81how to write the body of the letter

8/2/2019 81how to Write the Body of the Letter

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HEADING

INSIDE ADDRESS

SALUTATON

BODY

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

SIGNATURE LINE

ENCLOSURE NOTATION


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HEADING

Return address with the date on the last line.

Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line afterthe address and before the date for a phone number,

fax number, E-mail address, or something similar. Often a line is skipped between the address and date.

That should always be done if the heading is next tothe left margin. (See Business Letter Styles.)

It is not necessary to type the return address if you areusing stationery with the return address alreadyimprinted. Always include the date.


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INSIDE ADDRESS

This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it ascomplete as possible. Include titles and names if you knowthem.

This is always on the left margin. If an 8" x 11" paper is

folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, theinside address can appear through the window in the envelope.

An inside address also helps the recipient route the letterproperly and can help should the envelope be damaged and theaddress become unreadable.

Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skipanother line after the inside address before the greeting.


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GREETING

Also called the salutation. The greeting in a businessletter is always formal. It normally begins with theword "Dear" and always includes the person's lastname.

It normally has a title. Use a first name only if the titleis unclear--for example, you are writing to someonenamed "Leslie," but do not know whether the person ismale or female. For more on the form of titles, seeTitles with Names.

The greeting in a business letter always ends in a colon.(You know you are in trouble if you get a letter from aboyfriend or girlfriend and the greeting ends in a colon--it is not going to be friendly.)
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000053.htmhttp://englishplus.com/grammar/00000053.htm


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BODY

The body is written as text. A business letter is

never hand written. Depending on the letter

style you choose, paragraphs may be indented.

Regardless of format, skip a line between

paragraphs.

Skip a line between the greeting and the body.

Skip a line between the body and the close.


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COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

This short, polite closing ends 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 block style is becoming more widely used

because there is no indenting to bother with inthe whole letter.
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000150.htmhttp://englishplus.com/grammar/00000150.htm


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SIGNATURE LINE

Skip two lines (unless you have unusually wide or narrowlines) and type out the name to be signed. Women mayindicate how they wish to be addressed by placing Miss,Mrs., Ms. or similar title in parentheses before their name.

The signature line may include a second line for a title, ifappropriate. The term "By direction" in the second linemeans that a superior is authorizing the signer.

The signature should start directly above the first letter ofthe signature line in the space between the close and the

signature line. Use blue or black ink. Business letters should not contain postscripts.

Some organizations and companies may have formats thatvary slightly.


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ENCLOSURE NOTATION

This line tells the reader to look in the envelope formore documents. Type the singular for only oneenclosure, plural for more. If you don't encloseanything, skip it. Common styles are below.

Enclosure Enclosures: 3

Enclosures (3)

cc: Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon

copies). List the names of people to whom youdistribute copies, in alphabetical order. If addresseswould be useful to the recipient of the letter, includethem. If you don't copy your letter to anyone, skip it.


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Business Letter Styles

There are three accepted styles :

Full Block Style Modified Block Style

Semiblock Style


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Which is the most formal format for a letter? Simplified

Full-Block

Semi-Block

Cinder Block

If the date is flush right, where is the inside address? Aligned under the date Flush left

Center

If paragraphs are indented, where will the signature be? Aligned under the date

Flush left

Center If the letter does NOT have a salutation section, what should it have?

To whom it may concern

A subject line in CAPS

Nothing

After reviewing the three types of formats, answer

the following questions:


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81how to write the body of the letter

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