Business correspondence isn’t what it once was, long-winded formal letters. Today as email rules the roost, things have become more to the point, less formal cos ‘time is money’!.
Nonetheless, you still have to read the odd formal letters or be confronted with mails, written in a more formal style. Maybe you even feel obliged or want to answer in a similar manner.
Here are 10 formal words in phrases and their less formal friends.
We cannot accept any amendments / changes (Abänderung) to the contract.
The terms and conditions are stipulated / stated(etw festlegen) in the contract.
We trust / hope you (hoffen) will look into this matter as soon as possible.
We regret to advise / notify (benachrichtigen) you that there is a delay in the delivery of your goods.
The meeting has been summoned / called (Besprechnung ansetzen) for 1. September.
We kindly request / ask you (jdm um etw bitten) to pay the outstanding invoice within 14 days upon receipt of this reminder.
We feel compelled / forced (sich veranlasst finden zu) to make a complaint about your customer services staff.
We can grant / allow you (gewähren) an additional period of 14 days to make payment.
We were delighted to learn / hear (etw erfahren) that you are interested in
Mr Preston will attend to / deal with (etw erledigen/sich um etw kümmern) the matter in my absence.
Happy mailing!
Get many more of these email phrases for your correspondence in part 2 (Mini Mail Dictionary) of the Workplace English Toolkit.
Learning by doing. Copy & paste until you know it off by heart with the Workplace English Toolkit PDF https://teatimetitbits.de/downloads/your-busines-english-workplace-toolkit/
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long-winded (langwierig), to rule the roost (der Herr im Hause sein), nonetheless (Nichtsdestotrotz), odd (vereinzelt), to feel obliged to do sth (sich verpflichtet fühlen, etw zu tun), to pay the outstanding invoice (Rechnung begleichen),reminder (Mahnung), to be delighted (sehr erfreut sein), in my absence (in meiner Abwesenheit), to know sth off by heart (etw auswendig können).