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Choosing the right format for your letter largely depends on the type of letter you're composing and the recipient. The format you'd employ for a letter to a friend will be vastly different from that used in formal correspondence. Furthermore, the format of traditional mail letters differs from those sent via email. Continue reading to discover the correct approach to formatting your next letter.
Procedures
Official or Business Correspondence
Position your name and address prominently at the letter's top. This should include the street address, city, state, and zip code, arranged in a left-aligned, single-spaced block.
- The city, state, and zip code are listed together on one line, while the street address occupies its own line.
- If you're using a professional letterhead containing this information, skip this step. There's no need to duplicate the sender's address.
Add the date directly beneath your address. Input the date the letter was drafted or completed, whichever you prefer.
- The date should align to the left, similar to the address directly above it.
- Write the date in month-day-year format. Spell out the month, but use numbers for the day and year. For example: February 9, 2013.
Insert a blank line between the date and the subsequent section of the letter. This will provide a neat separation between the address and the following content.
Employ a reference line, if necessary. If the letter pertains to a specific matter, consider including a reference line starting with 'Re:'
- Left-align the reference line and keep it to a single line.
- Use a reference line when responding to another letter, job advertisement, or request for information.
- After the optional reference line, leave a blank line to separate it from the next section of the letter.
Type the recipient's address. Include the recipient's name and title, along with the company name, street address, city, state, and zip code.
- All this information should be left-aligned and single-spaced. Each element, such as the recipient's name, title, company name, and street address, should occupy its own line. The city, state, and zip code should be on the same line.
- If mailing the letter to another country, list the country name in all capital letters on a separate line beneath the address.
- Whenever possible, address the letter to a specific individual and use an appropriate title such as 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' If unsure of the recipient's gender, omit the title.
- Conclude the address with a blank line.
Commence the body of your letter with a courteous greeting. A standard greeting begins with 'Dear,' followed by the recipient's formal title and last name, followed by a comma.
- The greeting should align to the left.
- If uncertain of the recipient's gender, address them by their full name, or precede their last name with their job title.
- Leave a blank line after the greeting.
Add a subject line, if preferred. Write the subject line in uppercase letters beneath the greeting and align it to the left.
- Keep the subject line concise yet informative, aiming for a single line.
- Remember, this is unconventional and should be used sparingly.
- Omit the subject line if you've included a reference line.
- Include a blank line after the subject line, if included.
Initiate the body section with a brief introduction outlining the purpose of your letter. Align the paragraphs to the left, and consider using indentation at the start of paragraphs.
Follow your introduction with a more extensive body segment. This part should delve into the letter's purpose and include a concluding statement to wrap things up.
- Compose a succinct body segment. Single-space each paragraph and leave a blank line between paragraphs and after the final paragraph.
Conclude your letter with a courteous closing. Common polite closings include 'Sincerely,' 'Best regards,' or 'Thank you.' Remember to align the closing to the left and append a comma after it.
- Capitalize only the initial letter of the first word in the closing.
Follow the closing with your name. However, leave three blank lines below the closing before typing your full name, followed by your job title on the subsequent line.
Specify any enclosures at the conclusion of your letter. If there are any, write 'Enclosures' one line beneath your typed name and job title, and enumerate the enclosed items.
- Remember, this step is unnecessary if there are no enclosures.
- Single-space and align the enclosures section to the left.
Include the typist's initials, if relevant. If someone else typed the letter while you dictated it, append the typist's first and last initials at the very bottom of the letter, one line below the enclosures section.
Sign your name after printing your letter. Handwrite your name, preferably in cursive, between the closing statement and your typed name. Signing your letter by hand indicates to the recipient that you took the time to personally send them the letter, emphasizing its significance.
Informal Letter
Indicate the date. Include the date the letter was written or completed at the top right corner of the letter.
- Write the date in month-day-year format. Typically, spelling out the month is customary, but using numerical format for the entire date is also acceptable.
- Align the date to the right side of the page.
Compose a warm greeting. While 'Dear' remains a popular choice, depending on your relationship with the recipient, you may opt to use their name without formality.
- Left-align the greeting and follow it with a comma.
- When addressing a friend or peer, their first name alone is often sufficient. For instance: 'Dear Jane'.
