1. What is a Business Letter?
Communications 11 and 12
Lesson 39
What is a Business Letter?
Overview of Letter Parts
Dateline and Letter Address
Salutation
Closing Letter Parts
Letter Format
Letter Placement

2. Overview of Letter Parts
Letterhead
Dateline
Letter Address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary Closing
Writer’s Name and Title
Reference Initials

3. Dateline and Letter Address
Date letter is mailed
QS (4 spaces below dateline)
Include personal title
Letter address
Person who receives the letter
Include personal title
One space before Postal Code
One space before Postal Code

4. Salutation Salutation Salutation is the greeting
Open punctuation requires no mark following the salutation
No punctuation following the salutation

5. Proper Salutations Ladies and Gentlemen Dear title and surname
Appropriate when the letter is addressed to a company
Dear title and surname
Standard letter address
Use professional titles (Dr., Rev.) or personal titles (generally Mr. or Ms.)
Example: Dear Mr. McDonald

6. Letter Parts Body Complimentary closing Writer’s name and title
Body is the message
Complimentary closing
The complimentary closing is the farewell
Writer’s name and title
QS (4 spaces)below complimentary close

7. Block Letter Style All lines begin at left margin Default side margins
Vertical position:
Center the page vertically or
Position dateline 2.3” to 3” from the top of the page, depending on length of the letter

8. Letter Placement Table
Length Margins Position on Page
Short (1-2 Para) Default Center page
Average (3-4 Para) Default Center page or
Dateline 2.7” from top
Long (4 or more Para) Default Center page or
Dateline 2.3” from top

9. Centering Letter on Page
File
Page setup
Layout tab
Vertical alignment
Center

10. Print Preview Shows how a document will look when it is printed.
Use it to check the placement and format of the letter before printing.

11. Steps to Creating a Letter
Key the letter
Use correct spacing between parts
Correct errors
Check the spelling
Delete extra hard returns (¶) above date or below initials
Center letter on page
Use Print Preview to check placement
Position date manually if necessary
Print, proofread, edit if necessary

12. Sample Letter
Click letter to see sample business letter with proper formatting