Academic Business Letters

You will be writing and sending a business letter to a company of your choice. Apple, Crayola, Barbie, your favorite game console or video game, etc.
- Single Spaced (Not your average MLA double)

To write business letter you need the following parts:

- Senders Address (Your address)
- Date
- The Recipients Address
- Saluation/Greeting
- Body of your message
- Closing

Information on each part can be found here: OWL Parts of a Business Letter

Today you will be researching a company who you would like to send a business letter to, and beginning your business letter first draft. We will be doing multiple drafts and checks to make sure your letter is final before we send it. Pick a company you want to compliment for their service or product, who knows, they might answer and send you something!

Example: READ THE PARAGRAPHS THEY GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS

5 Hill Street                                   <--- Senders Address (Your Address)
Madison, Wisconsin 53700

March 15, 2005               <---- Date

Ms. Helen Jones                  <--- Recipients Address
President
Jones, Jones & Jones
123 International Lane
Boston, Massachusetts 01234 

Dear Ms. Jones:                          <---- Greeting/Salutation

(BODY) Business letter format is called block format, using single spacing. For authoritative advice about all the variations, we highly recommend The Gregg Reference Manual, 9th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001), a great reference tool for workplace communications. There seems to be no consensus about such fine points as whether to skip a line after your return address and before the date: some guidelines suggest that you do; others do not. Let's hope that your business letter succeeds no matter which choice you make!

When you use the block form to write a business letter, all the information is typed flush left (no indents), with one-inch margins all around. First provide your own address, then skip a line and provide the date, then skip one more line and provide the inside address of the party to whom the letter is addressed. If you are using letterhead that already provides your address, do not retype that information; just begin with the date. For formal letters, avoid abbreviations where possible.

Skip another line before the salutation, which should be followed by a colon. Then write the body of your letter as illustrated here, with no indentation at the beginnings of paragraphs. Skip lines between paragraphs.

After writing the body of the letter, type the closing, followed by a comma, leave 3 blank lines, then type your name and title (if applicable), all flush left. Sign the letter in the blank space above your typed name. Now doesn't that look professional?

Sincerely,           <---- Closing

John Doe                                  <---- Your Signature
Administrative Assistant