203
Chapter 9 Formatting Letters, Memos, and E-Mails
A
copy notation
is needed when others are being sent a copy of the
letter. The notation appears below the signature, as shown in Figure 9-3 and
Figure 9-4. If there are enclosure notations or reference initials, it appears
below these. Use c (for copy) or cc (for carbon copy or courtesy copy) followed
by a colon and a list of the full names of individuals receiving copies.
cc: Tina Ricco
Gary Kowalski
Additional Letter Elements
There are three additional letter elements that are sometimes used in
business letters: attention line, subject line, and postscript. These elements may
also appear in personal letters. The following sections discuss these elements.
Attention Line
There is a wealth of resources available to the writer—telephone,
Internet, company databases—that make it largely unnecessary to address
correspondence without an individual’s name. However, if this circumstance
does occur, substituting a position or department title for a specifi c name is
a good solution. For example, you may know the marketing manager is to
receive the letter, but cannot fi nd the name of the manager. In this situation,
it is appropriate to include an attention line that says Attention Marketing
Manager. This line is positioned as part of the inside address:
Attention Marketing Manager
Urban Development Council
150 Grosvenor Avenue
Washington, DC 30005
Subject Line
A subject line in a letter is used like a subject line in an e-mail. It helps the
reader know the content of the message before reading. The subject line may
be in all caps or initial caps and the word subject is optional. The subject line
appears after the salutation and before the body of the letter.
Dear Mr. Ramito:
SUBJECT: MINUTES OF SUMMER MEETING
Thank you for attending the summer meeting of the Green Entrepreneur
that was held last month in Orlando. We appreciate your attendance and
your contribution to this meeting…
Postscript
A
postscript
means after writing and is information included after the
signature. In business letters, the postscript is no longer used to represent an
afterthought. For example, in the past a writer may have included an omission
as a postscript, such as:
P.S. I forgot to tell you we’re moving. After June 1, you can reach us at
our new address.