Business Letters

A business letter is more formal than a personal letter. It should have a margin of at
least one inch on all four edges. It is always written on 8½"x11" (or metric equivalent)
unlined stationery. There are six parts to a business letter.

1. The Heading. This contains the return address (usually two or three lines) with the
date on the last line.

Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line after the 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 to the left margin. (See Business Letter Styles.)

It is not necessary to type the return address if you are using stationery with the return
address already imprinted. Always include the date.

2. The Inside Address. This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as
complete as possible. Include titles and names if you know them.

This is always on the left margin. If an 8½" 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.

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

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

3. The Greeting. Also called the salutation. The greeting in a business letter is always
formal. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last
name.

It normally has a title. Use a first name only if the title is unclear--for example, you
are writing to someone named "Leslie," but do not know whether the person is male
or female. For more on the form of titles, see Titles 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 a boyfriend or girlfriend and the greeting ends in a colon--it is
not going to be friendly.)
4. The 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.

5. The 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 in the whole letter.

6. The Signature Line. Skip two lines (unless you have unusually wide or narrow
lines) and type out the name to be signed. This customarily includes a middle initial,
but does not have to. Women may indicate how they wish to be addressed by
placing Miss, Mrs., Ms. or similar title in parentheses before their name.

10 Types of Business Letters

From paper to email, letters dominate modern business from the first inquiries, sales, to
letters of resignation. The term “business letters” refers to any written communication
that begins with a salutation, ends with a signature and whose contents are professional
in nature. Historically, business letters were sent via postal mail or courier, although the
internet is rapidly changing the way businesses communicate. There are many standard
types of business letters, and each of them has a specific focus.

Sales Letters
Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the
reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include
strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include
information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website
link.

Order Letters
Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or
wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information
such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired and expected price.
Payment is sometimes included with the letter.
Complaint Letters
The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be the
deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and always
use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.

Adjustment Letters
An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the
adjustment is in the customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not, keep your
tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

Inquiry Letters
Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing
this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need.
Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

Follow-Up Letters
Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could
be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the
outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application. In
many cases, these letters are a combination thank-you note and sales letter.

Letters of Recommendation
Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before
they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and
it describes the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

Acknowledgment Letters
Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others know
that they have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken
place.

Cover Letters
Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used
to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with
it, if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very
short and succinct.

Letters of Resignation
When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his
immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of
employment will be. In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for leaving
the company.

Examples of Letters

Business Letters

 Business Letters
 Business Thank You Letters
 Email Messages

Employee Letters

 Employee Letters
 Excuse Letters
 Goodbye Letters
 Late for Work Apology Letter
 Mistake at Work Apology Letter
 Salary Reduction Letter

Informational Letters

 Name Change Announcement - General

 Name Change Announcement - Maiden Name

 Name Change Letter - Married

Job Applicant Letters From an Employer

 Candidate Rejection Letters

 Interview Invitations

Job Interview Letters for Job Seekers

 Follow Up Letters
 Influence Letters
 Missing an Interview Apology Letter

Job Offer Letters

 Counter Offer Letters

 Job Offer Letters
Job Search and Networking Letters

 Application Letters
 Cover Letters
 Inquiry Letters
 Job Application Letter
 Job Search Help Request Letters
 Networking Letters
 Value Proposition Letters

Recommendation and Referral Letters

 Academic Recommendation Letters

 Character Reference Letters
 Personal Recommendation Letters
 Professional Letters
 Professional Recommendation Letters
 Recommendation Letters for Employment
 Reference Letters
 Referral Letters

Resignation and Retirement Letters

 Resignation Letters
 Retirement Letters
 New Job Announcement Letters

Thank You, Appreciation, and Congratulation Letters

 Appreciation Letters
 Congratulation Letters
 Thank You Letters

Types of Letter Format

As mentioned above different types of letter writing follow certain formats which have
been established over the years. Letter formats are applicable by and large to formal
type of letters. Informal letters do not require a certain pattern of writing and can be
written in number of ways. But for guidance purposes we have included few varieties
of informal ways of writing which can be termed as sorts of informal formats. These
formats makes the letter writing process a convenient one.
As a general rule most letters follow:

 Formal Letters Format

o Full Block Style

o Semi-Block Style
o Modified Block Style
o Modified Semi-Block Style

Full block style is a letter format characterised by the below shown

LETTER HEAD
( 6 – 10 SPACES)

DATE
(1-4 Spaces)

Recipients’ Name
Recipient’s Address
(2 Spaces)
SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed
by Comma or Colon
(2 SPACES)

Ref/Sub
(2 SPACES)
Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned
Left (Paragraphs – Not indented)
 (2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, ------------------Closing followed by Comma

(3-4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE
(2 SPACES)

Enc
(2 SPACES)

CC
(2 SPACES)

SEMI BLOCK STYLE

LETTER HEAD
(6 – 10 SPACES)
DATE
(2-4 Spaces)

Recipients’ Name
Recipient’s Address
(2-3 SPACES)

SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is

followed by Comma or Colon
(2 SPACES)
Ref/Sub
(2-3 SPACES)

Paragraph Indented, Left, Text Aligned Left, Text

Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, ----------------- Closing followed by Comma

(4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE
 (2 SPACES)

Enc
(2 SPACES)

CC
(2 SPACES)

MODIFIED BLOCK STYLE

LETTER HEAD
(6 – 10 SPACES)

DATE
(2-4 Spaces)
Recipients’ Name
Recipient’s Address
(2-3 SPACES)
SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is
followed by Comma or Colon
(2 SPACES)
Ref/Sub
(2-3 SPACES)

