(一) 英文书信的组成部分
英文书信一般由六部分组成。即：信头（heading）、信内地址（inside address），
称呼（salutation），正文（body of letter）、结束语（complimentary close）、署名（signature），
有时在书信后面还有附言（postscript）、附件（enclosure），这得视具体情况而定。下面将分别说明。
1. 信头（heading）
信头是指写信人的地址和写信日期，一般写在或打在第一面信纸的右上角，先写地址再写日期，地址的写法是从小到大，先写门牌号、路号，再写区名、市名、省名，最后写国名。时间的写法对英国人和美国人而言是不同的。英国人习惯按日、月、年的顺序写，
而美国人习惯按月、日、年的顺序写。例如：
英式：1st october，1999
美式：october 1，1999
在使用前一种形式时，月和年之间的逗号可用可不用，但是在后一种形式中，必需要使用逗号。
信头的写法有缩进式和齐头式。缩进式每行开头向右缩进一两个字母；齐头式左边对齐排列，如下所示：
缩进式
wang ming
dept. of chemical engineering
dalian university of technology
dalian 116023
liaoning province
p. r. china
齐头式
wang ming
dept. of chemical engineering
dalian university of technology
dalian 116023
liaoning province
p. r. china
2. 信内地址 （inside address）
信内地址要写出收信人的姓名和地址。一般给比较生疏的亲友的信和公事信件要写出信内地址，而熟悉朋友可以省去这一步骤。信内地址写出在日期下一两行的左上角，第一行写收信人的称呼姓名，然后写出地址。地质也是从小到大写出，分缩进式和齐头式两种。例如：
缩进式
the president
oxford university
england
齐头式
jiang bin
64heping road
p.r.china
3.称呼（salutation）
称呼是对收信人的称谓。在信内地址下一两行处顶格写起，自成一行。末尾用逗号或冒号。
（1）当给一位熟悉的人写信时可以用dear 或是my dear。在英国，my dear 比dear亲切，而在美国，dear比my dear 亲切。
（2）当给一位你不知婚否的女性写信时，可以用ms.……，这是指"……女士"。
（3）在给不熟悉的人写信时，可以用dear sir, dear madam, dear sirs, gentleman 等等。
4正文（body of letter）
正文是一封信的主体部分。通常在称呼的下一行写出。正文也可采用齐头式或缩进式的方法。齐头式是反映每段开头一行和后面行并齐。缩进式是指每段的第一行向右缩进几个字母。信笺讲究简洁、效率。开头几句简单地寒暄后就不如正题，在结尾处要有祝愿和敬语。
常用的开头语有：
i have received your letter of july ist. 7月1 日来信已经收悉。
i have the pleasure to tell you that …….很高兴告诉你……。
i am very much delighted to receive your letter. 非常高兴收到你的来信。
it is my honor to inform you that ……很荣幸告诉你……。
常用的结束套话有：
i am looking forward to hearing from you 盼早日回信。
wish best regards. 祝好。
thank you for your help 感谢你的帮助！
wish my best wishes for your success. 祝你成功。
wishing you a happy holiday. 祝假日愉快！
hoping to hear from you soon. 希望能尽快收到你的回信。
５结束语（complimentary close）
结束语在正文之后隔一两行的偏右方开始写出。开头字母用大写，以后的字母用小写，最后一个词后面用逗句。
常用的结束语有：
一般非正式的关系：
yours sincerely,
yours truly,
yours faithfully,
most sincerely,
faithfully yours,
亲密的关系：
love,
yours love,
yours affectionately,
with love,
lovingly yours,
yours ever,
上级和长者：
yours respectfully,
faithfully yours,
６署名（signature）
在结束语的下方是签名，先手写出，再打出来。如果收信人不认识写出信人，可以在署名前用括号标出mr.、miss或ms。在名称下面可注上头衔。如：
yours sincerely,
lucy blake (手写)
lucy blake (miss)(打印)
sales manager
７附言（postscript）,附件（enclosure）
在信件正文写作时可能漏掉了某些事，或临时发生了某事需要补充时，可以在信下面左下方写出上p.s.
如果随信有附件可在爱左下端注明。如：
enclosure:1.invoice(发票)
2.resume(个人简历)
（二）英文书信实例
上面介绍了英文写信的主要组成部分以及各部分的写作特点，接下来我们将提供五种英文书信的范例。
１祝贺信
当朋友有了喜事，如结婚、高升、获奖的时候，你可以向他写出一封祝贺信，表达你的嘱咐与恭贺。
例文１
mechanical engineering department
dalian university of technology
dalian 116023
liaoning,china
november28,1999
mr. wangximing
mechanical engineering department
massachusetts institute of technology
cambridge, mass. 02139
u.s.a.
dear mr. wang,
thank you for your letter of november 3,1999. i am sorry not to have written back earlier but time seems to pass so quickly.
i learnt from your letter that you had received you master's degree. i would like to congratulate you on your splendid success.
in this letter i am bringing you a piece of good news：your wife gave a birth of a boy last week and she ins in good health now. the baby weighed eight jin at birth. yesterday my wife and some other neighbors went to the hospital to see your wife and to congratulate her on the birth. she told them that she had been nursed with the best care since she was in hospital.
now i'm taking the visiting school test in beijing. if i pass the examination, i'll leave for america soon. if not, i'll wait for another chance. i've never been to the u.s.a., and i know little about the institutions and customs there. i hope that you will write to me and tell me more about them.
with best regards to you and your classmates.
yours sincerely,
zhang jiao
2 感谢信
当别人帮了你一个忙时，你应该给他写封信，以示感激。
例文２
dear john:
thank you very much for the nice birthday present you have sent me! i have been longing for a dictionary for a long time. it will surly be very helpful to my study.
it's very nice of you to remember my birthday. i'll make good use of the dictionary and i'll think of you with gratitude and affection every time i use it.
love,
sally
3邀请信
当邀请某位朋友参加活动，如交游、宴会时，可以写一封邀请信。信的语气应该谦逊，热情。
例文３
dear mr. clark:
we are wondering if you and mrs. clark want to have supper with us on friday, january 21st at seven o'clock?
james and i are looking forward with great pleasure to seeing you and mrs.clark. we do hope you can come.
sincerely yours,
lucy wheeler
4 申请信
当申请一项工作，或是申请一个学校留学时，都应该使用申请信。申请信应该简洁、明确、如实地反映你的才能、成绩、愿望和目标。
例文４
下面是一封申请留学的书信：
the department of civil engineering
dalian university of technology
dalian 116023
liaoning province
p.r.china
november 20,1999
prof. steeve hunter
the dept. of civil engineering
**** university
new your, ny 10017
u.s.a
dear professor steeve hunter,
i have for many years cherished the hope of studying civil engineering under your personal guidance as a graduate student in your university, to which your name has added so much luster.
i was enrolled to study civil engineering in the department of civil engineering of zhejiang university in september 1992.i graduated from zhejiang university in july 1996. and ever since my graduation, i have been teaching in the department of civil engineering of dalian university of technology.
if you could tell the necessany procedure of taking the graduate course of your department, i will be very grateful to you.
i am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
sincerely yours,
zhao hui (手写)
zhao hui （打印