Special Parts of a Business Letter

a. Attention Line
A letter addressed to a company or an organization may oftentimes
remain inactive in the files especially if the manager or the person-in-charge of
the department is on-leave or is out of town. However, if the letter is addresses to
a particular individual in the organization, prompt and swift action must be done.
Addressing the letter to a particular individual in the company is done through the
attention line.
The attention line contains the word Attention (capitalized but sometimes
abbreviated) followed by a colon and the name of the office, department or
individual. It appears both in the envelope and in the letter. In the envelope, the
attention line is found two spaces below and an inch to the left of the recipient’s
address and underlined. In the letter, the attention line is usually found at the top
of the letter, on the same line with the salutation, two spaces below the
salutation, or two spaces below the inside address (Laster and Pickett, 1981).

Examples:

ATTN: MR. VINCENT SILVESTRE

Manager

_______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

_______________

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

At the top of the letter

 _______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

_______________ ATTN: MR. VINCENT SILVESTRE

Manager

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

On the same line with the salutation

_______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

_______________

ATTN: MR. VINCENT SILVESTRE

Manager
__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

Two spaces below the salutation

Subject Line
The subject line deals with a particular subject the letter is dealing with. It
consists of the word SUBJECT or RE (a Latin word which means “concerning”)
followed by a colon and a word or phrase of specific information such as a policy
number, an account number or a model number.
The position of the subject line varies. It may appear (1) at the top of the
letter or below the inside address, or the same line with the salutation.

Examples:

RE: Conveyor Quotations

_______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

_______________

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

At the top of the letter

 _______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

RE: Conveyor Quotations

_______________

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

Below the inside address

_______________
_______________

_______________
_______________
_______________

_______________ RE: Conveyor Quotations

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________________________.

_______________

_______________
_______________

On the same line with the salutation

 June 20, 2017

Philippine Belt Mfg. Corp.

280 Dasmariñas St.
Manila

Re: Conveyor Quotations

Sir:

June 20, 2017

Philippine Belt Mfg. Corp.

280 Dasmariñas St.
Manila

Sir: Subject: Conveyor Quotations

Identification Line
The identification line is used when the person whose signature appears
on the letter is not the person who typed the letter. It contains two sets of initials
separated usually by a colon, the initials of the sender (capitalized) and the
initials of the typist. The identification line is two spaces below the signature or is
even with the left margin of the letter.

Examples:

JML : pf jml/pf

Reference Line
In some cases, the writer indicates the previous request from the
addressee by referring to the number under which the latter has files past
correspondence pertaining to the subject of the letter. In other instances, the
writer reveals the addressee to indicate a specific person, department or filing
number in his reply (Farol, 1990).

Example:

In replying, please refer to file B-246

Our File No. J-347
Your File No. M-296
Enclosure
Pamphlets, reports, leaflets, checks, and others may be sent with the
letter. In such cases, the enclosure line is typed two spaces below the
identification line and even with the left margin. If an identification line is absent,
the enclosure line is two spaces below the signature.

Examples:

Enclosure: Brochure of Course offered

University of Santo Tomas

Enclosure Brochure in Air Compressors

Encl: PICE Annual Report

Encl: (2) PNB Checks

Copy
The word copy or c is used when a copy of a letter is sent to another
person. It is followed by the name of the person (or persons) to whom the copy
was sent. It is typed one space below the identification line and even with the left
margin of the letter.

Examples:

c: Dr. Susan Mendez

copy: Engr. Arthur Lopez

Personal or Confidential Line

When only the addressee is the one to read the letter, the word
Confidential or Personal is written on the envelope. The personal or confidential
line should be written two spaces above the inside address.

Example:

PERSONAL or CONFIDENTIAL

THE DIRECTOR
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER
COLEGIO DE SAN CARLOS
QUEZON CITY
Mailing Line
If a letter is sent not by means of first class mail but by other means such
as through a messenger, then the mailing line is written. Mailing line is even
with the left margin and appears after all other notations.

Example:

Delivered by a Messenger