Last Updated on 3 years by ICT Byte

Letter Components ( Essential)

1.    Writer’s Address

• If the heading consists of your address, you will include a. your street address and b. the city, state, and zip code. Do not include your name.
• If the heading consists of your company’s address, you will include
  •  the company’s  name
  •  the street address; and
  •  the city, state, and zip code 

19015 Lakeview Avenue

Columbus, OH 43212

2.    Date

• Place date one or two spaces below the writer’s address.
•  You can set up date in one of two ways: May 29, 2020 , or 29 May 2020. 

3.    Inside Address ( Receiver’s/Reader’s Address):

• This is the address of the person or people to whom you are writing. The inside address contains these elements in the following order.
•  Your reader’s name( If you do not know the name of this person , begin the reader’s address with a job title or the name of the department)
• Your reader’s title( optional if you include the name)
• The company name
•  The company street address
• The company city, state, and zip code 

4.     Salutation:

• Placed two spaces beneath the inside address
  • Reader’s last name preceded by Dear and followed by a colon.
    • E.g Dear Mr. Smith:
  • You can also address your reader by his or her first name if you are on a first-name basis with this person.
    • E.g Dear John:
  • If you are writing to a woman and are unfamiliar with her marital status, address the letter as follows:
    • Dear Ms. Jones:
  • However, if you know the woman’s marital status, you can address the letter accordingly.
    • Dear Miss Jones:
  • or
    • Dear Mrs. Jones:
• If you don not know the gender of the person,  you can address in the following way.
  •  Dear Chris Evans:
• You can address the reader by his or her title
  • ( Dear Vice-President of Operation: ) or
    •  address the letter to the reader’s department (Accounting Department:)

If you address the letter to the department, Dear would be inappropriate and should be omitted. 

• Sexist salutations such as Dear Sir or Dear Gentlemen can not be used unless you know your  reader is a man. Better avoid the sexist salutation.
• Avoid other awkward salutations like:
  •  Good morning
  • To Whom It May Concern – ( Which is trite and imprecise)
  • Greetings ( Military connotation)
  • Dear Sir/ Madam ( also ineffective and should be avoided)

5. Letter Body

• Begin the body of the letter two spaces below the salutation.
• The body includes introductory paragraph, discussion paragraph(s), concluding paragraph. There should be double spaces between the paragraphs. Whether we indent the beginning of each paragraph or leave them flush with the left margin is determined by the letter format we choose.

6. Complimentary Close:

• Place the complimentary close, followed by a comma, two spaces below the concluding paragraphs. Although several different complimentary closes are acceptable, such as Yours truly and sincerely yours, better limit your close to Sincerely.

7. Signed Name:

• Sign your name legibly beneath the complimentary close.

8. Typed name:

• Type your name four spaces below the complimentary close. If you wish, you may type your title one space beneath your typed name.

Sincerely,

John Williams

Academic Head

Letter Components (Optional)

• In addition to the letter essentials, you can include the following additional components.

1. Subject line:

• You can type the subject line in all capital letters two spaces the inside address and two spaces above the salutation.

Subject: LINGUISTICS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PAYMENT

• Subject line not only helps readers understand the letter’s intent , but also helps you avoid such flawed salutations as To Whom It May Concern, Dear Sirs, and Ladies and Gentlemen.
• In the simplified letter format, both the salutation and the complimentary close are omitted, and a subject line is included.

2. New-Page Notations:

• If the letter is longer than one page, you will need to cite your name, page number, and the date on all pages after 1. Place this notation either flush with the left margin at the top of subsequent pages or across the top of subsequent pages.
• LEFT,MARGIN, SUBSEQUENT PAGE NOTATION

Mabel Tinjaca

Page 2

May 29, 2020

• ACROSS TOP OF SUBSEQUENT PAGES

Mabel Tinjaca                  2                         May 29, 2020

3. Writer’s and Typist’s Initials:

• If the letter has been type by someone other than the writer, include both the writer’s and typist’s initials two spaces below the typed signature. The writer’s initials are capitalized ; the typist’s initials are in lowercase. The two sets of initials are separated by a colon. If the typist and the writer are the same person, this notation is not necessary.

Sincerely,

signature

Ramu Thapa

 RT:ms

4. Enclosure Notation:

• If your letter prefaces enclosed information, such as an invoice ( list of goods or services provided, with statement of some due, bill), a report, or graphics, mention this just two spaces below the writer and typist initials.

RT:ms

Enclosure: January Invoice

5. Copy Notation:

• If you have made a carbon copy or a photocopy of your letter, show this in a copy notation.

Sincerely,

Brian Altma

pc: Marcia Rittmaster

Erica Nochlin