If you are 'set in your ways' , you resist any changes.
- He's only 45 but he is so set in his ways he could be 75.
- I'm too set in my ways to accept any changes.
If you climb through the ranks of a company and reach a high position, you have 'worked your way to the top'.
- He started here as a young man and gradually worked his way to the top of the company.
- The best bosses have usually worked their way to the top and not been appointed from outside.
If you want to buy something for $200 and the person wants you to pay $300, you can agree to 'meet halfway' and pay $250.
- You want 600. I want 400. Let's meet each other halfway and agree on 500.
- She wanted six weeks and he wanted ten. So they met each other halfway and decided on eight.
If you speak well (and usually persuasively), you have 'a way with words'.
- Let her talk to them. She has a way with words.
- I know you have a way with words but you're not going to get me to change my mind.
If you stop somebody from doing something, you 'stand in their way'.
- I won't stand in your way if you want to apply for that job.
- Nothing is going to stand in my way. I'm going to do it.
Sometimes discussions don't stay on the subject and go 'way off' course.
- We've wandered way off the subject.
- I took a wrong turning and went way off course.
If you make a lot of effort and inconvenience yourself to help somebody, you 'go out of your way' to help them.
- I went out of my way to help him and he didn't even thank me.
- Don't go out of your way to do it but, if you see any Cadbury's chocolate, will you get me some?
Some people want both to work less and to earn more money. They want to 'have it both ways'.
- You can't have it both ways. Which is more important to you?
- A full-time job and a full-time family carer? It's difficult to have it both ways.
If you want to avoid somebody, you 'keep out of their way'.
- The boss is in a bad mood. Keep out of her way.
- I wasn't deliberately keeping out of your way.
If you change the order of two things, you put them 'the other way round'.
- As Brian hasn't arrived yet, we're going to put the first two presentations the other way round and start with Jane's.
- It's not that she's mad with him. It's the other way round. He's mad with her.
'To my way of thinking' means 'in my opinion'.
- Jane is a better speaker to my way of thinking.
- To my way of thinking, we need to find a better candidate.
If you have no opinion between two choices, you don't mind 'either way'.
- Drive, if you prefer. I don't mind either way.
- We could meet here or there. Either way is good for me.
'On the way' means that it is coming.
- I have a new baby on the way.
- She's on her way but got held up in traffic.
If things have changed a lot, they have 'come a long way'.
- We started out in one small office but we've come a long way since then.
- We've both come a long way since I first met you as an office junior.
When you give some information as incidental to the main conversation, you can introduce it by saying 'by the way'.
- By the way, did I tell you that Leslie is going to Ghana?
- By the way, I'm taking tomorrow off.
Business Letters in English
Business letters are formal paper communications between, to or from businesses and usually sent through the Post Office or sometimes by courier. Business letters are sometimes called "snail-mail" (in contrast to email which is faster). This lesson concentrates on business letters but also looks at other business correspondence. It includes:
- letter
- memo
- fax
Who writes Business Letters?
Most people who have an occupation have to write business letters. Some write many letters each day and others only write a few letters over the course of a career. Business people also read letters on a daily basis. Letters are written from a person/group, known as the sender to a person/group, known in business as the recipient. Here are some examples of senders and recipients:
- business «» business
- business «» consumer
- job applicant «» company
- citizen «» government official
- employer «» employee
- staff member «» staff member
Why write Business Letters?
There are many reasons why you may need to write business letters or other correspondence:
- to persuade
- to inform
- to request
- to express thanks
- to remind
- to recommend
- to apologize
- to congratulate
- to reject a proposal or offer
- to introduce a person or policy
- to invite or welcome
- to follow up
- to formalize decisions
Read through the following pages to learn more about the different types of business letters, and how to write them. You will learn about formatting, planning, and writing letters, as well as how to spot your own errors. These pages are designed to help you write business letters and correspondence, but they will also help you learn to read, and therefore respond to, the letters you receive. You will also find samples that you can use and alter for your own needs.
Business Letter Vocabulary
| attachment | extra document or image that is added to an email |
| block format | most common business letter format, single spaced, all paragraphs begin at the left margin |
| body | the content of the letter; between the salutation and signature |
| bullets | small dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list |
| certified mail | important letters that sender pays extra postage for in order to receive a notice of receipt |
| coherent | logical; easy to understand |
| concise | gets to the point quickly |
| confidential, personal | private |
| diplomacy, diplomatic | demonstrating consideration and kindness |
| direct mail, junk mail | marketing letters addressed to a large audience |
| double space | format where one blank line is left between lines of text |
| enclosure | extra document or image included with a letter |
| formal | uses set formatting and business language, opposite of casual |
| format | the set up or organization of a document |
| heading | a word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be about |
| indent | extra spaces (usually 5) at the beginning of a paragraph |
| informal | casual |
| inside address | recipient's mailing information |
| justified margins | straight and even text, always begins at the same place |
| letterhead | specialized paper with a (company) logo or name printed at the top |
| logo | symbol or image that identifies a specific organization |
| margin | a blank space that borders the edge of the text |
| memorandum (memo) | document sent within a company (internal), presented in short form |
| modified block format | left justified as block format, but date and closing are centered |
| on arrival notation | notice to recipient that appears on an envelope (e.g. "confidential") |
| postage | the cost of sending a letter through the Post Office |
| proofread | read through a finished document to check for mistakes |
| punctuation | marks used within or after sentences and phrases (e.g. periods, commas) |
| reader-friendly | easy to read |
| recipient | the person who receives the letter |
| right ragged | format in which text on the right side of the document ends at slightly different points (not justified) |
| salutation | greeting in a letter (e.g. "Dear Mr Jones") |
| sensitive information | content in a letter that may cause the receiver to feel upset |
| semi-block format | paragraphs are indented, not left-justified |
| sincerely | term used before a name when formally closing a letter |
| single spaced | format where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of text |
| spacing | blank area between words or lines of text |
| tone | the feeling of the language (e.g. serious, enthusiastic) |
| transitions | words or phrases used to make a letter flow naturally (e.g. "furthermore", "on the other hand") |