Completion of the official letter. Writing a letter in English - how to write

The origin of writing in Sumer, Egypt and China led to the development of a special system of thinking that helped to convey emotions and feelings. Today, almost everyone can write.

But not everyone can boast that they know 100% how to do it right.

We cannot imagine life without email. Carrier pigeons are a thing of the past, we only read about carriages and wagons in books, but the Internet helps us communicate. By the way, the first person to write an email was Ray Tomlinson. He worked as a programmer and in 1971 made a breakthrough in writing letters to global network the Internet.

With the advent of writing, the rules for writing a letter arose. Of course, in many countries they differ from each other. But do not forget that when writing a letter in English, you need to know some features, otherwise you may be misunderstood.

• personal letter may contain various phrases, each of which has its own meaning, for example:

Always- always (your, yours)
best wishes- with best wishes
your friend- your friend (your girlfriend)
Affectionately- with love
Yours always- always yours (your)
Much love- with love
see you soon- see you later
All my love- with all love
Eternally yours- always yours (your)
see ya(ya is short for you) - see you
Cheers- while (used in Britain)
Hugs and kisses or common XOXO

The history of the origin of HOHO began in the Middle Ages. When signing contracts, the sign X was a necessary phenomenon, which testified to the validity of the signing of the contract. Later in the UK, letters began to be signed with a “laughing” sign, which denoted hugs - hugs (indicated by the letter O) and kisses (as indicated by the letter X, reminiscent of two kissing people).

If you need to constantly communicate with foreigners using e-mails, we advise you to refer to the section where you will find a lot of interesting things.

« Remember the last phrase”- these are the words of the famous movie hero from one Soviet television series. The remark went “to the people” and is now a common aphorism. Indeed, last words affect the overall impression of the conversation. Therefore, when composing business or personal correspondence, you should carefully consider how to finish the letter in English and politely say goodbye to the interlocutor. The ability to tactfully and appropriately use standard cliché phrases at the end of the letter will be the subject of today's material.

A formal letter requires increased attention to the norms of politeness. With successful business communication, the end of the letter allows you to enhance the effect of the above text.

Ending in business letter should produce good pleasant impression: there should not be obsession, excessive emotionality, flattery, bias, and even more rudeness and hostility. Therefore, in business correspondence, it is customary to use impersonal speech clichés. The table below shows the standard phrases that often appear in the completion of a business letter in English.

These expressions will help to beautifully complete the text of the message. But this is not the whole ending, because. no letter in English needs a signature. Usually this short remark expresses their respect or wishes for success. The translation of many of these phrases into Russian coincides, and even when switching to English, they are used almost interchangeably, with only very slight emotional differences.

A business letter in English may end with a signature of the following form:

• Yoursfaithfully* - with sincere respect;
• Respectfully yours* – respectfully;
• Sincerelyyours-Yours sincerely;
• With appreciation- sincerely grateful
• With gratitude- sincerely grateful;
• Thanks and regards- with gratitude and best wishes;
• bestregards – with best wishes;
• kindregards- with good wishes;
• bestwishes- with wishes of success.

* These expressions are used only if the writer does not personally know the addressee of his letter.

Paying tribute to the accepted norms of courtesy, they put a comma and write the personal data of the signatory on a new line: first name, last name and position held. This letter ends.

So, we figured out the official messages and learned how to finish them beautifully. But one more important question remained unsolved: how can one complete a letter to a friend in English or an appeal to foreign relatives? We will discuss this in detail in the next section.

English phrases of farewell in friendly correspondence

Informal correspondence also adheres to a polite tone, but provides incomparably more opportunities for expressing emotions and emphasizing the closeness and warmth of relationships. Therefore, the question of how to finish a letter in English in personal correspondence is very a large number of answers.

Let's start with the fact that an informal text should also have a logical conclusion: a kind of last note or a final line. And sometimes it is at the finishing stage that a stupor occurs: you write about the latest news and events, and a beautiful end to the letter does not come to mind.

Of course, everyone has their own style of writing letters, but even in friendly correspondence there are often template phrases. Don't know how to finish your English letter? Feel free to choose and write one of the expressions below. In our material, they are also highlighted in a separate table.

Using these clichés, you can give a beautiful and meaningful look to any letter.

It remains only to put a polite formula and your initials. There are just a lot of signature options for an informal letter, but we have selected the best and most frequently used examples from it. So you don’t have to think long about how to sign a letter either.

If the addressee of your message is relatives or good friends, it would be appropriate to use such forms of farewell as:

• Yours cordially- cordially yours;
• Yours ever – always yours;
• Eternally yours- always yours;
• Your loving brother- Your loving brother;
• your friend – Your friend;
• Your very sincere friend- Your devoted friend;
• bestwishes – Best wishes;
• Give my regards to… - Send greetings ...;
• Allthebest – Best wishes.

