Parts of Business Letter

A business letter will be more impressive if proper attention is given to each and every part of the business
letter.

There are 12 Parts of Business Letter

 The Heading or Letterhead

 Date
 Reference
 The Inside Address
 Subject
 Greeting
 Body Paragraphs
 Complimentary Close
 Signature and Writer’s Identification
 Enclosures
 Copy Circulation
 PostScript
Let us discuss the parts of a business letter.

1. The Heading or Letterhead

It usually contains the name and the address of the business or an organization. It can also have an email
address, contact number, fax number, trademark or logo of the business.

The heading contains the return address with the date on the last line. Sometimes it is necessary to include
a line before the date with a phone number, fax number, or e-mail address. Often there is a line skipped
between the address and the date. It is not necessary to type a return address if you are using stationery
with the return address already imprinted, but you should always use a date. Make sure the heading is on
the left margin.
Example:
Ms. Jane Doe
543 Washington St
Marquette, MI 49855
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
June 28, 2011

2. Date
We write the date on the right-hand side corner of the letter below the heading.

3. Reference
It shows the department of the organization sending the letter. The letter-number can also be used as a
reference

4. The Inside Address

It includes the name, address, postal code, and job title of the recipient. It must be mentioned after the
reference. One must write inside address on the left-hand side of the sheet.

5. Subject
It is a brief statement mentioning the reason for writing the letter. It should be clear, eye catchy, short, simple,
and easily understandable.

6. The Greeting
It contains the words to greet the recipient. It is also known as the salutation. The type of salutation depends
upon the relationship with the recipient.
It generally includes words like Dear, Respected, or just Sir/Madam. A comma (,) usually follow the
salutation.
The salutation (or greeting) in a business letter is always formal. It often begins with “Dear {Person’s
name}.” Once again, be sure to include the person’s title if you know it (such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr). If
you’re unsure about the person’s title then just use their first name. For example, you would use only the
person’s first name if the person you are writing to is “Jordan” and you’re not sure if he or she is male or
female.
The salutation always ends with a colon.

7. The Body Paragraphs

This is the main part of the letter. It contains the actual message of the sender. The main body of the mail
must be clear and simple to understand. The body of the letter is basically divided into three main categories.

 Opening Part: The first paragraph of the mail writing must state the introduction of the writer. It also
contains the previous correspondence if any.

 Main Part: This paragraph states the main idea or the reason for writing. It must be clear, concise,
complete, and to the point.

 Concluding Part: It is the conclusion of the business letter. It shows the suggestions or the need of
the action. The closing of the letter shows the expectation of the sender from the recipient. Always
end your mail by courteous words like thanking you, warm regards, look forward to hearing from
your side etc.

8. The Complimentary Close

It is a humble way of ending a letter. It is written in accordance with the salutation. The most generally used
complimentary close are Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, and Thanks & Regards.

9. Signature and Writer’s Identification

It includes the signature, name, and designation of the sender. It can also include other details like contact
number, address, etc. The signature is handwritten just above the name of the sender.

10. Enclosures/Enc./Encs.
Enclosures show the documents attached to the letter. The documents can be anything like cheque, draft,
bills, receipts, invoices, etc. It is listed one by one.
11. Copy Circulation
It is needed when the copies of the letter are sent to other persons. It is denoted as C.C.

12. PostScript
The sender can mention it when he wants to add something other than the message in the body of the letter. It
is written as P.S.
British Style
American Style
The heading is usually placed
According to the format but
Heading in the top right corner of the letter
usually aligned to the left
(sometimes centred)
October 19, 2005 (month-day-
year)
19 October 2005 (day-month-year)
According to the format but
Date Usually placed directly (or 1 blank line)
usually
below the heading.
aligned to the left
(two lines below the heading)
Dear Mr./Ms. Smith:
Dear Mr./Ms. Smith,
Dear Sir or Madam:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Salutation Gentlemen:
Dear Sirs,
After the salutation there is a
After the salutation there is a comma (,)
colon (:)
Sincerely, Sincerely,
Complimentary
Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely,
close
Yours truly, Yours faithfully,

