What Is a Block Business Letter?
A block business letter is a more formal form of communication than email. Anyone who is applying to a job or school should write a cover letter in this format, which is used to write follow-up letters as well.
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Parts of a Business Letter
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A business letter starts with the sender's address unless written on letterhead, followed by the date and the recipient's address. Following the recipient's address is the salutation. "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Ms. Johnson" are examples of common salutations. Next is the body of the letter, which is generally two or three paragraphs long and explains the purpose of the letter. Following the body is the closing, like "Thank you," or "Sincerely." There are four blank lines for a signature following the salutation, then the sender's name and title.
Block Format
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The block format is the most common layout used for business letters, according to Purdue University. Using this layout, the entire letter is left justified -- every line starts at the margin on the left side of the page, without any indentations. In block format, all lines are single-spaced, with a double space between paragraphs.
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Variations on Block Format
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One variation on the block format is called modified block. According to Purdue, a letter written in modified block is the same as block format except for the date and closing, both of which are Indented to the center.
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