- For informal letters, consider substituting 'Dear' with casual greetings like 'Hello,' 'Hi,' or 'Hey.'
- If addressing an elder or someone deserving respect, include their title and last name. For example: 'Dear Ms. Roberts'
- Leave a blank line between the greeting and the main text of the letter.
Incorporate an introduction, body, and conclusion into your letter. While the introduction and conclusion should be concise, the body typically comprises the bulk of the content.
- Left-align the main text of the letter and indent the first line of each paragraph.
- The entire text should be single-spaced. Though typically, lines are not skipped between paragraphs in informal letters, you may do so if it enhances readability.
- Leave a blank line after the final sentence of the main text to separate it from the closing.
End with an appropriate closing. 'Sincerely' remains widely used, even in friendly letters. However, for more casual correspondence, consider a less formal closing such as 'Until next time!' or 'Talk to you later!'
- Follow the closing with a comma, omitting a typed version of your name.
- Align the closing with the heading.
Sign your name. Sign your name directly below the closing. Generally, signatures are in cursive rather than print.
- If you are familiar enough with the recipient, signing your first name alone is acceptable. Otherwise, include your last name as well.
Official or Business Electronic Correspondence
Initiate with a concise yet precise summary of your email's purpose. This summary should occupy the subject field of your email, not the email body itself.
- If your recipient anticipates your email, the summary can simply refer to the subject matter. For unexpected emails, crafting this summary becomes more crucial. It should compel the reader to open your email by providing a clear idea of its content.
Commence the email with a formal greeting. Typically, this starts with 'Dear,' followed by the recipient's formal title.
- Whenever feasible, address the email to a specific recipient. Avoid sending emails to unnamed recipients, reserving 'To Whom it May Concern' as a last resort.
- While traditionally a colon follows the salutation in formal emails, nowadays, a comma is more commonly used.
- If unsure of the appropriate title (e.g., 'Ms.' or 'Mr.'), it's best to use the individual's full name.
- Conclude the formal salutation with a blank line.
Compose the email text, maintaining brevity yet ensuring clarity. Like any letter, the main text should encompass an introduction, body, and conclusion. Strive to keep the entire email, including the body, succinct and to the point.
- Left-align the main text.
- Avoid using indentation.
- Single-space the main text, inserting a blank line between paragraphs and after the final paragraph.
Employ a courteous closing. Conclude the main text with a polite closing such as 'Sincerely,' followed by a comma.
- Ensure the closing is left-aligned, with only the first word capitalized.
- Other suitable formal closings include 'Thank you,' 'Yours truly,' and 'Best wishes.'
Print your name directly beneath the closing. Unlike a paper-delivered letter, you won't be able to sign your email by hand.
- Left-align your name.
Provide your contact details at the conclusion. After your name, input your physical address, phone number, email address, and website or blog link if applicable.
- Left-align and single-space each piece of information, dedicating a separate line to each.
Casual Email
Start with a concise yet informative subject line. This helps the recipient quickly grasp the subject matter before opening the email, ensuring they know what to expect.
Commence the email body with a friendly greeting. Choose a polite greeting, such as 'Dear,' followed by the recipient's name.
- Left-align the greeting.
- For close friends, you can skip the formalities and simply begin with their first name followed by a comma.
- Insert a blank line between the greeting and the email's body.
Compose the main body of your email. Similar to traditional letters, structure your email's body into an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, for emails to close friends, such formatting may be unnecessary.
Conclude your email with a closing remark. When ending an email to a friend, the closing doesn't have to be formal but should signify the end of your message.
- If you're emailing a very close friend, it's sometimes acceptable to simply sign off with your name, omitting the closing altogether.
Examples of Letters
Example of Business Letter
Example of Semi-Formal Letter
Example of Friendly LetterHelpful Pointers
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Keep in mind that formal letters in the United States differ slightly from those in the United Kingdom. In the UK, the return address and date are aligned to the right, and if included, the subject line is centered. Additionally, the date is written in day-month-year format, and a comma follows the salutation instead of a colon.
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If you're not fond of the provided format, known as block format, you can also explore modified block format and semi-block format. These formats contain essentially the same information but organize it in alternative ways.
