examples of business letters.pdf

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This handout is also available online at the George Mason University Writing Center web site: 
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu 
 
Updated 2006 
 
Writing Business Letters 
 
A good business letter is brief, straightforward, and polite. If possible, it should be 
limited to one single-spaced typewritten page. Because it is so brief, a business letter is often 
judged on small, but important, things: format, grammar, punctuation, openings and closings. A 
business letter is not the place to try out fancy fonts or experimental writing styles. 
 
There are two main styles of business letters: 
Full block style: Align all elements on the left margin. 
Modified block style: Down the middle of the page, align the return address, date, closing, 
signature, and typed name; align other elements on the left page margin. 
 
 
Below are the elements of a standard business letter and their functions: 
Return Address:  
Your address (or the address of the company you represent). If you are using preprinted 
stationary, there is no need to retype the information. 
Date:  
Leave two blank lines after the return address. Always spell out the month and include the day, a 
comma, and the year. 
Inside Address:  
Leave two blank lines after the date. Then type the address of the person or company to whom 
you are writing. 
Salutation:  
Type Dear, followed by the person's name. End the line with a colon. If you don’t know the 
name of the person, use a title instead (i.e., Dear Editor, Dear Madam). 
Body:  
Align your message on the left margin. Skip a line before starting a new paragraph, but do not 
indent the paragraph's first line. Make sure that each paragraph is clear and concise. 
Closing:  
Leave two lines of space after your last body paragraph, then use a conventional closing, 
followed by a comma (i.e., Sincerely, Sincerely Yours, Respectfully). 
Signature:  
Your signature should appear below your closing. Unless you have established a personal 
relationship with the person you are writing, use both your first and last name. 
Name and Position:  
Four lines after the closing, type your full name. Do not include a title (Mr. or Mrs.). If you are 
writing on behalf of an organization, type your title on the next line. 
Abbreviations at the end of a letter:  
If you send a copy of a letter to someone other than the person addressed, use cc: and the 
person’s name. Use Enc. or Enclosure if you enclose something with the letter. If someone else 
types it, put the writer’s initials in capitals, then a slash and the typist’s initials in lowercase: 
MT/fjr. Just one abbreviation should appear on a line. 
 
 
On the back of this page is a sample business letter in Full Block style 
This handout is also available online at the George Mason University Writing Center web site: 
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu 
 
Updated 2006 
 
 
Sample Business Letter (Full Block Style) 
 
Mrs. Clara Winters 
12187 S. Polo Dr 
 
 
 
. Return Address 
Fairfax, VA 22030 
 
 
May 26, 2002   
 
 
 
  Date 
 
 
The Tiny Tots Toy Company 
15456 Pyramid Way   
 
 
  Inside Address 
College Park, FL 33133 
 
 
Dear Customer Service Representative:  
  Salutation 
 
 
I recently purchased one of your Tiny Tents (Model #47485) for my three-year old. 
Unfortunately, after viewing the components that came with the product, I discovered that four 
of the parts were missing. Also, the instructions that came with the tent are in Portuguese and 
Russian, but not in English or French, the two languages I speak. These two unforeseen problems 
have resulted in the tent remaining unassembled and unacceptable as a toy for my daughter. 
I am writing to request replacements for the missing parts, and a copy of the full set of assembly 
instructions (in English or French) for the model I purchased. If reasonable arrangements are not 
made within ten business days, I will return the tent to the store I purchased it from and expect a 
full refund. To assist you in processing my request, I am including a copy of my sales receipt and 
a list of the missing parts. 
 
I have purchased other toys manufactured by your company in the past, and have always been 
impressed with the quality and selection that Tiny Tots has made available to its customers. I 
sincerely hope this is a one-time incident, and that any future purchases I make will live up to the 
standard my family has come to expect from your company. 
 
 
Sincerely,  
 
 
 
 
Closing 
Signature 
 
 
 
Clara Winters  
 
 
 
Typed Name 
 
 
Enc: 2  
 
 
 
 
Abbreviation