Unit 2

Structure and Presentation of

a Business Letter
The Appearance of a Business Letter

• A letter should create a good impression.

• Attention should be paid to
– Layout
– Paper quality
– Correct spelling
– Punctuation
– Wording
The Structure of a Business Letter
Letterhead
Dateline
Reference line
Inside address
Attention note
Subject line
Salutation
Paragraphs
Complimentary close
Signature block
 The Letterhead
A specially designed heading providing information on the
company / organization sending the letter.

• Business logo
• Business legal name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Fax number
• E-mail address
• Website address
• The executive’s printed name and title (optional)
Letterhead - example
 The Dateline

Place • Below the letterhead.

• The dateline is compulsory.

Rules • The months should be spelled out and not abbreviated.
• Cardinal numbers are used for days (1, 2, 3) (1st ; 2nd ; 3rd)

• MONTH DAY, YEAR

Format • [June 3, 2013]

International • DAY MONTH YEAR

format • [3 June 2013]
 The Reference Line
• It is a number or a combination of
About numbers and letters referring to
previous correspondence.

Place • One to four lines beneath the

dateline.

Rules • It appears on all sheets if the letter is

more than one page long.
 The Inside Address (1)

Place • Below the dateline (or reference line, if

any).

• Typed flush with the left margin of the

letter.
• No longer than five lines!
Rules • No line should cross over the center
margin of the page. (A line too long
must be broken in half).
• The name is to be used in full.
 The Inside Address (2)
- courtesy titles -
Used if a woman’s courtesy title is unknown.
Ms.
Ms. Jane Doe
If used in a business letter, a woman’s first
Mrs. name, not her husband’s should appear.
Mrs. Gloria Kenney (married Simons)
Used to address two or more women.
Mses.
Mses. Doe, Kenney, and Cole
Used to address two or more men.
Messrs. Messrs. Silver, Roth, and Brown
 The Inside Address (3)
- line order -
If short enough, the name and professional title can be separated
by a comma and appear on the first line of the inside address.
Name, Title
Mr. Jack Campbell, Treasurer

If short enough, the title and company name can appear together,
Name separated by a comma, on the second line of the inside address.
Title, company name Mr. Jack Campbell
Treasurer, Evergreen Ltd.

When a company is being addressed, the order is: company name,

Company department, full address.
Evergreen Ltd.
Department
Finance Department
Full address 17 FLOWER STREET
TORQUAY, DEVON TQ1 6BD
 The Inside Address (4)
- formats -
Street numbers from one to twelve should be spelled out.
Arabic numerals are to be used for streets numbered 13 and above.
Rule 1 131 Third Street
131 – 15th Avenue

Arabic numerals should be used for all building / office / house

numbers, except for the number « one », which is spelled out.
Rule 2 One Green Hill Avenue
180 Green Hill Avenue
When compass directions appear before numbered streets,
cardinal numbers are used. If not, ordinal numbers.
Rule 3 220 East 54 Street
220 – 54th Street
 The Attention Note
• Used to direct the letter to the attention of
Purpose a specific person or department.
• Not compulsory.

Place • Flush with the left margin.

• Below the inside address.

• Attention: Jack Campbell

• Attention Jack Campbell
Format • Attention: Finance Department
• Attention
Business Letter Writing Finance Department
 The Salutation (1)
The word ”Dear” before the person’s courtesy title and name is standard.
Initials or first names are not generally used in salutations.
Rule 1
Dear Mr. Campbell

Professional or academic titles take precedence over courtesy titles

for both men and women.
Rule 2
Dear Dr. Campbell

When addressing a person of whom you know neither the name

nor the sex:
Rule 3 Dear Sir
Dear Madam
 The Salutation (2)

When addressing a group consisting of males and

females:
Rule 4
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Using the title of the person you’re addressing:

Rule 5 Dear Sales Manager:

Dear Editorial Director:
Dear Customer Service Representative:
 The Subject Line
• Identifies the content of a letter.
Purpose • Is optional most of the time.

• Above or bellow the salutation.

Place

• Capital letters or each important word capitalized.

• Subject: New Payment Terms
Format • SUBJECT: NEW PAYMENT TERMS
 The Complimentary Close (1)
Formal letters Informal letters

• Yours sincerely, • Best regards,

• Yours faithfully, • Kindest regards,
• Yours truly, • Regards,
• Sincerely, • Best wishes,
• Cordially, • As ever,
• Most sincerely,
• Most cordially,
The Complimentary Close (2)
- combinations -

• Yours faithfully,
Dear Sir, • Yours truly,

Dear Mr. Campbell, • Yours sincerely,

 The Signature Block

• Yours sincerely,

• EVERGREEN Ltd.

