PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

Question 1

It identifies the writer, his/her address, and contact

Answer 1

Letterhead

Question 2

It is placed between the letterhead and the inside address. It should never use
plain numerals for dates as it may create confusion.

Answer 2

Date

Question 3

It identifies the reader’s name, position, and company, and address. It should
be placed immediately below the date.

Answer 3

Inside Address

Question 4

It is used when the writer wishes to address the whole company but wants to
bring it to the attention of a particular person in the company.

Answer 4

Attention Line

Question 5

It refers to the writer’s greeting to the reader. It can appear in different
formats:

Answer 5

Salutation

Question 6

It contains the message of the letter. Paragraphs are single-spaced internally
but double-spaced to separate paragraphs. If the letter is too short, the body
can be double-spaced or triple-spaced

Answer 6

Body

Question 7

It is an expression used to end a letter. Below is the level of formality of the
complimentary close (Merriam Webster’s Guide to Business
Correspondence, 1996):

Answer 7

Complimentary Close

Question 8

This part includes the signature and the typed name of the sender

Answer 8

Signature block

Question 9

It indicates the typist’s initials if the sender is not the one who personally typed
the document.

Answer 9

Identification initials

Question 10

It indicates the attachments to the letter.

Answer 10

Enclosure Notation

Question 11

It indicates the name of the secondary recipients of the letter. IT is indicated
by cc: which means carbon copy or courtesy copies

Answer 11

Copy Notation