·
The Heading (The Retern Address) or
Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is
specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary
information about the organisation’s identity.
·
Date - Date of writing. The month should
be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005
(12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The
number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st,
nd, rd, th, are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the
day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the
article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.
·
The Inside Address - In a business or
formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own
address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add
job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma.
Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name.
·
The Inside Address is always on the left
margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a
standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the
window in the envelope.
·
The Greeting - Also called the
salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the
recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always
includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address your
letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of of your
reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human
Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter ends
in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style).
·
The Subject Line (optional) - Its
inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your
letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re:
Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial
letters. It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can
be located directly after the "inside address," before the
"greeting."
·
The Body Paragraphs - The body is where
you explain why you’re writing. It’s the main part of the business letter. Make
sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but try to avoid
starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a
new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you choose,
paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between
paragraphs.
·
The Complimentary Close - This short,
polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its
left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you
use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule of
etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or Madam"
must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting "Dear
" must end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the
closing is NOT capitalized)
·
Signature and Writer’s identification -
The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last
names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if
appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the
signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue
or black ink.
·
Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials
are to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you
include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as
appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent
to someone else.
