Jason K's Basic Elements of Letters

In the 21st century, communication methods have and still are drastically changing. Now with access to send emails, instant messages, and/or even text messages from a mobile device. People today are using easier and more convenient means of communicating, but it hasn’t always been this way. Before the creation of the internet and cell phones, people mainly communicated using what is still frequently used today, letters. According to the textbook, Technical Communication in the twenty-first century, letters can be written in various forms and include different stylistic and organizational features. The variations are often in relation to:

· Who is your audience

· The purpose for writing

· External problems a letter might address

· The rhetorical problems surrounding the writer

Due to variations, not every letter contains the same elements. Regardless, every letter should contain most if not all of the basic elements. You should begin a letter with a:

· Heading or Letterhead (usually appearing centered at the very top of the letter, and could include contact information from the writers such as the business’ name, address, and telephone number)

· Date (when the letter was sent, not made)

· Recipient’s Address (the name of the individual if possible, job title, and the recipient’s address)
· Salutation or Greeting (begins with Dear, followed by the recipient’s name ending with a colon)

Next, in a letter is the body. This is where any and all information that is written will go, It will reveal the overall purpose of the letter and ultimately what is trying to be accomplished by the writer. Elements in the body are:

· Introductory (provides the reader with any background information necessary to understand
the rest of the letter)

· Body (provides further details on the purpose/message for writing the letter)

· Concluding (provides information in which the letter sums up or reiterates the main point of the message)

· Closing Phrase (is basically a word or 2 words followed by a comma that appears right before the signature)

If you have followed the basics so far, you are very close to being done. The closing variations are:

· Signature (the writers signature going above the typed writers name and job title)

· Page Headers (If you have multiple pages then at the very top of the paper the writer includes information such as the date, the person receiving the letters name, and page number)

Reference:

Dobrin, S. I., Keller, C. J., & Weisser, C. R. (2002). .TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION: in the Tweny-First Century Upper Saddle River , NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing.