Message Formats
Letters
Letters are used for written messages to
individuals outside and organization
Also used to communicate formal written
messages to employees within an organization
Standard Parts of a Letter
Heading
Inside address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary close
Signature block
reference initials
Heading
consists of letterhead or return address and date
letterhead - contains the name of the organization and its complete
mailing address (letterhead should only be used on the first page of a
letter)
may also contain
fax number
email address
website
slogan
emblem or logo
Heading, cont.
Date - contains the month(spelled in full), day,
and year the letter was written
Inside Address
includes some or all of the following (must have at least two
lines):
receiver’s courtesy title
receiver’s name
receiver’s professional title
department name
company name
receiver’s street address
Salutation
Salutation- greeting that begins the message
formality depends on the relationship
between the sender and receiver
Salutation Examples
Correct Incorrect
Dear Ms. Shelton Dear Ms. Rita Shelton
Dear Rita Dear Ms. Rita
Dear Mr. & Mrs. McCoy Dear McCoys
Dear Jack and Tanya Dear Adlers
Dear Customers Dear Gentlemen
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen
Body
Body - message section of the letter
begins one blank line below the salutation
no blank lines within the paragraphs but one
blank line is used between paragraphs
paragraphs may be indented or blocked
Complimentary Close
Complimentary Close- ends the message
should match the formality of the message
keyed one blank line below the last line of the
body
first character should have the same horizontal
point as the first character of the date
only the first letter is capitalized
Examples
Formal
Business
Corresponde General Business
Informal Business
nce CorrespondenceCorrespondence
Respectfully Sincerely Sincerely
Very truly Sincerely yours Sincerely yours
yours Cordially yours
Sincerely
yours
Signature Block
Signature block contains:
writer’s signed name
keyed name
name is keyed three blank lines below
the complimentary close
title
Reference Initials
Reference initials - show who type the letter (if
not the person who wrote it)
writer’s initials should be uppercase letters
keyer’s initials should be lowercase letters
two initials are separated by either a colon or
diagonal
Supplementary Parts of a
Letter
Attention Line - can be used to direct the letter to
a person, position title, or department within a
company when the company name is used in the
first line of the inside address
Subject Line - briefly identifies the topic of the
letter
keyed one blank line below the salutation
and one blank line above the first paragraph
Supplementary Parts of a
Letter, cont.
Company Name in Signature Block
Enclosure or Attachment Notation- should be
used when something is enclosed with the letter
keyed one blank line below the reference
initials
Copy Notation- used when a copy of a letter is
being sent to someone other than the addressee
Supplementary Parts of a
Letter, cont.
Postscript - may be used to add a personal
comment or to emphasize an important point
discussed in the body of the letter
Letter Formats
Full Block - all parts of the letter begin at the left
margin
Modified Block - the date (or return address and
date), complimentary close, and signature block
begin at the horizontal center of the page
Simplified - used when a letter is addressed to a
company rather than an individual, when the gender
of the receiver is unknown, or when the marital
status of a female receiver is unknown
Envelopes
Return address
Mailing address
Envelope notations