In this semester i would like to write
about business letter related to English Business 1 subject. This is the first
task about “Parts of Business Letter”. A business letter is a formal letter. Parts
of the business letter are :
The heading contains the return
address with the date on the last line. Sometimes it is necessary to include a
line before the date with a phone number, fax number, or e-mail address. Often
there is a line skipped between the address and the date. It is not necessary
to type a return address if you are using stationery with the return address
already imprinted, but you should always use a date. Make sure the
heading is on the left margin. Example:
Ms. Jane Doe
543 Washington St
Marquette, MI 49855
2. Date
Letters should always include a date. You enter dates two to six lines below
the heading, depending on the length of the letter. Use the full month name
spelled out, then the day, followed by a comma, and then the four-digit year,
for example, June 6, 2010. It consists of date, month, year or (month, date,
year). If there is no Letter Head, make sure you put the name of the city
before the date line. Examples :
23rd November, 2013 or November 23rd, 2013
28 July, 2013
or July 28, 2013
If there is no letter head in a letter, you must write
a full address of the sender, example :
115 Downing Street, London
June 28th, 2009
3. Inside Address
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. It usually consists of 3 or 4
lines, :
The name of
a person or the firm you are writing to.
Number,
the name of the street
The name of
city ( A country when applicable)
Examples :
Mmes. Robert Thompson & Audrey
112, Downing Street
London E.C. 2, England
4. Attention Line
Business
letters are
usually more addressed to companies than to one person. But, sometimes this
form of written communication should take place between company and
company or between company and a person and vice versa. In this situation
we need to use what people call "attention line". We mostly
use attention line for the following three reasons :
- We want the letter directly delivered to a
certain people in a company.
- We do not know the person's name we are writing
to and we decide to write to the company he or she works in.
- We want the letter to reach a person we are
writing to faster.
Attention line is usually put after inside
address. Example :
Gifted Restaurant
16771 Fifteen Avenue
New york, N. Y.
Attention : Miss Rachel White
5. Salutation
The salutation (or greeting) in a
business letter is always formal. It often begins with “Dear {Person’s
name}.” Once again, be sure to include the person’s title if you know it (such
as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr). If you’re unsure about the person’s title then
just use their first name. For example, you would use only the person’s first
name if the person you are writing to is “Jordan” and you’re not sure if he or
she is male or female. The salutation always ends with a colon.
British
Style
Examples:
Dear Sir,
Sir,
Dear Sirs,
Dear Madam,
Mesdames,
American
Style
Examples:
Dear Sir:
Sir:
Gentlemen:
Dear Madam:
Mesdames:
If you
know the person you are writing to, you can use the style below which is more
personal or informal:
Dear Mr. Brown,
My dear Madam Tiara,
6. Subject Line
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."
Subject
Line is usually
capitalized and underlined:
Examples:
7.
Body of The Letter
The opening
paragraph should always state why you are writing. Then, in a simple and
straightforward manner, explain the situation, the solution, the suggestion or
whatever other message you need to get across to the recipient. Be as brief as
possible since long complicated messages often distract readers. Start a new
paragraph whenever you begin a new subject. A good letter body should
fulfill the following requirements :
- Concise / short : Never make up
sentences just to make a letter look longer.
- Simple : Avoid making up
complex sentences. Try to make up a simple sentence.
- Systematic : Always put your
ideas in order from A to Z. ( From opening paragraph to closing paragraph
there should not be any repetitions)
Body of the
Letter consists of
3 paragraphs :
- the opening paragraph
- the content paragraph
- the closing paragraph
8. Complimentary Closes
The complimentary close is a short and
polite remark that ends your letter. The close begins at the same justification
as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first
word of your closing (Thank you) and leave four lines for a signature between
the close and the sender’s name. A comma should follow the closing.
Complementary
Closing usually
consists of 2 lines:
- Closing Words / Expressions
- Name of Firm
Examples:
Yours truly,
Wisnu & Ninda LTD
Truly Yours,
Wisnu & Ninda LTD
9. Signature Line
Skip at least
four lines after the close for your signature, and then type out the name to be
signed. This often includes a middle initial, although it is not required.
Women may put their title before had to show how they wish to be addressed
(Ms., Mrs., Miss).
The signature should be in blue or black ink. Business letter signature line usually consists of
signature of the person who
writes the business letter. Below the signature
we usually put our name. Below our name, sometimes we put our
title or position in the company or
institution we work in. Mostly, this is just
to inform the person who has not known us before.
Examples :
|
signature
Adam
Williams
Customer
Relation Manager
|
10. Identification Initials
If you type a letter for someone else, add identifying
initials. For example if John Doe types a letter for Jane Smith, the notation
would be JS:jd. Then, if you are enclosing items in the envelope, add an
enclosure notation (Enc:, Encl: or Enclosures) followed by the title of the
enclosures. Add the notation cc: followed by the names of everyone receiving a
copy.
Identification Initials are usually used by large-sized
companies for administrative purposes only. Identification
Initials mainly have two functions :
a. to give information about the secretary or the author of a business letter.
b. to provide data in case of some incidents or errors.
Identification Initials are generally put at the left-hand bottom,
just after the signature line. They are sometimes put at the same line with the
date line. Example :
J.B./m.h.
The identification initials mean that the author is Jack Brown and the
secretary/clerk is Meredith Harrison.
11. Enclose
Reference
When our business letter has one or more
attachments, such as price list, collection letter, brochure, invoice, resume
etc., we must make sure that we state it in the main letter. The statement that
we send another paper other than the main letter is called enclosure
reference. This enclosure reference is usually shortened as Enc.
or ENC. or Inc. or Encl. or Incl..
Example :
Encl. : 1 (one) Illustrated price list
Incl. : 1 (one) Invoice
Enc. : Our 2010 Catalog
Inc. : Cheque no. 954646/B
The difference between American style and British Style :
|
American Style
|
British Style
|
|
Heading
|
According to the format but
usually aligned to the left
|
The heading is usually placed
in the top right corner of the letter
(sometimes centred)
|
|
Date
|
October 19, 2005 (month-day-year)
According to the format but usually
aligned to the left
(two lines below the heading)
|
19 October 2005 (day-month-year)
Usually placed directly (or 1 blank line)
below the heading.
|
|
Salutation
|
Dear Mr./Ms. Smith:
Dear Sir or Madam:
Gentlemen:
After the salutation there is a colon (:)
|
Dear Mr./Ms. Smith,
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Sirs,
After the salutation there is a comma (,)
|
|
Complimentary close
|
Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours truly,
|
Sincerely,
Yours sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
|
References :
https://www.nmu.edu/writingcenter/parts-business-letter
http://www.englet.com/parts
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/business-letter-parts.html
