Learn English - Business English Writing

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Letters which begin Dear Sir or Dear Madam usually finish Yours faithfully. Formal letters which begin with the person’s name (e.g. Dear Susan Fernandez) usually finish Yours sincerely. Informal letters may finish, for example, Yours, See you, or Love. Note that Love is not usually used by one man to another. In formal letters, many people put a closing formula before Yours …, especially when writing to people they know: Common expressions are With best wishes and With kind regards. In American usage, Yours faithfully is not used. Common endings are Sincerely, Sincerely yours or Yours truly followed by a comma.

Signature

Sign with your first name (informal) or full name (formal). Don’t write any title (Mr/Ms/Dr/etc). In a formal typewritten letter, add your full typewritten name after your handwritten signature. Friendly business letters are often signed with the first name only above the fully typewritten name.

Americans are often addressed and sign their names with the first name in full, followed by the initial of a middle name (Allan J Parker).

In informal letters, afterthoughts that are added after the signature are usually introduced by P S (Latin post scriptum).

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