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Chapter 9 Formatting Letters, Memos, and E-Mails
If you need to write a letter without the name of a specifi c person, do not
use traditional greetings, such as Dear Sir or Gentlemen. You may use Ladies and
Gentlemen; however, the best course is to use words that describe the role of the
person:
Dear Customer:
Dear Circulation Manager:
Dear Editor:
Body
The
body
of the letter
is the message. Format the
body according to the block
or modifi ed-block style. Most
businesses use the block
style. Single-spaced letters
are standard; however, some
businesses prefer the default
setting of the word-processing
software used. In Microsoft
Word 2007/2010, the default
line spacing is 1.15.
Complimentary Close
The
complimentary
close
is the sign-off for the
letter. Only the fi rst word is
capitalized. Mixed or open
punctuation is used in the
complimentary close, but
be consistent with the style you used in the salutation. The complimentary
close follows the body of the letter and is appropriately spaced, as shown in
Figure 9-3 and Figure 9-4. The most commonly used closings are:
Mixed Punctuation
Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Cordially,
Cordially yours,
Open Punctuation
Sincerely
Sincerely yours
Cordially
Cordially yours
Signature
The writer’s name and title are called the
signature
or
signature block.
The
writer’s job title and department appear beneath the name, unless a letterhead
When creating a business letter, be sure to follow an
accepted format. Readers will expect the letter to have
certain elements to guide them through the letter.
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