1.
The Heading (The Retern Address) or
Letterhead
Companies
usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially designed at
the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about the
organisation’s identity.
Examples :
a) ENGLET & BROT LTD
115 Downing Street
LONDON- ENGLAND
b) GOOGLE MILLS INCORPORATION
499 NORTH WARREN AVENUE
SYRACUSE 2, NEW YORK
2.
Date
Date
of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all
four digits October 12, 2005 (12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned
with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal
figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th,
are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is
pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is
written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.
Example
:
23rd November, 2013 or November 23rd, 2013
3.
The Inside Address
In
a business or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after
your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal
code. Add job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title
with a comma. Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient
's name. The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x
11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business
envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.
Example :
Mr. Prana Pramudya
115 Downing Street
London
4.
The Greeting
Also
called the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with
the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always
includes the person's last name. Use
every resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If
you do not know the name or the sex of of your reciever address it to Dear
Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business
letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK
style).
Examples :
a) British
Style
-
Dear Sir,
-
Sir,
-
Dear Sirs,
-
Dear Madam,
-
Mesdames,
b) American
Style
-
Dear Sir:
-
Sir:
-
Gentlemen:
-
Dear Madam:
-
Mesdames:
5.
The Subject Line (optional)
Its
inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your
letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re: Subject
line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial letters.
It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be
located directly after the "inside address," before the
"greeting."
6.
The Body Paragraphs
The
body is where you explain why you’re writing. It’s the main part of the
business letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are
writing but try to avoid starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when
you wish to introduce a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the
letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip
a line between paragraphs.
7.
The Complimentary Close
This
short, polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin
or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that
you use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional
rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or
Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting
"Dear " must end "Yours sincerely".
Examples
:
Yours truly,
Wisnu & Ninda LTD
8.
Signature and Writer’s
identification
The
signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last
names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if
appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the
signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue
or black ink.
Examples
:
|
signature
Adam Williams
Customer Relation Manager
|
9.
Initials, Enclosures, Copies
Initials
are to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you
include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as
appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent
to someone else.
Source
:
