Letter Writing:
Reading and
Thoughtfully
Corresponding
Definition of “Letter”
Letter
“A written or printed communication directed to a
person or organization.”
Letters may be created and sent as:
E-mail or electronic transmissions (including faxsimiles)
Hand-delivered transmissions
Regular mail transmissions
Letter Writing Etiquette
Etiquette is good manners or appropriate or accepted social
practices that reflect and promote civility.
When should you write a letter?
To thank someone who has been gracious, kind or helpful to
you.
When you need assistance or answers to help you make intelligent
decisions.
To respond to a letter or letter request that you have
recently received. (do not wait too long)
To create legal documents that record information and support claims.
To show that you are a courteous, professional, detail-
oriented person who is aware of etiquette.
Why letter writing matters
“A writer, writing away, can always fix himself up to
make himself more presentable, but a man who
has written a letter is stuck with it for all time.”
– E. B. White
Therefore . . .
Letters should be truthful as they may become a permanent
record of what you know, think or feel at the time you are
writing the letter.
Letters have come back to haunt many people.
Letters reflect the character and communication skill of the
writer.
Before writing a letter . . .
Read (1) the letter or letters to which you need or want to
respond; or (2) read a written announcement or article
motivating or requesting a letter response.
(News stories, displays and billboards, and even oral comments that
others have voiced may spark your passion to write a letter.
Listening, is therefore important to letter writers.)
Examine the tone (language) of the letter, announcement or
other printed material to which you will respond. The tone of
the motivating piece helps you determine the tone of your
written response (formal or informal).
Identify your audience and purpose in order to determine
the type of letter you will write (formal or informal).
Think about / Plan your response.
Letter Mechanics –
1. Pronoun (Point of View)
The use of personal pronouns is important
in letters . . . I, he, she, it, we, they, you
In a letter, do not refer to yourself in the
third person by using one or the writer.
It is perfectly natural and appropriate to
refer to yourself as I and to the reader as
you.
Letter Mechanics –
2. Focus and Specificity
Be Focused; however, avoid choppy
sentences.
Don't be so concise that your tone is blunt.
Use terminology and concepts related to the
industry / field. (Jargon may be appropriate
in business writing. )
Avoid vagueness. Be specific in your
requests or statements of facts.
Letter Mechanics –
3. Active versus Passive Voice
Examples
PASSIVE Sentence : It was discovered that the salary
totals were incorrect.
Who discovered “it” [the problem]? The
underpaid employee, The payroll specialist, The
Accounting Department, An Intern, The IRS? (Be
specific.)
Revised ACTIVE sentence: The Accounting
Department discovered that the salary totals were
incorrect.
Two categories of letters
Business Letters (format writing; more formal
writing that may share elements of essay writing)
Personal Letters (often informal; may be
addressed to a friend or familiar acquaintance
about a personal subject; may regard a personal
problem, issue or even a personal business matter
pertaining to ones personal finances or personal
legal matters)
Types of Personal Letters
Apologies
Appreciation and Thank You: For
favors, kindness or generosity
Congratulations
Personal Complaints
Invitations
Offering Condolences
(sympathy or get well)
Personal Letters . . .
whether typed or handwritten, may include personal touches
that reflect your style or personality.
Date Special stationery
Salutation
(Greeting)
December 4, 2007
Dear Maxwell,
I just wanted to take a moment to write to you to express my
thanks for the extra tutoring help you gave me this fall as I
struggled in my Math 1112 course. People like you make our
world a better place simply because you take the extra time to
help others overcome fears and learn important skills. I think
I can safely say, you are going to make a great math teacher
one day!
