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December 12, 2000
BUSINESS LETTERS--PART VII
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This week we'll consider notations that are added two lines below the signature. These can vary from letter to letter and may include several types of information.
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The first item typically to appear will be the (capitalized) initials of the person who requested or dictated the letter, followed by a colon and the (lower case) initials of the person who prepared the letter:
Sincerely,
Jim Robbins
Senior Analyst
JR:dm
["JR" stands for "Jim Robbins" (who requested or dictated the letter) while "dm" represents the initials of the person who typed the letter.]
If someone both dictates and signs a letter, his or her initials are optional, and only the initials of the person who typed the letter are used:
Sincerely,
Bob Simmons
Senior Analyst
dm
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Materials included with a letter are indicated as "enclosures" in the following three ways:
Enc. (2)
[This method indicates the enclosure of two items.]
-or-
Enclosures: a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and $1.00 in extra postage
[This method gives a brief description of the enclosed items. If only one item is enclosed, use the singular "enclosure" followed by a colon and a brief description of the item, unless it is described in the body of the letter.]
-or-
enclosure
[Use the plural "enclosures" if more than one item is enclosed. Capitalizing the singular or plural form is optional.]
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Copies of the letter sent to other readers may be indicated thus:
cc: Ms. Robin Sweeney
[Type lower-case "c" twice (standing for the old-fashioned phrase of "carbon copy") which is then followed by a colon and a space preceding the name of additional recipients. The above "cc" indicates that a copy of the letter was sent to Ms. Robin Sweeney.]
-or-
c: Ms. Robin Sweeney
[As an alternative, "c" (standing for the contemporary phrase "copy") may be used.]
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To send a copy of a letter to a third party without the addressee's knowledge, use the notation "bcc" ("blind carbon copy") or "bc" ("blind copy") with lower case letters.
bcc: Gerald DePaul, Human Resources Manager
When using "bcc," be sure NOT to place it on the addressee's copy of the letter.
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"Postscript" is signified by the abbreviation "P.S." which uses both capital letters and periods after each letter. A postscript allows the writer to add a remembered or extra piece of information:
P.S. Please return the enclosed registration form no later than January 31.
Postscripts are not very common in business correspondence.
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This concludes our study of the business letter. Please note that while our recommendations reflect standard usage, other sources may suggest alternative styles of business correspondence. Simply use whichever style is most applicable to your writing environment.
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
Remember that e-mail, like other written documents, may be used as evidence in a court of law. Avoid writing or forwarding messages which could compromise your integrity or your reputation, should they come to light at a later time.
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
UMPTEEN (UMP-TEEN): A large but indefinite number.
Joe made umpteen trips to New York to convince a publisher to buy his book.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Which phrase is correct?
I feel bad about it.
-or-
I feel badly about it.
GRAMMARCHECK: Keep in mind that "bad" is an adjective describing something while "badly" is an adverb explaining how something is done. If this sentence describes the writer's feelings, the correct usage is reflected in the first sentence:
I feel bad about it.
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QUESTION: What are dangling modifiers? Could you give me an example, please?
GRAMMARCHECK: A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase that does not appear to be connected to any other part of the sentence; there is nothing specific that the modifier can modify:
Walking to the store, the weather grew threatening.
[Who is walking to the store--the weather?!]
CORRECTION:
As I walked to the store, the weather grew threatening.
Be sure that each part of your sentence fits together in a meaningful way.
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QUESTION: When do you use "farther" and "further"?
GRAMMARCHECK: People often use these words interchangeably, but there is a slight difference for those who care to observe it.
"Farther" refers to measurable distances:
She lives farther from town than I do.
But "further" means "more" or "added" in sentences like these having nothing to do with physical distance:
I will pursue this matter further with his supervisor.
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QUESTION: How do you put names in the plural form to show the collective family group? For instance, what about the last name of Lauritsen? To denote a family of three, would I not use "The Lauritsens" and NOT "The Lauritsen's"? Also, how would I make the Davis family plural?
GRAMMARCHECK: You are correct. To show a collective family unit, refer to "The Lauritsens" (add only "s"). For the Davis family, refer to "The Davises." (See our February 29th and March 14th issues on-line for more information on the topic.)
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QUESTION: Recently you have covered business letter styles. Hope you plan to cover personal letter styles in future issues. Or have you in past issues? I could not find any.
GRAMMARCHECK: We haven't covered personal letters yet. Many people today write fewer personal letters than previously, due to enhanced communication technology such as e-mail, cell phones, and pagers. Also, personal letters are so individualized that few writers or readers of them are concerned about protocol. For the record, however, using a return address, date, greeting, and closing (along with the body of the message of course!) will be appreciated by most readers.
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