Transcript Lesson 2 Professional Writing Letter Format
Uploaded by
marwaseif37Transcript Lesson 2 Professional Writing Letter Format
Uploaded by
marwaseif37Transcript: Lesson 2: Professional Writing: Letter
Format
Hello, in this video we will introduce the parts of a professional letter and the format of a letter or how it should
look. In the United States, professional writing follows a standard format or order and includes four parts. The first
part is the heading which includes the writer's address and contact information, the date, and the reader's name
and address. The second part is the salutation. The third part is the three body paragraphs, opening paragraph,
middle paragraph, and closing paragraph. And the fourth is the closing which includes a complimentary close, a
signature, and a typed name.
Writer’s Name
Writer’s Address
Writer’s Phone Number
Writer’s E-Mail Address
Date
Reader’s Name
Reader’s Address
Salutation
Body Paragraph 1 ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 2 ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 3 ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Complimentary Closing,
Signature
Typed Name
© 2021 by FHI 360. “Transcript: Lesson 2: Professional Writing – Letter Format” for the Online Professional
English Network (OPEN), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S.
government and administered by FHI 360. This work is an adaptation of “Video: Professional Writing – Letter 1
Format”, by The University of Pennsylvania licensed under the Creative Commons Share-Alike License. To
view a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
1. The Heading
First, the heading of a letter begins with the writer’s address and additional contact information such as e-mail
address or phone number in the top left corner.
Beth Bradley
123 East Main Street
Philadephia, PA, 19119
(215) 898-4381
[email protected]
April 26, 2016
Jane Doe, Director
Notice how this job seeker, Beth Bradley, wrote her information here. The date follows the US format of month,
day, and then year. Don't forget the comma separates the two numbers. For example, Beth wrote this letter on
April 26th, 2016.
Beth Bradley
123 East Main Street
Philadephia, PA, 19119
(215) 898-4381
[email protected]
April 26, 2016
Jane Doe, Director
Office of International Programs
University of Texas
P.O. Box 112
Austin, TX 99999
Salutation
The next part includes the full name and address of the reader. In this example, Beth is sending the letter to Jane
Doe who is the Director of the Office of International Programs at the University of Texas.
In addition to the first and last name of the reader, Beth also writes the title and the department as Jane Doe is
part of a large university. Since you may not know whether the reader is a man or woman, it is acceptable to write
the first and last name only followed by the job title. Nowadays, many job applications are completed online, and
job seekers may not know who the reader will be. In this case, it is acceptable to leave the name off of the reader’s
address and simply put the department and address of the organization.
2. The Salutation
The second part of the letter is the salutation, or official greeting, and always begins with the word “dear”.
Because this is a greeting, it is better to have a person's name. Following the word “dear”, Beth uses the person’s
full name and a comma.
2
Beth Bradley
123 East Main Street
Philadephia, PA, 19119
(215) 898-4381
[email protected]
April 26, 2016
Jane Doe, Director
Office of International Programs
University of Texas
P.O. Box 112
Austin, TX 99999
Dear Jane Doe,
Body Paragraph _____________________________________________
Beth knows the name of her reader, but if she didn't know she could write, “Dear Hiring Manager”. Generally, the
salutation is better if you have a person's name. But sometimes job advertisements do not provide the name of
the employer.
3. The Body Paragraphs
Next, come the three body paragraphs of the letter. This is where you introduce yourself, explain your
qualifications, and ask for an interview. We will discuss each paragraph in detail in later videos.
The opening paragraph tells the reader that you are applying for a specific job. We will talk about different ways
job seekers write this information in the next video.
The middle paragraph is where job seekers explain their skills and how they are qualified for the specific job. We
will look at examples and discuss how to write this paragraph in a later video.
The last paragraph is important because the closing should make a positive impression of the candidate. We will
talk about how to write the closing paragraph in a later video.
4. The Closing
The end of the letter includes a complimentary close, a signature, and the applicant's typed name. The
complimentary close that is used most often is “sincerely” followed by a comma. The signature is usually
handwritten by the applicant followed by the typed name.
Formatting the Letter
As for the format, all parts of the letter should be along the left side of the paper. The lines should be single-
spaced, with extra spaces between each of the parts. Writers should try to fit all of the parts onto one page.
Summary
Let's review the parts of a professional letter. The heading includes the writer's address and contact information,
the date and the reader’s name and address. The second part is the salutation. The third part includes the body
paragraphs. The closing part of the letter includes a complimentary close, a signature, and a typed name.