You stand head and shoulders above others in the field of
Complimentary
Signature math and I so appreciate the information, time and patience
Closing
you provided to me. So, once again, thank you so much
Business Letters
Format Writing
Common Types of Business
Letters To write any type of
business letter, follow
•Acceptance Letter (yes/ legal) these basic steps:
•Acknowledgement Letter (Receipt)
•Adjustment Letter (a legal
document / addresses a complaint
or claim)
•Identify your reader
•Application Letter (request job
•Establish your objective
consideration/ interview)
•Determine your scope (how
•Complaint Letter (a legal document)
much researched
•Cover Letter (accompanies resume
information to include )
or order)
•Organize your letter
•Inquiry Letter (posing a question)
•Draft your letter
•Order Letter (request letter)
•Close (End) Your Letter
•Refusal Letter (reject an offer)
•Review and Revise Your Letter
•Response Letter (answers inquiry)
(proof for physical problems and
•Sales Letter (marketing)
edit for logic issues)
Source: Business Letters. Retrieved Dec. 3, 2007, from http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/business_writing/business_letter/
General Parts of every
Business Letter
Heading (sender’s return address and date)
Inside Address (recipient’s address)
Salutation (greeting)
Body (paragraphs)
Complimentary Close
Signature Line (with or without title)
Enclosure (optional)
cc notation (copies sent to others)
Sender/typist initials (optional)
General Statements about
Business Letter Writing
“Business letters [are] required in many different
situations . . . from applying for a job to requesting
or delivering information.”
Writing for business should be “crisp and succinct. It
should be to the point, specific and accurate.”
“Even though business writing is possibly less formal
than it once was, your writing must . . . adhere to
the conventions of standard American English”
(spelling and grammar rules)
Source: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/business.html
General Letter Layouts / Styles
Modified Block Style Block Style
Semi-block Style
http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/00000144.htm
Letter head 1. Block Style
(Simplified) Letter
Format
SAMPLE
Everything flush
to left margin with
no indents.
Signature Block: Align this with the Complimentary
Close. Leave four blank lines to sign your name.
Don’t forget to sign your name exactly as you typed
it. Your title is optional and depends on the relevancy
and degree of formality you need or want to establish.
Source:http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_mblock_p.htm
2. Modified
Block Style
Letter Format
SAMPLE
Paragraphs are not
indented; however,
these parts of the
letter are centered:
•Sender’s return address
•Date letter written
•Complimentary closing
•Sender’s signature/title
http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/00000144.htm
Company Logo or Letterhead
March 15, 2007 3. Semi-block
Style Letter
Format
Mr. John Smith, Director of Operations
SomeGroup Group
100 SomeStreet Drive
Sometown, Alabama 34567 SAMPLE
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you for your inquiry about Semi-Block format for letters. What
follows is a quick summary of the format and the conventions it uses.
Semi-block format or style is frequently called modified semi-block
because it is a slightly less formal modification of full block format. This letter
style places the date line in alignment with, or slightly to the right of dead
center. Another option for placing the date line in semi-block is flush right. Indent paragraphs 5
Similar to full block, semi-block places the inside address, salutation and any
end notations flush with the left margin. However, unlike full block, each body spaces. Everything
paragraph of semi-block is indented five spaces. The complimentary close else is flush at the left
and signature block are aligned under the date.
margin.
This page illustrates the spacing and layout of semi-block format. Both full
block and semi-block formats generally contain all of the necessary parts of a
letter.
Sincerely yours ,
Dr. Sheila Carter-Todd
Business Letter
Salutation / Greeting
A Business letter’s text starts with a simple and
professional greeting such as,
The Word Dear, Mr./Ms./Title, & Last name of Person:”
Examples
Dear Dr. Smithsonian:
Dear Ms. Cleopatra:
The difference between personal and business
letter greetings is that a colon (:) follows the
greeting of a business letter and a comma (,)
follows the greeting of a personal letter
Body
A generally acceptable format for the body
of most business letters is block style,
with no indentions or centering of any
parts.
Paragraphs should also be single spaced
within the paragraph and double spaced
between different paragraphs.
Business Letter Content
Each paragraph in the business letter should
contain different topics.
