Know how to write business letters
A business letter is more formal than a personal letter. There are six parts to a business letter.
a. The Heading
This contains the return address (usually two or three lines) with the date on the last line.
Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line after the address and before the date for a phone
number, fax number, E–mail address, or something similar. Often a line is skipped between the
address and date. Always include the date. See Business Letter Styles.
b. The Inside Address
This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as complete as possible. Include titles and
names if you know them. Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skip another line
after the inside address before the greeting.
c. The Greeting
Also called the salutation. The greeting in a business letter is always formal. It normally begins with
the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name. It normally has a title. Use a first name
only if the title is unclear — for example, you are writing to someone named "Leslie," but do not
know whether the person is male or female. For more on the form of titles, see Titles with Names.
The greeting in a business letter always ends in a colon. (You know you are in trouble if you get
a letter from a boyfriend or girlfriend and the greeting ends in a colon–it is not going to be friendly.)
To find out more, just click on www.english.com.
