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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. _4_

MODULE 4. BUSINESS LETTERS: ITS ELEMENTS, STYLES, AND FORMS

MODULE OVERVIEW

This chapter deals with the definition of business letters, differences between
business letters and social letters, elements of business letters, punctuation styles and C’s
of business letter writing.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Describe the definition of business letters
2. Distinguish business and friendly letters
3. Cite the elements and styles of forms of business letters
4. Identify other business letter-writing amenities
5. Understand the C’s of business letter writing

LEARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection)

Topic 1: What are Business Letters?

The phrase "business letter" very much sums up the aim of the letters that fall under
this category. These purposes include the promotion of business ties, the selling and
buying of goods, and the selling of goods. People who plan to engage in business activities
or people whose ultimate objective is to achieve success in commercial and industrial
endeavors are the ones who typically write these documents.

Topic 2: Differences between Business Letters and Friendly Letters

They are distinct from one another in terms of the component, form or format, purpose,
emotionality, objectivity, subject or contents, point of view, language, and style that they
employ.

Point of Contrast Business Letters Social Letters

Element The header, the inside The letter should have a
address, the salutation, the heading, a salutation, a
content of the letter, the body, a complimenting
complimentary closure, and closing, and a signature.
the signature are the
fundamental components of
a letter.
Form/Format Block, modified block, and Styles known as indented
semi-block styles, as well as and semi-block
hanging-indented, indented,
simplified, and memorandum
styles.
Purpose For commercial reasons, To cultivate or terminate
including the promotion of friendships, romantic

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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

business relationships, relationships, and other

buying, and selling. social connections.
Language The commercial and the Layman’s language
scientific
Style Formal Personal
Point of View Typically written in the third Typically written in the first or
person but may also be second person
written in the first or second
person.
Emotionality Utterly devoid of feelings Emotion-laden
Objectivity Objective/impartial Subjective, containing both
biases and prejudices
Subject/contents Commerce and industry, as Matters pertaining to love,
well as other topics linked to the family, and even some
business business
Tone Serious or heavy Light or amusing

Topic 3: Elements of Business Letters

Sub-topic 1: Parts of Informal Letter

1. Heading. This section includes the sender's address as well as the date the letter was
written.
2. Salutation. This refers to the words that are written at the beginning of a letter as a sort of
greeting, such as "Dear Ben," "My darling," or "My dearest." It is denoted by the use of a
comma (,) as punctuation.
3. The main part of the letter. The entirety of the message can be summed up like this.
4. A free and gracious conclusion. This is a form of polite language, similar to Lovingly
yours, Sincerely yours, or Friendly yours. The next thing that comes after this is a comma
(,).
5. Signature. This could be the full name or nickname of the person sending the message.

Sub-topic 2: Parts of the Formal Letter

1. Letterhead. A printed heading that includes the name of the organization or corporation
that is sending the communication, together with their address and zip code.
2. Dateline. The current date, as it appears in the letter.
3. Inside address. This provides information about the recipient, including his name,
designation, and address.
4. Attention line. This should be the name of the person to whom the letters should be
addressed when they are sent.
5. Salutation. This refers to the greeting that is used at the beginning of the letter, such as
"Dear Sir" or "Gentlemen." A colon (:) is used to punctuate this sentence.
6. Subject line. This section should only consist of one line and should be written entirely in
capital letters. It should also be placed as close to the beginning of the letter as possible.
7. The main part of the letter. This pertains to the entirety of the letter's intended message.
8. A complimentary end to the meeting. A comma (,) is used to indicate the conclusion of
the phrase of civility known as: Genuinely yours, Very genuinely yours, Respectfully yours,
or Very respectfully yours.
9. Signature line. This refers to the signature that is placed on top of the printed name of
the sender, along with their designation, if there is one.

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10. Initials used for identification. Example: EBB/abc The initial that is placed before the bar
or virgule indicates the identification of the person who directed the formulation of the letter;
the initial that is placed after the bar or virgule indicates the identity of the person who typed
the letter.
11. Enclosure line. This denotes that there is a separate document that has been encased.
12. c.c. indication (carbon copy). The name of the individual or individuals who are to get a
copy of the letter should be written below this line.
13. Postscript notation, abbreviated as P.S. P.S. notation, is used in business letters to
underline or emphasize an item that has already been mentioned. P.S. notation is utilized in
informal communications to indicate anything that was overlooked or was not stated in the
main body of the letter.

