Information about standard formatting of letters, memos, and emails. Necessary to complete deliverable #1.

1. Standard Formatting
Conventions for:
• Emails,
• Business Letters,
• Memos / Memo Reports,
1

2. 2
Table of Contents
Email: Standard Formatting Conventions......................................................................................................... 3
Salutation and Closing ............................................................................................................................... 4-5
Punc tuating Email Salutations................................................................................................................... 6-7
Punc tuating Email Closings ....................................................................................................................... 8
Email Signature Information....................................................................................................................... 9
Student Emails: Signature Information ............................................................................................ 10
Business Letters: Standard Formatting Conventions........................................................................................ 11-12
Standard Parts of a Business Letter........................................................................................................... 13
Common Spacing ............................................................................................................................. 14
Salutation, Closing, and Punctuation ............................................................................................. 15
Subjec t Lines: Americ an vs. European............................................................................................ 16
Three Standard Formats for Business Letters................................................................................... 17
Block .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Modified Bloc k.......................................................................................................................... 19
Semi Block .................................................................................................................................20
Page Header and Page Numbers......................................................................................... 21-22
Memos and Memo Reports: Standard Formatting Conventions...................................................................23-24
Main Heading and Margins....................................................................................................................... 25
Line-Spac ing and Heading Levels............................................................................................................ 26
Rhetorical Moves for Memo Report Introductions.................................................................................. 27-30
Page Header Information and Page Numbers....................................................................................... 31-32

3. EMAIL
Standard formatting conventions for email.
3

4. Salutation (Greeting) and Closing
Use a formal salutation when you do not know the recipient
followed by the person's full name.
• Dear John Doe
• Hello John Doe
Use a formal closing.
• Sincerely
• Best regards
• I look forward to hearing from you
If you have one, add a digital signature.
These greetings and closing statements help establish a connection
with a reader you do not know.
4

5. Email Salutation and Closing continued
Formal greetings and closings are usually not needed when you
know the recipient such as a co-worker.
In this case, an informal greeting followed by the person's first
name is used and the closing is usually just your name or initials or
the word thanks if appropriate.
• Hi John
[email text]
Thanks
Jane
5

6. Punctuating Email Salutations
In formal email salutations that use "Dear," place a colon after the
recipient's name because it sets a formal tone.
• Dear John Doe: (formal)
Much ink has been spent by grammatical purists who insist a
comma should be be used in a direct address greeting: one that
uses "Hello" or "Hi." They rest their case on the fact that "Hi" is an
interjection while "Dear" is an adjective.
• Hello, John Doe:
• Hi, John
• BUT.....
6
This slide is
giving me a
headache!

7. Writer's Ignore this Advice
Writer's ignore the "comma rule" with such regularity that only the
grammar geeks fret over it. Here's a quote from Grammar Girl on the
email comma:
• I’m always torn about whether to use the comma. It is correct, but
it seems a bit pedantic given the widespread use of the incorrect
alternative — especially when you are replying to someone who
has already done it the wrong way. Use your own judgment. I
usually put it in, but you’ll be in good company if you leave it out.
7
Well, I'll leave it out then.

8. Punctuating Email Closings
Follow the closing word or phrase with a comma. There
seems to be less of a concern about this from grammar
geeks.
• Sincerely,
• Thanks,
• Best regards,
8
I'm so happy to
know that.

9. Email Signature Information
9
Typically a signature section will
include the writer's name, title,
business or organization name,
snail mail address, phone
extension number and office
location if applicable.

10. Student Email
Signature Information
• It's a good idea to have signature information
even as a student.
• Full Name
Major
• Other information may be appropriate for a
student's signature line.
10

11. Business Letters
Standard formatting conventions for letters.
11

12. 12
• Business letters are, for the most part, external
documents. Over time, how they are formatted evolved
into a set of standard conventions for how they should
look but with some variation.

13. Standard Parts of a Business Letter
• Letter Head of Business or Organization
• Date
• Inside Address which is the Recipient's
• Name
• Title if Applicable
• Address
• Subject
• Salutation
• Body
• Closing
• Signature Information
• Enclosures (if applicable)
13

14. 14
Common spacing in the layout of a
business letter. Subject line can be
placed above or below salutation.
Use 1" margins.

15. Salutation (Greeting) and Closing
Use a formal salutation followed by the recipients full name and
ending with a colon.
• Dear John Doe:
• Hello John Doe:
Use a formal closing followed by a comma.
• Sincerely,
• Best regards,
• I look forward to hearing from you,
If sending as an attachment, add a digital signature.
If sending through snail mail, sign the letter.
15

16. Subject Line
• In American English, the subject line is
commonly placed above the salutation.
• In British English, the subject line is
commonly placed below the salutation.
16

17. 17
Three Standard Layouts for Business Letters
• Block
• Modified Block
• Semi Block

18. Block Format
• Most common format for
business letters.
• All elements of the letter are
aligned to the left margin of the
page.
• It has a neat and simple
appearance and is considered
the most formal of the three
layouts.
18
Block Business Letter Format
Company Name and/or Logo
8223 South Third St.
Fort Myers, FL 33905
Today’s Date (i.e. October 14, 2016)
Recipient Business or Organization Name
Recipient Name and Title
892 Redwood St.
Warwick, RI 02886
Subject:
Dear Recipient Full Name:
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purus nibh, eget tincidunt nisi interdum non. Donec rhoncus laoreet dignissim. Etiam ac
lorem felis. Cras condimentum tempus massa, quis tincidunt neque congue malesuada.
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magna sed purus blandit tincidunt. Suspendisse ac quam cursus, fringilla ipsum vulputate,
tincidunt erat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Class aptent taciti
sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Aenean et nisi
velit. Nam tempor risus in metus interdum, nec consectetur dui vehicula. Donec eget nibh
et nunc tristique tempor vel ac diam. Aenean metus eros, vehicula vel tortor eu, euismod
sollicitudin lacus.
Closing (Sincerely etc.)
Sender Name
Position in Company (i.e. Business Partner Relationship Manager)
Company Name

