38 Questions
What is a common characteristic of all main business letter formats?
Alignment to the left margin
What is the standard font and size for business letters?
Times New Roman, size 12
What punctuation mark is commonly used after the salutation in British style?
Comma
What is the purpose of the inside address in a business letter?
To provide the receiver's name and address
What is the recommended format for the date in a business letter?
Complete month, day, and year
How many blank lines should be between the date and the inside address?
Three
What is the main purpose of the body in a business letter?
To state the main message
What is the recommended spacing between paragraphs in a business letter?
Double space
What is the purpose of the Complimentary Closing in a business letter?
To provide a farewell to the recipient
What is included in the Ending Information section of a business letter?
The typist's reference initials and other relevant information
What is the main difference between a Standard format letter and an Open format letter?
The use of punctuation after the salutation and complimentary closing
What is the characteristic of a Semi-Block format letter?
All text is aligned to the left margin, and paragraphs are indented
What is the purpose of the Reference Initials in a business letter?
To indicate the person who keyed the document
What is the meaning of 'cc:' in a business letter?
Carbon copy
What is the primary purpose of a letter of recommendation?
To describe the sender's relationship with and opinion of the job seeker
What is the characteristic of a Modified Block format letter?
All text is aligned to the left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing
What type of letter is used to express gratitude and sometimes serve as a sales letter?
Business social letter
What is the main purpose of an acknowledgment letter?
To serve as a simple receipt for a prior communication
How many indentation formats are commonly used in business letters?
6
What type of letter is used to describe the contents of a package or report?
Cover letter
What is the primary purpose of a letter of resignation?
To provide notice of an employee's departure
What is the main purpose of a memorandum?
To keep record or convey information and decisions
What is a characteristic of a well-written memorandum?
Plain and direct statements of facts
What is an additional function of a memorandum?
To enable officers to maintain good business relationships
What is the function of the Windows Logo key or CTRL + ESC?
Opens the Start Menu
What is the function of CTRL + C or SHIFT + INSERT?
Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard
What is the function of F1?
Displays information
What is the function of ALT + F4?
Closes the current window
What is the function of SHIFT + DELETE?
Deletes the selected item(s) permanently
What is the function of CTRL + Z or ALT + BACKSPACE?
Undoes the last action if possible
What is a primary advantage of writing a memo over a letter?
It takes less time to write
What is the purpose of a business report?
To analyze a real business situation and provide suggestions
How should the title of a business report be formatted?
In 14-point size, bold, and centered
What is the purpose of a subtitle in a business report?
To provide a secondary title
How should the body of a business report be formatted?
Single-spaced with one blank line between paragraphs
What is the purpose of a side heading in a business report?
To provide a major subdivision of the report
Where should page numbers be placed in a multipage report?
At the top right of every page
What is the purpose of changing the left margin in a left-bound report?
To increase white space for binding
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
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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