Business Letter Writing

By Mr. Reiner

Letter Format

There are two types of letter format:

Friendly Letter Business Letter

Example of a Business Letter413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Business Letter Format

• Always used with a formal audience such as adults, leaders (people that do not know you)

• Includes a heading, inside address, salutation, body, closing, and your signature

Heading

• The heading includes the sender's address and the date.  

• The sender's address needs to be located at the top left-hand corner. 

Example of a Heading413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Inside Address

• The inside address is placed at the left hand margin, four to seven spaces below the heading.

• It includes the name and complete address of the person and/or company that you’re writing.

• Place the person’s title after the person’s last name with a comma.

Example of Inside Address

413 Chicago Street

Racine, WI 53405

March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, Director

National Wildlife Federation

1412 16th Street

Washington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Salutation (Greeting)• The date needs to be located under the

sender's address on the left-hand side of the page above the greeting. 

• The greeting needs to be located under the heading on the left-hand side of the page.  The greeting would include such words as Dear Mr. Reiner:, Dear President Bush:, or Dear Coca Cola:.

• Use a colon after the name or title.

Example of a Salutation413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Body

• The body of the letter includes the message.  It is written in paragraph form.

Example of a Body

413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Closing

• The closing of the letter would include such words as Sincerely, or Yours truely.

• The closing is placed at the left-hand margin.

Example of a Closing413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Signature

• The signature is your signed name under the closing.

Example of a Signature413 Chicago StreetRacine, WI 53405March 1, 2000

Sean Jones, DirectorNational Wildlife Federation1412 16th StreetWashington, DC 20036

Dear Director:

I am a fifth grade student writing a science report on the American peregrine falcon.

I would appreciate any information you have on this endangered bird.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jim BirdJim Bird

Bibliography

• http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000144.htm

• http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/friendlet.htm