The Heading
The heading is your address and the date. If you are using company letterhead, you only have to type the date. The heading should be 3cm from the top of the page. Start writing in the centre. The address should have a straight edge. There are no commas and periods in the heading. Write the city name and month in full. In an English letter, the date goes below the address.
The Salutation
Salutation means greeting in French. Write it on the left, 2cm below the heading. The body of the letter will be in a straight line below it. The most common salution is 'Dear'. You can write 'Dear Celia' if you have spoken to the person before. Write 'Dear Mr. Lee' if you don't know the person or it's a formal letter. If you don't know if the person is a man or woman, you can write 'Dear Sam Lee'. In an English letter, it is rude not to put 'Dear' in front of the name. 'Dear Mr X :' or 'Dear Mr X,' are both correct punctuation. However, in Chinese letters, simply put the person's full name and a colon.
The Body of the Letter
The body is the message. You can give news, keep in touch or conduct business. In the old days, people often wrote letters of thanks, sympathy, invitation letters and acceptance letters. All very polite behaviour but we have to worry about global warming caused by postal vans nowadays. Start a new paragraph for each new topic. The beginning of the paragraph is indented in English letters (but not American letters). Begin each sentence with a capital letter and end it with a full stop.
The Close
The close is at the bottom of the letter and it is a parting phrase. You write it 1-2cm below the body of the letter. Start writing in the centre of the page in English letters. In American letters, you can start from the left. Begin the phrase with a capital letter and end with a comma. Business and formal letters use one of the following:
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours truly,
Kindest regards,
Kind regards,
Friendly letters use:
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
Faithfully yours,
Yours cordially,
Cordially,
Letters to loved ones use:
Love,
With love,
Lots of love,
Yours affectionately,
If you are writing to someone who has helped you a lot, use:
Gratefully yours,
The Signature
Write your signature below the close, 1cm to the right. Sign by hand but the reader should be able to read your name. Use your full name on formal letters. You can use your first name or nick name on informal letters. Don't put Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Dr. in front, unless in brackets (Mrs.).
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