BASICLETTERPARTS

Letterhead.Aletterheadcontainsthenameandaddressofanorganizationorperson.A
varietyofadditionalinformationcanbeincluded,suchasthetelephonenumber,faxnumber,
emailaddress,listofcompanyofficers,andalogo.Theletterhead,whichisdesignedtostand
outfromthetextoftheletter,isusuallypreprintedanddoesnotneedtobekeyed.

Date.Theonlyacceptabledatestyleforlettersismonth/day/year(November14,2009),with
themonthspelledout.Mostwordprocessingprogramsenterandupdatethedate
automaticallyifitisinsertedusingtheDatefeature.Keythedate2"fromthetopofthepage,
oraDSbelowaletterheadthatismorethan2"deep.

Letteraddress.KeythereceiversnameandaddressSS,withaminimumofthreelinesanda
maximumofsixlines.Ifthedefaultlinespacinginyoursoftwareis1.15",youmustSHIFT+
ENTERaftereachlineoftheletteraddressinordertoachievesinglespacing.ForU.S.
addresses,thelastlinemustcontainonlythreeelements:city(neverabbreviated),state
(alwaystwoletterUSPSabbreviation),andZIP+4.Theletteraddressshouldbethesameasthe
deliveryaddressontheenvelope.BegintheaddressaQSbelowthedate.Keyapersonaltitle
(Ms.,Mr.,Mrs.)oraprofessionaltitle(Dr.,Senator)beforethereceiversname.Insertone
spacebetweenthestateandtheZIPcode.

Salutation.Keythesalutation(greeting)doublespace(oneblankline)belowtheletter
address.Onlythetitleandlastnameappearinthesalutationunlessthetitleisnotknownand
thegenderoftheaddresseeisdifficulttodetermineforexample,LeslieKennedy.Thenthe
salutationwouldreadDearLeslieKennedy.

February25,2010

Quadruplespace=3blanklines

Exampleshownisopeninglinesfor
Ms.MarilynLombard

aletterusingaletterheadinblock
2539W.FifthAvenue

format.
SanFrancisco,CA941013399

Doublespace=1blankline
DearMs.Lombard

Body.Beginthebody(message)oftheletteradoublespacebelowthesalutation.Singlespace
eachparagraphwithaDSbetweenparagraphs.

Complimentaryclose.Keythecomplimentaryclose(farewell)adoublespacebelowthebody
oftheletter.Iftwowordsareused(Sincerelyyours),capitalizeonlythefirstword.

Page1

Nameofthewriter.Keythenameofthewriter(sender)quadruplespacebelowthe
complimentaryclose.Generallythepersonaltitleofthewriterisnotincluded;however,atitle
canprecedethenameifafemaleprefers(Mrs.,Miss,Ms.)orifthegenderofthewriteris
unclear(Mr.LeslieKennedy).Abusinesstitleordepartmentmaybeadded
Sincerelyyours
titleiskeyedbelowthenameofthewriter.

Quadruplespace

Referenceinitials.Ifsomeoneotherthanthewriter

RobertHayward
keystheletter,addthekeyboardoperatorsinitials
CreditManager
inlowercaselettersattheleftmarginadoublespace

belowthewritersname,title,ordepartment.
Doublespace
sw

Example
PERSONALBUSINESSLETTERS

Aletterwrittenbyanindividualconcerningbusinessofapersonalnatureiscalledapersonal
businessletter.Allthepartsofabusinessletterareincluded,withoneexception:The
letterheadisreplacedwithareturnaddress.Apersonalbusinessletterisprintedonplain
paperwiththewritersaddresskeyed2"fromthetopofthepageattheleftmargin.The
returnaddressconsistsofonelineforthestreetaddressandonelineforthecity,state,andZIP
code.Thedateiskeyeddirectlybelowthecity,state,andZIPcode.

TopMargin=2inches
2341JeffersonAvenue
Toledo,OH436120851
March22,2010

Quadruplespace

Dr.RaymondMarkley
2042CarmenStreet
Louisville,KY402993179

Exampleshownisopeninglinesfora
letternotusingaletterheadinblock
format.(Personal/BusinessLetter)

Doublespace
DearDr.Markley

LETTERFORMATS
Businessandpersonalbusinesslettersarearrangedinvaryingformatsandstyles.These
variationsaredescribedbelow.

Margins.Lettersareformattedwith1"leftandrightmargins,a2"topmargin,anda1"bottom
margin.Insteadofa2"topmargin,lettersmaybecenteredverticallyusingtheCenterPage
feature.

BUSINESSLETTERS

Formats.Businesslettersareformattedintwobasicstyles:blockandmodifiedblock.