If you and your interlocutor are very close friends or you have a warm romantic relationship, then the following wishes will come to the rescue:

• Affectionately- With tenderness;
• Lots of love- I love you very much;
• Lots of kisses – Kisses;
• Hugs- I hug;
• With love and kisses- Love and kisses;
• With all my love– With all love;
• Passionately yours – Passionately yours;
• Always and forever Yours forever and ever;
• Missingyou – Missing You;
• sendmyloveto… – Send my regards…;
• takecare – Take care;
• Tillnexttime– Until next time;
• Seeyousoon – See you soon;
• Seeya- See you;
• Cheers– Bye ;
• Ciao– Chao!

And after expressing our feelings, do not forget to put a comma, and sign your name on a new line.

Now we are familiar with the rules for processing all types of correspondence. But still, it is better to see a complete sample of writing once than to read a theory abstracted from practice several times. At the end of the material, we suggest that you look at examples of English letters of a different nature with Russian translation.

How to finish a letter in English - samples and excerpts from correspondence

In this section you will find several examples that clearly show the design of letters on English language, as well as matching their styles and forms of politeness.

Letter of congratulation

Dear Daniel and Sarah,

Please accept our heartiest congratulations on your silver wedding anniversary!

It seems that you connected your destinies just yesterday. It's been 25 years since that wonderful day.

It is with great pleasure that we would like to wish such perfect couple only the best things: a lot of love, good health, eternal youth and a long and happy life together. Being your friends is an honor and a pleasure!

With best wishes on your anniversary,

Jonathan and Elizabeth Livingston.

Letters to a friend

Hey Emily!

I'm still waiting for that book you promised to send me at our last meeting. Since then, you have not written to me, apparently, you are now very busy with business.

Anyway, I'm going to visit you in a week and we can meet. What do you think about that? Scribble a couple of lines when you're free.

Dear Jack,

Thank you very much for your letter! It's great to hear from you!

I must apologize for not writing sooner. I worked very hard and didn't have a minute of free time. But now I can tell you about my news.

I have been on vacation since yesterday. My boss allowed me to go on vacation for a whole month. I am very happy, now I can go to Spain, finally! I saved up money for this trip for two years, and yesterday I bought round-trip tickets to Barcelona. I will spend two weeks in Barcelona. You can't even imagine how much I dreamed about this! I'm just in seventh heaven!

Later, when I return to Moscow, I will go to my parents. They live in St. Petersburg. I spent my childhood in Saint Petersburg, so I have many friends there. I will be very pleased to meet them. After this trip to the city of my childhood, I will return to Moscow again and write you all my impressions.

Well, it's time for me to wrap up. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Love and kisses,

Excerpts from business letters

Please accept our sincere apologies for the recent inconvenience. Rest assured that we will accept everything necessary measures so that something like this doesn't happen again in the future. As compensation, we have issued a 30% discount on your order.

Once again we apologize for the inconvenience caused.

All the best,

The signature "with respect" at the end of the letter is a standard formula of politeness. Is it always necessary to end the letter with this phrase? How to write it correctly in Russian and English? Let's look at examples.

From the article you will learn:

There are no random phrases in official correspondence. Stylistics requires conciseness and careful selection of words from the author. Final phrases reinforce positive emotions express confidence and appreciation at the same time. A clear signature helps maintain business conversation contributes to the achievement of the goal. Respect the interlocutor and compose the text so that it is pleasant to read. Politeness combined with professionalism speaks of the competence of a specialist.

How to end a business letter with respect for the addressee?

When writing a formal message, remember that you are speaking on behalf of the entire company. The secretary must be extremely correct, as he represents his leader. Compliance with the generally accepted rules of business correspondence forms positive image companies in the eyes of partners and customers.

Official correspondence always has specific goals. The purpose determines the structure of the text. In the general case, the text is divided into several semantic parts: introduction, problem statement, argumentation and conclusion. Each part performs specific tasks. The introduction, for example, prepares for the perception of the main ideas. Conclusion - expresses wishes and hopes, assures further partnership.

Advice from the Editor: There are generally accepted formulas for each of the tasks. By ending the letter politely, you show that you respect your partner, set him up for positive emotions and leave a good impression. Find out, in the electronic journal "Secretary's Handbook". To read the article, complete demo access for 3 days.

How do you spell "respectfully" at the end of a letter?

A single regulation of business correspondence and bringing it to common standards is typical for large companies. Design letterhead, the form of "autographs" at the end of the message becomes part of the corporate culture, an element of style. Whether it is a paper or electronic message, compliance with a single standard is an indicator of attention to detail and important subtleties.

There are several types of closing phrases in business correspondence. Their choice depends on how well you know the addressee. For example, the signature "with respect" in a formal letter is neutral. If you want to focus your partner’s attention on something or once again remind him of the request, use restrained phrases:

• Yours sincerely...
• Sincerely...
• Best wishes...

