Style Of Business Letter
Business letter can be written with
different styles, such as:
·
FULL
BLOCK.
Full
block style is a letter format in which all text is justified to the left
margin. In block letter style, standard punctuation is placed after salutations
and in other headings. Open punctuation, however, refers to a modification of
style where all nonessential punctuation is omitted. A few key factors will
help you understand block style format and the difference that open punctuation
makes. Example :
Notes:
1.
Return Address:
o
Don’t type a return address if you’re using
letterhead.
o
Otherwise, type your full mailing address and
optionally your phone number and email address (these last two elements are
becoming more common).
o
Do not use punctuation at the end of each line.
2.
Date:
o
If using a return address, leave one blank line
before the date. If using a letterhead, leave three to six blank lines before
the date.
o
Type the month (spelled out in full) followed by
the day (in numerals) followed by a comma, followed by the year (in four
digits). See example in the graphic above.
3.
Inside Address:
o
Leave a blank line between the date and the inside
address.
o
Type the reader’s full name including the
gratuitous title (Miss, Mrs., Ms., Mr., Dr., Sgt., etc.), the first name and
the last name. On the next line, type the reader’s job title.
o
On the next line, type the reader’s company’s name.
o
On the next line, type the reader’s street address.
It’s best not to abbreviate words such as “street” and “avenue.”
o
On the next line, type the reader’s city, followed
by a comma, followed by the province (the two-letter Canada Post abbreviation
is acceptable), followed by a space, followed by the postal code. For reader’s
outside of Canada, include country prior to the postal code.
o
Do not use punctuation at the ends of the lines.
4.
Salutation:
o
Leave a blank line between the inside address and
the salutation.
o
Type “Dear” followed by the reader’s gratuitous
title and last name. There are other options such as “To Whom It May Concern,”
but they are not appropriate in all situations. Sometimes, it’s tricky to figure
out how to address the reader.
o
Use a colon or no punctuation at all after the
salutation.
5.
Subject Line:
o
Leave a blank line between the salutation and the
subject line.
o
Type the word Subject, or the
abbreviation Re, followed by a colon.
o
Then, type a short description of the topic of your
letter. The subject line will influence how much attention your reader pays to
your letter, so clearly describe what you’re writing about.
o
Make the subject line (but not the word Subject or
abbreviation Re) bold so that it catches the reader’s attention.
6.
Body:
o
Leave one blank line between the subject line and
the first paragraph.
o
Leave one blank line between each paragraph.
o
DO NOT indent paragraphs. Align them with the left
margin.
o
A standard letter has three or more paragraphs, but
this is just a guideline. A letter may have fewer than three paragraphs.
o
Typically, the first paragraph introduces the topic
and the main point and may mention the authority under which the letter was written
or provide necessary background information.
o
The middle paragraph(s) provides the details needed
to support your main point.
o
The last paragraph presents a conclusion, a call to
action, and a nicety (that is, a politeness).
7.
Complimentary Close:
o
What you type here depends on the tone and degree
of formality. For example,
§ Respectfully
yours (very formal)
§ Sincerely
(typical, less formal)
§ Very
truly yours (polite, neutral)
§ Cordially
yours (friendly, informal)
o
Use a comma after the complimentary close.
8.
Signature Block:
o
Leave three to four blank lines after the
complimentary close to sign your name.
o
Type your full name, WITHOUT a gratuitous title.
o
On the next line, type your job title.
o
Don’t forget to sign the letter!
9.
Enclosure Notation:
o
This notation is used ONLY if you are enclosing
other items with your letter. The notation alerts the reader to look for those
items.
o
Leave one blank line between the signature block
and the enclosure notation.
o
If you have one enclosure, type Encl.
o
If you have two or more enclosures, type Encls.: followed
by one space, followed by the number of enclusures (e.g., for two enclosures,
the notation would be “Encls.: 2”)
o
Alternately, you can list the enclosures instead of
simply stating how many there are (e.g., "Encls.: brochure, product
description").
o
The salutation, signature, and enclosure elements
go at the end of the letter. If your letter is two pages long, for example,
these elements would appear at the end of page two.
General
notes about full block format:
o Use 1
inch to 1.5 inch margins at the top, bottom, left and right of the page.
o All
elements align with the left margin. DO NOT indent paragraphs.
·
SEMI-BLOCK
STYLE.
Semi-blok
fromat: in a format this text parallel left and all paragraphs in the letter is
indented. Format shape on this letter on letter head, date, complementary a
close, and signature being in a position flattened right. In the layout uneven
right, but can dibilangg flattened middle. Other parts on a letter as inside
address, subject, salutation, body of letter, and enclosure if terdapatnya
attachment letter,Being flattened on the left.
Description
:
Example :
·
SIMPLIFIED
STYLE.
Simplified-style
business letters contain all the same elements as the full-block and semi-block
letters. Like the full-block format, the simplified format left-justifies every
line except for the company logo or letterhead. The date line is either slightly
right of center or flush with the center of the page. Letters written in the
simplified format have fewer internal sections, such as the body, salutation
and date line.Using the simplified style is the most useful at times when you
don’t have a recipient’s contact name. Because the simplified style does not
require a salutation, you don’t need the person’s name. The simplified format
does away with unneeded formality while maintaining a professional approach.
·
HANGING-INDENTED
STYLE.
This
very useful style places the first words of each paragraph prominently on the
page. It is useful for letters that deal with a variety of different topics.
However, for normal business communications, this style is very rarely used.
The first line of the paragraph begins at the left-hand margin. And the other
lines of the same paragraph are indented three to four spaces. This is the
reversal of semi-indented style discussed in other page.
Source
:
http://www.wikipedia.com
