Writing Effective Letters

What Is This Module About?

Communication is part of our everyday living. We generally communicate by
either talking or writing. It is therefore important for us to be able to understand what
people are saying to us and for us to be able to be understood as well.
Imagine yourself engaged in business or working in a company. One of your jobs
is to prepare business letters. Do you know how to do it or are you one of those
people who have difficulty in doing so? Do not worry if you are. You will learn how to
write effective business letters in this module.
This module is made up of two lessons:
Lesson 1How Would My Letter Look?
Lesson 2What Will My Letter Contain?

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

exhibit knowledge of the mechanics of letter writing;

write the appropriate content of a letter depending upon the occasion; and

apply the skills acquired on letter writing in your everyday life.

Lets See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, take this simple test first to find out how
much you already know about the topics to be discussed.
Put check marks in the boxes that correspond to the statements that describe
your present skills and experience in writing business letters.
1.

I wrote a company inquiring about purchasing a product and received a

reply.

2.

I was asked to write an invitation letter to a speaker to talk in our

program.

3.

I wrote letters that seem unclear or incomplete.

4.

I wrote letters that do not seem to get the attention or interest of my

readers.

5.

I wrote letters without knowing the proper format.

There are no right or wrong answers to this test. If you checked numbers 1 and 2,
thats very good! This means you already have experience in writing business letters.
You may still read this module for additional information.
However, if you checked numbers 3, 4 and 5, this means you still need to develop
your skill in writing business letters. This module will help you do just that.
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

LESSON 1

How Would My Letter Look?

Like you, a letter must have a personality. First impressions count. And this is
dependent on a letters content, appearance and attention to detail. The stationary, the
font and format used all contribute to the effectiveness of a letter.
This lesson will introduce you to the art of writing letters. You will learn the
different parts and styles of business letters.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:

identify the different parts of a business letter;

use various styles in writing a business letter.

Lets Try This

Look at the picture below. What do you see?

If you studied the picture closely, you will note the free space around the picture.
On a written page, this is called margin.

Lets Learn
A letter must look like a framed picture that has margins. The layout or
arrangement of the various parts of the letter must look orderly in order to be
attractive. Below is a representation of the parts of a letter indicating margins,
indentions and positions of the different parts of a letter on the page. Note the labels.
Letterhead

_________________________
_______________________
Heading

_________________________
_______________________

or

Date line

_________________________
Inside address

_________________________
_________________________
______________
Attention (optional)

_________________________
Salutation

______________
Body of the letter

_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Complimentary close

___________________
Signature
___________________
(Composers printed name)

__________________

(Composers printed name)

Reference initials (optional)
Enclosure line (optional)
Cc notation line (optional)

Lets Study and Analyze

Below is an example of a letter using the format on page 4. Identify its various
parts using the list provided below as your guide. Write your answer on the sample
letter provided below.
letterhead

inside address

salutation

complimentary close

date

composers printed name

body of letter

reference initials

D.V. CRUZ ENTERPRISES

9 E. Rodriguez Avenue
Quezon City
November 16, 2000
MS. MARIVIC SARMIENTO
Manager
Carousel House, Incorporated
Sarmiento Building
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

Dear Ms. Sarmiento:

Please accept our deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation for allowing
us the use of your facilities during the conduct of our in-house activity.
Indeed, your support contributed immensely to the success of our project.
Thank you and warmest regards.
Very truly yours,

MILETTE CRUZ
Managing Director
MC/ric

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30. Did you get a
perfect score? If you did, very good. If not, dont worry. Just continue reading the
module to learn more about the parts of a letter.

Lets Learn
Let us now take a closer look at the layout of the sample letter on page 5 and
explain what each part contains briefly.

The letterhead states the name of

the company, address and telephone
number (if any) of the person writing
the letter. This will also serve as the
return address if the letter is not
delivered to the receiver or if the
receiver decides to send his/her
reply.

