Who is the recipient in a letter

Use formal salutations when you don't know the recipient, have a lower title or are otherwise subordinate to the recipient. Formal salutations in business letters are traditional and widely accepted. They should be used when you are unsure about how to address the other party. When possible, learn as much as you can about the person to make the salutation as personable as possible.

This might require a few extra minutes of work, but it often yields better responses. If you are on equal terms with the recipient or have a long relationship that qualifies you to be friendlier, you can use a semiformal salutation. This is the same as you would send to a friend for a birthday party reservation but gives a tone that matches how you communicate with the person in real life.

Semiformal salutations are used in both postal letters and email correspondence. Email is less formal by nature, and these salutations are used more in email than formal salutations. It is one thing to choose a salutation that is professional. It is just as important that the salutation matches the tone of the letter. You may be friendly with a person, but if you are outlining terms for a new contract, the letter will be formal. The salutation needs to match the tone and should be traditional such as Dear Mr.

It isn't enough to pick a salutation that feels right. We would appreciate your reply at your earliest convenience. The closing salutation must match the opening salutation and the overall tone of the letter. Choose one of the following closing lines depending on the formality of the salutation. Your email address will not be published. English Language Help Desk. Skip to content. How to write business letters By Marina Pantcheva Salutation The salutation is an important part of a letter.

Very formal for official business letters To Whom It May Concern: Use only when you do not know to whom you must address the letter, for example, when writing to an institution. Dear Mr Smith, Use when you have a named male contact. Dear Ms Smith, Use when you have a named female contact; do not use the old-fashioned Mrs.

It is not necessary to type a return address if you are using stationery with the return address already imprinted, but you should always use a date. Make sure the heading is on the left margin. This is the address you are sending your letter to. Be sure to make it as complete as possible so it gets to its destination.

Always include title names such as Dr. This is, like the other address, on the left margin. For an example, see the end of this sheet for a sample letter. The salutation or greeting in a business letter is always formal. The salutation always ends with a colon. The body is the meat of your letter. For block and modified block letter formats, single space and left justify each paragraph. Be sure to leave a blank line between each paragraph, however, no matter the format.

Be sure to also skip a line between the salutation and the body, as well as the body and the close. The complimentary close is a short and polite remark that ends your letter. The close begins at the same justification as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. A comma should follow the closing. Your letter should be addressed to a specific person, if possible.

Include a courtesy title i. If you are unsure of a woman's marital status or title preference, use Ms :. If you do not know the person's name, include the title of the intended recipient e. Hiring Manager, Resident or the name of the company:. The salutation is your letter's greeting.

The most common salutation is Dear followed by the recipient's first name, for informal letters, or a courtesy title and the recipient's last name, for all other letters. For more on salutations, see Choose the right greeting and sign off. The salutation is left justified, regardless of format. Type it two lines below the recipient's address or date, for informal letters. In formal and semi-formal letters, it ends with a colon. In informal letters, it ends with a comma.

The body includes most of the content of your letter. In block or modified block format, each paragraph begins at the left margin. In semi-block format, the paragraphs are still left justified, but the first line of each paragraph is indented by one tab five spaces. Include a line of space between each paragraph. In the first paragraph of your letter, you should introduce yourself to the recipient, if he or she does not know you, and state your purpose for writing.

Use the following paragraphs to elaborate upon your message. The closing is your final sign off: it should be brief and courteous. It begins two lines below your final body paragraph.