In what letter style do the date line the complimentary closing and the writers identification start at Centre and all other lines start at the left margin?

Table of Contents Show

Elements of a Business Letter
The Inside Address
The Salutation
The Complimentary Close
The Additional Notation
Citation Information
Copyright Information
Format and Font

Contents

Elements of a Business Letter

When business letters are written on company letterhead stationery, they are generally formatted in a full block style with each part of the letter justified to the left margin.

Letters not on company letterhead stationery are written in a modified block style with the heading, date and complimentary close left justified to the center line and the inside address, salutation and body justified to the left margin.

When a business letter requires more than one page, the secondary pages should have a header that includes the recipient's name, the page number and the date.

Elements of a Business Letter

The elements of a business letter are:

the heading
the date
the inside address
the salutation
the body
and the complimentary close
an additional notation section often follows the close

Heading

The heading is also the return address to which the recipient will refer when sending a response.

The writer's name is not included in the heading, as it is appears in the complimentary close at the end of the letter. It should include only the street, city, state and zip code of the letter writer. Identifying words such as Avenue, Circle, Court, Drive, and Street should be spelled out rather than abbreviated. Doing so reduces the chances of a response being sent to an incorrect address.

The state name can be either spelled out or abbreviated in upper case letters according to U.S. Postal Service guidelines.

The date a letter is written should be placed below the writer's return address information. It is the final component in the heading of a business letter.

The Inside Address

The inside address contains the mailing information belonging to the recipient and should be justified to the left margin of the letter and placed two spaces below the date (for very short letters four spaces is acceptable).

As in the heading, the inside address includes the street, city, state and zip code of the recipient, all of which should be placed below the name of the business or organization to whom the letter is being written. Identifying words such as Avenue, Circle, Court, Drive, and Street should be spelled out rather than abbreviated.

When the recipient' name, title and position are known, they should be included as the first two lines in the inside address and placed directly above the name of the business or organization.

The Salutation

The salutation is a greeting. Its placement belongs two spaces below the inside address and always justified to the left margin of the letter. It should include the title and full name of the recipient, followed by a colon.

Customarily the salutation begins with Dear, followed by a title such as Mr., Ms., Mrs., however, when the writer is on a first name basis with the recipient, that formality can be dropped in favor of a first name.

The titles Mr., Ms., Mrs., and Dr. are always abbreviated. Other titles, such as Professor and Senator are never abbreviated. Regardless of marital status women should always be addressed as Ms.-the only exception being when the recipient has personally expressed a desire to be addressed otherwise (Miss or Mrs.).

Avoid gender-based salutations when it is not known if the recipient is a man or a woman. Dear Student: Dear Customer: Dear Resident: etc. are perfectly acceptable options for gender-neutral correspondence.

An impersonal device may be preferable when addressing a letter to a large organization where the recipient's name is not likely to be known. For example, Attention: Accounts Receivable or Subject: Billing Error may replace more familiar forms of greeting.

The salutation, To Whom It May Concern: is very out of date-very 20th Century.

The Body

Begin the body of a business letter two spaces below the salutation or attention-getting device. Each paragraph should be single-spaced and justified to the left margin of the page with a double space separating each paragraph.

It is acceptable to double space the text of a letter when the body is very short. This is done purely for cosmetic reasons, giving the letter a more visually balanced appearance on the page. In such instances it is appropriate to indent the first line of each paragraph.

The Complimentary Close

The complimentary close is placed two spaces below the last line of a letter's body.

Customary expressions used to close a formal business letter include Thank you, Sincerely, Sincerely yours, and Yours truly. Less formal expressions such as Regards, Best regards, and Best wishes should be used only when the writer is addressing a business associate that is also a friend.

When the expression contains two words, such as Thank you, only the first word receives an initial upper case letter

A comma follows all forms of a complimentary close.

