Business Letter Basics

By Mrs. Milis

Format First

1. Everything begins at the left margin. NO INDENTATIONS OF ANY KIND.

2. Do not double space!3. Skip one line between paragraphs and the

heading and closing.4. Skip four lines between your address and the

companies address.5. Skip four lines between Sincerely and Your

typed out name6. Sign your name between Sincerely and Your

typed out name.

ExampleFred Godwin15678 Tampico Ave.Palmdale, CA 91345September 28, 2005

Mrs. Athena Milis, English TeacherNorthridge Academy High School9601 Zelzah Ave.Northridge, CA 91306

Dear Mrs. Milis:

Paragraph 1: In the first two sentences tell who you are and what job you are applying for. Give a few reasons as to why you are interested in the job.

Paragraph 2: Describe your qualifications, your prior experience, and your personal character. How will these things help you do this job efficiently and effectively. Address what concerns I may have about students taking this position and show how you will not create those concerns if given the job

Paragraph 3: Thank the person for there time. Leave your contact information. Leave the reader feeling good about you as a job candidate and person.

Sincerely,

Fred Godwin

Tone

• What should the tone of this letter be?

• How will this effect your choice of words and examples?

Positive and upbeat

Idea Development

Start From the End     Decide what the result of your letter ought to be. List things you’d like to say, and review them. Remove those not supporting the main idea. Good letters have a strong sense of purpose.

Get to the Point Early     Don’t delay. You should state your main cause in the first paragraph.

Put Yourself in Your Reader’s Place     If the letter came to you, how would you respond? Be pleasant; try to turn negative statements into positive ones.

Idea Development

Paragraph 1: In the first two sentences tell who you are and what job you are applying for. Give a few reasons as to why you are interested in the job.

Paragraph 2: Describe your qualifications, your prior experience, and your personal character. How will these things help you do this job efficiently and effectively. Address what concerns I may have about students taking this position and show how you will not create those concerns if given the job

Paragraph 3: Thank the person for there time. Leave your contact information. Leave the reader feeling good about you as a job candidate and person.

Persuasive Insight

Whenever you are writing persuasively you must address and refute any opposition to your cause or opinion or else your argument will be incomplete.

What might worry me about a student doing that job.

Example: I would worry that the board eraser would take advantage of his/her job by taking too long or talking while up. The board eraser should not distract the class from the lesson.

Transitions

• Use them!!!

• To begin, Furthermore, Ultimately, However, In fact, Without doubt

Put Away Worn out Words, but still sound natural!

• Really

• Well

• So

• Very

• Great

• Big

Finally

• Make sure it looks professional and proofread, proofread, proofread. Your letter must be free of errors: good grammar, no typos, no incorrect spelling, etc. If possible, have someone else read your letter. Make sure they understand what your letter is trying to say. And ask them to double-check for errors.