Parts of a Business Letter
1. Heading
Most companies use letterhead--stationery with the
company’s logo, name, address and other contact and identifying information. If
the company does not have letterhead, the company’s full name and address
should be typed at the top of the page.
2. Date
Letters should always include a date.
You enter dates two to six lines below the heading, depending on the length of
the letter. Use the full month name spelled out, then the day, followed by a
comma, and then the four-digit year, for example, June 6, 2010.
3. Reference
Include a reference line to identify a
file or case number, invoice number or any other internal entifying
information, if your company requires one. Some companies have specific
reference codes that they place either in a reference line below the date, or
at the very bottom of the letter.
4. Addressee
Your letter should include the name of
the addresses with her title (Ms. J. Jones, Dr. Charlene Price), followed by
her company name and full address, including the postal code.
5. Subject
Adding a subject line makes it easier
for the reader to quickly understand the situation. Normally the subject
sentence follows the word “Subject:” or “Re:” (regarding). Place the subject
after the addressee’s address and before the greeting.
6. Salutation
The salutation is your greeting. Most
salutations begin with “Dear” followed by either the recipient’s first name, or
title and last name. Endeavor to address all letters to an actual person.
However, if you don’t know the person’s name, use Dear Madam/Sir, or the job
title, such as Dear Accounting Manager.
7. Body Paragraphs
The opening paragraph should always
state why you are writing. Then, in a simple and traightforward manner, explain
the situation, the solution, the suggestion or whatever other message you need
to get across to the recipient. Be as brief as possible since long complicated
messages often distract readers. Start a new paragraph whenever you begin a new
subject.
8. Close
Always use a complimentary close. It is
a short, polite closing followed by a comma. When the letter is impersonal, use
“Yours truly.” If the letter is to someone above you in rank, use “Respectfully
yours.” If you have a personal connection to the addressee, use “Sincerely” or “Sincerely
yours.” (Ref. 1, Ref. 2)
9. Signature
Four spaces below the close, type your
full or business name. In the space in-between, you will hand write your
signature in ink. Use black or dark blue ink for your signature.
10. Identifying Notations
If you type a letter for someone else,
add identifying initials. For example if John Doe types a letter for Jane
Smith, the notation would be JS:jd. Then, if you are enclosing items in the
envelope, add an enclosure notation (Enc:, Encl: or Enclosures) followed by the
title of the enclosures. Add the notation cc: followed by the names of everyone
receiving a copy.
11. Postscript
To add information not necessarily
related to the letter, like a personal note, include a postscript (P.S.) at the
bottom.Format of Business Letter
Format of Business Letter
Styles Or
Forms Of Business Letters
Business
letters may be written in any of the following styles: full block or purely
block, simplified, modified block, semi-block, hanging-indented, indented, and
memorandum style. The full block style has all the letter elements flush with
the left margin; it is asymmetrical because there are wide white spaces on the
right. It differs from the simplified style in the sense that the salutation
and the complimentary close are absent in the latter. The modified block style,
the semi-block style, and the hanging-indented style share the same format,
that is, all the letter elements, except the salutation, complimentary close,
and signature (which are begun at the center) are flush with the left margin.
The three differ in paragraph indention: the modified block has no indention,
the semi-block style has a normal or standard indention, while the
hanging-indented style, as its name suggests, has a hanging indention. The
indented style has most of its elements indented. The memorandum style has a
unique format. It has a header with the reference line, date line, subject
line, TO line, FROM line, and THRU line. A demarcation line divides the header
and the body of the letter. Examples of the letter styles are found below.
Example Of Business Letter
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