BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Computing for College and CareersMrs. Tibbetts

LETTERHEAD

The sender’s address (person writing the letter)

Usually personalized and found at the top of the letter

COMPONENTS OF LETTERS

DATELINE INSIDE ADDRESS SALUTATION MESSAGE COMPLEMENTARY CLOSE SIGNATURE BLOCK

DATELINE

First keyed line of a letter Consists of the current month, day,

and year Dateline is positioned TWO ENTERS

below the letterhead

INSIDE ADDRESS

The receiver’s addressPlaced THREE ENTERS

below the dateline

SALUTATION

The greeting or hello part of the letter

Begins TWO ENTERS below the last line of the inside address

MESSAGE

The body of the letterPosition TWO ENTERS below

the salutation.The body of the message is

always single spaced with double spacing between paragraph

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

Good-bye part of letterPositioned TWO ENTERS

below the last line of the message

SIGNATURE BLOCK

Your typed namePosition FOUR ENTERS below the

complimentary close Allowing room for the author to

sign his or her name

THREE TYPES OF LETTERS

BLOCK STYLE MODIFIED BLOCK STYLE MODIFIED SEMI-BLOCK STYLE

BLOCK STYLE

MEANS THAT ALL LINES ARE KEYED FROM THE LEFT MARGIN

MODIFIED BLOCK STYLE

You will need to set a 3.5 left The DATELINE, COMPLIMENTARY

CLOSE and SIGNATURE BLOCK are keyed at 3.5 tab

TAB

MODIFIED SEMI-BLOCK STYLE

Similar to Modified Block Style You will need to set two tabs: 0.5 left

& 3.5 left The DATELINE, COMPLIMENTARY

CLOSE and SIGNATURE BLOCK are keyed at 3.5 tab

Paragraphs are indented at the 0.5 tab

SIMILARITIES OF LETTERS

Message is typed single space with double spacing between paragraph

Use word wrap when typing letters Have your typed name and

signature Use the current date at all times

ENCLOSURE

Additional documents that you send with your letter

Positioned 2 enters below the signature block

Professional courtesy to note on the cover letter that the recipient should look for these additional documents in the envelope

TWO COMMON PUNCTUATION

STANDARD PUNCTUATIONOPEN PUNCTUATION

STANDARD PUNCTUATION

Use punctuation after the SALUTATION and COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

Salutation = Colon (:) Complimentary close = Comma (,)

Dear Mr. Ramos:

Sincerely,

OPEN PUNCTUATION

There is no punctuation after the SALUTATION or COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

Dear Mr. Ramos: Sincerely,

Dear Mr. Ramos Sincerely