Question | Answer |
Letter style is determined by a number of factors such as: | *paper quality, weight, color *letterhead and logo design *ink colors used in printing *style &size of type used for the body of the letter *format |
format | refers to how the letter parts are arranged on the page. |
3 standard formats dominate business letter style | 1) block format 2) modified-block format 3)modified-block format with indented paragraphs |
2 special types of business letters | 1) social-business format 2)personal-business format |
Letter is divided into 4 section | 1) the heading 2) the opening 3)the body 4)the closing |
The Heading consist of | letter head and date line |
letterhead | the company's printed name and address. Where the company put their logo. |
date line | where the date is(month, day, and year) |
The Opening consist of | inside address and salutation |
inside address | the name and address of the person to whom you are writing |
salutation | an opening greeting |
The Body consist of | subject line and message |
subject line | indicates what the letter is about |
message | the text of th eletter; paragraphs are typed single-spaced |
The Closing consist of | complimentary closing, company signature, writer's identification, reference initials, enclosure notation, and copy notation |
complimentary closing | a parting phrase |
company signature | emphasizes that the writer is acting on behalf of the company |
writer's indentification | the signer's name or title or both |
reference initials | the initials of the writer and/or typist |
enclosure notation | a reminder that the letter has an enclosure |
copy notation | the names of those who will receive copies of this letter |
Where is the attention line typed? | below the inside address and above the salutation |
What is the most important section of a letter? | the body - the message |
When is the term "In re:" or "Re:" be used in place of "Subject"? | In legal correspondence or when referring to policy or project numbers |
How many paragraphs should the message be? | at least 2 |
Formal complimentary closings: | (Yours very truly,)(Very truly yours,)(Very sincerely yours,)(Very cordially yours,)(Respectfully yours,) |
Informal complimentary closings: | (Sincerely,)(Cordially,)(Sincerely yours,)(Cordially yours,)(Best regards,) |
Blind copy notation | means that the notation does not apear on the original. Key bc or bcc -- but only on copies |
PS | Stands for postscript, add it after the last line in the letter. |
Block Format | letters in which all the parts begin at the left margin. No tabbing require |
Modified-Block Format | the date line, the complimentary closing, and the writer's indentification start at the horizontal center of the page. |
Modified-Block Format With Indented Paragraphs | Looks the same as the Modified-Block Format except that the first line of each paragraph is indented. |
Social-Business Format | 1)Inside address is at the bottom of the letter, on the sixth line below the last line 2)use a comma in the salutation 3)use an informatl complimentary closing 4)Omit all notations |
Personal Business Format | 1)3-line heading a) street address b)city, state, ZIP Code 3)the date. Use modfied block letters |
Margins that are preset on word processing softwares | 1 inch left and right, 8.5 by 11 inch |
Continuation pages | 1) side margins - same as the first page 2) tope and bottom margins - leave 1-inch top and bottom margins 3) continuation-page heading - name of addressee, the page number, the date at the top of each continuation |