19. Modified Block
In the modified block style
the sender's address (if not using
letterhead) date, closing and
signature information are slightly
to the right of the center of the
paper.
This format is considered less
formal.
19

20. Semi Block
In the semi block style is the
same as block format but
paragraphs are indented.
Again, this format is considered
less formal.
20

21. Standard Formatting Conventions for
Page Header
For letters that are over one
page, the pages after the first
one, need information in the
header area and page
numbers.
The information should cue the
reader to know which
document they are reading and
the page numbers alert them to
where they are at in the
document.
21

22. Examples of header area information.
22
Learning how to use the heading templates in Word with the field
feature (Mac) or quick parts (PC) to add page numbers is useful
because once the header is set up, you don't have to type it again.

23. Memos
Standard formatting conventions for
• Memos
• Memo Reports
23

24. Memos and Memo Reports are internal business documents.
Over time, how they are formatted evolved into a set of standard
conventions for how they should look but with some variation.
24

25. 25
Memorandum
To: First and Last Name
From: First and Last Name
Date: Date Sent
Subject: What the Memo is About
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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit
anim id est laborum.
Heading
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incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus
commodo viverra maecenas.
• Eu mi bibendum neque egestas congue. Ornare massa eget egestas purus. Dolor
sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet bibendum. Non tellus orci ac auctor augue mauris
augue neque.
• Molestie nunc non blandit massa enim nec dui nunc mattis. Nam libero justo
laoreet sit amet cursus sit. Semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet. Etiam non
quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum posuere lorem.
• Rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent. In egestas erat imperdiet sed euismod.
Vestibulum lectus mauris ultrices eros in cursus turpis massa tincidunt. Aliquam
eleifend mi in nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam. Pulvinar mattis nunc sed
blandit libero volutpat sed cras. In hac habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum
rhoncus est pellentesque.
Heading
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feugiat vivamus at. Ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis. Auctor
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morbi non arcu. Arcu non sodales neque sodales ut. In nulla posuere sollicitudin
aliquam ultrices sagittis. Augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat ac felis donec.
Type "Memo or
Memorandum"
at the top of the page.
Next, create lines for
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
and fill them in.
Memos and memo reports
do not use salutations or
closings.
Use 1" margins.

26. 26
Memorandum
To: First and Last Name
From: First and Last Name
Date: Date Sent
Subject: What the Memo is About
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incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud
exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure
dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit
anim id est laborum.
Heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus
commodo viverra maecenas.
• Eu mi bibendum neque egestas congue. Ornare massa eget egestas purus. Dolor
sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet bibendum. Non tellus orci ac auctor augue mauris
augue neque.
• Molestie nunc non blandit massa enim nec dui nunc mattis. Nam libero justo
laoreet sit amet cursus sit. Semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet. Etiam non
quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum posuere lorem.
• Rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent. In egestas erat imperdiet sed euismod.
Vestibulum lectus mauris ultrices eros in cursus turpis massa tincidunt. Aliquam
eleifend mi in nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam. Pulvinar mattis nunc sed
blandit libero volutpat sed cras. In hac habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum
rhoncus est pellentesque.
Heading
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feugiat vivamus at. Ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis. Auctor
augue mauris augue neque gravida in. Arcu odio ut sem nulla pharetra diam sit amet. Ut
faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim.
Dictum sit amet justo donec enim diam vulputate ut. Vitae congue eu consequat ac felis.
Pretium nibh ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam id. Porttitor eget dolor
morbi non arcu. Arcu non sodales neque sodales ut. In nulla posuere sollicitudin
aliquam ultrices sagittis. Augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat ac felis donec.
Left justify and single-space
text.
Use one line of additional white
space to separate paragraphs.
Use heading levels and other
document design elements to
assist readability.

27. Rhetorical
Moves
for Memo Report
Introductions
27

28. Rhetorical Move 1. When someone requests information from you,
remind them they requested it and add a forecasting statement
about what is in the document.
This move shows you responded to the request and gave readers
what they asked for.
Examples:
• Here is the information you requested about X. Included in the sections
that follow are A, B, and C.
• This memo contains the information you requested about X. The following
sections explain A, B, and C.
• I have finished the analysis you requested about X. My findings about A,
B, and C are presented in the sections that follow.
28

29. Rhetorical Move II. When readers didn’t request the information, make
it clear why you are writing in the first sentence.
2
9
Example:
• This memo explains problems we are having with X. The extent of the
problems are . . .

30. Here are some
rhetorical moves for
writing introductions
for other workplace
genres.
3
0

31. Standard Formatting Conventions for
Page Header
For all memo reports (or other
longer business documents,
pages after the first one need
information in the header area
and page numbers.
The information should cue the
reader to know which
document they are reading and
the page numbers alert them to
where they are at in the
document.
31

32. Examples of header area information.
32
Learning how to use the heading templates in Word with the field
feature (Mac) or quick parts (PC) to add page numbers is useful
because once the header is set up, you don't have to type it again.