One Page Letter

Your Name

Your Address (or the address of your organization if applicable)

City, ST

Today’s Date

Addressee (who you’re sending the letter to)

Their title (if applicable)

Their organization (if applicable)

Their address

City, ST

Dear Mr./Ms. Their Last Name: (use To Whom It May Concern if you do not know the addressee’s name)

Do not indent the first line of your paragraphs in a business letter. Generally, a business letter will have

three paragraphs: the first introduces your purpose, the second offers more details, and the third offers

closing comments and opportunities for further communication. The first paragraph of your letter is your

chance to introduce yourself and state the purpose of your letter (Example 1: My name is John Doe, and I

am writing to apply for the position of Assistant Financial Manager as advertised on your company’s

website. Example 2: My name is Jane Smith, and I am writing to express my extreme

pleasure/disappointment with my family’s experience at your establishment last weekend.) You can offer

some general context for your purpose, but you should not go into great detail in this first paragraph.

The second paragraph is the most detailed. In this paragraph, you should state your case, essentially. If

you are writing to apply for a position, tell your reader of your qualifications, experience, relevant history,

etc. Where you can, offer specifics; if you are applying for a teaching position, instead of simply telling

your addressee that you have experience teaching grades K-12, tell your addressee how several of your

classroom policies were adopted as standards by your department. If you are submitting an application in

any form, remember that the committee/manager probably has to read through letters from many different

applicants, and you want your letter to stand out. If you are writing a letter to praise/criticize an

organization’s goods or services, offer the details of your experience: answer the who, what, when, and

where. Did you receive service at a particular branch or location? Did a specific associate assist you?

Were there any extenuating circumstances particular to your experience? This will probably end up being

the longest paragraph of your letter, or, if necessary, you can split the paragraph into two smaller

paragraphs.

Your third paragraph should wrap up your letter by briefly restating your purpose and its importance. You

should thank your reader for their time and offer your hopes for the outcome of your letter (that you get

chosen for a desired position, that a grievance is resolved, that a particularly helpful employee is praised,

etc.). Finally, offer your reader a way to contact you in case they need more information, want to follow

up, or set up an interview time. End your letter with a simple farewell (usually “Sincerely”).

Sincerely,

Type your name

This is an example of a traditional

business letter format. When

constructing your assignment, you

should first and foremost follow the

constraints of your assignment. If

you are instructed to use APA

formatting for your business letter,

make sure to double space and

include a title page, in-text citations,

and a References page as needed.