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A short class with Sarah and her students. The other ways are under More.
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The body of a letter has three parts. What are they?
The opening paragraph, the main content and the closing paragraph.
Good. If the opening says why you are writing, what does the main content do?
It gives all the details: the facts, figures and requests.
Exactly. It is usually the longest part, and the reader acts on what it says. What happens if a detail is missing?
The reader has to write back to ask, and everything is delayed.
Suppose you are ordering stationery. What must the main content include?
Each item with its description, quantity, rate and amount, and then the total.
And after the list?
The delivery date, the place of delivery, the mode of transport and the terms of payment.
Right. Now compare a complaint. What does its main content need?
The order or invoice number, exactly what went wrong, and the loss or inconvenience caused.
Here is a sentence: 'Some of the things you sent were bad.' What is wrong with it?
It doesn't say which things, how many, or what was wrong with them.
So how could we improve it?
Of the 40 table lamps received under Order No. 118, 6 had broken bases.
Much better: specific, checkable and still polite. Should we add angry words to show we are upset?
No. Clear facts persuade better than angry words.
the main content comes between the opening paragraph and the closing paragraph of the body.
it gives all the facts, figures, reasons and requests that the reader needs in order to act.
questions in an enquiry, an item list in an order, a precise account of the problem in a complaint.
one idea to a paragraph, a logical order, and numbered points for items or several facts.
clear, concise, correct, complete, courteous, considerate and consistent, with every figure checked.
Order letter: "50 reams of A4 copier paper at ₹260 per ream = ₹13,000" gives the item, quantity, rate and amount in one line.
Complaint letter: "Of the 40 table lamps received under Order No. 118, 6 had broken bases" is specific where "some things were bad" is not.
Enquiry letter: "Please let us know your best price for 200 steel chairs, the delivery time and your terms of payment" sets out exactly what is being asked.
Facts and figures, clear and neat, make the middle part complete.
A shopkeeper ordered "some pens and paper" and received blue pens when he needed red and the wrong size of paper. His next order listed every item, quantity and rate, and arrived exactly right.
W-W-W-H - What, When, Which reference and How much: check that the main content answers all four.
F.O.C.U.S. - Facts complete, Order logical, Courteous tone, Units and figures checked, Single idea per paragraph.
Term
What are the three parts of the body of a business letter?
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Term
What should the main content of an order letter list?
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Term
Why should a complaint quote the order or invoice number?
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Term
What is the test of a complete main content?
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How many ideas should a paragraph of the main content carry?
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The part of a letter between the salutation and the complimentary close, made up of the opening paragraph, the main content and the closing paragraph.
The middle paragraph or paragraphs of the body, which give the full details of the matter.
A letter that asks a supplier to supply goods on stated terms.
A letter that asks for information, such as prices, terms or the availability of goods.
The agreed conditions for paying, such as the time allowed and the mode of payment.
Writing from the reader's point of view, stressing what matters to the reader.
An order, invoice or letter number quoted so that the reader can trace the matter.
The main content is the middle part of the body of a business letter, where the sender gives the full details of the matter: the facts, figures, explanations and requests. It must be complete, accurate, well organised and courteous.
The body of a business letter has three parts: an opening paragraph that states the purpose, the main content that develops it, and a closing paragraph that states the action expected. The main content carries the real message, so it must give every fact the reader needs, such as quantities, prices, dates and reference numbers, in a logical order, one idea to a paragraph. Its contents change with the type of letter: questions in an enquiry, an item list in an order, a precise account of the problem in a complaint. This lesson shows what to include, how to arrange it and how to keep the tone right.
The body of a business letter has three parts:
The main content is usually the longest part of the letter, and it is where most misunderstandings arise if the writing is careless.
The main content depends on the purpose of the letter:
The essentials of effective communication from earlier in this chapter apply most of all here:
"Please supply the following items at the rates quoted in your price list dated 2nd June 2025:
The total value of the order is ₹24,500. The goods should reach our office at 14, Station Road, Jaipur by 20th June 2025 by road transport. As agreed, payment will be made within 30 days of receipt of the goods and your invoice."
Each line gives the item, the quantity, the rate and the amount, and the arithmetic can be checked at a glance: 13,000 + 7,000 + 4,500 = 24,500.
Vague: "Some of the things you sent were bad and came late. Please do something."
Specific: "The consignment against our Order No. 118 dated 2nd May 2025 reached us on 20th May, ten days after the agreed delivery date of 10th May. Of the 40 table lamps received, 6 had broken bases, as noted on the delivery receipt."
The second version lets the reader find the order, check the facts and act without writing back for details.