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and other
external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types
of contents, for example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by
the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful
because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication
Margins
Side, top and bottom margins should be 1 to 1 1/4 inches (the general default settings in programs such as Microsoft Word). One-page
letters and memos should be vertically centered.
Font formatting
No special character or font formatting is used, except for the subject line, which is usually underlined.
Punctuation
The salutation or greeting is generally followed by a comma in British style, whereas in the United States a colon is used. The valediction or
closing is followed by a comma.
Form
The following is the general format, excluding indentation used in various formats:
[DATE]
[CONTENT]
[CONTENT]
[SENDER]
[SENDER'S TITLE]
Like the margins on a full block style business letter, the margins of the modified block
style business letter layout are set to 1 to 1 inches.
Follow the salutation or greeting with a comma or colon. In the United States, colons are
sometimes preferred; in the United Kingdom, greetings are usually followed by commas.
If you arent sure which your company prefers, use a comma for all greetings other than
the generic To Whom It May Concern, which is always followed by a colon.
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.
Standard Format
The standard business letter has the same look as the block style business letter,
meaning that all lines are flush with the left margin. All margins should be set at 1
inches.
The greeting or salutation in a standard format business letter is always followed by a
colon.
An optional subject line follows the salutation or greeting. This is written in all caps, and
should read SUBJECT or RE: (an abbreviation for reference). This should be
followed by a brief description of the letters subject, an account number, or other
applicable information. The subject line is often underlined.
The letters closing is followed by a comma.
A standard format business letter has some additional, optional elements added to the
closing and signature area.
If a third person, such as an assistant or secretary, typed the letter, a blank line should
follow the senders information located below the signature. The typists initials should
follow the senders initials on a line located just below the blank line, with the senders
initials in uppercase and the typists in lowercase. For example: KS:pj or MJ:ak
On the next line, you should indicate whether a copy of the letter is being sent to anyone
else with the notation cc: in lowercase letters. For example: cc: John King
On the line below that, you should indicate the presence of enclosures, if appropriate.
Note that the abbreviation Encl: beginning with a capital E is used with standard
business letter format. For example: Encl: copy of invoice
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.
Save the fancy fonts for personal correspondence. Business letter format rules
dictate that plain fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman be used. Your company
may have a preferred font; if so, use that one.
12-point font is the standard for all business letter formats