Allow four spaces between the complimentary close and the typed version of the writer's full name. The space between is reserved for a handwritten signature. The writer's job position or title should appear directly below his or her name.

The writer's signature should be identical to the printed version except in those situations where the recipient is also a friend, in which case a first name only is fine.

The Additional Notation

A number of situations call for a business letter to be marked with notations signifying those situations. These notations should be placed two spaces below the position or title line following the writer's printed signature.

When a letter references one or more documents that are enclosed by the writer for the recipient, the enclosure is noted in one of the following ways:

Enclosure: Wholesale Pricing Packet
Enclosures (5)
Enc. (Encs.)

When a letter has been dictated to an assistant it should be initialed. Both writer and assistant are acknowledged with their personal initials. The writer's will appear in uppercase letters and the assistant's will appear in lowercase letters in one of the following ways:

When copies of a letter are sent to named business associates or other interested parties, the copy recipients are acknowledged with their full name as in the following example.

cc: Ms. Annie Getz
cc: Mr. Glenn Widget, Ms. Ida Mae Knott

Citation Information

Peter Connor. (1994-2022). Business Letters: Format. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/resources/writing/guides/.

Copyright Information

A business letter is a formal letter. Unlike a résumé or cover letter, it can be more than one page, and is likely to contain six parts:

1. The Heading

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 Tel: Fax: Email:

June 28, 2011

2. Recipient’s Address

This is the address you are sending your letter to. Be sure to make it as complete as possible so it gets to its destination. Always include title names (such as Dr.) if you know them. This is, like the other address, on the left margin. If a standard 8 ½” x 11” paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9” business envelope, the inside address should appear through the window in the envelope (if there is one). Be sure to skip a line after the heading and before the recipient’s address, then skip another line after the inside address before the greeting. For an example, see the end of this sheet for a sample letter.

3. The 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 or gender 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 do not know whether they identify as male, female, or non-binary.
The salutation always ends with a colon.

4. The Body

The body is the meat of your letter. For block and modified block letter formats, single space and left justify each paragraph. Be sure to leave a blank line between each paragraph, however, no matter the format. Be sure to also skip a line between the salutation and the body, as well as the body and the close.

5. The Complimentary Close

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.

6. The Signature Line

Skip at least four lines after the close for your signature, and then type out the name to be signed. If you are printing this letter out and sending it by mail, you will sign your name in pen. This line will include your first and last name, and often includes a middle initial, although it is not required. You may put your title beforehand to show how you wish to be addressed (Ms., Mrs., Dr.).
The signature should be in blue or black ink.

7. Enclosures

If you have any enclosed documents, such as a resume, you can indicate this by typing “Enclosures” one line below the listing. You also may include the name of each document.

Format and Font

Many organizations have their own style for writing a business letter, but here are some common examples.

Block

The most common layout for a business letter is called a block format. In this format, the entire letter is justified to the left and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.

Modified Block

Modified block is another popular type of business letter. The body of the letter and the sender’s and recipient’s addresses are left justified and single spaced. However, in this format, the date and closing are tabbed to the center point.

Semi-Block

The least used style is called a semi-block. In it each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

Font

The standard font for business letters is Times New Roman, size 12. However, fonts that are clear to read such as Arial may be used.

Sample Letter {NOTE: your name goes only at the bottom} Your Return Address (no abbreviations for Street, Avenue, etc.) Your City, YC [your two letter state abbreviation] zip Date (write out either like June 4, 2004 or 4 June 2004) First and Last Name of the Person to whom you are writing Address City, ST zip Dear Mr./Ms. Whomever: In the first paragraph, introduce what you are writing about and what you want from them. In the subsequent paragraphs, explain the nature of your problem and what they can do for you. Be non-combative and straight to the point. In the last paragraph, be sure to thank the recipient for their time and efforts on your behalf. Also, let them know that you will contact them or that they can contact you with any questions. Sincerely yours, {four spaces so that your signature may appear here} Jane Doe