Parts of the business letter and formatting the business letter

Sender’s address

The sender’s address is at the top of the letter and one line above the date. Do not write the name or title of the sender in the address as this is included in the letter’s closing

Date

The date line indicates the date the letter was written but, if your letter is completed over several days, then use the date it was finished in the date line. The position of the date depends on the format of the letter. The date is either on the left side in the block format or at the center point in the semi-block format.

Inside Address

The inside address is the recipient’s or receiver’s address. Always write to a specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person’s name, then use their position in the company. The inside address begins one line below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.

Salutation

If you know the name of the receiver, then use the same name and personal title as the inside address. If you do not know the name, then say Sir or Madam. Whatever choice you make, this is followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.

Body

For block and modified block formats, you maintain a single space between paragraphs and align or justify the paragraph to the left. When writing a business letter, be concise. The first paragraph gives a friendly but not personal opening and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin by justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue validating your main point with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.

Closing

The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date, and it should be one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender’s name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.

Enclosures

If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply by typing Enclosures below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

Formatting the Business Letter

Block Format

The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single-spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.

Modified Block

In the modified block format, the body of the letter and the sender’s and recipient’s addresses are left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.

Semi-Block

The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.