Business letters concern us in our daily living, especially those of us who live abroad and deal with foreigners. People write business letters in many situations: finalizing contracts, booking a seat in an airplane, reserving hotel accommodation, booking theatre tickets, writing order-letters, letters of inquiry, claim (complaint) letters, cover letters, etc.

A business letter, like a friendly or social letter, should make a favorable impression. The way you write a letter and the etiquette you employ may have a significant impact on your success or failure in business.

It is important to remember that a business letter is an official document. Of course, there are many other communications between people and companies, for instance telephone conversations, meetings and presentations. Still, a business letter is the most powerful communications tool for providing structured and considered information in a formal way.

When you send a business letter you create an image of you and your company in the reader's mind. When a reader scans a document he subconsciously builds a picture of the writer. The writer can project the image of a conscientious, energetic professional, or the image of a bored bureaucrat marking time with an antiquated company. Write positively and with confidence. Try to put yourself in the reader's shoes and to anticipate the reader's reaction to your comments. Don't be manipulative. Threatening, begging, flattering, and making extravagant promises are manipulative and are usually ineffective. In fact, they may alienate the reader.

Keep the letter to one page. Business people are busy and do not appreciate unnecessarily long letters. Most business letters are less than one A4 page long. Try to organize your letter logically, making smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. It should be clear and concise, with short sentences and simple words. Use personal pronouns and active voice. Avoid me, I, we, us in the beginning of the letter. Avoid also formal and stuffy expressions (like "thanking you in advance", "as per", “be advised”, "in compliance with your request" or “enclosed herewith”), and don't use technical terms unknown for your communicator.

When writing a business letter, you should follow the format of a standard business letter. The typical business letter usually consists of about six essential parts: the heading (and the date), the inside address, the salutation or greeting, the body of the letter, the complimentary close, and the signature.

The heading of the letter contains the full address of the sender. Most companies have letterhead with this information already imprinted. The inside address coincides with the address that appears on the envelope and contains the name, title and address of person to whom you are writing. The salutation adds a personal touch to your letter and should be consistent with the whole tone. Include the addressee's name and courtesy title along with the greeting. The body of the letter is where you write the purpose of the letter. The complimentary close should be relevant to the tone of the letter and the salutation. And, your signature should be hand written legibly below the complimentary close.

Don't ever forget to proof-read your letter. Check the spelling, particularly the name of the person and company. Minor errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar hurt your credibility. Make sure that your letters look neat and tidy on the page. Sloppy appearance will detract from even a well-written letter.

The best writers strive to write in a style that is so clear that their message cannot be misunderstood. Clarity should be the primary goal of your business writing style.

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II. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words: касаться, бронировать (номер, билет), запрос, провал, инструмент, добросовестный, уверенность, предвидеть, льстить, сжатый, избегать, фирменный бланк, совпадать, вежливость, ошибка, неряшливый, стремиться, ясность.

III. Using the picture The 5C Principles tell about the rules of writing business letters. Divide them two groups: