Business Letters
A business letter is more formal than a personal letter. It should have a margin of at least one inch on all four edges. It is always written on 8½"x11" (or metric equivalent) unlined stationery. There are sixparts to a business letter.
1. The Heading. This contains the return address (usually two or three lines) with the date on the last line.
Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line after the address and before the date for a phone number, fax number, E-mail address, or something similar.
Often a line is skipped between the address and date. That should always be done if the heading is next to the left margin. (See Business Letter Styles.)
It is not necessary to type the return address if you are using stationery with the return address already imprinted. Always include the date.
2. The Inside Address. This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as complete as possible. Include titles and names if you know them.
This is always on the left margin. If an 8½" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.
An inside address also helps the recipient route the letter properly and can help should the envelope be damaged and the address become unreadable.
Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skip another line after the inside address before the greeting.
3. The Greeting. Also called the salutation. The greeting in a business letter is always formal. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name.
It normally has a title. Use a first name only if the title is unclear--for example, you are writing to someone named "Leslie," but do not know whether the person is male or female. For more on the form of titles, see Titles with Names.
The greeting in a business letter always ends in a colon. (You know you are in trouble if you get a letter from a boyfriend or girlfriend and the greeting ends in a colon--it is not going to be friendly.)
4. The Body. The body is written as text. A business letter is never hand written. Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between paragraphs.
Skip a line between the greeting and the body. Skip a line between the body and the close.
5. The Complimentary Close. This short, polite closing ends with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading does.
The block style is becoming more widely used because there is no indenting to bother with in the whole letter.
6. The Signature Line. Skip two lines (unless you have unusually wide or narrow lines) and type out the name to be signed. This customarily includes a middle initial, but does not have to. Women may indicate how they wish to be addressed by placing Miss, Mrs., Ms. or similar title in parentheses before their name.

What are the six parts of a business letter? A Refresher.
In order of how they appear in the letter, top to bottom, the six parts of the business letter are: Heading – This includes the return address of the sender and the date. Then add a blank line at the end of this part. Inside Address – This is the address of who you are sending the letter to. The inside address is where the letter is being sent. Try to also list the recipient’s name and title if you know it. Add a blank line at the end of this part. Greeting – This is the formal salutation. It normally begins with the word “Dear” followed by the person’s last name or title. End the greeting with a color and then add a blank line at the end of this part. Body – This is the main message of the letter. This section is usually multiple paragraphs, ending with a summary of the main message point. Add a blank line at the end of this part. Closing – Most often, the letter Body is followed by “Sincerely” and a comma. The closing’s left margin always matches the Heading’s left margin. Add three blank lines at the end of this part. Signature – This is the name of the sender, with the sender’s title on the next line. Sample Memo - What is a memo?
A memo or memorandum is a type of communication commonly used in businesses. Memo's are sent to colleagues and co-workers. They differ from letters as they are more informal and do not require a salutation or a closure statement as in Business Letters.Purpose of a Memo
A memo is used as a written reminder or to convey a short proposal or some basic information. A memo format is generally short consisting of between one and four sentences. A longer format might consist of several paragraphs but should never exceed one page in length. If the information you need to communicate exceeds one page it is better to write a report ( Don't panic! See our simple guide to Report Writing ). In these instances a simple memorandum can be used to introduce a report which would be attached to the memo. | Definition of a Mem
The word memorandum is derived from the Middle English word 'memorandus' meaning 'to be remembered'.Sample Memo Format & Template
The Sample Memorandum format and templateDefinition of a Memo
The word memorandum is derived from the Middle English word 'memorandus' meaning 'to be remembered'.Sample Memo Format & Template
The Sample Memorandum format and template provides details of a suggested layout and content for this business task. provides details of a suggested layout and content for this business task. |

Sample Memo Format / Template | Sample Memo Format / TemplateTO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:First Sentence:
Reason for the memo

Second Sentence - Main Body:
Any Instructions or information

Closing Sentence
What is required of the reader e.g. Confirmation, answers or feedback | | |

Sample Memo - Format Hints and Tips on How to write a Memo
Writing a memo is a relatively simple and informal task. Some things to and tips to consider when writing and considering the format of a Memo: * How much information do you need to convey? * Who do you need to communicate with? * The content of a memo includes information such as: * Times, dates and places to meet * Reminders * New basic information * Requests for confirmation, information or feedback * Don’t use a memorandum format for lots of information * Use this format to communicate with your colleagues or co-workers * You have now learnt how to write a business memorandum |