Writing Letters By Megan Rees

Parts of a Letter Part One

Letters Consist of Parts: Date Mailing Address Salutation Body Complimentary Close Signature

January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek DATE MAILING ADDRESS SALUTATION BODY COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE SIGNATURE

The Date January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Starts 2” down Spell out the date like so—do NOT write 1/28/08

Mailing Address January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Name on first line Address on second line City, State and Zip on third line

Salutation January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Always begins with “Dear” Use title of Mrs. Miss, Ms., Mr. etc DO NOT use a comma NOTE: if you do not know the name of the person in the company you should be contacting, write the letter to To Whom it May Concern

Body January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Each paragraph is separated by a blank line. DO NOT tab in at the beginning of a paragraph. Usually at least three paragraphs, but not necessarily long.

Complimentary Close Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Usually something like “yours truly” or “Sincerely” or “Sincerely Yours”

Signature Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek The person the letter is from signs the letter, and then below it their name is written in print. If they have a title or company it is added on the next line. You do not have to have a title and company. Mary S. Whitmore

Special Cases Part Two

Subject Line January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: COMPLAINT ABOUT OUR PRODUCT Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Sometimes there is also a subject line, which is placed below the Salutation, and above the body. It is in ALL CAPS.

Enclosure Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. Enclosure ek If the letter includes some other document, like a picture, brochure, schedule, etc, you type “Enclosure” at the bottom, to remind the reader that it is there, or SHOULD be there.

Initials Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. Enclosure ek Initials are included when the author of the letter is NOT the same person who typed it. In this case, the person who typed it, the secretary etc, would type their initials at the bottom. This is in case there is an error and it needs to be traced to who made it.

Spacing Part Three

January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek There are only TWO places where there is a QS, or four returns. After the date, and after the complementary close. Don’t forget to return down 2 inches before you begin. Usually 5 returns. All other places in the letter have a DS or double space. IF there is a title and company for the author of the letter, there is only a SS single space between their name and title.

In Special Cases Dear Mrs. Monroe: COMPLAINT ABOUT OUR PRODUCT Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Enclosure When there is a Subject Line, DS before and after the subject line. When there are initials or Enclosures, DS above and below each

Letter Format & Punctuation Part Four

Formatting There are TWO types of formatting: Block and Modified Block. When you do your assignments, this is one of the MAIN THINGS you will be graded on.

Block January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek In Block format, everything lines up on the left margin. Most letters are written in Block.

Modified Block January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext ek In Modified Block, the complimentary close and signature is TABBED to the center. Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. Note that the initials (and enclosure if used) stays on the left margin.

Punctuation There are TWO types of punctuation in writing letters: Open and Mixed. When you do your assignments, this is one of the MAIN THINGS you will be graded on.

Mixed January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe: Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly, Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Mixed is the most common type of punctuation. There is a COLON after the salutation, and a comma after the complimentary close.

Open January 28, 2008 Mariella Monroe 14 Appletree Lane New Orleans, LA Dear Mrs. Monroe Thank you for your interest in our company. We are always pleased to hear from satisfied customers, and your comments are no exception! As you know, we have been in business for over fifty years, offering high-quality service to customers just like you. Whenever we hear about the experiences of our valued customers, good or bad, rest assured we take it seriously. We appreciate your business and hope to continue our relationship with you for years to come. In response to your letter, we are sorry that you had a bad experience with our 96X413-78Z letter opener. This has been a favorite of our customers for years, and a complaint is rare. We have every intention of replacing your letter opener as soon as possible. Expect a new one in the mail within the next four to six weeks. Once again, thank you for your continued patronage. If you have any questions or comments, you may write us again, or call me personally at ext Yours Truly Mary S. Whitmore President, Letters n’ More Inc. ek Open really means “none” in that there is NO colon or any punctuation after the salutation, and NO comma or punctuation after the complimentary close.

The End