Sub-topic 3: Other Parts of a Business Letter (Optional)

1. Attention line
2. Subject line
3. Identification initials
4. Enclosure line
5. Carbon copy (c.c.) notation
6. Postscript notation

Topic 4: Styles or Forms of Business Letters

1. Indented style. This is the earliest form of letter style, and it features a great deal of
indentation. Each paragraph is indented by five to seven spaces. This format is suitable for
letters that are written by hand.

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2. Full-block style. The left margin serves as the starting point for each line in each
section of the letter. The left edge of every line that contains words or phrases has
been flushed. This format is the one that should be used for letters that are typed or
written on a computer. The tabulator does not have any indentation settings applied
to it at this time.

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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

3. Semi-block or modified style. This is a type of letter format in which the internal
address is written in full block, but the beginning of each paragraph in the body of the
letter is indented. You are welcome to place your signature and complementary closure
on the right margin.

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4. Simplified style. This letter follows a format that is fundamentally comparable to

that of the full-block style. However, despite the fact that all of its sections are
adjacent to the left margin, it does not give (1) a salutation and (2) a complementing
closing. Both the subject line and the signature line have their respective words
written entirely in capital letters. The messages are often organized in a list format
and numbered.

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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

5. Hanging style. The format of this letter looks to be fairly similar to that of the
modified style in terms of its fundamental components; nevertheless, the left margin
is only touched by the first line of each paragraph that makes up the letter's body.
Following the first line of each paragraph, there is a five-space indentation before the
following line.

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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

Sub-topic 1: Punctuation Styles

The following are the several styles of punctuation that are used in business letters:
1. Open punctuation style. In this design, there should not be a comma or any other type of
punctuation after each line of the heading or the inside address.
2. A kind of punctuation known as closed. This style requires the use of a comma as a
punctuation mark after each line of the heading and the inside address, as well as the use
of a period (.) after the date line and after the line that serves as the final line of the inside
address.
3. Choose between a standard or hybrid style. After each line of the heading and the
address, the comma may or may not be used as punctuation, depending on the situation.
Under this style, you are free to combine open and closed elements into your hairdo.

A comma (,) is used between the month and the year in each of the styles described above.

Topic 5: Other Business Letter Writing Amenities

1. Stationery: the length of the business letter stationery can be either short or long,
depending on what the company desires. In contrast, stationery of a higher quality reflects
favorably on the company's goodwill.
2. The Envelope: When sending business letters, the envelope with the dimensions 4 14
inches by 9 12 inches is recommended. It can be either white or brown, depending on the
taste of the company that owns it. The only appropriate occasions for any other color are
personal and social gatherings.
3. When folding the letter, if it was written on a long sheet of paper, it should be folded into
four parts, with the first upper piece being larger by half an inch than the three equal-size
sections of the letter's lower component. If the letter was written on a short sheet of paper, it
should be folded into two parts, with the upper piece being larger than the lower one. If the
letter is written on a short sheet, it should be folded into three sections, with the section that
is at the top of the letter being half an inch larger than the two portions that make up the
lower portion of the letter and are the same size as each other.
4. A stamp is a printed item that is produced and sold by the government for the purpose of
being utilized by the postal service. It acts as confirmation that the person sending the letter
has paid a tax or a fee for using the mail service. Depending on the type of postal service
that is utilized, such as regular, special, or registered mail, and whether or not the recipient
is located in the United States or anywhere else in the world, different denominations of
postage stamps are required.
5. The date the letter was written: According to the code of ethics, letters should be
delivered to their recipients as soon as feasible and, in any case, no later than three days
from the day the letter was written.
6. The appearance of the letter; the tone and personality of the sender can be inferred from
the tone and appearance of the letter. The letter should be presented in a manner that is
neat, orderly, and respectful in every respect.

