LETTER WRITING FORMATS

Professional correspondence should always have a clean, crisp appearance, making it easy for the message to reach prospective business partners and clients.

FULL BLOCK FORM

- All parts of the business letter are aligned to the left hand in the full block form.
- This layout is easy and fast to type because of minimum punctuation marks an no indention.
- It is encouraged to use double spacing between paragraphs as this makes the letter presentable and readable.
- Full block style business letters have a formal appearance, however they can be used in informal business situations as well as formal ones. If you are looking for a single format that will work well in every situation, this is a good one to use.

Full Block Format Business Letter

Senders Address
______________
______________
Phone
Date

Recipient’s Name / Designation
Company Address
________________
________________

Salutation,

This block format business letter illustrates how quick and easy communications can be to type. Notice that it looks very much like the semi-block letter format, except the paragraphs are not indented. This is a format you can use for all business occasions.

Notice that all elements in this letter are left justified. This formatting provides a crisp, modern look that many people prefer.

If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.


Sincerely,


(Signature Block)

MODIFIED BLOCK FORM

- This layout has all the features of the full block layout with a few modifications. The Date and the Signature Block are right aligned.
- Modified block style business letters are less formal than full block style letters. If you are corresponding with someone you already have a good working relationship with, the modified block style letter is a good one to use.

Modified Block Format Business Letter

Senders address
______________
______________

Date______________


Receivers address
_________________
_________________

Salutation

Modified block letters are just a little less formal than full block letters. Also notice that the body of the letter has not indentations at the beginning of each paragraph but are written from the left margin

Notice that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block all start near the center of the page. In some cases, people who prefer to use this format begin these elements five spaces to the right of the center of the page.

If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.


ComplImentary close

Signature Block






SEMI BLOCK FORMAT

- This layout combines features of both, the Full Block layout and the Modified Block
- The paragraphs are written in an indented style, i.e., the first line of every paragraph begins away from the margin
- The semi-block format business letter is a little less formal than the block format letter and slightly more formal than the modified block format letter.
- It works well in almost all situations and is a good choice if you find yourself on the fence about which format to use.


Semi-Block Format Business Letter

Senders address
________________
________________

Date _________________

Receivers Address
_________________
_________________

Salutation,

This semi-block business letter format looks very much like the block letter format, except the paragraphs have been indented. Notice that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block are left justified.

The only elements of this business letter format that are not left justified are the first lines of each of the paragraphs.

If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.

Complimentary Close


Signature Block