ACCEPTED FORMS FOR LETTERS Heading. To save time for our correspondents we use the letter forms that are in common, accepted use. For example, we place our address and date at the right side of the page so that the recipient of the letter will at once know where and when the letter was written: 206 West 58th Street, Chicago, Ill. November 13, 1922 106 Morningside Drive New York, N. Y. Jan. 14, 1922 These headings the eye takes in at a glance. The present usage prefers to leave off punctuation at the end of the line; but there should be a period after each abbreviation, as, Jan. and Wis., and commas to separate the day of the month from the year, and the city from the state; as, Milwaukee, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.; May 6, 1922. Address. The letter must also show plainly to whom it is addressed. We place the name and the address of our correspondent on the left-hand side of the page and below the heading. The address may be either indented or "blocked”; as, Mr. Thomas Wyatt 314 Albert Street Pittsburgh, Pa. Miss May Kerrington Malden, Mass. Mrs. Frank Tremaine Secretary Emerson Woman's Club In a business letter we write the official title of the one addressed below the name, as in the case of Mrs. Tremaine. It is not proper to write Dear Miss, without adding the surname. We may address an unmarried woman as Dear Madam or as Dear Miss Kerrington. Both forms are correct, and the choice between them is merely a matter of taste. A colon following the address is the usual punctuation for business letters, although a comma is sometimes used. Body of Letter. The body of the letter is begun on the line below the salutation, a little to the right. Mr. Thomas Wyatt 314 Albert Street Pittsburgh, Pa. Dear Sir: We are glad to receive your order and will have it filled at once. Complimentary Close. Following the body of the letter is placed a complimentary close, such as Yours truly, Yours very truly, Yours respectfully. This complimentary close is placed about half way between the right and left sides of the page. Only the first word is capitalized. A comma follows the complimentary close; as, Yours truly, Yours very truly, Respectfully yours. Truly and respectfully are often misspelled. Are you sure that you can spell them correctly? Signature. The signature is written on a separate line, under and a little to the right of the complimentary close. Clearness and Brevity. The first essential of a business letter is clearness; the next is brevity. It is courteous to our correspondent to express as clearly as possible the point of our letter, so that he will not take unnecessary time to find out why we are writing to him. For the same reason it is necessary to write as briefly as we can. Reference to Previous Correspondence. If there has been previous correspondence we should begin the letter with a definite reference to this. It is not necessary to be so formal as to say "Your letter of the 6th has been received and in reply we wish to say," etc. But some reference to the letter we are answering should be made. If a merchant writes to acknowledge an order he may begin: "I am glad to tell you that your much appreciated order of the 10th is being filled and will be shipped to-morrow." If he is referring to a question that has been asked in a previous letter, he may say: "I am sorry that I cannot answer the question in your letter of the 25th, but I can refer you to the Institute for Public Service, where you can get full information." Coming to the Point. We must then state clearly just what we wish to say. If we are sending an order, the exact kind and quantity of goods wanted must be given; we should say how we wish them shipped, and how they are to be paid for; as, "I inclose New York draft for $155.73 in payment of this order." If we are asking for information we should put our questions clearly and definitely. In order to interest our correspondent it is necessary to say why we wish the information and what use we intend to make of it. Spelling. We sometimes feel that it is unfair to put so much emphasis on spelling; but the fact is that we have to accept the attitude of the world on this as on so many other questions. A single misspelled word in an otherwise well-written letter may be enough to prejudice the recipient of the letter against the writer. So let us face this condition and learn to spell the words we use in letters as well as those in all our composition and dictation exercises. On page 361 will be found a list of one hundred words that are so commonly misspelled that they have been called the 'one hundred spelling demons." Review them from day to day until you are sure that you know them thoroughly. แ She Do not use two words that mean no; one is sufficient. Say: "I have no pencil." hasn't any paper." Never say: "I haven't Answer the following questions in the negative. Be careful to use only one negative word. Give your answers aloud. 1. Have you a pen? 2. Has your mother a room for rent? 3. Have they a new house? 4. Have you a pair of skates? 5. Has he a right to play on the team? 6. Will there be a game to-day? 7. Can you do anything with this bicycle? 8. Is there any use in my going? 9. Have you any reason for staying away? 10. Can the doctor do anything for him? VI. THE SENTENCE Clearness and Exact Statement. In writing letters you sometimes find it difficult to express just what you wish to say. You put down words, but they are not so related to each other that they bring out your meaning. The study of the making of sentences will help you to express yourselves more clearly and exactly. Recognizing a Sentence. In the lower grades you have learned to express yourself in sentences instead of running all your thoughts together as a little child sometimes does. You have come to feel a sentence because it expresses a complete thought. EXERCISES A. In the following selections tell which groups of words are complete sentences and which are not: 1. When you come home 2. Our soldiers helped the Allies end the war 3. The birds are beginning to fly south 4. If it does not rain 5. Through a dense forest where the sun rarely shines 6. We march to victory 7. Jack climbed to the top of the beanstalk 8. Where the river meets the sea B. Divide the following into sentences: 1. When Clark had left Kaskaskia twenty stands of colors had been given to him his men had often wondered why he had brought them all along they were now to learn his reason saplings were cut and the flags fastened to the ends of these long, slender poles bearers were chosen |