When choosing the final formula of politeness, try to do without familiarities. Remember that how well do you know the person to whom you are writing. If the acquaintance is formal, stick to the official style.

The answer was prepared jointly with the editors of the electronic journal " Secretary's Handbook».

Answered by Maria BELDOVA,
With. n. With. VNIIDAD, expert in the field of documentation management

What are we waiting for when sending a letter to a partner or client? So that our information, even negative, makes a favorable impression on the addressee and causes a response or decision. This can be achieved if you follow the rules of correspondence etiquette, properly format the letter and prepare a high quality text. Your text should be of moderate length; contain the necessary arguments and clear language and have a structure that the best way conveys information.

Reception 1. Separate the main from the secondary

The text of a business letter should have a volume sufficient to ...

The full version of the answer is available after free

"Respectfully" at the end of the letter: with or without a comma

The final form of politeness is given at the end of the text. It is placed on the same vertical with the date, on the right side. The phrase is separated from the main text by two or three intervals. Slightly below are props "Signature", including the name of the position of the compiler, his personal signature and transcript. This arrangement complies with the standards of GOST 6.30-97, which defines the requirements for paperwork. If the message is issued on official letterhead or is of a private nature, the title of the position and the transcript of the signature are not put.

The question of how to write at the end of the letter "with respect": with or without a comma, does not have a clear answer. Both options are acceptable. The absence of a sign can be perceived as negligence and even illiteracy. On the other hand, according to the rules of punctuation, this comma should not be placed. From the point of view of Russian grammar, the sign is redundant. The words "with respect" are not an introductory turnover, and the signature is an appeal. This phrase implies that "This letter was written with respect to you by N.N.". As in it, in the abbreviated version, the comma is not put according to the rules.

Why is it so common in practice? AT rules of correspondence in English, German and others European languages this sign is required. The phrase "with respect" at the end of the letter in English is separated not only graphically, but also punctuation. Over time, although it is grammatically erroneous, the rule became part of the norms of the Russian language.

Letter Conclusion: Sample "Regards"

How to write "respectfully" in a business letter in English?

Rules business communication in English in many ways similar to those adopted in Russia. At the end, the addressee is thanked for their time and expresses their intention to continue the correspondence. Common phrases are also used: "with respect", "with gratitude", "with best wishes". After a new line indicate the name and surname of the compiler, as well as his position. Let's look at an example: how to sign a letter in English "with respect ..."

Table 1. Final formulas of politeness in English

The ability to tactfully and correctly use standard cliché phrases is an indicator of the level of professionalism and knowledge of the language. In English writing, the phrase "respectfully" can be expressed in different ways. When composing a text for a foreign partner, consider all the factors and choose the most suitable translation.

How to sign a letter correctly: "with respect" and other politeness formulas

When compiling a message, the sender should be guided not only by generally accepted standards, but also by the rules of good manners. If you write to a stranger, and the appeal is strictly formal, use established expressions. The style of business speech strictly limits the choice of phrases.

If the matter concerns email or communication with well-known people, one can deviate from rigid canons, while remaining polite and correct. Let's look at a few examples of final phrases that are acceptable in less formal communication.

Table 2. Use of alternative final expressions

business letter is official document, each part of which performs certain tasks. It is believed that the last sentence is always remembered better. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the final phrases.

Knowing when and how to correctly write "respectfully" at the end of a letter is one of the elements that emphasizes your professionalism. A competent secretary will always pick up the right words or limited to a neutral expression of politeness. At the same time, he will not lower the prestige of the company and will convey the information to the recipient correctly and respectfully.

manner, both verbal and writing in world dialects is not the same. If abroad the greeting "How are you?" acceptable and ordinary, then in our country it can even be considered tactless.

And in order not to seem like a hypocrite for a foreigner to whom we are writing a message, we must adhere to the appropriate dialectical framework. Before how to end a letter in english, you should pay attention to who and under what circumstances we write it. Writing to a friend is not the same as writing to a business partner.

Options for ending letters to a friend

Unlike strict business style, a letter to a foreign friend can end with many, even template expressions. The appropriateness of this or that end depends on the emerging relationship and the intention to continue them.

In such messages, use the words that describe your attitude or situation that you want to convey. From that how to end a letter in english to a friend, may depend on his impression of reading.

Examples of correct conclusions:

• Thanks for the conversation, I'll write later - thanks for the conversation, I'll write later;
• Regret, I'm waiting for work - I'm sorry, I'm waiting for work;
• We talked a lot, but it's time for me - we had a great conversation, but now I have to go;
• Waiting for news from you - waiting for news from you.

For especially close friends, there are farewell options in the form of Loving you, Sincerely yours, With love. Before doing so, supply a comma and the author's name after these words. This will describe big love and sincerity to the recipient.

