PUNCTUATION MARK

USING A PERIOD
• Use a period after abbreviations and initials.
• Use a period repeated three times to represent words omitted.
USE OF COMMA
• Use a comma to separate political subdivisions in addresses.
• Use a comma after the salutation of an informal letter.
• Use a comma to separate coordinate clauses using and, or, but, nor, and for.
• Use a comma after the complimentary close.
• Use commas to separate series of words, phrases, and clauses belonging to the same
rank.
USE OF COLON
• Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter.
• Use a colon between the hours and minutes if the time is written in figures.
• Use a colon in introducing a list of items

USE OF CAPITALS
• Capitalize adjectives and other words derived from proper nouns.
• Capitalize the names of the days of the week, holidays, and the months of the year.
• Capitalize the names of the specific products
• Capitalize the names of departments within a business organization.
• Capitalize the first word and all nouns in the salutation of a letter.
• Capitalize such words as company, corporation, association when they are used as
substitutes for the names of specific companies.
ex. Mr. Reyes has worked for San Miguel Corporation for 10 years. Many good things
happened to his life through his connection with this Corporation.
• Capitalize a word which indicates a classification, a division, and a listing.
ex. Certificate No. 5678
 • Capitalize sums of money when they are written out in business letters and documents.
ex. I promise to pay Jose F. Santos Five Hundred and Twenty Five Pesos on or before
May 15, 2007.
• Capitalize all nouns, personal and possessive pronouns and adjectives that pertain to
God.
ex. His Holy Name, The Holy Bible, His Kingdom
FULL BLACK FORM MODIFIED FORM

SEMI BLOCK FORM

 SPELLING
 “Spelling need not be a mystery” (Nadell, Langan, & Comodromos, 2009). For reference,
it is important to have an on-hand updated copy of a dictionary. If you use a word
processor, there is an automatic “spell check” program. Another strategy to improve
your ability of correctly spelling words is through keeping a personal inventory of the
words you misspell. Lastly, it is also important to know about basic spelling rules to
minimize spelling errors.
 Phonology – how words sound
 Morphemes – how words are constructed from meaningful elements
 Homonyms – words that sound similar, but have different meanings and spellings
Examples: affect-effect; they’re-their-there; fell-fail; cite-sight-site; marry-Mary-merry,
pair-pare-pear; there-their-they’re

 Homophone – a word (type of homonym) that is pronounced the same as another word.
The words may not be spelled differently or the same.
Example: Foul (odor) Fowl (bird) Rose (flower) Rose (past tense of rise)
 Contraction – a word or phrase that has been shortened by leaving out some of the
letters
Example: Ain’t, can’t, couldn’t, won’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t, mayn’t, mightn’t, mustn’t

 Homonyms – words that sound similar, but have different meanings and spellings.
 BUSINESS LETTER?
- usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients
and other external parties.

TYPES:
SALES LETTER
- Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader.
- The purpose of these letters is to get the reader to do something.
- These include strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include
information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website link.

ORDER LETTERS
- Sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler to order goods or services. 
- These letters must contain specific information such as model number, name of the product, the quantity
desired and expected price.
- Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

COMPLAINT LETTER
- The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be the deciding factor
on whether your complaint is satisfied.
- Be direct but tactful and always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.

ADJUSTMENT LETTER
- An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in the
customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. 
- If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

INQUIRY LETTER
- Ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear
and succinct and list exactly what information you need.
- Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

FOLLOW UP LETTER
- This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the
outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application.
- In many cases, these letters are combination of thank you note and sales letter. Usually sent after some
type of initial communication

LETTER OF RECCOMENDATION
- Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before they hire them.
- This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the sender’s
relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

ACKNOWLDEGEMENT LETTER
- Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts
- Businesses send them to let others know that they have received a prior communication, but action may
or may not have taken place.

COVER LETTER
- Usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise.
- They are used to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with it,
if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and succinct.

LETTER RESGINATION
- In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for leaving the company.
- When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager
giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of employment will be. 

