Covering Letter

1. In a personal letter you can put your name, address, telephone number and email on the right-hand or left-hand side of the letter.

2. There are different ways of writing dates: 15 April 2008, April 15th 2008, or 15/4/2008 but in US English the month comes first, e.g. 4/15/2008.

3. If you don't know the name of the person you are writing to, start with Dear Sir / Madam.

4. Write in short paragraphs so that the letter is well organised and easy to read.

5. When you don't know the name of the person you are writing to, close with Yours faithfully, followed by a comma.

6. Remember to write your full name clearly after your signature.

Scott Mitchell1 41, Sefton Road Manchester M19 8RU chazpiper@hotmail.com 15th April, 200282 Dear Sir/Madam 3 I am writing in reply to your advertisement in the Manchester Evening Times on Wednesday 12 April. I would like to apply for the position of Assistant Purser with Royal Mediterranean International. I am an outgoing and motivated person and I also have strong communication and organisational skills. I have not worked on board a cruise ship before but I have experience as a hotel receptionist and I have the GNVQ Diploma in Leisure and Tourism.4 Please find enclosed a copy of my CV. I am available for interview at any time., I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, 5 Scott Mitchell Scott Mitchell6

WRITE your CV and a covering letter to apply for a job in the Olympics.

PLAN what you're going to write. Use the Useful language box

CHECK the letter for mistakes (grammar, punctuation, and).

Fax

1. Give a contact phone number if it is not on the letterhead.

2. Salutation – include the title (Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mr, Dr, and so on) and copy the name exactly as that person writes it. If you don't know the name or whether the person is a man or woman, put Dear Sir or Madam.

3. Reference line - this describes the main purpose of the fax or letter.

4. If you are responding to a letter, fax or email, refer to its subject and date in the first paragraph or sentence.

5. State the main reason for the fax in the first sentence. Remember that the recipient may have to read a lot of business correspondence.

6. The paragraphs of business letters and faxes can be short, usually between three and eight lines long. This helps the recipient to read and remember the important facts.

7. Yours sincerely is the most frequently-used closing expression. Only the first letter is capitalised.

Kind regards, With best regards and Best regards are also possible for clients you know well as these are less formal.

8. Write your signature and type your name below the closing expression. Whenever possible, include your job title below your name.

To Mr Meurice Joubert Fax no. (940) 284 3423 From Ms Silvia Andrews, Reservations Department, Wilton Hotel Fax no. (090) 784 1005 Phone no. (090) 784 10031 Date November 26, 2009 Number of pages 1 of 1 Dear Mr Meurice Joubert, 2 Confirmation of reservation3 In reply to your fax of today’s date,4 we are pleased to confirm your reservation.5 I have included the information you will need to make your check-in as simple as possible.6 Your confirmation number: BF015H Arrival date: January 10, 2010 Departure date: January 12, 2010 Room type: Double Rate: $80.00 Your room will be ready for occupancy after 12 noon. If any of this information is incorrect, please contact us immediately. If you have any additional questions, or need to make changes to this reservation, please fax us or call our phone number at the top of this fax. Thank you for choosing our hotel and I hope you enjoy your stay. Yours sincerely,7 Silvia Andrews Silvia Andrews Reservations Manager8 Please note: Reservations cancelled without 24 hours’ notice will be subject to a charge of one night’s stay.

E-mail

1. Emails are often shorter and less formal than letters and faxes. However, it is perfectly acceptable to write very formal emails to people you do not know.

2. cc means a copy of this message was sent to this person.

3. Remember to check all times, dates and numbers before sending an email. It is easy to make a mistake.