D.V. Cruz Enterprises

9 E. Rodriguez Avenue
Quezon City

D.V. Cruz Enterprises

9 E. Rodriguez Avenue
Quezon City

A heading can substitute for a

letterhead if the company or the
writer has no stationery with a
letterhead.

Formal November 16, 2001

Informal16 November 2001

The date line indicates the date

when the letter was written.

The inside address tells to whom

the letter is addressed. It includes
the name of the person written to (if
used), his/her position, the company
name and the company address.

Ms. Marivic Sarmiento

Manager
Counsel House, Incorporated
Sarmiento Building
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

A salutation is a formal or an informal

greeting used to open a business letter. The
salutation used should have the same
degree of formality as observed in the
complimentary close.
For Men

For Women

Sir:

Madam:

My dear Sir:

My dear Madam:

Dear Sir:

Dear Madam:

Dear Ms. Sarmiento

My dear Mr. _____: My dear Ms. _____:

Dear Mr. _____:

Dear Ms. _____:

The body of the letter contains the

message making it the most important
part of the letter. It aims to get something
done.

Please accept our deepest

gratitude and sincere
appreciation for allowing us the
use of your facilities during the
conduct of our in-house activity.
Indeed, your support
contributed immenselly to the
success of our project.
Thank you and warmest
regards.

The complimentary close is a polite

and courteous way to end a letter. It
should have the same degree of
formality as the salutation. Note that you
capitalize only the first word, and there
is a comma (,) at the end.
Most formal:

Respectfully yours,
Yours respectfully,

Formal:

Very truly yours,

Yours very truly,

Less formal:

Very sincerely yours,

Yours very sincerely,
7

Very truly yours,

After the complimentary close, the letter

writer affixes his/her signature to
indicate that he/she is really the sender
of the letter.

The appearance of the letter depends on its layout and the stationery used. The
following are the basic things you should know when writing letters:

StationeryThe paper used for business letters should be of high quality.

The most common color is white. However, the colors beige, grey, blue and
mustard are already being used. The usual size of the paper is 8 11
inches.

Most companies use stationeries with letterheads. Some are simple while
others are elaborate. There are even letterheads with embossed or printed logos
or designs.
EXAMPLE

D.V. CRUZ ENTERPRISES

9 E. Rodriguez Avenue
Quezon City

Business EnvelopesThe most commonly used business envelopes are the

ordinary business reply ones (size no. 10) and the window type ones (9
4 1/8). The window type envelope is usually used when sending checks and
bills.

EXAMPLE

Window type envelope

Ordinary business reply

type envelope

Folding the LetterFor a size no. 10 business reply envelope, the letter
should be folded into three. First, place the letter face up on a table. Next,
fold the bottom one-third of the letter toward the top. Then, fold the top
downward. Be sure that the top portion of the letter is bigger than the folded
two-thirds.

(1)

(2)

(3)

Addressing the EnvelopeThe return address is typed two spaces from

the top of the envelope and three spaces from the left. The name, address and
zip code of the addressee is typed 2 in. from the top and 4 in. from the
side.

EXAMPLE

Ms. Menchi Paghubasan

3 Colt St., Fairview
Quezon City

Dr. Hercules C. de la Cruz

Dean
College of Arts and Science
University of the East
Manila, 1008

Zip CodeThe zip code is composed of four numbers. It is a code assigned

to a certain locality. The zip code is very important because it will help post
office personnel in sorting out letters. This is placed after the address of the
person you are writing to. Refer to the example on page 9.

