Jonadee T.

Empis
11-STEM

PARTS OF A LETTER

DATE

Simply put the date is the day the letter is sent. The most commonly used date
format is: June 21, 2011. Do not abbreviate the month and always include all four digits
of the year.

ADDRESS

This is the address of the recipient. If applicable, the first line in the address block
should include the recipient's name and title, and the second line should state the
recipient's company or business. The third and fourth lines are designated for the actual
address.

Example:

Mr. John Doe, Director of Sales The Sales Firm 123 Main Street Townsville, AR 45678

SALUTATION

Different circumstances determine which salutation or greeting is most appropriate.

Use "Dear" when the recipient's name or title is known. Examples include "Dear Mr.
Doe" or "Dear Sales Director." When the name or title is unknown, use "To Whom It
May Concern." Always punctuate the salutation of a business letter with a colon instead
of a comma.

BODY

The body is the longest part of a letter and is usually divided into three
subcategories: introduction, main content and summary. The introductory paragraph
states the purpose of the letter. The main content conveys all necessary detailed
information and has no set length requirements. The last paragraph summarizes the
information provided, restates the letter intent and offers either instructions or an inquiry
regarding follow-up correspondence.
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

The complimentary close is a word or short phrase that basically means "goodbye."
"Sincerely" is the most common closing remark. Others include "cordially," "best
wishes," and "best regards." The complimentary close can vary in degrees of formality
and is dependent upon the relationship between the sender and recipient.

SIGNATURE

In letters that are sent via email, the signature is simply the sender's name and title
typed immediately below the complimentary close. When a letter is mailed, faxed or
hand-delivered, however, there should be a large enough space below the closing and
above the typed name and title for the sender to provide her written signature.
Ma. Celestine Bernadette R. Naul
11-STEM

PARTS OF A LETTER

HEADER
The term ‘Header’ is adequately named, the reason being that it is “The head of the
letter”. The letter begins from the header. The term Header is not used in actual writing
of the letter; it is meant to provide guidance towards letter writing. Header is composed
of certain sub parts, all of which may not be used or required. Their use depends
upon the type of letter. Thus a Header can comprise of just a single sub part or many.

Parts of Header

a) Letter Head – Letter Head is simply the printed name and address of the
organization from whom the letter is being sent. Its purpose is to show that the letter has
been authorized by the organization or is being authorized via its official. It is mostly
used in informal letters where it is important to document the correspondence for future
reference or any other purpose as and when required. Letter head may or may not be
accompanied by a logo otherwise it will simply have a texted material with bold letters or
colored to make it appear different from the other parts of the letter.
b) Sender’S name and address – Sender’s Name and Address means the person
who is sending the letter. In other words, the writer of the letter. Sender’s name and
address maybe mentioned in the letter head in formal letters but it is not a common norm
in informal letters.

c) Date – The day the letter has been written has to be mentioned for reference and
archival purposes. Date is an indicator of timely delivery and is also essential in
determining a fault or delay.

d) receiver’S name and addreSS - Receiver’s Name and Address means the person
to whom he letter is being sent. In other words, the Recipient of the letter or the Receiver
of the letter.

e) Sub or Re – Sub stands for Subject and Re stands for Reference. Subject means the
highlight of the letter or briefing line to introduce the motive of the letter. Re is a short form
for the Latin phrase "in re" which means concerning or regarding.
f) Salutation - Salutation is a word of greeting written to begin a letter. It is a type of
courteous greeting like ‘Hello’ when we meet someone in our day to day lives. Dear is the
most common form of salutation used in a letter.
BODY
The body of the letter is the focus point of the letter. It contains the most important
information in the letter. This part of a letter requires creativity. The language of the letter
can be formal, informal or a bit of both depending upon the type of the letter and the
relationship of the writer and the recipient.
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE
The term clearly states that the letter is about to end or is ending. Valedictions are used
to end the letter. A valediction is the liturgical act of saying farewell. It is the opposite of
salutation as it is used to ‘Close the letter’ whereas the salutation is used to ‘Start the
letter’. It is also known as ‘Complimentary Close’ or a ‘Complimentary Gesture’. Just like
we say ‘Good bye’ in our day to day social meetings when we leave someone’s company,
valediction is the same in letter writing.
SIGNATURE
Signature is like a broadcaster “signing off” while announcing the end of a radio or
television programmed. While Signature literally means the signature of the writer but it
also means a sign seal, printed name of the writer. Signature shows that the letter has
been indeed written by, prepared by or authorized by the writer. Signatures are generally
part of formal correspondence and are as such used.
Mark Arnold D. Bantog

11-STEM

PARTS OF A LETTER

1.Heading Your contact information, placed at the top of a business letter, lets
the reader can identify you and provides a way to contact you in return. If you
use preprinted letterhead, you have a ready-made heading for your letter. If
not, insert your address at the top of the letter, including your street address,
city, state, and zip code. You needn’t include your name in your heading since
you will sign the letter.

2. Date
Indicate the date you write – or send – the letter. Write out the month, date, and year like
this: July 4, 1776.

3. Addressee Information
Also called the “inside address,” this element includes the name of the person to whom
you’re writing, his title, the company, and his full mailing address. Make an almost super-
human effort to address the letter to a specific individual within a firm even if you must
research to identify the appropriate recipient.

Name, job title

Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Insert a line space after the addressee information, prior to the salutation.

4. Salutation
The salutation is a greeting made up of two parts: a word of welcome such as “Dear” and
then the individual’s name. Avoid using a generic, “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear
Gentlemen” but instead, greet the specific individual or group you listed in the address
information. This attention to detail speaks volumes to the reader.
 The salutation can be formal (using the reader’s title, such as Dr., Mr., or Ms., followed by his
last name) or informal (using the person’s first name),with the tone matching to the letter’s
level of formality. Insert a comma or colon and a line space after the salutation and then
proceed to the letter body.

5. Letter Body
The body of letter, the main section, communicates your business. It is comprised of three
parts.

1. Use the first paragraph as an introduction to explain why you are writing.

2. Use the following paragraphs to lay out your points, providing more information and
specific details in logical order.

3. Use the final paragraph or section to specify what step you want your reader to take after
reading your letter. Close this final section with words of appreciation.

6. Closing
The closing is one of the parts of a letter that, like the letter body, has different elements.

Complimentary close. This short phrase ends your letter but continues to communicate your
tone. Choose a letter closing that suits your relationship with the reader, always
communicating courtesy and respect. Follow your closing phrase with a comma.

Handwritten signature. Insert 2-4 line spaces for a handwritten signature. If your letter will
be sent electronically, you can insert an email signature.

Typed Signature. Type your signature (and your title, if appropriate).