Business Letters, Letters of Application, Complaint,
Letters of Order
Even though many people rely on the telephone, email, or
even the Internet to communicate business needs, the business letter is still
an important part of everyday correspondence. There are several types of
business letters applicable to all phases of business. This unit will focus on
those types that will be most useful for high school students- letters of application,
letters of complaint, and letters of order.
There are six parts to the business letter- heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature.
1. The heading is placed in the upper right hand corner. It includes the exact address of the writer and the date. The punctuation of the heading conforms to the regular rules of punctuation.
Never does it include the writer’s name.
1234 Smith Lane
Anytown, OH 43799
2. The inside address is placed at the left margin two lines below the heading. The information in the inside address includes the proper name and title of the recipient as well as the recipient’s correct address.
Mr. John Smith
5678 Main Street
Anytown, OH
43799
3. The salutation (greeting) is placed at the left margin one line below the inside address. The greeting should reflect the general tone of the letter. A salutation is followed by a colon. Some common salutations include:
Dear Mr. ______:, Dear Sir: for a gentleman; Gentlemen: for a firm or organization; Dear Miss______: for an unmarried woman; Dear Mrs. _______: for a married woman; Dear Madam: if marital status is unknown.
Dear Sir:
4. The body of the business letter is the message. It is written in paragraph form two lines below the salutation.
It should conform to all the rules for the writing of correct and effective sentences. The paragraphs should be short and forceful. The word choice should be appropriate to add effectiveness to the letter. The first sentence should be specific and make a personal appeal to the reader. The last sentence should be forceful and appropriate. The closing of the body should make the reader feel that he/she has had correspondence from a friendly, cordial person. The body of the letter should never reflect a threatening (endangering) tone.
I am writing in response to the position of
secretary that was posted in the local newspaper. I feel that I am very qualified for this
position and I would like to make an appointment to discuss this
opportunity. Attached you will find my
resume and two letters of recommendation.
I anticipate speaking with you soon.
5. The complimentary close of the letter is placed in line with the heading and at least two lines below the body of the letter. The traditional closings for business letters are Yours truly, or Sincerely yours,. Note that only the first word is capitalized and the only punctuation is a comma at the end.
Sincerely,
Miss Jane Thomas
Miss Jane Thomas
6. The signature is placed below the complimentary close. It is important that the signature is (cursively) written plainly in ink. A typed signature is often placed below the written signature.
Types of Business
Letters
Letter of Application
The letter of application should conform to all the rules of writing business letters and should be correct in every way. The writer should do his/her best as this letter showcases the writer. The better the letter, the more the individual seems to be suited for the position.
Letter of Complaint
The letter of complaint should always be courteous and fair. It should clearly state the problem and should indicate the reasonable correction to the problem.
Letter of Order
The letter of order should be made so clear that there is no room for misunderstanding. It should be exact in quantity, size, color, price, catalog reference number. Each item and its corresponding information should be written on a separate line beginning at the paragraph margin. Also, if the customer is responsible for shipping, he/she should indicate the preference, including exact instructions for shipping. Lastly, the letter should include information regarding payment- credit card, check, money order.
Check out this: PDF
Application
Exercises
Now answer questions 1-6