Letter Styles

Business letters today usually use one of the following letter styles: block style, modified block style or simplified style. Each has advantages and drawbacks. Your task is to make a decision about which style works best for you and your company. You may even find that in certain letter-writing situations you'll choose to use different letter styles. However, it is always a good idea to check to see if your company or boss has a preferred letter style.

You will use the following nine elements of letters in almost all letter styles. The first two styles include all nine, in the following order:

1. Return address 6. Complimentary close

2. Date 7.Signature

3. Inside address 8. Typed name and title

4. Salutation 9.Reference information

5. Letter body

The third letter style eliminates the complimentary close and salutation. However, it does use the other seven elements.

Block Style. Block style is the easiest style to use because every letter feature begins at the left margin. As it’s easy to key, it’s also one of the most widely used. However, block style can give the letter a left-heavy appearance. You may want to avoid this minor flaw by using the modified block style.

Modified Block Style. The modified block style letter uses the basic block format. However, the following parts of the letter begin at the horizontal centre of the page: the return address, the date, the complimentary close, the signature, the sender's typed or keyed name, and the sender's official title. (Do not centre these on the page; just use the centre as the left margin for these items only.)

Using the centre as the left margin for these elements gives the letter a more balanced look. Writers can also use blocked paragraphs, as in block-style letters, or indent the first line five spaces or one-half inch if you are using a word processor. People who work in a law office often indent paragraphs eight or more spaces (one inch on a word processor). Usually a letter with short paragraphs looks better blocked. A letter with longer paragraphs looks better indented.

Simplified Style. The simplified style lets writers drop traditional letter parts such as the salutation and complimentary close. Instead of using a salutation to open the letter, the simplified style letter opens with a subject line. The subject line serves as a title to the letter.

In routine or good news situations, the subject line can carry the main message of the letter. In bad news messages, a more neutral subject line usually works best.

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Дата добавления: 2014-12-26