Paragraph not Indented, Left, Text Aligned Left, Text

Aligned Left
(Paragraph not indented)
 (2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, (followed by Comma)

(4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE
(2 SPACES)
Enc
(2 SPACES)

CC
(2 SPACES)

MODIFIED SEMI BLOCK STYLE

LETTER
HEAD
(6 – 10
SPACES)
 DATE
(2-4 Spaces)
Recipients’ Name
Recipient’s Address
(2-3 SPACES)

SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed by

Comma or Colon
(2 SPACES)

Ref/Sub
(2-3 SPACES)

Paragraph Indented to Left, Left, Text Aligned Left, Text

Aligned Left
(Paragraph indented)

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, (followed
by Comma)
(4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE
(2 SPACES)
Enc
 (2 SPACES)
CC
(2 SPACES)

Informal Letters Format – When Letters do not follow any particular format while writing is
called Informal Letters Format. So can it be considered that letters have either a Formal or
Informal structure? Yes and No. Yes, because most of the letters are written with one or the
other style in mind. No, because some letters can be written with partial observance of formal
or informal styles. For example, an Address Change Letter is basically a Formal letter,
however when it is written to a friend it becomes an informal letter as the motive of the letter
doesn’t require a style to be followed before it is written. Differentiating features can be that
informal letters are personal in nature and length of the letter varies as per the information.
Informal letter writing Formats
Informal Letter Writing Format 1

DATE (can be
placed
after Sender’s
Name
and
Address)
(2-4
SPACES)
Sender’s
Name
Sender’s
Address
(2
SPACES)

Informal SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed by Comma or

Colon
(2 SPACES)
 Text Aligned Left OR Text Aligned Centre OR Text Aligned Right
(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left OR Text Aligned Centre OR Text Aligned Right

(2-3 SPACES)
Text Aligned Left OR Text Aligned Centre OR Text Aligned Right

(2 -3 SPACES)
CLOSING, ------------------Closing followed by Comma
(4 SPACES)
SIGNATURE
or
Name of the Sender
(can be placed towards the right corner)
(2 SPACES)

Informal Letter Writing Format 2

DATE
(2-4 SPACES)

Informal SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed by

Comma or Colon
(2 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left (Paragraphs – Not
indented)
(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)
Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left
 (2 -3 SPACES)
CLOSING,
Closing followed by
Comma
(4 SPACES)
SIGNATURE
or
Name of the Sender

Letters Types
 Acceptance Letter
 Acknowledgement Letter
 Address Change Letter
 Adjustment Letter
 Announcement Letter
 Apology Letter
 Application Letter
 Business Letter
 Cancellation Letter
 Complaint Letter
 Condolence Letter
 Confirmation Letter
 Cover Letter
 Farewell Letter
 Friendly Letter
 Get Well Letter
 Holiday Letter
 Inquiry Letter
 Invitation Letter
 Leave Letter
 Love Letter
 Persuasive Letter
 Petition Letter
 Recommendation Letter
 Reference Letter
 Refusal Letter
 Request Letter
 Resignation Letter
 Resolution Letter
 Retirement Letter
 Sales Letter
 Termination Letter
 Thanks Letter
Letters
Cover Letter for Job Application

Cover Letter for Job Networking

Business Invitation Letter

Wedding Invitation Letter

Admission Acceptance Letter

Business Proposal Acceptance Letter

Internship Acceptance Letter

Job Acceptance Letter

Promotion Acceptance Letter

Resignation Acceptance Letter

Wedding Acceptance Letter

Address Change Letter to Bank

Company Address Change Letter

Adjustment Letter for Refund of Damaged Goods

Adjustment Refusal Letter

Sales Announcement Letter

Wedding Announcement Letter

Acknowledgement for the receipt of Goods

Complaint Acknowledgement Letter

Donation Acknowledgement Letter

Order Acknowledgement Letter

Payment Acknowledgement Letter

Personal Acknowledgment Letter

Resume Acknowledgement Letter

Retirement Acknowledgement Letter

Application Letter for any Position

Scholarship Application Letter

Business Information Request Letter

Business Sales Letter

Insurance Cancellation Letter

Wedding Cancelation Letter

Customer Complaint Letter

Product Complaint Letter

Balance Confirmation Letter

Meeting Confirmation Letter

Farewell Letter to a Co-worker

Farewell Letter to Employee

Goodbye Letter - Maternity Example

Best Friend Letter

Friendly Letter to Teacher

Fund Inquiry Letter

Inquiry Letter for Possible Job Openings

Maternity Leave Letter to Colleagues

Maternity Leave Letter to Employer

Romantic Love Letter

Short Love Letter

Persuasive Claim Letter

Persuasive Letter to Principal

Academic Petition letter

Petition Letter against a Person

Payment Request Letter

Vacation Request Letter

Personal Reference Letter

Professional Reference Letter

Credit Refusal Letter

Job Refusal Letter

Short Resignation Letter

Work Resignation Letter

Board Resolution Letter to Open a Bank Account

Resolution to Open Bank Account

Retirement Letter (Formal)

Retirement Letter (Informal)

Recommendation Letter for Student

Recommendation Letter from Employer

Introductory Sales Letter

Sales Promotion Letter

Contract Termination Letter

Job Termination Letter

Business Thank You Letter for Recommendation

Personal Thank You Letter for Gift

Thank You Letter after Interview

Cover Letter for IT Job

Cover Letter for Prospective Job

Invitation letter to visit Canada for parents

Business Condolence Letter

Military Condolence Letter

Leave of Absence Letter to Employer

Get Well Letter - Cancer

Get Well Letter to Boss

Holiday Letter to Client

Holiday Letter to Soldiers

Customer Apology Letter

Personal Apology Letter