When drafting a business letter, a modified block style letter is a frequent structure. It differs somewhat from a block-style letter in the positioning of the return address, date, and complimenting closure. In a modified block style letter, the closing will usually come at the end, followed by the signature. There may be additional space after the closing if more is needed.
The return address will be left off of the first copy of the letter that is sent out. The only address that should be on the letter is the recipient's office address. Any other addresses should be included with the rest of the letter when it is sent out.
The date should be left off of the first letter that is sent out. All subsequent letters should have the same date listed on them to show that they are all related and came from the same source. If you want to include the date in the body of the letter, that is fine too. It just must be the same on all copies.
The complimentary close should be used when thanking someone for their time, effort, or contribution. Use your own judgment about what kind of close to use - formal or informal - but be consistent throughout your correspondence.
What distinguishes modified block business letters? Modified block business letters are written in a slightly different style than full-block business letters. The return address, date, complementary closure, and signature line are somewhat to the right of the middle of the page in the modified block style. These elements usually include an indentation on either side of the letter.
Full-block business letters are written across the entire surface of the paper with no margin at all. They are used for documents that need to be formal or official, such as contracts or bills. The recipient knows this is a formal document and there will be no chance of it getting lost in the mail. Full-block business letters often include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply.
Modified block business letters are used for documents that need to be formal but not quite so much so as full-block letters. For example, if you were sending out annual reports to shareholders you would use modified block letters because they give recipients some leeway to break up the text without making it look like an informal email. Modified block business letters should still include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply though.
There are three main differences between modified block business letters and full-block business letters: the direction of the text, the amount of space between words, and the position of punctuation. All three of these elements can be adjusted to create different effects for your message.
"Block format" is the most frequent arrangement for a business letter. Except for the double space between paragraphs, the whole letter is left justified and single-spaced in this style. Block has been updated. The modified block format is another popular format.
When typing or writing, block letters refer to writing or typing that is printed rather than written in cursive or with linked letters. The image shows a comparison between block letters with cursive letters.
Rules for Block Letter Format (with Samples) Full block style, modified block style, and indented (semi-block) style are the three forms of block letter formats. It is important to understand the distinction between these in order to write professionally. Although it may seem like a simple task, creating effective block letters can be difficult. There are many factors to consider when designing block letters including font choice, word count, and clarity of message.
In full-style block letters, the entire sentence is enclosed within full blocks. These look best with large, open fonts such as Helvetica or Arial. If the text within the block letter isn't too long, it's easy to read all of the information within the single line. For longer sentences, break them up into multiple lines so that each line fits on one side of the block letter.
In modified-style block letters, some parts of the sentence are printed in full-style block letters, while others are presented in italicized or slanted type. This allows you to maintain the appearance of authority while still providing more flexibility in your design. You can use this format with any font size, but if the letter takes up more than one line, make sure the first letter of each subsequent line falls on a new horizontal page margin so as not to overlap previous text.
Block has been modified. In a modified-block format letter, all text (save the author's address, date, and closure) is left aligned; paragraphs are not indented; and the author's address, date, and closing begin at the center point. The word "block" is printed in large, bold type below the text frame.
Tabs are used to start data at the page's horizontal center point, which distinguishes modified block letters from block format. Paragraphs in a modified block letter can either be tabbed (indented) or left in block form. The paragraphs in the letter below are not indented (tabbed).
The writer should use modified block whenever possible because it allows more flexibility in your writing. For example, if you want to include a quotation within your text that relates to several sentences elsewhere in the document, you can do so by including it within a modified block paragraph. This would not be possible when using block formatting.
Modified block is available in most desktop publishing packages, including Microsoft Word. It is important to understand that although this type of formatting option is available, it does not replace the need for quality editing during the proofing process. If you use modified block instead of trying out different options such as headings, subheadings, bold/italic fonts, etc., then you are leaving money on the table when it comes time to print your document.
It is also important to note that depending on which program you are working with, modifying block formatting may have additional requirements beyond what has been mentioned here. For example, some software requires that all consecutive blank lines within a paragraph be merged into one single line to avoid breaking the layout.
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