Page2


Blockformatarrangesallletterpartsattheleftmargin.Theparagraphsarenotindented.
Refertotheillustrationofapersonalbusinessletterinblockformatshownbelow.

Modifiedblockformatplacesthedateandtheclosinglines(complimentaryclose,writers
name,andtitle)beginningnearoratthehorizontalcenterofthepageinsteadofattheleft
margin.Thedefaulttabnearesttothecentermaybeusedtoplacethedateandclosing
lines.Thefirstlineofeachparagraphmaybeblockedattheleftmarginorindented0.5".
Seetheillustrationofaletterinmodifiedblockformatshownbelow.Thisillustration
containsseveralspecialbusinessletterpartsincludingamailingnotation,subjectline,
enclosurenotation,andcopynotation.

Punctuationstyles.Twostylesofpunctuationarecommonlyusedinbusinessletters.Open
punctuationhasnopunctuationmarkafterthesalutationorcomplimentaryclose.Mixed
punctuationcontainsacolon(:)afterthesalutationandacomma(,)afterthecomplimentary
close.

ADDITIONALLETTERFEATURES
Someadditionalletterfeaturesthatmaybeusedaredescribedbelow.

USPSletteraddressstyle.Theletteraddressofabusinessorpersonalbusinesslettermaybe
keyedinALLCAPSwithnopunctuationifusingtheUnitedStatesPostalServicestyleforthe
delivery(envelope)address.

Secondpageheading.Ifaletterislongerthanonepage,aplainsheetofpaperisusedforthe
secondandsucceedingpages.Onlythefirstpagecontainsthesendersletterhead.Asecond
pageheadingshouldbekeyed1"fromthetopofthepageinblockformat,SS.Includethe
nameoftheaddressee,thewordPagefollowedbythepagenumber,andthedate.PlaceDS
belowthedatebeforecontinuingtheletter.

TopMarginis1inch.

Ms.BarbaraPowell
Page2 heading ofaletter illustrated
Page2

July22,2010
DoubleSpace
Theremainingparagraphsoftheletterwillbekeyedhere.

Widow/Orphan.Atleasttwolinesofaparagraphmustbekeyedatthebottomofthefirst
pageofaletterandatthetopofthesecondpage.ActivatetheWidow/Orphanfeaturefrom
thedropdownmenuitemFormat,Paragraph,LineandPageBreakstoensureproperbreaks.
Thisfeatureensuresthatthefirstlineofaparagraphdoesnotappearbyitselfatthebottomof
apage(orphanline)orthelastlineofaparagraphdoesnotappearbyitselfatthetopofapage
(widowline).

Page3


BulletsandNumbering.UsetheBulletsfeatureorNumberingfeaturetocreatebulletedor
numberedlists.Thesefeaturesautomaticallyformateachlistediteminhangingindentstyle
(thesecondandsucceedinglinesalignunderthefirstletterofthefirstword).

Tablesinletters.Atableinsertedinalettershouldbeplacedevenwiththeleftandright
marginsoftheletterorcenteredbetweenthemargins.Leaveablanklineaboveandbelowthe
insertedtable.Tablegridlinesmaybeshownorhidden.

Formletters.Aformletterisastandardmessagesenttomorethanoneaddressee.Form
paragraphsmaybestoredasmacros(storedtext)andplayedbackwhenneededtocreate
personalizedformletters.FormletterscanalsobecreatedusingtheMailMergefeatureof
wordprocessingprograms.

ENVELOPES
MostwordprocessingprogramshaveanEnvelopefeaturethatwillautomaticallyformatthe
placementofthereturnandletteraddresses.However,becauseofprinterissues,notallusers
areabletousetheEnvelopefeatureefficiently.Therefore,specifickeyinginstructionsare
providedbelowforformattingenvelopes.

Sendersreturnaddress.Keythereturnaddressinblockstyle,SS,approximately0.25"
fromtheleftandtopmarginsoftheenvelope.Keythename,streetaddress,city,state,
andZIPCodeinthreelineseitherinALLCAPSorInitialCaps.
Receiversaddress.Keythereceiversaddressinblockstyle,SS,andInitialCaps.You
mayuseALLCAPSifdesired.Placethecity,state,andZIPCode(onespaceprecedesthe
ZIP)onthelastaddressline.Neverabbreviatethenameofacityorcountry.
Internationaladdresses.Omitpostal(ZIP)codesfromthelastlineofaddressesoutside
theU.S.Showonlythenameofthecountryonthelastline,asshownbelow.

