If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using. The inside address begins one line below the date. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess.

If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. If you are unsure of a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. If you do not have the person's name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. The inside address is the recipient's address. In the latter case, include the sender's address in letterhead, rather than left-justified. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. (The United States-based convention for formatting a date places the month before the day. When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format. However, if your letter is completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. Include only the street address, city, and zip code. Do not write the sender's name or title, as it is included in the letter's closing.

If you are not using letterhead, include the sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the date. The sender's address usually is included in letterhead. This resource is organized in the order in which you should write a business letter, starting with the sender's address if the letter is not written on letterhead. Download the free Acrobat Reader Parts of a Business Letter This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Media File: Writing the Basic Business Letter

Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students.

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