10 Types of Business Letters

The term “business letters” refers to any written communication that begins with a salutation, ends with a signature and whose contents are professional in nature. Historically, business letters were sent via postal mail or courier, although the Internet is rapidly changing the way businesses communicate. There are many standard types of business letters, and each of them has a specific focus.

Sales Letters

Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website link.

Order Letters

Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired and expected price. Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

Complaint Letters

The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be the deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.

Adjustment Letters

An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in the customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

Inquiry Letters

Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need. Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

Follow-Up Letter

Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application. In many cases, these letters are a combination thank-you note and sales letter.

Letters of Recommendation

Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

Acknowledgment Letters

Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others know that they have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken place.

Cover Letter

Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with it, if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and succinct.

Letters of Resignation

When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of employment will be. In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for leaving the company.

References (4) 

• Cengage Learning: Types of Business Letters
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Sales Letters - Four Point Action Closing
• SMU Business Communication: Types of Business Letter
• Colorado State University: Writing Guide - Acknowledgment Letters

Resources (3) 

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Basic Business Letter
• English Club: Business Letters in English
• Colorado State University: Writing Guide - Business Letters

About the Author

After attending Fairfield University, Hannah Wickford spent more than 15 years in market research and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry. In 2003 she decided to shift careers and now maintains three successful food-related blogs and writes online articles, website copy and newsletters for multiple clients.

Photo Credits

• Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

Sumber : http://work.chron.com/10-types-business-letters-9438.html

Parts Of Speech

In the English language, words can be considered as the smallest elements that have distinctive meanings. Based on their use and functions, words are categorized into several types or parts of speech. This article will offer definitions and examples for the 8 major parts of speech in English grammar:  noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective,conjunction, preposition, and interjection.

1. Noun

This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, things, animals, places, ideas, or events. Nouns are the simplest among the 8 parts of speech, which is why they are the first ones taught to students in primary school.

Examples:

• Tom Hanks is very versatile.
• The italicized noun refers to a name of a person.

• Dogs can be extremely cute.
• In this example, the italicized word is considered a noun because it names an animal.

• It is my birthday.
• The word “birthday” is a noun which refers to an event.

There are different types of nouns namely:

• Proper– proper nouns always start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or things.
• Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza, Game of Thrones

• Common– common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things, or places.
• Examples: car, pizza parlor, TV series

• Concrete– this kind refers to nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.
• Examples: folder, sand, board

• Abstract- unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those which you can’t perceive through your five senses.
• Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery

• Count– it refers to anything that is countable, and has a singular and plural form.
• Examples:  kitten, video, ball

• Mass– this is the opposite of count nouns. Mass nouns are also called non-countable nouns, and they need to have “counters” to quantify them.
• Examples of Counters: kilo, cup, meter
• Examples of Mass Nouns: rice, flour, garter

• Collective– refers to a group of persons, animals, or things.
• Example: faculty (group of teachers), class (group of students), pride (group of lions)

This great list of nouns can help you explore more nouns.

2. Pronoun

A pronoun is a part of a speech which functions as a replacement for a noun. Some examples of pronouns are: I, it, he, she, mine, his, hers, we, they, theirs, and ours.

Sample Sentences:

• Janice is a very stubborn child. She just stared at me and when I told her to stop.
• The largest slice is mine.
• We are number one.

The italicized words in the sentences above are the pronouns in the sentence.

3.  Adjective

This part of  a speech is used to describe a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives can specify the quality, the size, and the number of nouns or pronouns.

Use this link to get a list of adjectives.

Sample Sentences:

• The carvings are intricate.
• The italicized word describes the appearance of the noun “carvings.”

• I have two hamsters.
• The italicized word “two,” is an adjective which describes the number of the noun “hamsters.”

• Wow! That doughnut is huge!
• The italicized word is an adjective which describes the size of the noun “doughnut.”

4. Verb

This is the most important part of a speech, for without a verb, a sentence would not exist. Simply put, this is a word that shows an action (physical or mental) or state of being of the subject in a sentence.

Examples of “State of Being Verbs” : am, is, was, are, and were

Sample Sentences:

• As usual, the Stormtroopers missed their shot.
• The italicized word expresses the action of the subject “Stormtroopers.”

• They are always prepared in emergencies.
• The verb “are” refers to the state of being of the pronoun “they,” which is the subject in the sentence.

5. Adverb

Just like adjectives, adverbs are also used to describe words, but the difference is that adverbs describe adjectives, verbs, or another adverb.

The different types of adverbs are:

• Adverb of Manner– this refers to how something happens or how an action is done.
• Example: Annie danced gracefully.
• The word “gracefully” tells how Annie danced.

• Adverb of Time- this states “when” something happens or “when” it is done.
• Example: She came yesterday.
• The italicized word tells when she “came.”

• Adverb of Place– this tells something about “where” something happens or ”where” something is done.
• Example:  Of course, I looked everywhere!
• The adverb “everywhere” tells where I “looked.”

• Adverb of Degree– this states the intensity or the degree to which a specific thing happens or is done.
• Example: The child is very talented.
• The italicized adverb answers the question, “To what degree is the child talented?”

6. Preposition

This part of a speech basically refers to words that specify location or a location in time.

Examples of Prepositions: above, below, throughout, outside, before, near, and since

Sample Sentences:

• Micah is hiding under the bed.
• The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “under the bed,” and tells where Micah is hiding.

• During the game, the audience never stopped cheering for their team.
• The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “during the game,” and tells when the audience cheered.

7. Conjunction

The conjunction is a part of a speech which joins words, phrases, or clauses together.

Examples of Conjunctions:  and, yet, but, for, nor, or, and so

Sample Sentences:

• This cup of tea is delicious and very soothing.
• Kiyoko has to start all over again because she didn’t follow the professor’s instructions.
• Homer always wanted to join the play, but he didn’t have the guts to audition.

The italicized words in the sentences above are some examples of conjunctions.

8. Interjection

This part of a speech refers to words which express emotions. Since interjections are commonly used to convey strong emotions, they are usually followed by an exclamation point.

Examples of Interjections:

Sample Sentences:

• Ouch! That must have hurt.
• Hurray, we won!
• Hey! I said enough!

The bold words attached to the main sentences above are some examples of interjections.

Final Thoughts

You must familiarize yourself with the different parts of speech discussed in this article because they are among the most fundamental concepts that you will encounter throughout your study of grammar. An in-depth knowledge of this topic will not only make you a better writer, but an effective communicator as well.

sumber : http://partofspeech.org/