Mr.HiramSanders
2121ClearwaterStreet
OttawaONKIAOB1
CANADA

Spacing.IfnotusingtheEnvelopefeature,tabover2.5"forasmallenvelope(No.634)
and4"foralargeenvelope(No.10).Enterhardreturnstoplacethefirstlineofthe
deliveryaddressapproximately2"fromthetopoftheenvelope.
Mailingandaddresseenotations.Keyamailingnotation(REGISTERED,SPECIAL
DELIVERY)inALLCAPSbelowthestamp,approximately12"abovethefirstlineofthe
deliveryaddress.Keyanaddresseenotation(PERSONAL,CONFIDENTIAL)attheleft
marginaDSbelowthereturnaddress.Ifanattentionlineisused,keyitasthefirstline
ofthedeliveryaddress.

Page4

PERSONAL/BUSINESSLETTERin
BLOCKSTYLEwithMixedPunctuation
2inchTopMargin
1SideMargins

2889 South Main Street

Redding, CA 96002
October 7, 1997

ReturnAddress
Dateline

ThreeBlankLines(QuadrupleSpace)

Mr. Bill Eggert

Enterprise High School
3411 Churn Creek Road
Redding, CA 96002

LetterAddress
BodyofLetter
DoubleSpace

Dear Mr. Eggert:

Salutationwithmixedpunctuation

DoubleSpace

For my project I chose to do something that I have not done before. I will be exploring herbal
medicine as a positive alternative to prescription drugs. I feel drawn to this subject due to the
overwhelming amount of herbs that are available. I want to know if they can do what experts
claim they can do. By completing this project, I will have been exposed to a part of the medical
field which I might learn to enjoy. I might even want to make a career out of it.
DoubleSpace

My research paper will consist of a history of herbal and the effectiveness of herbal medicine. I
hope to be able to include a wide variety of herbs to cure various ailments, especially common
ones. I will be using several home remedy and botany books for my reference materials. The
Internet will also be used for some of my references.
DoubleSpace

My physical project will be directly involved with my research paper in the sense that I will job
shadow in a health food store. While job shadowing I will learn how to use many forms of
alternative medicine. My mentor will be Mrs. Jane Pryde, who sells herbs and does herbal
consulting. The cost of my project will be relatively low, probably no more than fifty dollars.
The time it will take to complete my project will be approximately twenty hours.
DoubleSpace

I understand plagiarism and its repercussions. I will credit all sources.

Sincerely,

ComplimentaryClosewithmixedpunctuation
ThreeBlankLines(QuadrupleSpace)

NameofLetterWriter

David Blythe-Bettes

Page5

Tab3.25

2inchTopMargin

1SideMargins

BUSINESSLETTERinMODIFIEDBLOCK
STYLEwithOpen(no)Punctuation

BeginDateline,Complimentary
Close,WritersNameandTitle
atthesametab. (3.25LeftTab)
StartsatCenter.

Dateline

May23,2010

ThreeBlankLines(QuadrupleSpace)

MailingNotation
FACSIMILE
DoubleSpace

Mr.JamisonCooper
LetterAddress
882ElderberryDrive
Fayetteville,NC283110065
DoubleSpace

Salutationwithopenpunctuation
DearMr.Cooper
DoubleSpace

SubjectLine
SELECTIONOFEXCELLENTPRESENTERS
DoubleSpace

Lastweekatourmeeting,youmentionedseveralindividualsyouthoughtwouldbeexcellent
presentersfortheopeningandclosingsessionsofnextyearsconvention.Iacceptyourofferto
contactthem.Whenyoucontactthem,pleasesharewiththemthethemeofourconvention
anddeterminewhattheywouldproposeasanopeningorclosingsessionforourconvention.
Ofcourse,weneedtobeconcernedwiththebudget;pleasedeterminethefeetheywould
charge.
DoubleSpace

TheinformationwillbeneededbeforeJune15forourmeeting.Yourwillingnesstoserveon
thiscommitteeisgreatlyappreciated.Illlookforwardtoseeingyouinacoupleofweeks.

DoubleSpace

Sincerelyyours
ComplimentaryClosewithopenpunctuation

Tabsetat3.25(exactcenter)
ThreeBlankLines(QuadrupleSpace)

NameofLetterWriter

SusanneJ.Warrens
Tab3.25

ProgramChair
DoubleSpace

ReferenceInitials
SW:xx
DoubleSpace

EnclosureNotation
Enclosure
DoubleSpace

CopyNotation
cMarshaEdinburgh,President

DoubleSpace
Ablockformatletterisenclosedsothatyoucancomparethetwoformats.Asyoucansee,
eitherformatpresentsanattractiveappearance.

Postscript

Page6