There may be instances when you write to government or school officials. Listed
below are sample forms of address you can use when writing to them:
The President of the Philippines
Address

His/Her Excellency (Name)

President of the Philippines
Malacaang, Manila

Salutation

Sir/Madam:
Dear Mr./Mrs. President:
Mr./Mrs. President:

Complimentary
close

Respectfully yours,

Address

The Honorable (Name)

Senate of the Philippines
Manila

Salutation

Sir/Madam:
Dear Sir/Madam:

Complimentary
close

Respectfully yours,
Very truly yours,

Senator

Congressman/Congresswoman
Address

The Honorable (Name)

House of Representatives
Batasan Pambansa
Quezon City

Salutation

Sir/Madam:
Dear Congressman/Congresswoman:

Complimentary
close

:
:

Respectfully yours,
Very truly yours,

10

Governor or Mayor
Address

The Honorable (Name)

Governor/Mayor of (Name of the place)

Salutation

Sir/Madam:
Dear Gov. (Surname):/Dear Mayor (Surname):

Complimentary
close

Respectfully yours,
Very truly yours,

Dean of College or Graduate School

Address

Dean (Name)
(College/University)
(Address)

Salutation

Dear Dean (Name)

Dear Sir/Madam:

Complimentary
close

Respectfully yours,
Very truly yours,

College or University Professor

Address

Professor (Name)
(College/University)
(Address)

Salutation

Dear Prof. (Name):

Complimentary
close

Very truly yours,

11

Lets Review
A. Look at the business letter below closely. Identify its various parts.

Sunware Promotions, Inc.

Ground Floor Mabini Bldg., Imelda Ave.
Cainta, Rizal

September 7, 2000
Miss Rosalie H. Dominguez
7 Makiling Road
Cainta, Rizal
Dear Ms. Dominguez:

Enclosed is an original and a carbon copy of our companys financial

report for the month of June 2000. Please sign both documents, retain the
original and return the carbon copy.

Please acknowledge receipt and let us know your comments as soon

as possible.

Very truly yours,

6
7

ADAM R. SANTOS
President

ARS/nip
Encl: Financial Report

1.

____________________

5.

____________________

2.

____________________

6.

____________________

3.

____________________

7.

____________________

4.

____________________

8.

____________________

12

B. Label the parts of a letter below.

1.

Dean Gilda L. Uy
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

________________________

2.

Gentlemen:

________________________

3.

Very truly yours,

________________________

4.

September 4, 2000

________________________

5.

Herbalife International Phil., Inc.

________________________
103 Esteban St., 1229 Legaspi Village
Makati, Metro Manila
Tel. No. 883-42-07

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 31. Did you get a
perfect score?.

Lets Study and Analyze

Now that you know the parts of a letter, let us now study the different letter
styles. The full block, modified block and simplified formats or styles are
recommended for typewritten letters. The semi-block style, on the other hand, is ideal
for handwritten letters. However, the full block style is the most popular because of
its simplicity. You can use any of the formation styles in writing your business letter.
Let us examine the example below:
____________________

____________________

________

________

__________
__________
__________

__________
__________
__________

__________

__________

_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

__________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
__________________________
_______________________________
__________

__________
__________
__________

__________
Semi-block style
In this format, the first line of each paragraph
is indented.

Full block format

Every line in this format begins at the
left margin.

13

____________________

__________
__________
__________

________
__________
__________
__________

__________
__________
__________

__________

_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
__________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

_______________________________
_______________________________
__________________________
__________
__________

__________

Simplified style
This is similar to the full block except the
salutation and complimentary close are
omitted. The writers name and title are
typed in all caps.

Modified block format

The date line, complimentary close and
signature are typed at the right side of the
page.

Lets Try This

Now, let us see if you can arrange the following letter using the full block style.
Fresh Fields, Incorporated; Legaspi Village, Makati City; Tel. No. 885-24-56 /
September 4, 2000 / Mrs. Agnes Sarmiento / 50 Colt St., Fairview Park, Quezon
City / Dear Mrs. Sarmiento: / We thank you for your order of 100 pcs. of 150-ml
bottles of Peach Organic shampoo, 20 dozens of Garden Fresh bath soap and
3000 capsules of Wheats Multivitamins. We shall deliver your order on
September 25, 2000. If you wish to make some changes with your order, please
inform us before the delivery date. We are always ready to serve good customers
like you. / Very truly yours, /
/ MARLON C. PASION / Sales Manager
After you finish, compare your work with the one in the Answer Key on page 31.
How well did you do?