JOB APPLICATION
- Form or paper which indicates interest in a particular place of employment or position within a
company.
- Typically requests personal identification information, such as name, address and phone number, as well
as a history of job experience.

QUOTATION LETTER
- A quotation may contain terms of sale and payment, and warranties. 
- Securities: The bid and asked price cited for the sale or purchase of a commodity or security.
- Contracts: A formal statement of promise by potential supplier to supply the goods or services required
by a buyer at specified prices, and within a specified period.

TENDER
- This is also known as bids, a formal proposal to buy at a specified price.
- Notices or information about tenders are advertised in printed matter such as newspapers and magazines
that invite prospective sellers of services and goods to quote their rates or submit a proposal for doing a
job or supplying a need.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
 The 8 c’s of business letter
BUSINESS LETTER

- Most WIDELY OR COMMONLY USED FORM OF EXTERNAL WRITTEN

COMMUNICATION.
- IT SEEKS TO EXPLAIN, TO SELL, TO INTRODUCE, TO APOLOGIZE, TO INVITE, TO
REFUSE, TO PROMISE, TO COMPLAIN, AND TO ORGANIZE.

8 C’S OR EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

 CLARITY – WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THE LETTER? DOES THE LETTER CLEARLY CONVEY THE MESSAGE?
 CONCISENESS – THE MEANINGFULNESS OF A LETTER DEPENDS GREATLY ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF WORDS
IN THE LETTER.

 CONSIDERATION – THE YOU-VIEWPOINT, WHICH MEANS LOOKING AT THE SITUATION FROM THE
STANDPOINT OF THE READER.

Applying the you attitude

GENDER SENSITIVE GENDER NEUTRAL
1. Give equal importance or attention to
both male and female.
LAYMAN LAYPERSON
2. Use gender-neutral language instead of gender-
sensitive words. FOREMAN SUPERVISOR
Examples:
POLICEMAN POLICE OFFICER

MAILMAN MAIL CARRIER

 COURTESY – AN ATTITUDE OF THE MIND THAT CULTIVATES GOODWILL AND FRIENDLINESS. IT REQUIRES THE
USE OF POLITE EXPRESSIONS.
  CONCRETENESS – THE ONLY WAY WHICH YOU CAN CREATE A CLEAR AND CONVINCING PICTURE OF WHAT
YOU ARE SELLING THROUGH A LETTER IS THE USE OF DESCRIPTIVE OR MENTAL PICTURES ABOUT THE PRODUCT.
THROUGH WORDS, THE READER CAN FORM IMAGES.

EXAMPLES:

GENERAL TERMS SPECIFIC TERMS

WALK WOBBLE, ZIGZAG, STROLL, STRUT, PROMENADE

EAT MUNCH, NIBBLE, SMACK, DEVOUR, CHEW

 CHEERFULNESS – “SMILE AND THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU, CRY AND YOU CRY ALONE.
POLITE, CORTEOUS, AND FRIENDLY WORDS, INSTEAD OF TACTLESS, OFFENSIVE, AND BLUNT OF CHEERFULNESS
TO YOUR BUSINESS LETTER.

EXAMPLES:

BAD: THE EXECUTIVE TABLE IS NOT MADE OF CHEP WOODEN MATERIAL.

GOOD: THE EXECUTIVE TABLE IS MADE OF FIRST-CLASS WOODEN MATERIAL.

BAD: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT OUR COMPANY WILL MERGE WITH DAFO INC.

GOOD: IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OUR COMPANY WILL MERGE WITH DAFO INC.

 CORRECTNESS – refers to the right level of language – formal or informal – the accuracy of the figures, facts,
grammar, spelling, punctuation marks, and the layout of the letter.

Examples:
 needless to say according to our records

We deem it advisable take this opportunity to


under separate cover Get the ball rolling

for your information just in the nick of time

CHARACTER – what makes a person special or interesting? The answer is his unique or distinct personality or
individuality.

Avoid using the following clichés: