How to write an inquiry letter

An inquiry letter is what we send to a person or a company when we need more information about a product or service offered by that person or company. These letters are often written in response to an advertisement.

Examples of inquiry letters are given below.

General format of an inquiry letter

Put your own address at the top on the right. Addresses usually start with the smallest item: house number, then street, then town. Post code and telephone number should come last. Don’t put your own name with the address.

Put the date directly under the address.

Important phrases to remember

The inquiry letter should start with Dear Sir or Madam. In a very formal style, you may put the expression To Whom It May Concern directly under Dear Sir or Madam.

If you are writing in response to a newspaper advertisement or a television commercial, give a reference to it. You may write one of the following expressions:

With reference to your advertisement in the Daily Mirror of January 13th...

Regarding your advertisement in the Wall Street Journal…

Requesting information, brochure, catalog etc

Standard expressions are:

Could you send me information...

Would you please send me the catalog...

I would like to know...

Signature

Letters which begin Dear Sir or Dear Madam finish Yours faithfully. Put your handwritten signature under Yours faithfully. Sign with your first name (informal) or full name (formal). Put your name under your signature.

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Sections in this article

How to write a cover letter
How important are cover letters?
Cover letter writing and formatting tips
Are cover letters necessary?
Cover letter sample 1
Cover letter sample 2
Resume writing

Formal letter writing

Introduction
Address and date
Salutation
Body of the letter
Subscription or leave-taking
The Tone and Language of a Letter
Personal Letter Writing Tips
Envelope
Example of formal letter and envelope
Formal Letter Sample 2

Sections in this article

Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2