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