How to write a business letter
What kind of letter is it?
A business letter is a letter written in formal language. There are many reasons to write a business letter. It could be:
- to request direct information or action from another party,
- to order supplies from a supplier,
- to identify a mistake that was committed,
- to reply directly to a request,
- to apologize for a wrong
- or simply to convey goodwill.
Elements of a business letter
The parts of a business letter are as follows:
- Sender's address
- Date
- Inside address
- Attention line
- Salutation
- Body of the letter
- Complimentary close
- Signature
- Enclosure
Positions of the elements
Styles of business letters are of two main types:
The following is an example of the modified block style.
- Full block style:
In this type you align all elements on the left margin.- Modified block:
In this style, some elements are on the left page margin.
Example
[SENDER'S ADDRESS]
(optional[SENDER'S PHONE]
(optional[SENDER'S E-MAIL][DATE][RECIPIENT W/O PREFIX]
[RECIPIENT'S COMPANY]
[RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS]
(Optional) Attention [DEPARTMENT/PERSON],
Dear [RECIPIENT],
[CONTENT.]
[VALEDICTION (Sincerely, Respectfully, Regards, etc.)],Enclosures ([NUMBER OF ENCLOSURES])
[SENDER]
[SENDER'S TITLE]Punctuation
Generally speaking, a comma follows the salutation/greeting, but in the United States a colon is often preferred. The valediction/closing is followed by a comma.
