Writing Assignment “12 Angry Men”
You will be writing a formal business letter to the editor of the New York
Times, explaining the decision that was reached.
You are responding to the editor who has recently written an editorial
questioning the verdict in what appeared to be an “open and shut” murder trial.
You are writing as a witness to the deliberations. You were there
throughout the entire process and heard everyone’s arguments. You must write
to persuade the editor to understand the decision the jury reached. Your
arguments need to be based in fact, (CD).
Requirements:
 You will need to include direct quotes to support your arguments.
 You will need to follow the proper letter formatting for a business letter (see
attached example)
 You will need to write a minimum of four paragraphs. (an intro, at least two
body, and a conclusion)
 Your letter must be typed.
 Chunks will be required. (1 CD, 2 CM)
You will address your letter to the following:
The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
The rough draft is due: ____________________
The final draft is due:______________________
Writing Business Letters
Business letters should be neat. Plain white paper, 8 ½ by 11, is considered standard, and typing is
considered an advantage. It is not required that you type any of your business letters. However, most
businesses type letters and reports.
(YOU WILL TYPE YOUR LETTER)
Any business letter you write may take one of two forms.
1.
2.
One form is the block form, which should be used only if you type a letter. In the block form, begin
every part of a letter at the left margin. Leave a blank line between paragraphs and do not indent
them. (YOU WILL USE THIS FORM)
Another form, the modified block form, may be used either for handwritten or typewritten letters. In
this form, place the heading, closing, and signature at the right side of the page. Indent the
paragraphs and do not leave extra space between them.
Every business letter has six parts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The heading contains three lines: one line for the writer´s street address, one for the city, state, and
ZIP code, and one for the date. None of this information should be abbreviated. The heading
appears at the top right corner of your letter.
The salutation is the greeting. Usually beginning with Dear, it is written on the next line below the
heading. It starts at the left margin of the page and is followed by a comma.
The body of the letter is the main part. There you write what you want to say in a detailed and
conversational way. The body begins on the line following the salutation. Each paragraph of the
body should be indented.
The closing is your way of saying "goodbye." You may say Love or Your friend, for instance. The
closing is written on the line below the last line of the body and is followed by a comma. The first
word of the closing should align with the first words of the heading.
Your signature is the last part of a letter. Skip a line after the closing and sign your name in line with
the first word of the closing. Usually, only your first name is needed
The inside address is the name and address of the company to which you are writing. Whenever
possible, the inside address should include the name of a particular employee or department within
the firm. Place the inside address at the left margin below the heading and above the salutation.
More formal language is used in business letters than in personal letters. For the greeting use Dear Mr.,
Mrs., Miss, or Ms. Before the person´s name. Or, use a general greeting like Dear Sir or Madam. Place the
salutation two lines below the inside address and use a colon (:) after it.
For the more formal closing, write Sincerely, Yours truly, or Very truly yours, followed by a comma. If you
type a letter, leave four lines of space between the closing and your typed signature. Then write your
signature in the space.
Business letters are polite, specific, and neat. Keep a copy of all business letters you write.
Sample business letter, block format: