1. BUSINESS LETTERS
Career Preparedness

2. TWO TYPES OF LETTERS Personal Business Business
Includes the writer’s return address, but reference initials are NOT included.
Business

3. TWO STYLES
Full Block
All lines start flush with the left margin.

4. LETTER STYLES Modified Block
Certain lines start at the center of the page.

5. Eight Parts of a Business Letter
Date
Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Closing
Signature line
Title Line
Reference Initials

6. OPEN PUNCTUATION No punctuation after the salutation or closing:
Dear Sir
Sincerely yours

7. MIXED PUNCTUATION Colon follows the salutation Comma Follows Closing
Dear Sir:
Comma Follows Closing
Sincerely yours,

8. INSIDE ADDRESS
The address of the person to whom you are sending the letter.
Mr. John Smith
123 Elm Street
Anytown, AL
Double space after inside address.

9. RETURN ADDRESS The address of the person sending the letter.
Used for PERSONAL business letters.
5476 Caldwell Mill Road
Birmingham, AL
Quadruple space after personal address.

10. REMEMBER… House numbers are written in figures except for “one”
4 Elm Street
Street numbers (one through ten) are spelled out.
Eight Parkway East
11 and up are in figures:
11th Street
24th Avenue

11. SALUTATION
The line at the start of a letter including the greeting and the recipient’s name:
Dear Mr. Doe:
Double space after salutation

12. BODY Begin the letter body (message) a DS below the salutation.
Single space the lines.
Double space between paragraphs.

13. CLOSE (CLOSING) The farewell to the letter such as: Yours truly,
Sincerely yours,

14. SIGNATURE LINE/TITLE LINE
Key the name of the writer a QS (four hard returns) below the closing to leave a space for the signature.
Sincerely,
John Doe
Vice-President

15. REFERENCE INITIALS
If someone other than the writer keys the letter, place their initials (lower case) a double space below the writer’s name. st

16. ATTACHMENT/ENCLOSURE
If there are attachments or enclosures, double space and indicate this under the initials.
Attachment(s)
Enclosure(s)