FONT AND PUNCTUATIONThe generally accepted font for a business letter is Times New Roman, size 12. However other fonts such as Arial and Verdana can also be used. Basically it needs to be a conventional looking font. When choosing a font, consider your reader(s). If you are writing to a traditional, conservative company, use Times New Roman. Alternatively, if you are writing to a more liberal, modern company, you have more freedom when choosing the font, baring in mind that it is still a business and requires a standard looking font. For punctuation, after the salutation and closing - use a colon. BUSINESS LETTER LAYOUT A block-style business letter has six key components, which must all be included for a properly formatted business letter in the corporate world. Your Address Your address, which does not include your name or title, belongs in the upper left corner. Write only your street address, city and zip code. If you are writing with a letterhead, the address is typically included on the paper already, in which case you skip to the next component. Date The date belongs one line beneath the address. When writing the address out, use full month names and the complete year, such as April 14, 2014. If you are composing the letter over a length of time, only write the date the letter was completed. There are several ways to write the date: 10 August 2014 3. Recipient's Address Write the recipient's address, also known as the inside address, one inch below the date. To make the letter more personal, address someone specifically within the company as opposed to the company's name. If you do not know if the person is married or not, use Ms. and Mr. as the title to be safe. Also note, if someone holds a high distinction, such as a Dr., use his official title. If you are using letterhead, do not include the sender's address at the top of the letter; instead, begin with the date. Reference A reference tells the reader what the letter is about, but is not required. If it is crucial for the reader to know the subject of the letter before he reads it, include a reference beginning with "Re:", “Your ref.:”, “Our ref.:”, "Subject", "Conc" or Salutation 1. The standard way to open a business letter is with Dear, the person's name (with or without a title), and a colon, like this: 2. The standard way to open a social business letter is with Dear, the person's name (with or without a title), and a comma, like this: 3. Unless you are certain that a woman prefers Miss or Mrs., use the title Ms. 4. If you are writing to two people, use both names in your salutation, like this: 5. Never spell out the titles Mr., Ms., Mrs., and Dr. Do spell out these titles and similar ones: Dean, Sister, Rabbi, Imam, Senator, Governor, Captain, Admiral, Judge, Professor. 6. If you don't know a person's gender, use the full name rather than a title: 7. If you don't know a person's name or gender, avoid "To whom it may concern." Instead, use the job title or a generic greeting: 8. If you are writing to a company rather than any specific individual, use the company name: Dear Syntax Training: (This is considered slightly informal.) Body The body is where you write the contents of the letter. Use single spacing between lines, with a double space in between paragraphs. Be concise with your content, introducing your idea in the first paragraph and elaborating on the content in the next few paragraphs. At the end of the letter, be sure to restate your main point and what you expect the letter to accomplish, or a solution to the problem.
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