Luckily for all of us, there are half a dozen business letter formats from which to choose. So, unless your company has a specific, pre-determined format that you must use for all of your correspondence, you can use any of the following letter style:
Traditional Letter Format
The subject line is two lines below the salutation. The body begins two lines below the salutation or subject line. The first line of each paragraph is indented five spaces to the right of the left margin. The signature goes four lines below the complementary close. The company signature line is four lines below the complementary close.
Semi-Block Format
The subject line is two lines below the salutation. This format uses three space indentations for the first line of each paragraph. The signature goes four lines below the complementary close. The company signature is four lines below the complementary close.
Block Format
The subject line is two lines below the salutation. The body begins two lines below the salutation or subject line. The signature goes four lines below the complementary close. The company signature line is four lines below the complementary close.
Full-Block Format
Very similar to the block format, except the dateline, the closing, and company signature line begin at the left margin. The subject line is two lines below the salutation. The signature goes four lines below the complementary close. The company signature line is four lines below the complementary close.
Square-Block Format
The dateline is on the same line as the first line of the inside address, but at the right margin. The subject line is two lines below the salutation. The signature goes four lines below the complementary close. The company signature is four lines below the complementary close. The sender’s and typist’s initials are on the same line as the company signature line.
Simplified Format
Omit the salutation in this format. The subject line is three lines below the inside address. The body begins three lines below the inside address or subject line. The complementary close is omitted here. The company signature is five lines below the body of the letter.