14

Lets Learn
Another type of business communication used is the memorandum. What is the
difference between a memorandum and a business letter? Business letters are
written by an individual to another who is in another company or place of work. A
memorandum, on the other hand, is a communication addressed to other employees
within an organization. For example, the manager would like to send a message to his/
her staff. He/She, therefore, sends a memorandum not a business letter.
The main parts of a memorandum are:

The heading which shows the date, to

whom the memo is addressed and from
who it came from. The TO and FROM
sections should include the position
titles of both parties.

Memorandum
To

: Mr. Carlos S. Neri

Comptroller
From : Mr. Antonio Cruz
Manager
Date : November 17, 2000

The subject is a brief statement of

what the message is all about.

The message refers to the content of the

memorandum. After the message, the name and
signature of the person sending the message appears.

Subject : October Financial Report

____________
______________
____________
______________
_____
_____

EXAMPLE

Libra Trading Corp.

MEMORANDUM
TO

FROM

DATE
SUBJECT

:
:

Mr. Carlos S. Neri

Comptroller
Mr. Antonio Cruz
Manager
November 17, 2000
October Financial Report

----------------------------------------------------------The Board of Directors will hold a meeting on November 29, 2000 to discuss the
financial standing of the company.
May I request a copy of our 3rd quarter financial report before the end of the week.
For compliance.

ANTONIO CRUZ

15

Lets Review
Fill in the blanks in the following statements.
1. The _________ is the part of a business letter that contains the message.
2. The _________ is a letter style in which every line of the body of the letter
begins at the left margin.
3. The _________ indicates when the letter was written.
4. The _________ is a formal or informal greeting used to open business
letters.
5. The _________ is similar to the full block style except that the first line of
each paragraph is indented.
6. The _________ tells to whom the letter is addressed. It indicates the name
and address of the person written to or the receiver.
7. The _________ is a polite and courteous way of ending a letter.
8. The _________ is a letter style similar to the full block format except that
the salutation and complimentary close are omitted.
9. The _________ states the name of the company, its address and its telephone
number.
10. The _________ is a letter format or style in which the date line,
complimentary close and signature are typed at the right side of the page.
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 32. How well did
you do?

Lets See What Have You Learned

Arrange the following parts of letter in semi-block format.
Marivic Gaudicos / Manager /
/ Yours very truly, / September 4,
2000 / Mrs. Rio Sunga; 18 Sunrise St., Greenland Subdivision, Marikina City /
Libra Sales International; 1458 Ortigas Ave., Pasig City / Dear Mrs. Sunga: /
We are pleased to learn that you are interested to invest in our company. We shall
include your name as one of our prospective investors as soon as we receive the
enclosed information sheet. We hope to hear from you soon / Enc: Information
Sheet
Compare your work with the one in the Answer Key on page 32. How well did
you do?

16

Lets Remember

The letterhead states the name of the company, its address and its telephone
number of the person writing the letter. This will also serve as the return
address if the letter is not delivered to the receiver or if the receiver decides
to send his/her reply.

A heading can substitute for a letterhead if the company or the writer has no
stationery with a letterhead.

The date line indicates the data when the letter was written.

The inside address tells to whom the letter is addressed. It includes the
name of the person written to (if used), his/her position, the company name
and the company address.

A salutation is a formal or an informal greeting used to open a business

letter. The salutation used should have the same degree of formality as
observed in the complimentary close.

The body of the letter contains the message making it the most important
part of the letter. It aims to get something done.

The complimentary close is a polite and courteous way to end a letter. It

should have the same degree of formality as the salutation.

After the complimentary close, the letter writer affixes his/her signature to
indicate that he/she is really the sender of the letter.

