|
Business readers expect to receive
letters and memos that adhere to an existing format standard. There are
several acceptable business letter styles available for use in the
professional world. Three such business letter styles include:
- Modified
Block Style: With this business letter format, the body of the letter
is left justified and single-spaced. The date and closing, however,
are in alignment in the center of the page.
- Block
Style: when using this business letter format, the entire
letter is left justified and single-spaced except for a double space
between paragraphs.
- Semiblock
Style: similar to the modified block business letter style except that
each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
BUSINESS
LETTER FORMAT
There are several main sections
that are consistent with every business letter format. When writing a
business letter, be sure to include all components:
- The
Heading: common with every business letter format, the heading
contains your address and the date of writing.
- The
Inside Address: included the name of the addressee, that person’s
title or office, the name of the company or institution, and the full
address
- The
Salutation: the formal greeting appears two lines lower than the
inside address.
- The
Body: use the body of your letter to explain the situation and to make
your request or response. Make sure it is done in a straightforward
and concise manner.
- The
Complimentary Close: the complimentary close is inserted three lines
below the last line of the body. The most common formulas are:
Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Yours truly, Yours sincerely.
- Your
Typed Name: in all business letters, there are usually four lines
between the complimentary close and the typed name as you intend to
sign it.
- Your
Signature: always use blue or black ink. Match your signature and your
typed name.
- Special
Notation: lowest on the page, always flush left. Includes common notations
to indicate: carbon copies,enclosed documents, etc...
|
|
|
|
Full Block Format
Full
block style business letters have a formal appearance, however they can be used
in informal business situations as well as formal ones. If you are looking for
a single format that will work well in every situation, this is a good one to
use.
Full
Block Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
This
block format business letter template illustrates how quick and easy
communications can be to type. Notice that it looks very much like the
semi-block letter format, except the paragraphs are not indented. This is a
format you can use for all business occasions.
Notice that all elements in this letter are left justified. This formatting
provides a crisp, modern look that many people prefer.
If
you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom
left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and
follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an
application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think
about including.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name,
and Title
Modified
Block Format
Modified
block style business letters are less formal than full block style letters. If
you are corresponding with someone you already have a good working relationship
with, the modified block style letter is a good one to use.
Modified
Block Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s
Name):
This
modified block business letter format looks very much like the modified
semi-block letter format, except the paragraphs are not indented. Modified
block letters are just a little less formal than full block letters.
Notice
that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block
all start near the center of the page. In some cases, people who prefer to use
this format begin these elements five spaces to the right of the center of the
page.
If
you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom
left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and
follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an
application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think
about including.
Sincerely,
Your
First name, Last name, and Title
Standard Format
Standard
format business letters are quite formal. Because they include an optional
subject line, they are ideal for situations in which you need to create a
formal response or communicate about an account number or case number. At the
bottom of this template, you’ll see something the other business letter
templates don’t contain. Below the signature block are three lines of text
indicating that a secretary or assistant typed the letter for the sender, that
a copy was sent to another recipient, and that there are enclosures. In other
business letter formats, “enclosures” is written out. In standard format, the
word is abbreviated.
Standard
Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
SUBJECT: Type the
subject here and underline it.
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
This
standard business letter format looks very much like the block letter format.
Notice that everything is left justified.
You
will notice that this template contains some elements that are different from
those in the other business letter formats on this page. First, there is a
subject line. This element is optional, and can be replaced with a “RE:” line
that is used to reference something specific like a previous communication or
an account number. Be sure to underline this so that it stands out.
Additionally, this template has three other elements. On the line located
beneath the signature block, you will notice my initials in upper case letters.
A colon separates them from my assistant’s initials, which are written in lower
case letters. This indicates that my assistant typed the letter for me. If you
type a standard business letter yourself, you do not need to include this
element.
Beneath the initials, you will see “cc:” followed by my business partner’s
name. This indicates that I have sent a copy of this letter to my partner. If
you write a letter like this one but don’t cc anyone, there’s no need to
include this element.
Finally,
you will notice the letters “encl” followed by a colon. This indicates that
there are enclosures. Interestingly, the standard business letter is the only
one in which you use “encl” instead of writing “enclosure” to show that a
brochure, application, invoice, or other item(s) are enclosed. As you may have
already guessed, you can skip the “encl” if you haven’t included anything with
the letter in the envelope.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name,
and Title
YN:an
cc: Business Partner, Other entity
encl: Business letter template
OPEN FORMAT
The
open format business letter has a clean, formal look just as the block format
letter does. It is suitable for all business communications.
There
is one major difference between this format and the other business letter
formats on this page: It contains no punctuation after the greeting, and no
punctuation after the closing.
Semi-Block Format
The
semi-block format business letter is a little less formal than the block format
letter and slightly more formal than the modified block format letter. It works
well in almost all situations and is a good choice if you find yourself on the
fence about which format to use.
Semi-block business letters differ from most others in that the first line of
each paragraph is indented. Look at the modified semi-block business letter
template if you’d like to try another format with indentations. It is the least
formal of all the formats shown on this page.
Semi-Block
Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s
Name),
This
semi-block business letter format looks very much like the block letter format,
except the
paragraphs
have been indented. Semi-block format letters are just a little more formal
than modified semi-block business letters.
Notice
that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block
are left justified.
The
only elements of this business letter format that are not left justified are
the first lines of each of the paragraphs.
If
you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom
left, a few spaces below
the
signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any
items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice
are some of the things you might think about including.
Sincerely,
Your First name,
Last name, and Title
Source :
