John Doe 123 Stagnant Lake Way Airdrie, AB T2G 1B2 October 13, 2010 Mrs. J.

Moore, English Department Head George McDougall High School 412-3rd Ave N.E. Airdrie, AB T4B 1R7 Dear Mrs. Moore, The first paragraph contains the Background and Purpose of the letter. Tell her who you are, and why you are writing. Unlike other types of writing, the paragraphs of a business letter do not have to be 4-6 sentences long. They must provide all of the required information, and that is all. Also, the paragraphs should not be indented. The second paragraph should provide the Details and Organization required by the letter. For Detail, give specific details about your problem, any times and dates, names, or other facts surrounding the issue. For Organization, offer a solution, or suggest further action. In other words, organize things so that your problem can be solved. Simply complaining about the problem is not constructive. Intelligent people offer solutions. Always do this respectfully. Do not demand; Ask, or suggest. The third paragraph is where you close your letter with Good will. In other words, be nice. Thank the reader for their time and attention, and provide them with a way to reach you, usually by phone or email. If you are asking for an action to take place, be sure to include a reply date so that follow up may occur. Sincerely,

John Doe
John Doe

Envelope
123 WRITERS WAY AIRDRIE AB T2G 1B2 MRS. J. MOORE, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD GEORGE MCDOUGALL HIGH SCHOOL 412-3rd AVE NE AIRDRIE AB T4B 1R7 STAMP HERE

Tips for a Business Letter 1. Do not use contractions. (don't, can't, won't.) 2. Do not indent your paragraphs. 3. Make sure your tone is appropriate. An angry or rude letter will not get a reply. 4. Make sure you explain your problem/idea in enough detail to ensure the reader understands what you want from them. However, assume the person has a basic understanding of the issue. 5. Spelling and grammar counts. A porly spellt and ritten letre wont get no attenshun. The reedr wil think youre note wurth his tym. 6. If your cursive hand-writing is sloppy, print it or use a computer. Clear communication is the priority here. 7. Do not forget to sign your letter. A signature is your way of declaring that you approve of the contents of the letter. If you forget to sign a letter, just like forgetting to sign a contract, the document is worthless. 8. On your final exam, you will be provided with all of the details you need, such as names and addresses, as well as the purpose of the letter. You just have to organize the details in the correct order, and then write the letter based on the stated purpose of the assignment. 9. Commonly Used Abbreviations for Provinces and Territories
Province Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Symbol AB BC MB Province Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario Symbol NS NU ON

New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Yukon

NB NF NT YT

Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan

PE QC or PQ SK