George Davidson - Perfect Letters and Emails for all Occasions

George Davidson

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Epub ISBN 9781409062943

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Published by Random House Books 2010

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Copyright George Davidson 2010

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First published in the United Kingdom in 2010 by Random House Books

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Introduction

Perfect Letters and Emails for All Occasions

George Davidson is a former senior editor with Chambers Harrap. He is an experienced researcher, writer and editor of reference books, and has written two other books in the Perfect series. He lives in Edinburgh.

Other titles in the Perfect series

Perfect Answers to Interview Questions Max Eggert
Perfect Babies Names Rosalind Fergusson
Perfect Best Man George Davidson
Perfect Brain Training Philip Carter
Perfect Calorie Counting Kate Santon
Perfect Confidence Jan Ferguson
Perfect CV Max Eggert
Perfect Detox Gill Paul
Perfect Family Quiz David Pickering
Perfect Interview Max Eggert
Perfect Memory Training Fiona McPherson
Perfect Numerical Test Results Joanna Moutafi and Ian Newcombe
Perfect Numerical and Logical Test Results Joanna and Marianna Moutafi
Perfect Party Games Stephen Curtis
Perfect Personality Profiles Helen Baron
Perfect Persuasion Richard Storey
Perfect Positive Thinking Lynn Williams
Perfect Presentations Andrew Leigh and Michael Maynard
Perfect Psychometric Test Results Joanna Moutafi and Ian Newcombe
Perfect Pub Quiz David Pickering
Perfect Punctuation Stephen Curtis
Perfect Readings for Weddings Jonathan Law
Perfect Relaxation Elaine van der Zeil
Perfect Speeches for All Occasions Matt Shinn
Perfect Wedding Planning Cherry Chappell
Perfect Wedding Speeches and Toasts George Davidson
Perfect Weight Loss Kate Santon
Perfect Written English Chris West

Letter-writing is not as important as it once was. Many of the functions fulfilled by letters in times past are now handled by telephone calls, emails or even text messages. Nevertheless, in some situations and for some purposes only a letter will do.

Many people, however, have little experience of letter-writing nowadays, and faced with the need to write, say, wedding invitations, a job application or perhaps a complaint about faulty goods, they are not sure how to set about it what to write, how to express it, and how to set out the letter on the page. And, of course, there are the letters that everyone finds difficult, such as expressions of condolence. Dont you so often wish there was someone you could turn to for help in finding the right words to say?

Whatever the situation you find yourself in, whatever the letter you need to write, you will find the answers to your questions in this book. Nothing is taken for granted. Perfect Letters and Emails starts with the basics of how to set out a letter and address an envelope, and then moves on to general advice on how to draft, write and check your letter, before taking you chapter by chapter through the various types of letter you may have to write. Along with many specimen letters that you can adapt to suit your own situation and requirements (and your own style and personality), there are discussions of dos and donts, of what to say and what not to, so that you can confidently create the letters you need.

As the title suggests, this book deals not only with letters but also with emails discussing, for example, when you might send an email instead of a letter and when it would not be appropriate to do so, and how emails differ from letters in form and style. In addition, in the chapter on business letters we will have a few words to say about office memos, and in the chapter on employment-related letters we will cover not only the letters or emails you might need to write but also the preparation of your curriculum vitae.

If you are writing to a member of the government, the nobility or the clergy, it is important to address them correctly both in your letter and on the envelope. For that reason, you will find at the end of this book a Quick Reference guide to correct forms of address.

And finally, since no letter or email can be perfect if it contains spelling mistakes, bad grammar or poor punctuation, you should study carefully the Watch your language! section on pages 184 to 202, where the worst and most frequent errors are pointed out and corrected.

If you find letter-writing a chore, this book will certainly make writing letters easier for you. But perhaps more importantly, it will also ensure that your letters are pleasing to read and communicate effectively what you want to say, and are therefore likely to achieve the results you are hoping for.

I would like to thank Sophie Lazar and Gemma Wain for their assistance and advice during the preparation of this book.

NOTE : All names and addresses in the letters and emails are invented, and any resemblance to actual people, companies or addresses is entirely coincidental.

A perfect letter must be properly laid out, pleasing to look at and easy to read. There are a number of conventions concerning structure and layout, especially important in formal or business letters, which this chapter will explain and illustrate.