LettersLetters

Objective 4.04: Apply correct letter formats

Essential Questions:Essential Questions:What are personal-business letters

and what are they used for?

What are business letters and what are they used for?

What are the formatting guidelines for personal-business and business letters?

Types of LettersTypes of Letters

Personal-Business Letter – a letter that is sent from an individual to another person or to a business/organization

Business Letter – a letter sent from a business or organization to an individual or to another business or organization

Business letters are usually keyed on letterhead, which includes the business’s name, address, phone/fax/e-mail, and logo

Return Address-the address of the person that wrote the letter. This the Letterhead if the letter is from a business.

Date line-date the letter was written

Letter Address/Mailing Address-the address of the person receiving the letter

Salutation-the greeting of the letter Example: Dear Sir or Madam:

Body-the message of the letter

Complimentary Close-the closing of the letter

Example: Sincerely yours,

Writer’s Name-the author’s typed name

Signature line-signature of the author; he/she signs the letter after it has been printed

Main Parts of a Main Parts of a LetterLetter

Formatting a LetterFormatting a Letter

Margins: TM-2 inches RM-1 inch

BM-1 inch LM-1 inch

Formatting: block style• all parts of the letter are keyed at the left

margin• paragraphs are not indented• use standard font and size, i.e. Times New

Roman/Arial size 12• single space within paragraphs, double

space between

Example of a Block Style Example of a Block Style LetterLetter

Punctuation StylesPunctuation StylesOpen PunctuationNo colon or comma

in the salutationNo comma in the

complimentary closing

Mixed PunctuationA colon is added to

the salutationA comma is added

to the complimentary close

Example:Example:

Dear Ms. SmithDear Ms. Smith

Sincerely yoursSincerely yours

Example:Example:

Dear Ms. Smith:Dear Ms. Smith:

Sincerely yours, Sincerely yours,

Personal-Business LetterPersonal-Business Letterwith Mixed Punctuationwith Mixed Punctuation

Notice the colon after the salutation and the comma after the complimentary close

Business Letter withBusiness Letter with Open Punctuation Open Punctuation

Letterhead:

The business letter uses letterhead instead of a return address, which consists of the business’s name, address, phone/fax/email, and logo. Notice that there is no colon after the salutation and no comma after the complimentary close

Typist initials – the initials of the person that typed the letter if they were not the author of the letter; keyed a DS below the writer’s name, in lowercase letters, with no space or punctuation

Enclosure notation – indicates that additional items are included in the envelope with the letter

Attachment notation – indicates that additional items are attached (clipped, stapled, etc.) to the letter

Copy notation – indicates that a copy of the letter is being sent to someone in addition to the addressee/letter address

Special Letter PartsSpecial Letter Parts

Block Style Letter with Block Style Letter with Special PartsSpecial Parts

Typist initials

Enclosure notation

Copy notation

Notes to Remember!Notes to Remember! A personal business letter is correspondence sent from

an individual to another person or to a business/organization

A business letter is correspondence sent from a business to another business or to an individual. Because letterhead stationery is used, the return address is not keyed.

The top margin is usually 2“, side and bottom margins are typically 1"

Block format is one style of formatting for personal-business and business letters in which all parts of the letter begin at the left margin

Typist initials are the initials of the typist and are used when someone other than the writer prepares the letter. Lowercase letters are used, with no space, and with no punctuation, appearing a double space below the signature.

Enclosure/Attachment and Copy notations appear a double space below the typist initials