In the full block format, every line begins at the left margin.

In the semi-block style, the first line of each paragraph is indented.

In the modified block format, the date line, complimentary close and
signature are typed at the right side of the page.

In the simplified style, the salutation and complimentary close are omitted.
The writers name and title are typed in all caps.

17

LESSON 2

What Will My Letter Contain?

In Lesson 1, you learned about the different parts and forms of business letters.
You also learned about memoranda in the first lesson. In this lesson, you will learn
some techniques in writing a good letter. Are you ready?
After studying this lesson, you should be able to write effective business letters.

Lets Study and Analyze

Kristel landed a job as a secretary in a printing company. One of their clients
sent them a letter with the intention of changing her purchase order. Kristels boss
asked her to answer the clients letter and inform her of the delivery date. But Kristel
does not have much experience in writing business letters. She does not even know
where to begin.
Do you have the same problem with that of Kristel? Look at the clients letter
below and we will analyze it together.
To whom it may concern:
This is to inform you of my intention to change the kind of answering
machine I am ordering. Please send me a brochure of your products.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. Katherine Santos

18

Now, look at how Kristel should answer their clients letter.

Dear Mrs. Santos:
We received your letter and have therefore enclosed a brochure of our companys
products in this letter.
Thank you for your continued patronage.
Sincerely yours,
Kristel Castro
Customer Service Assistant
Before preparing a letter, you should always consider who will read it first. Then
you should decide what your letter will contain and write this in the shortest possible
way. Bear in mind the level of formality you should use too and be consistent on
whatever you decide.

Lets Learn
In writing business letters, you should always be straightforward. On the left
column, you will find words you should avoid using in business letters. On the right
column are suggested phrases you can use instead.
1. I acknowledge receipt of

1. Thank you for/I received

2. Advice

2. Say/Tell/Let us know

3. I/We am/are in receipt of

3. Thank you/I/We have received

4. As per

4. As/According to

5. At an early date

5. Soon/(Give a specific date)

6. At this time/At present

6. Now/(Omit entirely)

7. Attached hereto

7. Attached/Here/Enclosed

8. Beg

8. Ask/Request/Hope

9. Due to the fact that

9. As/Because/Since

10. Enclosed, please find

10. Enclosed/Here

11. In re

11. Regarding/Concerning/As to

12. In the amount of

12. For

13. In the event

13. In case of/If

14. Kindly

14. Please

15. Party (person being referred to)

15. (Use a specific name or title)

19

16. Same

16. It/They/Them

17. State

17. Say/Tell

18. The writer

18. I/Me/My

19. Trust

19. Hope/Know/Believe

20. Subsequent to

20. After

Lets Try This

Rewrite the statements by replacing the confusing words.
1.

Enclosed, please find a check in the amount of =P500.

_________________________________________________________

2.

In the event that the writer fails to submit this report on time, the writer shall
be fined.
_________________________________________________________

3.

Kindly return the equipment at the gym.

_________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 33. How well did
you do?

Lets Learn
You must remember though that the phrases given in the previous pages are not
the only things that can confuse a reader. Using very long words in your letter has the
same effect too. So, use short words. Be sure that the words you use can be easily
understood by your reader. In other words, keep your words simple.
Look at the table below. Notice that the words in the right column are easier to
understand.
Long Words

Short Words

Assistance

Help

Category

Class

Compensation/Remuneration

Pay

Contribute

Give

Correspondence

Letter
20

Domiciled

Live

Endeavor

Try

Facilitate

Help

Ideology

Faith/Belief

Inadvertency

Error

Inaugurate

Start

Incarcerate

Jail

Indisposed

Ill

Inundate

Flood

Majority

Most

Mentality

Mind

Monumental

Big

Objective

Aim

Prevaricate

Lie

Proceed

Go

Procure

Buy

Promulgate

Issue

Purchase

Buy

Request

Ask

Reside

Live

Subsequent

After

Summon

Call

Terminate/Culminate

End

Utilize

Use

Witness

See

21

Lets Try This

Replace the long words in the statements below with short words. Refer to the
list on the previous pages.
1.

