BUSINESS

LETTER
WRITING
Grammar Challenge:

1. Everybody has taken their lunch.

2. Did you already informed them about

the news?
 One of the essential outputs of
technical writing is the business letter.
Writing correct business correspondence
like letters and memos is a skill that must be
developed by a person regardless of his
work, profession, or specialization.
 Definition and Purpose
The business letter may be defined as
a written message used to transact
business, which cannot be conveniently
conducted orally. It is formal and direct, with
no literary pretentious. It has two-fold
purpose: to serve as a record, and to
attempt to secure action from the reader.
 A business letter is effective if it
succeeds in building up goodwill and in
securing a favourable response. Accuracy,
clarity, conciseness, and good quality
stationery all serve to impress the reader.
APPEARANCE
 Stationery. The standard size of business
stationery is 8 ½ x 11 inches in size, white or a
very light shade cream, brown, grey, and blue in
colour.
 Picture-frame Layout. The picture-frame layout
on a white mat, has margins the same as the top
and sides, with one and one-half inches at the
bottom.
 Letter Styles. The selection a letter arrangement
and style is just like choosing a dress.
 PUNCTUATION STYLES
 Open Punctuation Style. This style requires that no
punctuation be used after any part of the letter except the
message. Open punctuation is often used in full block
arrangements as both styles are considered the timesaver
for typist.
 Standard Punctuation Style. Only the salutation and the
complimentary closing are followed by punctuation. A colon
follows the complimentary close. This style is most
commonly used.
 Close Punctuation Style. This style is perhaps the least
used and is not recommended for use in modern letters
anymore.
 STYLES OF BUSINESS
LETTERS
 Full Block Letter Style. In this style, all the parts begin at the
left of the page. This more convenient to use because the
writer does not bother about any indentions. At present, this
is the one being adopted by most businessmen.
 Modified Block Letter Style. In this style, the writer changes
the position of the dateline, complimentary close, and
signature. All paragraphs begin at time at the left margin of
the page. The complimentary close usually aligns with the
dateline. Likewise, the signature block is aligned with the
complimentary close. If the subject and the attention lines
are included, these may be placed at the center or indented
five to ten spaces from the left margin.
 Semi Block Style. This is the same as the
modified block style except that the first line of
every paragraph is indented by five or ten
spaces.
 Hanging-indented Style. This is not commonly
used in advertising or in sales letter. Its primary
objective is to attract the reader’s attention. This
is similar with the modified block style with the
following exception: the second and all other
paragraphs lines are indented either five or ten
spaces; the first line of each paragraph is not
indented
 PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
 The Heading. It consists of the name of the firm or
organization and the address. There are essentials for a
printed, letter head, although there may be additional
printed data. Office people become accustomed to using
printed letterheads that they sometimes forget to type
the heading when they write personal business letters on
blank.
 The Dateline. This consists of the month, the
number of the day and the year. The most common
dateline format is as follows: June 9, 1998. But the
following dateline can also be used: 09 June 1998.
(Notice that no commas are used)
The inside Address. Generally, this part gives the name,
the title, and the exact address of the person whom the
letter is addressed. It is typed three to four after the
dateline. It is to occupy three to five lines, single-
spaced.

The Salutation. This is considered as a greeting and

expression of courtesy to put the reader in a friendly
reception frame of mind. This is typed two or three spaces
below the inside address.
 The Body of the Letter. This is the most important
part of the letter. This consist of the full message
of the letter. The letter writer should see to it that
the indention of the body has to be deep enough
to distinguish the paragraphs and to have them
alike within the letter. The body is composed of at
least two/three paragraphs. The body of the letter
begins two spaces below the salutation.
 The Complimentary Close. This is typed two lines
below the last line of the body of the letter. This
may be informal (Sincerely or Cordially yours) or
formal (very truly yours).
 The Signature Block. This identifies the writer. The name
of the writer is typed three to four lines below the
complimentary close.
 The Reference Initials. If used, the initials of the typist
and the writer are typed two lines below the writer’s
name and title in the signature block. Generally, the
writer’s initials are capitalized and typist’s are
lowercased, but this format varies.
 The Enclosure Notation. This is a reminder that there is
an enclosure and usually typed under the typist’s initials.
It could be spelled out (Enclosure/Attachment, or it may
be abbreviated (enc./Att.). It may indicate the number of
enclosure or attachments, and it may also identify a
specific enclosure. (Enclosure: Form 137)
 The Copy Notation. If you make copies of
correspondence for other individuals, you
may use cc to indicate carbon copy, pc to
indicate photocopy, or merely c for any
kind of copy. A colon following the initial(s)
is optional.