the main point.
 In the next few paragraphs, continue
justification with background information
and supporting details.
 The closing paragraph should restate the
purpose of the letter and, in some cases,
request some type of action.
69

70. With reference to:
 your advertisement in the Times,
 your letter on 23rd March,
 your phone call today,
70

71. I am writing to enquire about
 I am writing to apologize for
 I am writing to confirm
71

72.  Could you possibly?
 I would be grateful if you could
•I would be delighted to
72

73. •Unfortunately
•I am afraid that
•I am enclosing
•Please find enclosed
•Enclosed you will find
73

74.  Thank you for your help.
 Please contact us again if we
can help in any way.
 If there are any problems.
 If you have any questions.
74

75. I look forward to ...
 hearing from you soon.
 meeting you next Tuesday.
 seeing you next Thursday.
75

76.  Yours faithfully, (If you don't know
the name of the person you're
writing to)
 Yours sincerely, (If you know the
name of the person you're
writing to)
 Best wishes,
 Best regards, (If the person is a
close business contact or friend)76

77. 1. Letter of Inquiry
2. Letter of Order
3. Letter of Appointment
4. Many others
77

78.  Itcontains the query to the
information being required and
an expression of the writer's
appreciation.
78

79.  State clearly and specifically what is
wanted. If there are more than three
queries, use a numbered list.
 Give the reason for the inquiry.
 Include an expression of appreciation. A
simple "Thank you" is enough.
 Include a self-addressed, stamped
envelope with the letter of inquiry sent to
an individual who has to pay for the
postage when giving his own reply.
79

80. 80

81.  State clearly, accurately and completely
the description of the item being purchased
(exact name of the item, quantity desired,
size, color, weight, finish, price and model).
 Give the address where the goods will be
delivered.
 Give the price and the mode of payment,
(check or money order, credit card, cash
on delivery or charge to account).
 Mention desired method of shipment (air
express, truck, parcel post)
81

82. 82

83.  Individuals appointed to certain positions,
committees or functions should be notified
and informed of this task assigned to them
through letters of appointment.
83

84.  the nature of appointment;
 the services/duties that the appointee
should render or perform;
 the term of office of the appointee; and
 The privileges attached to the position that
the appointee is holding (optional).
84

85. 85

86. 86

87. 87

88.  A cover letter’s purpose is to get your
resume read.
88

89.  A business letter that accompanies a
resume.
 Informs reader of your purpose and
requests as in-person meeting.
 Highlights and directs attention to
important information in the resume.
89

90.  Introduces You; Your Resume
 Summarizes Appropriate Aspects of your
Education or Experience
 States briefly how your Qualifications
relate to the Job
 Indicates if you have included a Resume,
Writing Sample, Transcript, or other
documents
 Requests an Interview
90

91.  Contact Information
 Employer Contact Information
 Email Cover Letter Contact Section
 Cover Letter Salutation
 Body of Cover Letter
 Cover Letter Closure
91

92.  The first section of a written or uploaded
cover letter should include your contact
information:
 Your Name
 Your Address
 Your City, State, Zip Code
 Your Phone Number
 Your Mobile Number
 Your Email Address
92

93.  If you have contact information of the
employer, list it below your contact
information. If not, leave this section
off your cover letter.
93

94.  It's important to include an
appropriate salutation at the
beginning of the cover letter or
message.
 If you have a contact person for your
letter, be sure to include their name in
your letter.
94

95.  Cover Letter Salutation Examples
 Dear Mr. Jones,
 Dear Ms. Jones,
 Dear Jane Doe,
 Dear Dr. Haven ,
 When You Don't Have a Contact Person
 If you don't have a contact person of the company either leave off the salutation
from your cover letter and start with the first paragraph of your letter or use a
general salutation.
 General Salutations for Cover Letters
 Dear Hiring Manager
 To whom it may concern
 Dear Human Resources Manager
 Dear Sir or Madam
95

96.  The body of your cover letter lets the
employer know what position you are
applying for, why the employer should
select you for an interview, and how you
will follow-up.
 This section of your cover letter should
include:
 First Paragraph - Why you are writing
 Middle Paragraphs - What you have to offer
to the employer (be specific)
 Final Paragraph - How you will follow-up
96

97.  The first paragraph of your letter
should include information on why you
are writing. Mention the position you
are applying for and where you saw
the listing. Include the name of a
contact, if you have one.
97

98. Please accept my application for the
teaching assistant position advertised on the
EnglishPAL Website. I would like to continue to
develop my teaching skills while creating a
challenging and fun learning environment for
students. The middle school age group is
particularly appealing to me, because
students are very impressionable, interested in
learning, and open to new concepts.
98

99.  The next section of your cover letter should
describe what you have to offer the
employer.
 Make strong connections between your
qualifications and the position
requirements.
 Mention specifically how your skills and
experience match the job you are applying
for.
 Use several shorter paragraphs or a
bulleted list of your qualifications rather
than one large block of text.
99

100. I am very well qualified and would be an asset to
the school because of my experience working as
a teaching assistant for XYZ School. I have
worked with both elementary and middle school
teachers, as well as camp directors to develop
curricula that meet the needs of students. I enjoy
tutoring students and helping them build
confidence in their ability to achieve, both
academically and socially. In addition, I have
artistic and computer skills that will be an asset
when developing class projects.
100

101.  Conclude your cover letter by
thanking the employer for considering
you for the position. Include
information on how you will follow-up.
101

102. I have attached my resume for your review.
Thank you for considering my application. I
would appreciate the opportunity to interview
and look forward to hearing from you in the
near future.
102

103.  When you're writing a cover letter or
sending an email message to apply
for a job it's important to close your
letter in a professional manner.
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104.  Sincerely
 Sincerely yours
 Regards
 Best regards
 Kind regards
 Yours truly
 Most sincerely
 Respectfully
 Respectfully yours
 Thank you
 Thank you for your consideration
 Follow the closing with a comma, a space, and then your name and your contact
information, if you're sending an email message. For example:
Best regards,
Your Name
Your LinkedIn Profile URL
Your Email Address
Your Phone Number
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105. 105

106. Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Date
Name
Job Title
Company
Street
City, State Zip
Dear Mr./Ms. LastName,
Please accept my application for the teaching assistant position advertised on Craig's List. I would like to continue to develop my teaching
skills while creating a challenging and fun learning environment for students. The middle school age group is particularly appealing to me,
because students are very impressionable, interested in learning, and open to new concepts.
I am very well qualified and would be an asset to the school because of my experience working as a teaching assistant for XYZ School. I have
worked with both elementary and middle school teachers, as well as camp directors to develop curricula that meet the needs of students. I
enjoy tutoring students and helping them build confidence in their ability to achieve, both academically and socially. In addition, I have artistic
and computer skills that will be an asset when developing class projects.
I have attached my resume for your review. Thank you for considering my application. I would appreciate the opportunity to interview and
look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Typed Name
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107. What makes a Good Cover Letter?
› No spelling or typing errors.
› Address it to the person who can hire you.
› Write it in your own words.
› Show that you know something about the
company and the industry.
› Use terms and phrases that are
meaningful to the employer.
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