Style Of Business Letter

The following pictures show what a one-page business letter should look like. There are three accepted styles. The horizontal lines represent lines of type. 
                                             
                                            
                                             Modified Block Style                  Block Style

Semi Block Style

 

Parts of Business Letter

The Heading

The heading of a business letter should contain the return address (usually two or three lines) followed by a line with the date. The heading is indented to the middle of the page in the modified block and semi block styles. It begins at the left margin in the block style. If the stationery is imprinted with the return address, then the return address may be omitted. Sometimes a line after the address and before the date may include a phone number, a fax number, an E-mail address, or the like.

Particularly if the address uses three or more lines, it is good to skip a line before the date. When using the block style, always skip a line before the date. Always include the date.

Example:

Acme Explosives, Inc. 

100-B Dry Gulch Alley 

Lonesome Coyote AZ 85789

July 14, 1997

 The Inside Address

This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as complete as possible. Include titles, names, and routing information if you know them. 

This is always on the left margin.

Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skip another line after the inside address before the greeting.

Example:

Dr. Calvin Carson 

Cross Country

Coach Dept. of Athletics 

Colorado Community College at Cripple Creek 

Cripple Creek CO 80678

The Greeting

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 such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., or a political title. The greeting in a business letter always ends in a colon.

The Body

The first line of a new paragraph is indented in the semi block style. The block and modified block style have all lines of the body to the left margin. Regardless of style, skip a line between paragraphs. Skip a line between the greeting and the body. Skip a line between the body and the close.

The Complimentary Close and Signature Line

The left edge of the close and signature line in the semi block and modified block begin in the center, at the same column as the heading. The close and signature of the block letter begins at the left margin. The complimentary close begins with a capital letter and ends with a comma. Skip from one to three spaces (two on a typewriter), and type in the signature line, the printed name of the person signing the letter.

Sign the name in the space between the close and the signature line, starting at the left edge of the signature line. Women may indicate how they wish to be addressed by placing Miss, Mrs., Ms. or similar title in parentheses before their name. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink.

Example:



Sincerely, 
(Signature goes here) (Mrs.)

Elisabeth Jackson Director of
Acquisitions

 

Parts of letter

The following are the parts of a business letter listed in the proper sequential order.
Letterhead

Stationary printed at the top of the page including the company name, logo, full address, and other elements such as trademark symbols, phone & fax numbers, and an e-mail.

Dateline

The date is the month (spelled out), day, and year. If you are using Microsoft Word, click - Insert, then Time and Date. Press Enter four times after the date.

Letter Address

The complete address of the recipient of the letter. The letter address usually includes the personal title (Mr., Mrs. etc.), first and last name followed by the company name, street address, city, province, and postal code. Press Enter twice after letter address.

Salutation

The word Dear followed by the personal title and last name of the recipient (Dear Mr. Smith). Press Enter twice after the salutation.

Body

The text that makes up the message of the letter. Single-space the paragraphs and double-space between the paragraphs. Press Enter twice after the last paragraph.

Complimentary closing

A phrase used to end a letter. Capitalize only the first letter. If there is a colon after the salutation, there must be a comma after the complimentary close. Press Enter four times (or more) after the complimentary close to allow for a written signature.

Name and title of writer

Type the first and last name of the sender. The sender's personal title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc) should be included. Use a comma to separate the job title if it's on the same line as the name. Do not use a comma if the job title is on a separate line. Press Enter twice after the name or title.

Defination of english business and type of English leter

Defination of english business

Business means buying and selling, and English is the name of our mother tongue. Business English is obviously such English as is used in mercantile transactions. Our definition is quickly made.

But it will bear expansion. We must answer certain questions that inevitably arise. Is some special brand of English used in business? And how are we to know when we are studying business and when merely the English of business?

Take the first of these two questions. There are of course certain words which name business transactions primarily. Buy, sell, exchange, barter, trade, purchase, shop, customer, hire, rent, pay, fee, price, retail, wholesale, lease, mortgage, merchandise, commodity, goods, stock, office, factory, finance, money, funds, capital, interest, sum, amount, balance, cash, currency, bill, receipt, note, draft, check, bank, cashier, bookkeeper, stenographer, clerk - hundreds of words like these will occur to us at random as being mercantile words in a peculiar sense.

To be sure, they are not all limited to business transactions. Note the word brand. It is primarily mercantile, naming a particular kind of goods. But in the second paragraph, above, the phrase "special brand of English" appears. Here the word is used figuratively. Every business word can be extended in that way to social or literary use. When we speak of wholesale slaughter, or of a stock of words, we use commercial figures of speech, and Americans are exceedingly fond of doing so. You have heard people speak of a thoroughly posted man, as if a man were a ledger. You have heard them speak of the balance of the day, as if time were literally money. You have noticed that an American likes to claim everything in sight; I mean, he prefers to claim that a thing is so, rather than assert, declare, contend, allege, maintain, or swear that it is so.

Type of English leter

Inquiry letter of English Business Letter

Inquiry letter is a letter of request, also known as a letter of the candidate. Which will be sent to companies. Request letter is a letter from a prospective buyer to the seller requesting information products offered. With a quote from the seller then potential buyers will know the price and a information of the items or services to be purchased. This is the purpose of the prospective buyer a write request letter to the seller. When the prospective buyer has to know the condition of an item or services following the price and term of sale and purchase, of course he does not need anymore request a quote from the seller. Letter of inquiry required in formal trade requiring formal procedures in writing. The letter of inquiry is often an early stage of the business transaction. By the letter of inquiry prospective buyers ask or inquiry about the items or service to be purchased. In response, the seller expalined the things he want to know the buyer, buyer’s reservation and eventually business transaction as the end of the buying and selling process.

In the letter of inquiry for the items usually offer prospective buyers ask :

1. Name and type of items.

2. Specification of items, namely : type, size, quality, capacity, etc.

3. The price per unit.

4. Piece.

5. How to pay

6. How to surrender, and

7.  Easy that may be obtained by the buyer, such as guarantees and other.

In addition to things mentioned above prospective buyers asking price lists and catalogs (if the items varies), and a technical description of the items in the form of leaflet or brochures. For items that are possible, prospective buyers can also request sent examples of the real stuff.

Through a letter of inquiry and supply service, prospecitve buyers can inquiry :

1. The form of services that can be presented by the seller.

2. Equipment that can be used by the seller as a support (If any)

3. Price

4. Piece and

5. How to pay