Please proceed to Room 202.

_________________________________________________________

2.

We shall procure the necessary materials.

_________________________________________________________

3.

She now resides at Greenhills, San Juan.

_________________________________________________________

4.

Please prepare the necessary correspondence.

_________________________________________________________

5.

Our program will culminate with the signing of the agreement.

_________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 33. How well did
you do?

Lets Learn
In writing letters, you should keep the following guidelines in mind:

Take time out to learn the correct spelling of words. You can do this by
reading a lot with a dictionary beside you. This way, you can also increase
your vocabulary. Those who are too lazy to use the dictionary tend to
become poor spellers.
Keeping a spelling notebook can also help you improve your skill in
spelling.

Know your subject well. You should be able to discuss it confidently and
naturally. After all, how can you write about something you are not familiar
with? So, be knowledgeable about your subject before you start writing about
it.
If for example, you were asked to write about yourself or about the
arms agreement, which topic would you choose? The easier topic would,
therefore, be writing about yourself simply because you know yourself well.

Use specific and personal nouns in your letter. Try to avoid being too
impersonal. Your readers might be turned off if you address them as the
party.
22

Lets Study and Analyze

Imagine yourself receiving a letter similar to the one below.
Dear Applicant:
This Office received your application letter. As advertised, one of its
departments is in need of five data machine operators. You will be informed
of your final interview by our secretary.
What do you think of the letter? Would you be happy to receive one like it? Why/
Why not?
Looking at this letter, you could see that it is too formal and cold. You can feel
that the writer is too impersonal and without any human touch. You, as the reader, will
then become nervous and afraid of the interview.

Lets Think About This

Read the letter below. Note that it does not use any negative words. Its
approach is positive. You can be sure that if you write this kind of letter,
your sales will increase.
Dear Mr. Jose:
I am happy to send you samples of our new hollow blocks. These come in a
wider range of textures than the shingles you inquired about. They are a great
improvement on the old style we just replaced.
If you received this kind of letter, would you consider the offer and buy their
hollow blocks instead of the shingles you originally wanted to buy? Or would you buy
shingles somewhere else?

Lets Learn

23

After learning tips in writing letters, you will now learn about the
different kinds of letters. The most common kinds of letters are
acknowledgment, thank you, invitation, answer to complaints, solicitation,
response to an application and excuse letters. When do you write these letters? Read
on to find out.

Acknowledgment letters are written to answer letters you received.

EXAMPLE

Dear Mr. Corpuz:

I received your letter requesting for a list of the new products our
company offers. Please be informed that we are currently preparing our
brochure to advertise these products.
We shall send you our brochure by mail as soon as it is available.
Sincerely yours,

ARMANDO REYES
Advertising Officer

Thank-you letters are written to express appreciation or compliment to

service rendered, favors granted or gifts received. When writing this type of
letter, the writer must be sincere.

EXAMPLE

Dear Mr. Toralba:

Thank you for the hospitality and care you and your family accorded me
during my visit to Zamboanga City. It was a wonderful experience for me to
have met your family. For this, I am most grateful to you.
Sincerely,

Jose Reyes

24

Invitation letters are written when one wants to invite someone to an

occasion.

EXAMPLE

Dear Ms. Monte:

Our office shall conduct a seminar on the enhancement of teaching
skills for our P.E. teachers on sports offered in the curriculum. This will be
held on April 36, 2000 at Teachers Camp, Baguio City.
In view of this, may we invite you to be one of our resource persons in
athletics. Your expertise in this field will be of great help to our participants.
We hope you can accommodate us.
Sincerely yours,

ARLENE DELA CRUZ

Training Officer
Invitation letters must also tell the occasion, date, time and venue. Have you ever
written an invitation letter to your friends to a get-together party before?

