You learned the parts of a friendly letter in First Writing. A formal letter (also called a business letter) has a different audience: someone you may not know, often at a business, a school office or a city department.
| Part | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Your address (heading) | your street, city, state and ZIP (skip it on letterhead) |
| Date | written out: March 8, 2025 |
| Inside address | the reader’s name, title, organization and address |
| Salutation | Dear Ms. Bennett: (a colon is traditional in a formal letter) |
| Body | the purpose first, then details, then what you are asking for |
| Closing | Sincerely, (only the first word capitalized) |
| Signature | your handwritten signature above your typed name |
Key idea
A formal letter has your address, the date, the inside address, a salutation, the body, a closing and a signature. In block format every line starts at the left margin, with a blank line between parts and paragraphs.
Why it works
A formal letter may be filed, forwarded or answered weeks later by someone else. The inside address and the date make it a complete record; the clear purpose in the first lines lets a busy reader act on it. A respectful tone gives the request its best chance.
Worked example: Friendly or formal?
Fix the closing and salutation for a letter to the city parks director: “Hi Mr. Grant, … Love, Sam”
- “Hi” and “Love” suit a friend, not an official.
- Use “Dear Mr. Grant:” and “Sincerely,”.
Answer: “Dear Mr. Grant:” … “Sincerely, Sam Ortiz”
Worked example: Purpose first
Which first sentence is better for a letter asking to use the library’s meeting room? (a) “My name is Maya and I like to read.” (b) “I am writing to ask whether our writing club could use the community room on Saturday, April 26.”
- (b) states the request at once.
- (a) delays it; the reader doesn’t yet know why you wrote.
Answer: (b).
Common mistake
Using a friendly letter’s tone and closing (“Love,” “See ya”) in a formal letter, or leaving out the inside address. Check the top and bottom of the page: both addresses and the date at the top; a formal closing, a signature and your typed name at the bottom.
Purdue OWL notes that a comma after the salutation is used with “open punctuation”; the colon is the traditional formal choice. The letter in the picture is invented.