Styles for

Business and

Friendly Letters

Grade 8

Language Arts

Mr. Norton

Standards

Primary Standard: LA8.5

Secondary Standards: LA8.9

Objectives

Effectively write and publish a business

letter in the correct style and format.

Effectively write and publish a friendly

letter.

Effective write and publish a social

note.

Business Letter

What would we use a business letter

for?

Requesting information about a product

Asking for charitable donations

Requesting a service

Business Letter Parts

1. Heading

2. Inside address

3. Salutation or greeting

4. Body

5. Closing

6. Signature

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Business Letter Parts

1. Heading

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Indicates the address

and business affiliation

of the writer. It also

includes the date the

letter was sent.

Business Letter Parts

2. Inside address

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Indicates where the

letter will be sent.

Business Letter Parts

3. Salutation or greeting

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Is punctuated by a

colon. When the

specific addressee is

not known, use a

general greeting such

as “To whom it may

concern:”

Business Letter Parts

4. Body

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

States the writer’s

purpose. In this case,

the writer is requesting

information.

Business Letter Parts

5. Closing

6. Signature

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015

Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

The closing “Sincerely”

is common, but “Yours

truly” and “Respectfully

yours” are also

acceptable. To end

the letter the writer

types her name 4 lines

below the closing and

provides a signature.

Business Letter Format

1. Block format: each part of the letter

begins at the left margin

2. Modified block format: the heading,

the closing, and the signature are

indented to the center of the page.

3. We will use MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT

Block Format Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211

August 1, 2015 Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Modified Block Format

Business Letter Samples

Students for a Cleaner Planet c/o Memorial High School 333 Veterans’ Drive Denver, Colorado 80211 August 1, 2015 Steven Wilson, Director Resource recover Really Works 300 Oak Street Denver, Colorado 80216 Dear Mr. Wilson: Memorial High School would like to start a branch of your successful recycling program. We share your commi9tment to reclaiming as much reusable material as we can. Would you send us some information about your community recycling program? For example, we need to know what materials can be recycled and how we can implement the program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Yolanda Dobson Yolanda Dobson

Use this format!

Your Turn

1. Checkpoint time!

2. Complete the handout without any

notes!

Homework

Follow the handout directions

Turn in a published Business Letter

Day 2

Friendly or Social?

Friendly Letter Social Note

Includes a semi-formal

thank you note written

to someone you do

not know quite well

Informal letter based

on a personal

relationship with the

reader

Friendly and Social

1. A heading, a salutation or greeting, a body, a closing, and a signature

2. They generally do NOT include an inside address

3. A comma after the greeting

4. Paragraphs with indented first lines

5. The use of a version of a semi-block style with the heading, closing, and signature align to the right of center

6. Informal or semiformal language, often featuring the lively expression of feelings or amusement

Your Turn

1. Checkpoint time!

2. Complete the handout without any

notes!

Homework

Follow the handout directions

Turn in a published Friendly Letter

Review

Business Letters are a common form of

formal writing intended for readers who

are not personal acquainted.

Friendly letters are informal letters

based upon a personal relationship

with the reader

Social notes are a semiformal thank-

you note written to someone you do

not know quite well.

Grade 8

Language Arts

Mr. Norton

Work Cited

Carroll, Joyce Armstrong, Edward E.

Wilson, and Gary Forlini. Prentice

Hall Writing and Grammar: Grade Eight. Boston: Pearson Prentice

Hall, 2008.