Responses to complaint letters are written because of poor services

received by customers, errors in selling goods and errors in the delivery of
goods. In such cases, these should be answered by the owner of the store or
his/her staff.

EXAMPLE

Dear Ms. Aguilar:

We appreciate your informing us that you are dissatisfied with the
service you received during your visit to our store. We made an investigation
of your complaint and have already warned our salesclerk against a repetition
of her action.
Thank you for the patronage you have extended us. Please dont hesitate
to call us if you have any other problems. We hope we can provide you better
service in the future.
Sincerely,

RICHARD REYES
Manager

25

Solicitation letters are written to get sponsors or donors for a project in a

community or an organization.

EXAMPLE

Dear Sir:
Our parish community plans to construct an adoration chapel for our
parishioners. Knowing your interest in supporting this noble cause, we
would like to solicit any amount you could give. Please consider it as your
gift to our community.
Thank you.
A solicitation letter should state the reason why he/she is soliciting money or
goods for a cause.

Responses to applications are written to answer applications filed by

applicants to their company.

EXAMPLE

Dear Mr. Perez

We are pleased to inform you that we have included your application as
bookkeeper in our prospective applicants for interview.
Your schedule for the interview is on Thursday, April 3, 2001 at 9:00
a.m. Please proceed to the office of Mrs. Paz Garcia, Personnel Officer.
In answering application letters, the writer must state whether the applicant has a
chance to be accepted in the company or not. If not, the usual phrase written is . . .
your application is being considered and we will just call you. . .

Excuse letters are normally written by parents or guardians when their child
or ward is absent from classes.

EXAMPLE

Dear Mrs. Solano:

Please excuse my daughter, Esther Torillo, from her classes last
Monday and Tuesday, September 1213, 2000 because of cough and fever.
Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

26

Lets See What You Have Learned

Do the following:
1.

Write a letter to Mr. Agustin Buenaventura, publisher of Newsprint Printers

requesting for a copy of the science manual his company published.

2.

Write a letter of complaint to SL Department Store because they gave you a

different item from the one you bought.

3.

Write a solicitation letter addressed to Mr. Fidel Calleja, Vice-President for

Finance, Ascend Department Store. Request that they sponsor your
basketball team that will compete in your inter-barangay sports competition.

Have your Instructional Manager check your work.

Lets Remember
To write effective letters, follow the guidelines below:
1.

Adopt a conversational style.

2.

Use short words that can be easily understood by your reader.

3.

See to it that the words are correctly spelled.

4.

Know your subject well.

5.

Avoid using negative words.

Well, this is the end of the module! Congratulations for finishing it. Did you like
it? Did you learn anything useful from it? A summary of its main points is given below
to help you remember them better.

27

Lets Sum Up
This module tells us that:

The letterhead states the name of the company, its address and its telephone
number of the person writing the letter. This will also serve as the return
address if the letter is not delivered to the receiver or if the receiver decides
to send his/her reply.

A heading can substitute for a letterhead if the company or the writer has no
stationery with a letterhead.

The date line indicates the data when the letter was written.

The inside address tells to whom the letter is addressed. It includes the
name of the person written to (if used), his/her position, the company name
and the company address.

A salutation is a formal or an informal greeting used to open a business

letter. The salutation used should have the same degree of formality as
observed in the complimentary close.

The body of the letter contains the message making it the most important
part of the letter. It aims to get something done.

The complimentary close is a polite and courteous way to end a letter. It

should have the same degree of formality as the salutation.

After the complimentary close, the letter writer affixes his/her signature to
indicate that he/she is really the sender of the letter.

In the full block format, every line begins at the left margin.

In the semi-block style, the first line of each paragraph is indented.

In the modified block format, the date line, complimentary close and
signature are typed at the right side of the page.

In the simplified style, the salutation and complimentary close are omitted.
The writers name and title are typed in all caps.

