ENG201 Midterm Short Notes

VU · APEX · CAMPUS

cLetter Reports-Informational and Analytical: Letter reports are similar to traditional business letters, more often sent to outside the organization

2- Long or Formal Reports:

A formal report does not mean more formal language: it means the report is more detailed, more complex in structure.

*The format of report depends on the type of report you are writing. The main difference between Long and Short report is of length and of being formal and informal; short report is informal and not that lengthy while long report is formal and lengthy as it contains all the details.

The recipient's title (such as Mr., Ms., or Dr.) and full name (address a woman who does not have a professional title as Ms. unless you know she prefers Miss or Mrs.; if the recipient does not have a title and you are unsure of his or her gender, omit the title). The recipient's job title, if appropriate. The name of the company or institution, if appropriate. The recipient's address is always aligned on the left margin.

Salutation

Place the salutation two lines below the recipient's address. The salutation begins with the word Dear, continues with the recipient's title and last name, and ends with a colon. If you are unsure of the recipient's gender and the recipient does not have a professional title, omit the title and, instead, use both the first and the last names in the salutation (Dear Leslie Perelman:). If you do not know the name of the recipient of the letter, refer to the department you are writing to (Dear Technical Support:). Avoid salutations such as Dear Sir or Madam:.

Body

Start the letter two lines after the salutation. Body paragraphs should be single spaced with a double space between paragraphs. (Indenting the first line of each paragraph is acceptable but is more informal than the unindented style.)

Be concise, direct, and considerate. State the letter's purpose in the opening paragraph. Include supporting information in a middle paragraph or two, and conclude your letter with a brief paragraph that both establishes goodwill and expresses what needs to be done next.

If a letter requires more than one page, make sure there are at least two lines of body text on the final page. Never use an entire page for just the closing. The second page and all subsequent pages must include a heading with the recipient's name, the date, and the page number.

Closing Phrase

Write a complimentary closing phrase two lines below the final body paragraph. Yours truly, Sincerely, or Sincerely yours are common endings for professional letters. Capitalize the first letter of the first word of your complimentary closing, and end the complimentary closing with a comma.

Four lines below the closing phrase, write your full name. If you are writing in an official capacity that is not included in the stationery's letterhead, write your title on the next line. Your signature goes above your typed name.

End Notations

At the bottom of the last page of a business letter, end notations may show who typed the letter, whether any materials are enclosed with the letter, and who is receiving a copy of the letter.

An enclosure notation--Enclosure:, Encl., or Enc.--alerts the recipient that additional material (such as a résumé or a technical article) is included with the letter. You can either identify the enclosure or indicate how many pieces there are.