Writing an Effective Application Letter

Its Parts, Forms and Content

PARTS

-Heading- Date Line- Inside Address- Salutation- Body- Complimentary Close- Signature Line- Notations

Heading or Letterhead

• Information about the Writer• Address, contact number, e-mail address• Example:

Blk. 15, Lot 11, Zone 7,Target Range, Patag9000 Cagayan de Oro Cityjpaclar26@gmail.com

Dateline• Date when the letter is written or when the

letter should be received by the addressee• Can be in Normal or Military Style• Example:

July 07, 2014Or

07 July 2014

Inside Address• Information about the addressee • Title, name, position and address• Example:

Ms. K Marie D. ZambasActing PrincipalKong Hua SchoolKauswagan9000 Cagayan de Oro City

Inside Address• Mr. – for a man with unknown title. Ex. Mr. Jet

Hokin Paclar• Ms./ Miss- for a woman who is unmarried or with

undetermined civil status or title. Ex. Ms. Maria Yu• Mrs.- for a married woman. Ex. Mrs. Rosa Lim• Dr. (Initial)/PhD (Final)- for man or woman with

doctor’s degree. Ex. Dr. Rodulfo dela Cruz or Rodulfo dela Cruz, PhD

• Honorable/Hon.- for high government officials. Ex. Hon. Oscar Moreno

Salutation• Two lines below the inside address, uses a

colon (formal) or comma (informal)• Salutes the reader• Example:• Sir/Madam:- for top ranking officials, group

addressee or for unknown addressee.• My dear Sir:/My dear Madam:- highly formal• Dear Sir:/Dear Madam:/ Dear Dr.:- formal• Mr. Paclar,/Ms. Zambas,/Dr. Cruz,- personal• Dear Jet,/ Jet,/ Hi, Jet/ Hello Bibi,- informal

Dear Ms. Du:

Body• Longest part• Contains your message• Should posses the 8C’s in an effective letter• Example later

Complimentary Close

• Consist of two or three words expressions that observes a degree of formality

• Example:• Very respectfully yours,- most formal• Respectfully yours,/Very truly yours,- more

formal• Truly your,/Sincerely yours,- formal• Friendly yours,/Always,/ Sincerely,/Lovingly

yours,- informal

Respectfully yours,

Signature Line• Two to four spaces after the Complimentary

CloseRespectfully yours,

Jet Hokin Paclar

Notations• May be one or two or all of the following:

- Letter Sender and typist or transcriberElena Ramos (sender) and Ofelia Ruiz (typist)

ER/OR, ER-OR, ER:OR- Enclosure/s- attachments

ER/OREnc.

1. Résumé2. 4 2x2 pictures

- Postscript or P.S.

FORMS-Full Block-Modified Block- Semi Block

Full Block Format• Align Left• No indention

Modified Full Block Format• Letterhead, Dateline,

Complimentary Close, Signature and Notations are on Right side

• No Indentions

Semi Block Format• Letterhead, Dateline,

Complimentary Close, Signature and Notations are Align Right

• With Indentions

CONTENTS8C’s of Letter Writing- Clarity- Conciseness- Consideration- Courtesy- Concreteness- Cheerfulness- Correctness- Character

Clarity• Clarity- ideas are clear and logical

What do you want to say?

Conciseness• Conciseness- direct to the point, “the shorter

the better.”

When will you present your

point?

Consideration• Consideration- uses the “you” approach

What’s in it for the reader?

Courtesy• Courtesy- respects the reader

How will you please your

reader?

Concreteness• Concreteness- uses vivid words

How accurate are your words?

Cheerfulness• Cheerfulness- optimistic in tone

How hopeful are you?

Character• Character- provides a window to the writers

soul

Who are you in your letter?

The 8C’s of Letter Writing

• Clarity- ideas are clear and logical• Conciseness- direct to the point• Consideration- uses the “you” perspective• Courtesy- respects the reader• Concreteness- uses vivid words• Cheerfulness- optimistic in tone• Correctness- free from any mistake• Character- provides a window to the writers soul

Sample