How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) | Page 7

letters. The
third person must always be used. If one receives a letter written in the
third person one must answer in kind. It would be obviously
incongruous to write
Mr. and Mrs. John Evans regret that we are unable to accept Mrs.
Elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on Thursday, May the fourth as
we have a previous engagement
It should read
Mr. and Mrs. John Evans regret that they are unable to accept Mrs.

Elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on Thursday, May the fourth as
they have a previous engagement
In these notes, the hour and date are never written numerically but are
spelled out.
If the family has a coat-of-arms or crest it may be used in the centre of
the engraved invitation at the top, but monograms or stamped addresses
are never so used.
For the informal letter there are no set rules except that of courtesy,
which requires that we have our thought distinctly in mind before
putting it on paper. It may be necessary to pause a few moments before
writing, to think out just what we want to say. A rambling, incoherent
letter is not in good taste any more than careless, dishevelled clothing.
Spelling should be correct. If there is any difficulty in spelling, a small
dictionary kept in the desk drawer is easily consulted. Begin each
sentence with a capital. Start a new paragraph when you change to a
new subject. Put periods (or interrogation points as required) at the
ends of the sentences. It is neater to preserve a margin on both sides of
the letter sheet.
In the body of a business letter the opening sentence is in an important
position, and this is obviously the place for an important fact. It ought
in some way to state or refer to the subject of or reason for the letter, so
as to get the attention of the reader immediately to the subject.
It ought also to suggest a courteous personal interest in the recipient's
business, to give the impression of having to do with his interests. For
instance, a reader might be antagonized by
Yours of the 14th regarding the shortage in your last order received.
How much more tactful is
We regret to learn from your letter of March 14th that there was a
shortage in your last order.

Paragraphs should show the division of the thought of the letter. If you
can arrange and group your subjects and your thoughts on them
logically in your mind, you will have no trouble in putting them on
paper. It is easier for the reader to grasp your thought if in each
paragraph are contained only one thought and the ideas pertaining to it.
The appearance of a business letter is a matter to which all too little
concern has been given. A firm or business which would not tolerate an
unkempt salesman sometimes will think nothing of sending out badly
typed, badly placed, badly spelled letters.
The first step toward a good-looking letter is proper stationery, though
a carefully typed and placed letter on poor stationery is far better than
one on good stationery with a good letterhead but poor typing and
placing.
The matter of correct spelling is merely a case of the will to consult a
dictionary when in doubt.
The proper placing of a letter is something which well rewards the care
necessary at first. Estimate the matter to go on the page with regard to
the size of the page and arrange so that the centre of the letter will be
slightly above the centre of the letter sheet. The margins should act as a
frame or setting for the letter. The left-hand space should be at least an
inch and the right-hand at least a half inch. Of course if the letter is
short the margins will be wider. The top and bottom margins should be
wider than the side margins.
The body of the letter should begin at the same distance from the edge
as the first line of the inside address and the salutation.
All paragraphing should be indicated by indenting the same distances
from the margin--about an inch--or if the block system is used no
paragraph indentation is made but double or triple spacing between the
paragraphs indicates the divisions. If the letter is handwritten, the
spacing between the paragraphs should be noticeably greater than that
between other lines.

Never write on both sides of a sheet. In writing a business letter, if the
letter requires more than one page, use plain sheets of the same size and
quality without the letterhead. These additional sheets should be
numbered at the top. The name or initials of the firm or person to
whom the letter is going should also appear at the top of