This resource is
organized in the order in which you should write a business letter, starting
with the sender’s address if the letter is not written on letterhead.
- Sender’s Address The
sender’s address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using
letterhead, include the sender’s address at the top of the letter one line
above the date. Do not write the sender’s name or title, as it is included in
the letter’s closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.
- Date The
date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your
letter is completed over a number of day, use the date it was finished in the
date line. When writting to companies within the United States, use the
American date formal (The United States-based convention for formatting a date
places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001). Write out the
month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format
you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or tab to the
center point and type the date.
- Inside Address
The inside address is the recipient’s address,. It is always best to write to a specife individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the perion’s name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personaal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman’s preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman’s preference in being address, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. Or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being address by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the U.S. post Office Format. For international address, type the name of the country in all-capital letter on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender’s address or one inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using. - Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (foe example: Dear Lucy). In all other cases, bowever, use the personal title and full name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation. If you don’t know reader’s gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as “Te Whom it may Concern.” It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot datermine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chirs Harman, if you were of Chris’s gender. - Body For
block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph
within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When
writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is verry
important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a
statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the
importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue paragraph
should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type
of action.
- Closing
The closing begins at the same horizontal point as your date one line after the last body paraagraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank You) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender’s name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing, otherwise, there is so punctuation after the closing. - Endesures
If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply by typing. Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each document you are inclusding in the aerlope. For instance, if you have included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.
- Typist Initials
Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the letter yourself, omit the typist initials.
