Parts of business letters in general consist of the following:

Additional information on salutations and closings in business correspondence

a. Writing a cover letter/application letter

The body of cover letter generally has four parts.

1. Opening: Tell (1) that you are applying for a job and (2) the source of your information
2. Focus: Tell why you are suited for the job.
3. Action: Tell what you plan to do
4. Closing: Be positive

b. Replying to a job applicant

A letter of replying to a job applicant is usually short and direct. However, the tone is advised to be formal and informative. The body of a letter replying to a job applicant is generally divided into three parts. read more

The format of a piece of correspondence is the way it is organized and arranged. There are three formats for business correspondence: block, semi block, and indented.

The format includes how the letter is typed and where the margins are. A margin is the blank space around a letter. There are four margins in a letter: top, bottom, left, and right. The format and the width of the margins will depend on your office stationery and office style.