Salutations and complimentary closes made simple

When you begin and end correspondence, do you think about the greeting or closing you use? If not, maybe
you should!
Some standard greetings and closings work well for most correspondence. But certain types of
correspondence, such as a cover letter, call for a more formal greeting and closing, while others, such as an
email to a colleague you know well, call for a more informal beginning or end.
At first, knowing which greeting and closing to use may seem complicated. But it can actually be quite
simple.
Here are some guidelines to help you choose the appropriate ones for your correspondence.
Salutation
A salutation is a greeting that you use at the beginning of a letter or an email, to address the person you’re
writing to and to set the tone of the message.
In letters, most salutations begin with the word “Dear.” Sometimes people who aren’t used to English letter-
writing conventions feel that this is far too friendly a beginning! But don’t worry; English-speaking readers
won’t think you’re being affectionate if you call them “Dear.” This is the standard way to begin a salutation
in English, even in formal letters.
If you’re writing to someone that you’re on a first-name basis with, you can use the person’s first name in the
salutation: Dear Laura, Dear Matt. But if you don’t know the reader well, use the person’s professional title or
preferred courtesy title with the last name: Dear Professor Brown, Dear Dr. Grant, Dear Ms. Smith, Dear Mr.
Jones, Dear Mx. White. (Note that “Mx.” is a gender-neutral courtesy title that can be used for people who
either don’t identify with a gender or don’t want to be identified by gender.)
If you’re writing to someone whose name you don’t know or to a group, a good option is a generic salutation
such as “Dear Customer Service Manager” or “Dear Colleagues.”
“Hello” and “Hi” are also common salutations. They’re more likely to be used in less formal correspondence,
such as emails.
For more information, check out the Language Portal of Canada’s writing tip called business letters:
salutations and the Translation Bureau’s linguistic recommendation on gender-inclusive writing in
correspondence.
Complimentary close
A complimentary close is placed after the body of the message as a way to politely end the correspondence.
The complimentary close you choose depends on how formal the correspondence is and how well you know
the person you’re writing to.
“Sincerely,” “Yours truly” and “Cordially” work well for most forms of correspondence.
However, if you know the reader well and the tone of the message calls for a more personal ending (for
example, an email to congratulate a colleague on a promotion), you could use “Best wishes,” “Regards,” or
“Warmest regards.”
With these guidelines and resources, you should now be able to choose the right salutations and
complimentary closes for your correspondence.

How to Write Business Letter

Suppose you are writing a business letter for the very first time. You will ask yourself the question ‘how to
write a business letter‘. There is no need to scratch your head. All Business letters follow a fixed format. The
answer to the question of how to write a business letter is broadly classified into four categories.
Beginning the Letter
 Know the format: There are some business standards that need to be followed. One must
use a common font to type a business letter. One must use indentation, paragraphs, margins,
etc. The text must be typed in black color only.
 Choose the Right Kind of Paper: One must print a letter in a letter-sized paper. The
standard size of the paper is A4.
 Include information about the Company: One must clearly state the name and the
address of the company. Try to use a letterhead of the company for any business use.
 Include the date: Writing the date helps the person to have a record of the on-going
business.
  Add the Recipient’s Information: In a business letter, one must clearly type the name,
address, and job title of the recipient to remove any ambiguity.
 Choose a Salutation: It is a way of showing respect towards the recipient. One can also use
‘To Whom It May Concern’ if he doesn’t know the person addressed.

Composing the Body

 Strike the Right Tone: The tone of the letter must be formal, clear and polite. Do not use
fancy, lengthy, and big words. One must be persuasive in the letter.
 Use of Personal Pronoun: One can use personal pronouns in a business letter. If writing on
behalf of the organization one must use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.
 Write Precisely and Clearly: The content of the letter must be precise, clear, brief, and
easily understandable.
 Use the Active Voice: Always write your letter in an active voice.
 Be Courteous: Always write a letter in a polite and respectful way. Always use courteous
words.
 Use Additional Pages: If the matter is not fitting in one page of the letterhead, use the
second page. One must keep in mind to include the page number on the second and
subsequent pages.

Closing the Letter

 Choose a Closing: One must use a proper closing in a business letter. Use a comma (,) after
it.
 Sign the Letter: Always sign the letter in ink. If sending a printed copy, always affix the
scanned signature.
 Make Note of Enclosure: One must properly enclose a list of attached documents with the
letter. One can use the abbreviation of the enclosure, i.e., Encl. or Enc.
 Use of C.C.: For persons other than the recipient, include their name on the letter by typing
C.C.

Finalizing the Letter

 Edit and Review: Once you are finished writing the letter, try to look for errors. Check for
spellings, punctuations, grammatical errors.
 Don’t Staple the Letter: Use a paperclip on the top of the left corner if there are many
pages. The use of staple doesn’t look nice for a business letter.
 Posting of the Letter: Always use clear and correct spelling for mentioning the name and
address of the recipient.

Solved Examples on Business Letter

Problem: Which of the following punctuation mark belongs in the salutation and closing of a
business letter?

1. Colon
2. Comma
3. Semi-Colon
4. Question Mark

Solution: 2. Comma

Problem: What does the inside address contain?

1. Only the name of the company that receives the letter.

2. Only the name of the company or the person to receive the letter.
3. Both the name and the address of the company/person receiving the letter.
4. All of the above.

Solution: 3. Both the name and the address of the company/person receiving the letter.

The main business letter formats are:

 Full-Block Style - All the elements are aligned to the left margin and there are no indented lines.
This is a standard block-style format that is accepted by most businesses.
 Modified Block Style - The return address, date, closing and signature start just to the right of
the center of the page or may be flush with the right margin. All body paragraphs begin at the left
margin.
 Indented or Semi-Block Style - Similar to the modified block business letter style except that
the first line of each paragraph is indented.