The first paragraph should grab attention and state
the reason for the letter.
The middle paragraphs, as in most letters, should
support your reason and go into details.
In the final paragraph, it professional etiquette for
the writer to thank the reader for taking his or her
time to read the letter.
Closing
The end of a business letter marks the
biggest difference between business and
personal letters.
The ending of a business letter usually
states ‘Sincerely,’ followed by three blank
lines for the writer’s signature and then
the writer’s typed name.
Letter-writing Practice Exercise:
Response letter
Behave as if you have just received the
Letter of Application in the next slide.
You must notify the person that he or she
did not get the job and that your company
has recently filled the advertised position.
Write a one-paragraph letter to the
applicant. (See upcoming slide for a
suggested approach to writing the letter.)
Read this Sample Business Letter (Letter of Application) below.
Sender’s Return address 6123 Farrington Road
Troy, Alabama 27514
Inside address January 11, 2007
(receiver)
Taylor, Inc.
This letter is written in Modified Block Style.
Mr./Ms. S. Student, Human Resources Director
Indent the sender’s address, letter date,
694 Rockfoot Lane
complimentary close, & signature. Everything else is
Durham, North Carolina 27708 flush to the left margin. Single Space throughout,
except double Space between new paragraphs.
Dear Mr./Ms. Student: Center letter on the page.
I just read an article in the News and Observer about Taylor's new computer center just north of Durham. I
would like to apply for a position as an entry-level programmer at the center.
I understand that Taylor produces both in-house and customer documentation. My technical-writing skills, as
described in the enclosed resume, are well suited to your company. I am a recent graduate of Troy University
in Troy, Alabama, with an Associate's Degree in Computer Science. In addition to having taken a broad
range of courses, I served as a computer consultant at the college's computer center where I helped train
computer users on new systems.
I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and discuss how my education and experience match
your needs. You can reach me at my home address, at (919) 233-1552, or at crock@devry.alumni.edu.
Complimentary Closing Sincerely,
re
d e r’s Signatu
Raymond Graduate Sen
Suggestions for Responding
Reminder to supply address information.
Include salutation.
Acknowledge receipt of the application
package.
Thank the applicant for his interest.
Notify the applicant that the position has
been filled.
Let the applicant know that you will keep
the application packet on file.
Sample business letters: Inquiry
Dear _______,
I am writing to inquire about your office furniture line.
We are expanding our office in Seoul and we will need
extra desks, chairs and filing cabinets. Could you please
send me your catalog with prices, sizes and colors for
those items?
Yours faithfully,
Sample business letters: Reply to the inquiry
Dear _______,
Thank you for your inquiry. I am sending a catalog to you today
which shows details of office supplies we offer.
You can also see our entire products on our website at
www.furnitureline.com. We offer a 5% discount for orders made
through our website.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely,
John Cho
Sales Executive
Sample business letters: Apology
Dear _______,
I am writing in regards to your order for office furniture.
I regret to inform you that we are unable to deliver the desks on
time. This is as a result of problems at our supplier’s factory. We
have the desks on pages 37 and 38 of our catalog in stock, however,
in three different colors (brown, black, and white).
With regard to the chairs and filing cabinets, we will deliver the
goods before 13 November, as agreed.
With apologies,
Yours sincerely,
John Cho
Sales Executive
Proofreading
Format
• Times New Roman, 12 point or Arial, 11 point
• Double space between paragraphs (press Enter twice)
• No indentation necessary
Content
• Subject: Is it brief and informational?
• Tone: formal / informal
• Salutation: Is it appropriate?
• Purpose / details / future actions
Proofreading
Accuracy
• Capitalization
mr yang’s visit Mr. Yang’s visit
• Punctuation
Before going to the airport I will stop by the office.
Before going to the airport, I will stop by the office.
• Spelling: Spell names correctly!
• Articles: the, a/an
I will have contract ready by the next week.