• David Miller
• David Miller, President
 Exercise 1. Use either the present simple or present continuous tenses to complete the
letter with the appropriated verb from the list below: build, look, offer, start, write,
know, note, provide, supply.
Dear Sir,

We (1) ……………… that you have made a planning application and (2) ……………………...
an extension to your property soon, and I (3) ………………………… to inform you of the
services which we, as your local building company, (4) ………………… for our customers.

Our range of products (5) …………………… at the foundations with sand, cement and
bricks, and we also (6) ……………………. a full range of timber and plasterboard products.

In addition to this, but only for the next two weeks, we (7) ………………… free estimating
services, so that you (8) …………………… exactly how much the materials will cost.

We (9) …………………… forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Exercise 1. Use either the present simple or present continuous tenses to complete the letter with
the appropriated verb from the list below: build, look, offer, start, write, know, note, provide,
supply.

Dear Sir,

We (1) NOTE that you have made a planning application and (2) ARE BUILDING an
extension to your property soon, and I (3) AM WRITING to inform you of the services
which we, as your local building company, (4) PROVIDE for our customers.

Our range of products (5) STARTS at the foundations with sand, cement and bricks,
and we also (6) SUPPLY a full range of timber and plasterboard products.

In addition to this, but only for the next two weeks, we (7) OFFER free estimating
services, so that you (8) KNOW exactly how much the materials will cost.

We (9) LOOK forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the word matching the definition given between brackets.

• Why did you open the letter? It was …………………to me. (meant to reach a
particular person)
• The package was returned to you because the name of the ………………… was
misspelt on the envelope. (the person a letter of package is addressed to)
• Your letter will reach its destination in less than a week if you send it by
…………………. (letters sent using a plane)
• If you want to make sure that your letter reaches its destination, send it as
………………… mail. (i.e. the mailing is recorded, and the person receiving it
signs in order to acknowledge receipt)
• Please ………………… a check with your order. (to put something inside an
envelope as well as a letter)
• The secretary has a date ………………… to print the date on official
documents.
• Please make sure to ………………… my mail to my new address! (to send to a
new address mail received at the old one)
• How much is the ………………… for a postcard? (the money charged for
sending a letter)
Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the word matching the definition given between brackets.

• Why did you open the letter? It was ADDRESSED to me. (meant to reach a
particular person)
• The package was returned to you because the name of the
ADDRESSEE was misspelt on the envelope. (the person a letter of package is
addressed to)
• Your letter will reach its destination in less than a week if you send it
by AIRMAIL. (letters sent using a plane)
• If you want to make sure that your letter reaches its destination, send
it as CERTIFIED mail. (i.e. the mailing is recorded, and the person receiving it signs in order to
acknowledge receipt)
• Please ENCLOSE a check with your order. (to put something inside an envelope as
well as a letter)
• The secretary has a date STAMP to print the date on official
documents.
• Please make sure to FORWARD my mail to my new address! (to send to a
new address mail received at the old one)
• How much is the POSTAGE for a postcard? (the money charged for sending a letter)
 Exercise 3. Rearrange the following jumbled
letter (think of the main parts of the letter):
1. I will be travelling to Bucharest on Sunday, September 14, on RO 898
which departs from Heathrow at 7 o’clock a.m.

2. I look forward to meeting you.

3. Thank you for calling this morning regarding my trip to Timişoara this
month. I am very grateful to you for offering to meet me at the
airport and drive me to my hotel.

4. I will be arriving on flight TM 989 on Monday, September 15, at 8

p.m. Accommodation has been arranged for me at President Hotel.

A B C D
 Exercise 3. Rearrange the following jumbled
letter (think of the main parts of the letter):
1. I will be travelling to Bucharest on Sunday, September 14, on RO 898
which departs from Heathrow at 7 o’clock a.m.

2. I look forward to meeting you.

3. Thank you for calling this morning regarding my trip to Timişoara this
month. I am very grateful to you for offering to meet me at the
airport and drive me to my hotel.

4. I will be arriving on flight TM 989 on Monday, September 15, at 8

p.m. Accommodation has been arranged for me at President Hotel.

A B C D
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