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7. Devoid of typographical errors; a business letter that contains typographical errors leaves
itself open to being misunderstood in more than one way. A letter like this undermines both
goodwill and competence. Business letters that contain fewer faults are inevitably going to
have less risks; business letters that do not contain any errors will automatically
demonstrate smooth, refined, and polished management.
8. Courtesy

Topic 6: C’s of Business Letter Writing

1. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas; to achieve this, you should employ transitional
or key terms.
2. Explicitness or clearness; absence of ambiguity; use of language that is easy to
understand and common.
3. Use English words in a consistent manner to maintain coherence and consistency.
4. Conciseness, often known as brevity, refers to the use of brief words and the
construction of brief sentences. Try to avoid using terms that aren't essential.
5. Completion. Utilizing whole sentences and refraining from cutting out concepts and
phrases that are vital to the argument are two key ways to attain completion, also known as
thoroughness.
6. Concreteness and specificity; when possible, avoid using generic language and instead
focus on using specific phrases.
7. Make sure you have used correct grammar and that you have proofread and edited your
message before submitting it.
8. Courteousness and courtesy, often known as politeness, utilize phrases that are kind
and diplomatic.
9. Consideration and kindness, as well as the use of euphemisms (words that sound good
and are gentle rather than nasty).
10. Character, personality, or individuality — use the ones that best fit you.
11. A positive attitude, friendliness, and the ability to smile and provide words of
encouragement.
12. Use of words in a manner that is conversational, often known as "letter talk" or
"conversational quality."

To learn more about this lesson, please refer to Bernardez and Pascual (2014) on pages 1-
19 and Menoy (2010) on pages 61-80.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Reflection on Learning:
 What are business letters? How important are they?
 How do business letters and social letters differ from each other?
 Which of the different business letter styles have you seen?
 Which among the C’s of business letter writing is the least and of greatest
importance?

Learning Activity:
 Label the parts of the business letter that will be flashed on our official messenger
group chat. Comment your answers after.
 Answer chapter exercises from Menoy (2010), pages 81-92.
 Project: Illustrate the different styles and forms of business letters. Draw in long bond

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paper.
 The deadline for the assignment will be on October 5, 2020.
 Read in advance the next lesson (Module 5) and prepare for a quiz.
 Prepare for your midterm examination.

SUMMARY

 A business letter is an official document that is regularly issued from one company to
another or from one company to its customers, employees, and other stakeholders.
This type of letter may be written from the company's perspective or from the
perspective of the recipient.
 In the workplace, individuals will communicate with one another in a professional
capacity by writing to one another in the form of business letters.
 The components, shape and format, purpose, language and style, emotionality and
objectivity, subject and contents, and tone of social and business letters are not
interchangeable in any way.
 Letters can be written using a variety of styles, including a hanging style, an indented
style, a complete block style, a semi-block style, or a simplified style.
 There are three distinct sorts of punctuation styles: open punctuation, closed
punctuation, and the standard or mixed style. • Open punctuation denotes a comma
that is placed before a period.
 When writing a business letter, it is absolutely necessary to keep in mind the three
critical components known as the "three C's" of business letter writing.
REFERENCES

Bernardez, Edisteo B. and Ronaldo F. Pascual (2014). Business Correspondence and

Social Communications and Technical Writing. Manila: Unlimited Books Library Services &
Publishing Inc. p. 1-17.

Menoy, Jesus Z (2010). Business Communication and Report Writing: A Practical

Approach. Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corporation. P. 61-80.

Supplemental readings:
Martelli, Allesandra (n.d). The 7 Characteristics of Effective Communication. Retrieved
from: https://alessandramartelli.com/en/freebies/characteristics-effective-communication/

The Business Communication (2020). The Difference Between Business Letter and
Personal Letter. Retrieved from: https://thebusinesscommunication.com/comparison-
between-business-letter-and-personal-letter/

Mayhew, Ruth (n.d). Difference Between Personal Business Letter and a Personal Letter.
Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-personal-business-
letter-personal-letter-2938.html

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Study Guide in OA106: BUSINESS REPORT WRITING Module No._4_

Pamplin, Jule (2018). The Difference Between Personal Business Letter and a Personal
Letter. Retrieved from: https://careertrend.com/info-8562147-difference-business-letter-
friendly-letter.html

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