Business Correspondence in English: Emails, Letters, and Professional Communication

Business Correspondence in English

Business correspondence in English—such as emails, cover letters, requests and responses for information, business reports, and similar documents—has become less formal in recent years.

The general recommendation is the same as for any professional letter or email: write clearly and concisely, use short sentences whenever possible, and avoid unnecessary familiarity—unless the recipient is a close acquaintance.

We review commonly used business correspondence formats in British and American English.

Each section typically includes:

• A page of letters in British or American English, with translation into Spanish.
• A page of notes and grammatical or stylistic comments.
• A page of model phrases, with Spanish translations, from which readers can extract expressions for specific situations.
• A page of letters in Spanish with their English translations, followed by notes on translation challenges.
• A vocabulary review page, with possible additions.
• Exercises with answers to reinforce learning.

INQUIRIES FROM POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS – REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

A potential customer writes to request information about products or services, or to ask for clarification following an initial contact.

Business Correspondence in English – ENQUIRIES

Reference: TA/GA
Firmsoft SA
C/ Orense, 120
28020 Madrid, Spain

1 July 2022

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have received your brochure presenting your new product range in the GDPR sector.

Some of the items presented may be suitable for use in our manufacturing processes.

We would appreciate it if you could send us full details of the range and your current price list, including terms for international customers.

Yours faithfully,
John Morley
Purchasing Manager
Sheffield Industries Ltd.
279 Albert Road
Sheffield S8 9QZ
United Kingdom

Business Correspondence in English – INFORMATION REQUESTS

Firmsoft SA
C/ Orense, 120
28020 Madrid, Spain

1 July 2022

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have recently received your catalogue featuring the new products in your GDPR range.

Some of the items listed may be suitable for use in our production processes.

We would appreciate receiving more detailed documentation about this range, as well as current prices and your terms for international customers.

Thank you for your assistance.

Yours sincerely,
John Morley
Purchasing Director
Sheffield Industries Ltd.
279 Albert Road
Sheffield S8 9QZ
United Kingdom

Business Correspondence in English – CONTRACTIONS

In business letters, contractions such as we’re, we’d, I’ll, you’ll, and they’re are generally avoided.

REPLIES TO INQUIRIES – RESPONSES TO INFORMATION REQUESTS

The supplier or manufacturer responds to customers who request documentation, samples, or more detailed information about catalog items, delivery conditions, and related matters.

Reference: TA/GA
Mr. D.A. Ayuela
Purchasing Department
Intermatrix
Dolphin Street 34
28907 El Bercial, Getafe
Madrid

12 December 2022

Dear Mr. Ayuela,

We were pleased to receive your enquiry dated 9 December regarding the MEGA range of machine tools featured in our new catalogue.

Mr. Harry Jenkins, our Regional Sales Director, will contact your office shortly to arrange a meeting. He will provide full details of the machines and advise you on suitable models for testing.

We are confident that our MEGA range will meet your requirements.

Yours sincerely,
Frank Hayward
MADCO Manufacturing Ltd
24 Walworth Road
London SE1 2EJ

INVOICING AND PAYMENT

The supplier issues invoices or account statements and requests payment. The customer writes to confirm or accompany payment. The supplier acknowledges receipt.

Invoicing

We enclose our proforma invoice for €2,917 and the final invoice for order 409J. Upon receipt of payment, we will instruct our agents to dispatch your order. Due to technical adjustments following the installation of our new computer system, we kindly ask you to verify all invoice details carefully and inform us immediately of any errors.

Payment (Remittance)

We have arranged today for the transfer of €1,576 to your account at La Caixa as settlement of invoice No. 1505.

Receipt of Payment

We are pleased to confirm receipt of your bank transfer for the amount shown on your statement. We look forward to continuing our business relationship.

DEBT COLLECTION

Debt collection may involve difficulties if the debtor requests extensions due to liquidity issues or disputes the amount owed. The creditor will use all appropriate means before initiating legal action.

Dear Sir,

We regret to inform you that we are unable to grant a further extension of credit.

If payment is not received within the agreed timeframe, we will refer the matter to our legal department.

COMPLAINTS

The customer may complain about delivery errors, delays, product quality, or non-conformity with samples, and may request a price reduction or expert evaluation.

Dear Sirs,

Regarding order No. 1532 recently delivered, we regret to inform you that item No. 231/3/4/5 does not meet your usual quality standards. We request an additional 10% discount on this item.

REPLIES TO COMPLAINTS

The supplier responds to complaints, offering apologies and solutions where appropriate, or defending their position when necessary.

Dear Sir,

In response to Mr. Hayward’s email dated 5 April, we enclose a signed copy of our delivery note confirming that the goods were collected from our Zaragoza warehouse on 27 March 2022.

We recommend conducting a thorough search in your warehouse. If unsuccessful, please file a claim with the carrier.

FOLLOW-UP LETTERS

Follow-up letters are sent after unsuccessful initial contact or after a period of no communication, often presenting new proposals.

Dear Sir,

During the International TEFL Fair, you visited our stand and expressed interest in our TEFL courses.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the possibility of offering these courses in your country.

Attached is our brochure, which provides a detailed overview of our TEFL programs.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Important Note

Avoid colloquial or informal language in business correspondence unless you are completely confident in its appropriateness. It can be difficult to distinguish between informal and unsuitable expressions, and written business communication requires precision and professionalism.