Business Correspondence Basics

Business Correspondence Basics

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Business correspondence is the written exchange between individuals, firms, or organisations for conducting commercial or official transactions. A standard business letter contains the sender’s address, date, reference, recipient’s address, salutation, subject line, body (introduction, main content, conclusion), complimentary close, signature, and optional enclosures or copy notation (cc). Master the 7 Cs of business writing: clarity, conciseness, completeness, correctness, courtesy, consideration, and concreteness. NABTEB candidates must memorise block, semi-block, and indented layouts and recognise the difference between a memorandum (internal communication) and a circular (mass-distributed notice). A subject line is a noun phrase, never a full sentence.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Definition and Purpose

Business correspondence refers to written communication used to transact official or commercial activities between parties such as a customer and supplier, employer and employee, or branch and head office. It includes letters, memoranda, circulars, invoices, quotations, and requisitions.

Structural Components

A formal business letter is built from these parts in order:

1. Sender’s address — written at the top right (block/semi-block) or top left.
2. Date — written in full (e.g., 14th March, 2026).
3. Reference — optional, e.g., Ref: ADM/2026/014.
4. Recipient’s address — inside address, beginning with the title.
5. Salutation — Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Mr Adeyemi.
6. Subject line — a concise noun phrase, e.g., Re: Request for Price Quotation.
7. Body — introduction, main content, and conclusion.
8. Complimentary close — Yours faithfully (for unknown recipient) or Yours sincerely (for known recipient).
9. Signature, name, and designation.
10. Enclosures and cc (copy notation) where applicable.

Layouts at a Glance

Layout	Indentation	Date Position	Paragraphs
Block	None	Right	All start flush left
Semi-block	Partial	Right	Body indented
Indented	Yes	Right (or left)	Fully indented

Categories of Business Letters

Common types tested by NABTEB include enquiry, order, complaint, adjustment, claim, sales, application, and acknowledgement letters. Tone must remain polite, firm, and reader-focused.

Exam Tip

NABTEB often presents a poorly written letter and asks candidates to rewrite, identify, or correct faults. Spotting the missing 7 Cs is the fastest path to a full mark.

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Deepening the 7 Cs

Beyond memorising the list, NABTEB expects application. Clarity means one idea per sentence. Conciseness strips filler (“I am writing to inform you that…” becomes “Please be informed…”). Completeness answers the reader’s likely questions. Correctness covers grammar, spelling, and accurate figures. Courtesy avoids accusatory tone — replace “You failed to deliver” with “Our records show the consignment has not yet arrived”. Consideration centres the reader’s interest, while concreteness replaces vague claims with specifics such as dates, quantities, and amounts.

Memorandum vs Circular

A memorandum (memo) is internal, brief, and routed through a defined chain — it carries a TO, FROM, DATE, SUBJECT heading and rarely uses a complimentary close. A circular is sent to many people at once, addresses the group, and usually omits personal salutation. Both are non-negotiable NABTEB favourites under the “Forms of Business Communication” syllabus strand.

Common Traps in NABTEB Scripts

• Writing the subject as a full sentence with a verb.
• Using Yours sincerely after Dear Sir/Madam (rule: sincerely = known name, faithfully = unknown).
• Forgetting the enclosure notation when attaching documents such as a CV or receipt.
• Using contractions (can’t, don’t, won’t) in formal letters — they violate correctness and courtesy.
• Mixing subscription (the writer’s sign-off name) with complimentary close (the closing phrase).

Worked Example

Prompt: Rewrite this faulty line: “We are unhappy because you have not send the goods and we want our money back.” Better version: “We regret to inform you that the goods ordered on 5th February, 2026 have not been delivered. Kindly arrange a full refund at your earliest convenience.” — this satisfies courtesy, concreteness, and completeness simultaneously.

Practice Prompts

1. As the secretary of your school’s Old Students’ Association, write a circular informing members of an Annual General Meeting on 12th April, 2026.
2. A supplier delivered damaged goods. Draft a complaint letter requesting replacement, applying all 7 Cs.

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