Business / Official Letters – Part 1

These are also called formal letters.

Points to note on Business / Official Letters

The writer’s address and date. The remarks made for personal or friendly letters apply here also.

The name/title and address of the person; to receive the letter should appear on the left-hand side of the paper next to the margin.

A line can be skipped after the date. The commas at the end of each line are optional. The reason for including the name or position and address of the person to receive the letter is that a business letter can be considered a legal document and there should be no doubt who it is intended for.

The salutation; unless you have met the person to whom you are applying in the organization, begin the letter with; Dear Sir.

The main body of the letter does not contain informal or meaningless words. In business letters, aim to write clear and simple English; do not use artificial and stilted language.

The ending of the letter; The standard form of; Yours faithfully, Yours truly, can also be used from the middle of the page to the right.

The signature and then name in capital letters.