Rahmad Arifin Cahyanto
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A
business letter is a formal letter with 10 parts:
·
The
Heading (The Retern Address) or Letterhead – Companies usually use printed paper where heading or
letterhead is specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the
necessary information about the organisation’s identity.
·
Date – Date of writing. The month should be
fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005
(12 October 2005 – UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The
number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often
omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is pronounced but
not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is written when
the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.
·
The
Inside Address – In a business
or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own
address. Include the recipient’s name, company, address and postal code. Add
job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient’s name and title with a comma.
Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient ‘s name.
·
The
Greeting – Also called
the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the
recipient. It normally begins with the word “Dear” and always includes the
person’s last name. Use every resource possible to
address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the
name or the sex of of your reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales
Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting
in a business letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a
comma (UK style).
·
The
Subject Line (optional) –
Its inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of
your letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re:Subject line may
be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial letters. It is
usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be located
directly after the “inside address,” before the “greeting.”
·
The
Body Paragraphs – The body is
where you explain why you’re writing. It’s the main part of the business
letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but
try to avoid starting with “I”. Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce
a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you
choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between
paragraphs.
·
The
Complimentary Close – This short,
polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its
left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you
use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal
letter starting “Dear Sir or Madam” must end “Yours faithfully”, while a letter
starting “Dear ” must end “Yours sincerely”. (Note: the second word of the closing is NOT
capitalized)
·
Signature
and Writer’s identification –
The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and
last names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if
appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the
signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue
or black ink.
·
Initials,
Enclosures, Copies – Initials are
to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you
include other material in the letter, put ‘Enclosure’, ‘Enc.’, or ‘ Encs. ‘, as
appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent
to someone else.
·
Carbon
copy notation It indicates names of
the persons who are receiving the carbon copy’s (CC) or photo copy’s (Pc) of
the letter.
| American Style | British Style |
| Heading | According to the format but
usually aligned to the left | The heading is usually placed
in the top right corner of the letter
(sometimes centred) |
| Date | October 19, 2005 (month-day-year)
According to the format but usually
aligned to the left
(two lines below the heading) | 19 October 2005 (day-month-year)
Usually placed directly (or 1 blank line)
below the heading. |
| Salutation | Dear Mr./Ms. Smith:
Dear Sir or Madam:
Gentlemen:
After the salutation there is a colon (:) | Dear Mr./Ms. Smith,
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Sirs,
After the salutation there is a comma (,) |
| Complimentary close | Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours truly, | Sincerely,
Yours sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
|
Format and Font how to make a business letter
Many
organizations have their own style for writing a business letter, but
here are some common examples.
Block
The most
common layout for a business letter is called a block format. In this format,
the entire letter is justified to the left and single spaced except for a
double space between paragraphs.
Modified Block
Modified
block is another popular type of business letter. The body of the letter and
the sender’s and recipient’s addresses are left justified and single spaced.
However, in this format, the date and closing are tabbed to the center point.
Semi-Block
The least
used style is called a semi-block. In it each paragraph is indented instead of
left justified.
Font
The
standard font for business letters is Times New Roman, size 12. However, fonts
that are clear to read such as Arial may be used.
Sample Letter
{NOTE:
your name goes only at the bottom}
Your
Return Address (no abbreviations for Street, Avenue, etc.)
Your
City, YO [your two letter state abbreviation] zip
Date
(write out either like June 4, 2004 or 4 June 2004)
First and
Last Name of the Person to whom you are writing
Address
City, ST
zip
Dear
Mr./Ms. Whomever:
In the
first paragraph, introduce what you are writing about and what you want from
them.
In the
subsequent paragraphs, explain the nature of your problem and what they can do
for you. Be non-combative and straight to the point.
In the
last paragraph, be sure to thank him/her for his/her time and efforts on your
behalf. Also, let them know that you will contact them or that they can contact
you with any questions.
Sincerely
yours,
{four
spaces so that your signature may appear here}
Jane Doe
A
business letter is not restricted to one page; the letter should be as long as
it needs to be.
Source :
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/basic-parts-business-letter-216.html
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/business-letter-parts.html
https://www.nmu.edu/writingcenter/parts-business-letter
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000149.htm
http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/IEP/BusEnglish/busletter.htm
