Business Letters and Formats
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Questions and Answers

What is a common characteristic of all main business letter formats?

  • Use of bullet points
  • Alignment to the left margin (correct)
  • Use of special font formatting
  • Indented lines

    • What is the standard font and size for business letters?

  • Arial, size 10
  • Times New Roman, size 12 (correct)
  • Calibri, size 11
  • Verdana, size 13

    • What punctuation mark is commonly used after the salutation in British style?

  • Comma (correct)
  • Semicolon
  • Colon
  • Period

    • What is the purpose of the inside address in a business letter?

    <p>To provide the receiver's name and address</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the recommended format for the date in a business letter?

    <p>Complete month, day, and year</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many blank lines should be between the date and the inside address?

    <p>Three</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of the body in a business letter?

    <p>To state the main message</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the recommended spacing between paragraphs in a business letter?

    <p>Double space</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the Complimentary Closing in a business letter?

    <p>To provide a farewell to the recipient</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is included in the Ending Information section of a business letter?

    <p>The typist's reference initials and other relevant information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between a Standard format letter and an Open format letter?

    <p>The use of punctuation after the salutation and complimentary closing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of a Semi-Block format letter?

    <p>All text is aligned to the left margin, and paragraphs are indented</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the Reference Initials in a business letter?

    <p>To indicate the person who keyed the document</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the meaning of 'cc:' in a business letter?

    <p>Carbon copy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of a letter of recommendation?

    <p>To describe the sender's relationship with and opinion of the job seeker</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of a Modified Block format letter?

    <p>All text is aligned to the left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of letter is used to express gratitude and sometimes serve as a sales letter?

    <p>Business social letter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of an acknowledgment letter?

    <p>To serve as a simple receipt for a prior communication</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many indentation formats are commonly used in business letters?

    <p>6</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of letter is used to describe the contents of a package or report?

    <p>Cover letter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of a letter of resignation?

    <p>To provide notice of an employee's departure</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of a memorandum?

    <p>To keep record or convey information and decisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of a well-written memorandum?

    <p>Plain and direct statements of facts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an additional function of a memorandum?

    <p>To enable officers to maintain good business relationships</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of the Windows Logo key or CTRL + ESC?

    <p>Opens the Start Menu</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of CTRL + C or SHIFT + INSERT?

    <p>Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of F1?

    <p>Displays information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of ALT + F4?

    <p>Closes the current window</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of SHIFT + DELETE?

    <p>Deletes the selected item(s) permanently</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of CTRL + Z or ALT + BACKSPACE?

    <p>Undoes the last action if possible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary advantage of writing a memo over a letter?

    <p>It takes less time to write</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a business report?

    <p>To analyze a real business situation and provide suggestions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How should the title of a business report be formatted?

    <p>In 14-point size, bold, and centered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a subtitle in a business report?

    <p>To provide a secondary title</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How should the body of a business report be formatted?

    <p>Single-spaced with one blank line between paragraphs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a side heading in a business report?

    <p>To provide a major subdivision of the report</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where should page numbers be placed in a multipage report?

    <p>At the top right of every page</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of changing the left margin in a left-bound report?

    <p>To increase white space for binding</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Business Letters

    • Business letters are written communications that begin with a salutation, end with a signature, and have professional content.
    • Historically, business letters were sent via postal mail or courier, but the Internet is changing the way businesses communicate.
    • There are six main formats for business letters: Full-Block Style, Modified Block Style, Indented or Semi-Block Style, Standard, Open, and Modified Semi-Block.

    Format and Structure

    • Margins: 1-1.5 inches on the side, top, and bottom.
    • Font: Standard font is Times New Roman, size 12, but clear fonts like Arial can be used.
    • Punctuation: Salutation/Greeting followed by a comma (British style) or colon (US style), and closing followed by a comma.
    • Parts of a Business Letter:
      • Letterhead (includes logo, company name, location, and other important information)
      • Date (complete month, day, and year format, 2 inches from the top of the paper)
      • Inside Address (name and address of the recipient)
      • Salutation with Standard Punctuation
      • Body (message of the letter, with one blank line between paragraphs)
      • Complimentary Closing with Standard Punctuation
      • Writer’s Identification (name, title, and three blank lines below the Complimentary Closing)
      • Reference Initials (leave a blank line after the writer’s identification for the initials of the person keying the document)
      • Ending Information (includes typist’s reference initials, "Enc" for enclosure, "Attachment" for physically attached documents, and "cc:" for carbon copy recipients)

    Types of Business Letters

    • Letters of Recommendation: usually from a previous employer or professor, describing the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.
    • Acknowledgment Letters: act as receipts, sent to confirm receipt of a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken place.
    • Cover Letters: short and succinct, accompanying a package, report, or other merchandise, describing what is enclosed, why it is being sent, and what the recipient should do with it.
    • Letters of Resignation: sent to an immediate manager, giving notice and detailing the reason for leaving the company.

    Memorandum (Memo)

    • A short piece of writing used to share information among officers in an organization.
    • Main purpose: to keep records, convey information, make decisions, or make short requests.
    • Characteristics: written in easy-to-understand language, plain, and direct statements of facts.
    • Enables maintaining good business relationships and establishes accountability.

    Business Reports

    • A written presentation that analyzes a real situation or case study, applying theories to produce suggestions and recommendations.
    • Structure:
      • Title (centered, bold, 14-point, all caps, 2 inches from the top of the page)
      • Subtitle (centered, bold, upper- and lowercase letters, one blank line below the title)
      • Byline (name of the writer, centered, bold, one blank line below the subtitle)
      • Body (single-spaced with one blank line between paragraphs)
      • Side heading (major subdivision, typed at the left margin in all caps, bold)
      • Paragraph heading (minor subdivision, typed at the left margin in bold, upper- and lowercase letters, followed by a period)
      • Page numbers (at the top right of every page except the first, starting from 1 inch from the top of the page)

    Shortcut Keys

    • Commonly used shortcut keys for tasks:
      • Windows Logo key or CTRL + ESC: Opens the Start Menu
      • CTRL+ALT+DELETE: Opens the Window Close Program or NT Security Dialog Box
      • DELETE: Deletes the selected item(s)
      • SHIFT + DELETE: Deletes the selected items permanently
      • F1: Displays Information
      • F2: Renames a selected item
      • F3: Opens the Find All Files dialog box
      • F4: Opens the drop-down list box on the tool bar
      • F5: Refreshes the current window
      • F6: Switches Panes in Explorer
      • F10: Activates Windows Menu Bar
      • ALT + F4: Closes the current window
      • ALT + TAB: Switches between application windows
      • ALT + ENTER: Displays properties for the selected item
    • MS Office Shortcut Keys:
      • CTRL + N: Opens a new webpage or file
      • CTRL + C or SHIFT + INSERT: Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard
      • CTRL + V or SHIFT + INSERT: Pastes the copied item(s) from the clipboard
      • CTRL + Z or ALT + BACKSPACE: Undoes the last action
      • CTRL + Shift: Creates a shortcut while dragging a file
      • ALT + SHIFT + BACKSPACE: Redoes the previously undone action

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    Description

    Learn about the basics of business letters, including their definition, history, and different formats such as Full-Block Style. Discover how technology is changing business communication.

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