The document discusses the format and elements of business letters. A business letter is a formal letter written on company letterhead that uses a specific format including the letterhead, date, recipient's address, salutation, multiple paragraph body, closing, sender's name and title, and margins. A personal business letter is similar but does not use letterhead and includes the individual's home address above the date. Common business letter formats include full block with open or mixed punctuation and modified block with open or mixed punctuation, with full block being the most commonly used style.

1. Business letter – is a formal letter written on company
letterhead by an individual on a business-related subject.
Business letters use a specific format.
Personal Business letter – is a letter written by an
individual to a business or organization. Personal business
letters follow the same basic format as business letters.
The main difference between the two letters is that
a personal business letter does not use letterhead.
Because there is not letterhead, the individual’s home
address precedes the date line at the top of the letter.
Format of a business letter:
An effective business letter should include the following
elements:
• Letterhead that includes company name and
address. Phone and fax numbers are also helpful.
• Today’s date
• Recipient’s name and address, also known as inside
address
• Salutation – the line at the start of a letter
including the greeting and the recipient’s name
such as Dear Mr. Doe.
• Body consisting of three or more paragraphs
• Closing: Sincerely, or Cordially
• Sender’s name and job title

2. Margins:
Top: 2 inches
Left and right: 1.00 inches
Types of Business Letters
• Full Block – Open Punctuation
• Full Block – Mixed Punctuation
• Modified – Open Punctuation
• Modified – Mixed Punctuation
Full block format is often used for business letters because
of the ease and speed of use and its clean, organized look.
Full Block – A style of letter in which all lines start flush
with the left margin – that is, without a first-line indent.
Modified Block – A style of letter in which some lines start
at the center of the page.