Variants of the signature of the letter in various cases

For a competent conclusion, it is not at all necessary to end the letter with wishes or attitude towards the recipient. In some cases, too obsessive goodwill in the end may seem suspicious, then how to finish a letter in english using a simple signature would be the most appropriate option.

In official letters, use signatures in the form of brief details of the author, company name. In invitations and similar messages, you can end with gratitude and a call to action -Thanks, Author, we will wait for you.

Variants of signatures in different situations:

• I await your response - I am waiting for your response;
• Regards - we wish you all the best;
• I'll wait for our next meeting - I will wait for our next meeting.

Conclusion

Depending on whether how to end a letter to a friend in english, you can strengthen or weaken your companionship in the future. The same law applies to invitations, commercial mailings.

The exam asks for an excerpt from a letter from your potential pen pal. The letter contains some news and several questions where you are asked for opinions, advice, etc.

You are required to write a response letter, starting with your short return address in the upper right corner, the date below the address, greetings and ending with a farewell phrase and name.

First of all, in order to write a letter, you need to know the rules of spelling and punctuation of the English language and try to follow them - the person to whom you addressed the letter will be pleased to read a well-written letter.

One of the tasks in English both in the USE and in the USE is writing a personal letter in response to a letter from an “English-speaking pen-friend.” It is included in part C, as is writing an essay in English. At the same time, if in the Unified State Examination the length of the letter is 100-140 words, then in the Unified State Exam a limit of 100-120 words is set, because. in the exam, the task is to ask 3 questions, and in the exam - just answer the letter, although, in any case, if you write questions, it will be a plus.

Writing a letter in a foreign language is a simple task that must be completed as quickly as possible in order to leave time for other tasks. So let's consider uniform rules writing a personal letter. To make it easier to understand everything, watch a specially selected video site:

In the upper right corner specify the address in the following order (reverse order to Russian):

• flat
• house number, street name
• city
• country

It is allowed to indicate the address in a short form, for example:
Moscow
Russia

Under the address skipping a line, you must write the date of the letter:
June 4th, 2012
June 4, 2012
or less formally:
04/06/12

The letter begins with an informal address. If the name of your interlocutor is not indicated in the task, it should be invented:
Dear Tim,
Dear Rebecca,
You need to put a comma after the call!

Divide the text of the letter into several logical paragraphs, each of which start with a red line.

1. In the first paragraph, you should thank your friend for his letter:
Thanks (a lot) for your (last) letter.
Your last letter was a real surprise.
I was glad to get your letter.
It was great to hear from you! / It was great to hear that… / I was happy to hear…
You can also apologize for not writing earlier:
Sorry I haven’t been written for so long but …/ Sorry I haven’t been in touch for so long.
I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.
and / or mention any fact from the received letter:
I'm glad you passed your History test!
Sounds like you had a great time in London!
Great news about your…!

2. The body of the letter (2-3 paragraphs). In it, you must disclose all the aspects indicated in the assignment. Don't forget to ask the necessary questions.

The letter is supposed to be written in an informal style, so you can use informal linking words such as well, by the way, anyway, so, colloquial expressions like Guess what? Or Wish me luck! as well as exclamation marks.

3. In the last paragraph, explain why you are ending the letter:
Well, I'd better go now as I have to do my homework.
Anyway, I have to go now because my Mum asked me to help her with the washing up.
I've got to go now! It's time for my favorite TV show.

and mention further contacts:
Write (back) soon!
Take care and keep in touch!
Drop me a letter when you can.
Hope to hear from you soon.
I can't wait to hear from you!

At the end of the letter, a final cliche phrase is indicated on a separate line, which depends on how close the author and the addressee are. It is always followed by a comma! The following are possible options from least formal (1) to more formal (8):

1. love,
2. lots of love,
3. All my love
4. All the best
5. best wishes,
6. With best wishes
7. yours,
8. warm regards,
   

On the next line, under the final phrase, the author's name is indicated (without a surname!). For example:
Andy or Kate

Thus, a letter to a friend looks like this:

Writer's address (indicated in the upper right corner)
Date of letter (under address)

appeal,
At the beginning of the letter, the author usually a) thanks the addressee for the previously received correspondence; b) apologizes for not writing earlier.
The main body of the letter (2-3 paragraphs). It must be disclosed
all aspects specified in the task.
Be sure to ask all the necessary questions.
At the end of the letter, the author usually mentions the reason for the end of the letter, as well as further contacts (cliché phrases are used).
final phrase,
Signature of the author (name)

Template for writing a letter in English

13 Ostozhenka street

I was so happy to get your letter! I can't wait to meet you in July! I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.

You asked me to tell you about… Well, …

By the way, …? …? …?

Unfortunately, I'd better go now as I've got loads of homework to do (as always). Take care and keep in touch!