Guidelines for Personal Business Letters

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Guidelines for Personal Business Letters

• Comp. 5.03
• Digital Communication Systems

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What is a personal business letter?

• It is a letter format that is used to communicate
  with others regarding business of a personal
  nature.
• A purchased product that no longer works
• A cover letter for a resume
• A follow-up letter after an interview
• A letter you send to your grandparents while away
  at college

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Personal Business Letter(Block Style)

• Basic Parts
• Return Address
• Date
• Letter Address
• Salutation
• Body
• Complimentary Close
• Name of Writer

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Personal Business Letter(Block Style)

• Other Parts that may or may NOT be included
• Reference Initials use only when the person
  typing the letter is different from the person
  who wrote/authored the letter
• Attention Line use when you dont know the
  actual name of the person(s) the letter is going
  to.
• Subject Line keyed a DS below the salutation.
  The subject line explains the content of the body
  (message of the letter)

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More parts that may or may NOT be included

• Mailing notations used to ensure that the
  letter is read by or handled correctly by the
  post office.
• Examples are CERTIFIED, REGISTERED.
• Keyed a DS below the date of the letter and the
  letter address will be keyed a DS below the
  mailing notation.
• The mailing notations are also keyed a DS below
  the stamp on the envelope.
• Attachment/Enclosure notations used to indicate
  that another item has been included in the
  envelope.
• The author will mention this in the body of the
  letter.
• Examples are ENCLOSURE, ATTACHMENT.
• Keyed a DS below the last letter part

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Personal Business Letter

• Margins
• 1 side (left right) margins
• 2 top margin or may be centered vertically with
  Center Page feature (File, Page Setup, Layout)
• 1 bottom margin

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• After the RETURN ADDRESS, immediately key the
  DATE on the next line
• Always spell out the month when keying the date
• If you are using a MAILING NOTATION (Certified or
  Registered), key this notation a DS below the
  DATE.

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• After the DATE, normally you will return four
  times (QS) and key the first line (receivers
  name or ATTENTION LINE) of the LETTER ADDRESS
• However, if you are using a MAILING NOTATION
  after the DATE, then you will DS after the
  MAILING NOTATION and then begin keying the LETTER
  ADDRESS.
• After keying the first line of the LETTER
  ADDRESS, then return only once to key each
  remaining line of the LETTER ADDRESS
• A company name used in a LETTER ADDRESS is keyed
  on a separate line

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• The street address used in a LETTER ADDRESS is
  keyed on a separate line
• The city, state, zip code used in a LETTER
  ADDRESS is keyed together on the last line
• A (DS) is keyed immediately following the last
  line of the LETTER ADDRESS.

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• The SALUTATION (the hello of the letter) is keyed
  on a separate line and followed by a (DS)
  double-space.
• If used in the letter, the SUBJECT LINE is keyed
  on a separate line in ALL CAPS a double-space
  below the salutation. The subject line is
  followed by a (DS) double-space.

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• The BODY or sentences and paragraphs of the
  letter is called the message of the letter.
• Double-space (DS) between paragraphs.
• You will use word wrap within each paragraph so
  that all lines within the paragraphs are
  single-spaced.
• You will strike enter twice only when you are
  ready to start a new paragraph.

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• Dont forget to leave a (DS) double-space after
  the last paragraph in the BODY of your letter.
• Next, key the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE or the
  good-bye of the letter.
• Examples are Sincerely, Cordially yours, Truly
  yours, Best regards
• The COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE is followed by a (QS)
  quadruple-space (or four returns leaving three
  blank lines)

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• The COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE is followed by the
  WRITERS TYPED NAME.
• Do NOT include personal titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss
  or Ms.) if it is clear that the persons name is
  either a male or females name.
• Next you may key the ATTACHMENT OR ENCLOSURE
  NOTATION a (DS) below the WRITERS TYPED NAME if
  you will be using this notation
• the enclosure or attachment must be mentioned in
  the BODY of the letter

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What spacing is required before, after and
between letter parts?

• Last, if you are typing the letter for someone
  else or someone else is typing the letter for you
• The person typing the letter must include their
  REFERENCE INITIALS a (DS) double-space below the
  last letter part.
• DO NOT use reference initials if the person
  typing the letter is the same person who wrote or
  authored the letter.
• REFERENCE INITIALS are keyed in lowercase letters
  with NO periods.