1. Business Letter Writing

2. When to Use a Business Letter? Request or order letters Complaint or adjustment letters Appreciation or Commendation Letters Letter of Application (job) Letter of Regret

3. 7 Parts of a Business Letter Sender’s address (your street address, city state and zip code) Date Recipient name, title and address Salutation (greeting) Paragraphs- body Closing Signature

4. Format Use plain 8 ½ X 11 inch paper Typed-single spaced, skipping lines between paragraphs All letters should have 1 inch margins all around. Centered Times New Roman font, 12 point

5. Format Cont. Skip one line after each of the elements; skip 3 lines after closing to leave room for your signature. No more than 1 page 2 main types of business letters: block form and indented form.

6. Block Form The entire letter is typed flushed left Creates a “block” look; simple and neat.

7. Indented Form Beginning of the sender’s address and date should be aligned with the center of the page. Sender’s address and date directly below one another Recipient’s address and salutation is flushed left Paragraphs are indented ½ inch

8. Language Remember to use formal language- NO SLANG!! Avoid abbreviations (UCLA, USC, FJC for example) NO contractions (can’t, don’t, won’t, etc…) Do not use nicknames See the “business letter” vocabulary bank for help!

9. Tips for Writing Research and know your audience. Use formal, academic language. Polite, respectful and professional tone Get to the point! Be clear, concise and explain the purpose quickly- DO NOT ramble….shorter is actually better! Include all necessary information

10. Resources to help you… http://readwritethink.org/materials/ letter_generator/http://readwritethink.org/materials/ letter_generator/