Lesson 20 — Activity 2: Tone in Business Letters

You know that people convey a lot of information through the tone of their voice. Your written work has a "tone" also — the tone imagined by the reader! You have some control over that.

The tone of a business letter must fit the purpose intended. Because you want to be sure that the reader will not be offended by your letter, choose your words carefully.

One way to ensure that the tone of your letter is polite is to find out the correct name and title of the person you are writing to. You may need to phone the business and ask for this information, or you may be able to find this information in the telephone book, on a business card, on a receipt or letterhead from the business or by looking on the company's website as well.

Part of creating a proper tone in business letters is using formality. Business letters are NEVER friendly chat notes to your friend. They are business letters, so they must be businesslike!

Another way to achieve a polite tone in a letter is by using an appropriate closing. Common ways to end a business letter include the following expressions:

• Sincerely,

• Yours truly,

• Respectfully,

• Cordially,

"Sincerely" works in most situations — and note that the closing always should be followed by a comma.