Eng 209/WI

4 Business Letter Formats
Side by Side Comparison of Design

Full Block
Letterhead

Block
Letterhead

date inside address salutation xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx complementary close signature block inside address salutation

date

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx complementary close signature block

Modified Block
Letterhead date inside address salutation xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx complementary close signature block date

AMS Simplified
Letterhead

inside address SUBJECT ALL CAPS xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

NAME AND TITLE

Templates of the four formats are available online at http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/hurley/default.htm. To use, substitute your words

for the words in the template

The format for each letter follows →

Hurley

Eng 209/WI

Block Letter Format
All lines begin at the left margin

LETTERHEAD

line 13 or 2 lines below letterhead

Date
4 – 10 lines here, so as to center letter on page

Addressee's Name and Title Company Name inside address is single spaced with no abbreviations except for state abbreviation Street Address City, State Zip double space Dear addressee's last name, double space SUBJECT: a brief descriptive title double or triple space

Notice that the first line of each new paragraph starts here at the left margin. xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

Type a double space between paragraphs. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

1. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

2. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

Sincerely,
4 lines for signature note: for shorter letters, use wider margins to keep the text of the letter centered on the page vertically

Typed Name of Sender Title of Sender

Hurley

Eng 209/WI

Modified Block Letter Format
All lines except the date and signature block begin at the left margin

LETTERHEAD

Date line 13 or 2 lines below letterhead
4 – 10 lines here, so as to center letter on page

Addressee's Name and Title Company Name inside address is single spaced with no abbreviations except for state abbreviation Street Address City, State Zip double space Dear addressee's last name, double space SUBJECT: optional, a brief descriptive title, may be at the left margin or centered double or triple space

Notice that every new paragraph starts at the left margin. The difference between the full block letter (previous) and this block letter is that in this format, the date and signature block line up on the same tab. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

Sincerely,
4 lines for signature

Typed Name of Sender Title of Sender double space

Typist's Notations double space

Other notations

note: for shorter letters, use wider margins to keep the text of the letter centered on the page vertically

If possible, letter should be 3 paragraphs for good visual effect

Hurley

Eng 209/WI

Modified Block with Indented First Lines Letter Format
The date and signature block begin at the center or to the right of center of the page. The first line of each paragraph is indented, and the subject line is centered.

LETTERHEAD line 13 or 2 lines below letterhead

Date lines up with signature block below
4 – 10 lines here, so as to center letter on page

Addressee's Name and Title Company Name inside address is single spaced with no abbreviations except for state abbreviation Street Address City, State Zip double space Dear addressee's last name, double space

SUBJECT: optional, a brief descriptive title double or triple space

This format is very different from the previous two. In this modified block letter, each new paragraph starts at the left margin. The date and signature blocks line up on the same tab. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

Sincerely, lines up with date above
4 lines for signature

Typed Name of Sender Title of Sender double space

Typist's Notations double space

Other notations

note: for shorter letters, use wider margins to keep the text of the letter centered on the page vertically

If possible, letter should be 3 paragraphs for good visual effect

Hurley

Eng 209/WI

\Simplified Letter Format
All lines begin at the left margin. The salutation and complementary close are eliminated. A subject line is included. The addressee's name is blended into the text.

LETTERHEAD line 13 or 2 lines below letterhead

Date lines up with signature block below
4 – 10 lines here, so as to center letter on page

Addressee's Name and Title Company Name inside address is single spaced with no abbreviations except for state abbreviation Street Address City, State Zip double space

SUBJECT LINE IN ALL CAPS double or triple space

The Simplified letter works best for direct request and goodnews messages. In this format, each new paragraph starts at the left margin. The date and signature blocks are at the left margin. In place of the "dear" line is the subject in all caps without the word "subject." At the end of the letter, in place of the "sincerely" line is the name and title of the sender in all caps. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx double space

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx
4 lines for signature

TYPED NAME OF SENDER – TITLE OF SENDER double space

Typist's Notations double space

Other notations

note: for shorter letters, use wider margins to keep the text of the letter centered on the page vertically

If possible, letter should be 3 paragraphs for good visual effect

Hurley