We should follow these guidelines when writing business letters:

1.

Adopt a conversational tone. Your message should be clear and stated

directly.

2.

Use short words. The words you use must be easily understood by your
reader.

3.

Spell words correctly. Take time out to check your spelling.

4.

Know your subject. Write only on what you know about. Do not attempt
to write on something you do not know at all.

5.

Avoid using negative words. As much as possible, use only positive

words to insure positive results.
28

What Have You Learned?

Imagine yourself as an applicant for your dream job. Write the best application
you can come up with in the space provided below.

Have your Instructional Manager check your work. Make sure he/she gives you
some feedback before studying another module.

29

Answer Key
A. Lesson 1
Lets Study and Analyze (page 5)
Part of the Letter

Letter Content

1. Letterhead

D.V. CRUZ ENTERPRISES

9 E. Rodriguez Avenue
Quezon City

2. Date

November 16, 2000

3. Inside address

MS. MARIVIC SARMIENTO

Manager
Carousel House, Incorporated
Sarmiento Building
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

4. Salutation

Dear Ms. Sarmiento:

5. Body of the letter

Please accept our deepest gratitude and

sincere appreciation for allowing us the
use of your facilities during the conduct
of our in-house activity.
Indeed, your support contributed
immensely to the success of our project.
Thank you and warmest regards.

6. Complimentary close

Very truly yours,

7. Signature

(signature here)

8. Composers printed name

MILETTE CRUZ

9. Reference initials

MC/ric

30

Lets Review (pages 12 13)

A. 1.

Letterhead

2.

Date

3.

Inside address

4.

Salutation

5.

Body of the letter

6.

Complimentary close

7.

Signature

8.

Composers printed name

B. 1.

Inside address

2.

Salutation

3.

Complimentary close

4.

Date

5.

Letterhead

Lets Try This (page 14)

Fresh Fields, Incorporated
Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. No. 885-24-56
September 4, 2000
MRS. AGNES SARMIENTO
50 Colt St., Fairview Park
Quezon City
Dear Mrs. Sarmiento:
We thank you for your order of 100 pcs. of 150-ml bottles of Peach Organic
Shampoo, 20 dozens of Garden Fresh Bath Soap and 3000 capsules of
Wheats Multivitamins. We shall deliver your order on September 25, 2000.
If you wish to make some changes with your order, please inform us before
the delivery date.
We are always ready to serve good customers like you.
Very truly yours,
MARLON C. PASION
Sales Manager
31

Lets Review (page 16)

1.

body

2.

full block format

3.

date

4.

salutation

5.

semi-block format

6.

inside address

7.

complimentary close

8.

simplified style

9.

letterhead

10.

modified block format

Lets See What You Have Learned (page 16)

Libra Sales International
1458 Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City
September 24, 2000
MRS. RIO SUNGA
18 Sunrise St., Greenland Subdivision
Marikina City
Dear Mrs. Sunga:
We are pleased to learn that you are interested to invest in our company.
We shall include your name as one of our prospective investors as soon as
we receive the enclosed information sheet.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Yours very truly,
MARIVIC GAUDICOS
Manager

32

B. Lesson 2
Lets Try This (page 20)
1.

Enclosed, please find a check worth =

P500.

2.

If I fail to submit this report on time, I shall be fined.

3.

Please return the equipment at the gym.

Lets Try This (page 22)

1.

go

2.

buy

3.

lives in

4.

letter

5.

end

References
Clark, Lyn R., Kenneth Zimmer and Joseph Tinervia. Business English and
Communication. 8th ed. U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill, 1984.
Macaraeg, Bienvenido B. Sr. Write Better Letters the Modern Way. Manila:
National Book Store, Inc., 1987.
Mills, Gordon H. and John A. Walter. Technical Writing. 4th ed., Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, 1978.
Mojica, Celsa S., Fundamentals of Business Writing. Redman Printing, 1995.

33