Business%20Writing

1
Business Writing

• How to Write Business Letters

2
44 Tanglewood Trail Norton, CT 06904 May 25,
2005 Commercial Objects, Inc. 500 W. Maple
St. Franchise, NC 40001 Dear Sir or Madam I am
writing to thank you for the quality of the Tune
Tote 2000 CD carrying case I got for my
birthday. Ive had it for two weeks, and I have
already been able to take my CDs on an airplane
and keep them safe by storing them in your case.
The teeth that hold the center of the CD in place
are very strong! I am able to get my CDs back
out again without their snapping in two, and I am
very happy about that. I have been a fan of your
products in the past, so I was very happy when I
unwrapped the Tune Tote. I hope that you will
continue to carry many useful products like the
Tune Tote, and I look forward to purchasing them
in the future. Thank you for your
attention. Sincerely, Tom Taylor Tom Taylor
3
Definition

• A business letter is
• Formal correspondence about a business-related
  matter.
• Writing a business letter is an essential skill
  in the business world.

4
Business Letters are used to

• Order a product or service
• Complain about a product or service
• Sell yourself to a college admissions
  committee, job interviewer, or manager
• Set up a meeting
• Respond to someone elses idea
• (to name a few!)

5
A business letter must

• Have an appropriate tone
• Use appropriate language for its intended
  audience
• State the purpose clearly in the opening
  paragraph
• Use precise words and avoid wordiness
• Present only essential information
• Present details in a logical order
• Conclude with a summary of important points
• Include a call to action
• Be readable (appropriate format, fonts, and
  spacing)

6
Planning your letter

• Use block form. All six parts of the letter align
  at the left margin. No indenting.
• Address your audience appropriately. Your tone
  must be respectful and formal. Use proper grammar
  and vocabulary.
• At the opening of the letter, clearly state your
  reason for writing. People are busy! Get to
  your point right away.
• In the body of the letter, state your main ideas.
  Provide necessary information the reader will
  need.
• Close the letter formally. Use a phrase such as
  Respectfully yours or Sincerely.

7
1234 Any Street (Your street address) Hometown,
OH 45764 (City, State ZIP) July 12, 2007
(Current Date) Ms. Sandra Garcia (Name of
recipient) Any Company (Business/Institution
name, if applicable) 5678 Not Here Avenue
(Street Address) Another Town, NY 10012 (City,
State ZIP) Dear Ms. Garcia (Notice the use of
a colon after the greeting) Introductory
Paragraph Use this paragraph to explain your
purpose for writing. This paragraph should
probably include three or four sentences.
Second Paragraph Notice the spacing and lack
of indentations in this format. This modern
business letter style is called block format. Use
single- spacing for paragraphs, and leave an
extra space between paragraphs. This second
paragraph can include supporting details or
additional information about why you are
writing. A length of 35 sentences is a good
guide for a second paragraph. Concluding
Paragraph Summarize your earlier statements.
Provide any additional contact information.
Thank the recipient for his or her time. Two to
three sentences is a good length for a concluding
paragraph. Sincerely, (Other possible closings
include Respectfully or Truly Yours) (Leave 34
spaces so you have room to sign your name) Any
Student (Type your name)
Notice the block formatting
and easy to read font
8
44 Tanglewood Trail Norton, CT 06904 May 25,
2005 Commercial Objects, Inc. 500 W. Maple
St. Franchise, NC 40001 Dear Sir or Madam I am
writing to thank you for the quality of the Tune
Tote 2000 CD carrying case I got for my
birthday. Ive had it for two weeks, and I have
already been able to take my CDs on an airplane
and keep them safe by storing them in your case.
The teeth that hold the center of the CD in place
are very strong! I am able to get my CDs back
out again without their snapping in two, and I am
very happy about that. I have been a fan of your
products in the past, so I was very happy when I
unwrapped the Tune Tote. I hope that you will
continue to carry many useful products like the
Tune Tote, and I look forward to purchasing them
in the future. Thank you for your
attention. Sincerely, Tom Taylor Tom Taylor
9
Your Assignment

• Incorporate 3-5 of this weeks vocabulary words
  as you write a properly formatted business letter
  to Atticus.
• It is 10 years after the events of the novel.
  Write a business letter from either Mayella Ewell
  or Boo Radley detailing their involvements in the
  Tom Robinson case and in Bob Ewells death,
  respectively.  

• Use proper tone and language
• Use proper format

10
From Mayellas perspective

• It is 10 years after the events of the novel, and
  Mayella feels guilty about having accused an
  innocent man of rape, leading to his death.  What
  is her life like now?  Why has she had a change
  of heart?  What happened to the family after her
  father's death?  Write a letter from Mayella to
  Mr. Finch explaining why she did what she did,
  describing what is going on in her life now, and
  asking forgiveness for her responsibility in what
  happened with Tom Robinson and Atticus' children.
  (Reread chapters 17-18 for her testimonywhat her
  life was like, how she feels treated by
  othersand Toms testimonywhat really happened
  the day of the beatingin giving specific details
  of what happened and in thinking about how/why
  she may have changed her mind).
• Incorporate 3-5 of this weeks vocabulary words
  in your business letter to Atticus.

11
From Boos Perspective

• It is 10 years after the events of the novel, and
  the issues surrounding his responsibility in the
  death of Bob Ewell weigh heavily on Boo Radley's
  conscience.  How did he know Bob was attacking
  the children?  Did he do the right thing in
  covering up the truth and not taking
  responsibility for his actions?  Write a
  letter from Boo Radley to Atticus detailing his
  involvement in Bob Ewell's death, and asking
  forgiveness for having placed such a heavy burden
  of covering up the truth on Atticus. (Reread
  chapters 28the actual attack, 29Piecing events
  together from Atticus and Scouts retelling,
  30Heck Tates conclusions, and 31Boos
  perspective of events from the whole novel
  through Scouts eyes).
• Incorporate 3-5 of this weeks vocabulary words
  in your business letter to Atticus.

12
Any Questions?