BUSINESS LETTERS
By Megan Rees
WHY DO I NEED THIS?
Business Letter Formatting
• PERSONAL - Personal situations where an educated
response is necessary
• Creditors
• Student loans
• Landlords
• IRS
• Complaint letters
• BUSINESS – Many occupations require official
communication
• Correspondence between businesses
• Application letters for a job
• Part of your job description
Business Letters vs. Personal Letters
Personal
• Virtually any format—up to
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the user
Usually uses personal
names, not titles
Use a comma in salutation
Uses paragraph indentation
Discuss personal issues, not
usually business issues.
More about emotions than
problem solving
Shows personality of writer
Business
• Single spaced
• 1-inch margins
• Double space between
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paragraphs
No paragraph indentation
Uses a colon, never a comma
Objective oriented content
Written in a more formal
language
May have a subject line
Writer loses their “voice” in
formality.
Why business letter formatting matter?
1. A standard method of writing creates efficiency.
Efficiency translates into revenue
2. When a letter is professional, it conveys the
impression that the information contained
therein is important.
3. It is expected by professionals. If you do not
follow this format, you can appear to other
business as unprepared, uneducated, and
inexperienced.
PARTS OF A LETTER
Parts of a Letter
• Spelled out, no dashes or
slashes
• 2” from top of page
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1st Line – Name
2nd Line – Address
3rd Line – City, State, Zip
May include additional lines
that include titles or additional
address lines.
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The greeting. Usually begins with
“Dear”
Does NOT use a first name only
Usually includes a title
To Whom it May concern – used if
the writer does not have a specific
person to write to or is addressing
an entire group.
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Parts of a Letter
• Not required or in all letters
• Efficiency—explains purpose
immediately
• All caps, below the salutation.
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Paragraphs of the letter
Usually at least 3
Single spaced
Not tabbed in
Blank line between each
paragraph
• Usually “Sincerely” “Yours
truly” etc.
Parts of a Letter
• Typed below complimentary
close
• After printing, it is hand signed
• May include a title, single
spaced beneath name.
• Not used in all letters
• Indicates there is something
else being sent along with the
letter
• Capitalized
• Not used in all letters
• Initials of the typist, if they are
a different person than the
author of the letter
SPACING
Spacing
• Remember to enter down 2”
from top of page. Usually about
5 enters
• Centers letter and also leaves
room for a possible letterhead.
• There are TWO places where a
QS is used:
• After the date
• After the complimentary close
• Press return 4 times—3 blank
lines
Start 2” from top of page
This centers the letter, as well as leaves room for a
letterhead
Spacing
• Remember to enter down 2”
from top of page. Usually about
5 enters
• Centers letter and also leaves
room for a possible letterhead.
• After address
• After salutation
• After subject line
• Between paragraphs
• Before complimentary close
• Before Enclosure
• Before initials
• Single space addresses
• Single space the title if a person
has one in the signature block
PUNCTUATION
Punctuation
• We are using MIXED
punctuation, which is
most common in
business letters.
• COLON in the
salutation
• DO NOT use a semi-colon
(;) or a comma (,) in the
salutation!
• COMMA in the
complimentary close
FORMATTING
Formatting
• We are using BLOCK
Formatting
• Everything lines up on
the left margin
OTHER FORMATTING AND
PUNCTUATION
Other Formatting
• Minimal punctuation
• No punctuation at all after the
salutation
• No punctuation at all after the
Complimentary Close
• The complimentary close and
the signature are TABBED in to
the center of the page
• Do NOT use center. Press the
tab button several times.
QUIZ TIME!
1. How many place do you put a QS?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Answer
2. What is the greeting of a letter called?
A. Solution
B. Greeting
C. Salutation
D. Opening
Answer
3. How many spaces are before and after
the subject line?
A. SS
B. DS
C. TS
D. QS
Answer
4. True or False: You add initials at
the end of the letter only if the author
and the typist are the same person.
A. True
B. False
Answer
5. Which punctuation mark is used in the
Salutation (in mixed punctuation)?
A. ,
B. ;
C. None
D. :
Answer
6. How many inches from the top of the
paper does the date start?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Answer
6. Which of these is a complimentary
close?
A. Love,
B. Dear
C. September 4, 2014
D. Sincerely
Answer
7. Which of these are single spaced?
A. Title under signature
B. Date
C. Subject line
D. Body Paragraphs
Answer
8. Which of these is in all caps?
A. Date
B. Signature
C. Address
D. Subject Line
Answer
9. Block format means
A. The paragraphs are tabbed in
B. The signature and complimentary
close are tabbed in
C. All parts line up on left margin
D. Everything but the date lines up
on the left margin
Answer
10. What will Trevor do if the floor
must be re-laid?
A. You may expect a bill
B. Freak out
C. Take a whiff
D. Alert the daily papers
Answer
Watch the Step by Step video