Unit 14, Composition 337Copyright © by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
Composition
Lesson 117
14.117 Business Letters: Letters of Request or Complaint..............................................
Business letters are letters sent to an organization to achieve a specific purpose.
One common type of business letter is the letter of request. A letter of request
asks for information or service. In this type of letter, begin by identifying yourself.
Then explain what information you need and why you need it. Also, be clear
about where the information should be sent. Since you are asking for a favor,
always show courtesy in your request.
Business letters are usually written in block form or semiblock form. In block
form, all parts of the letter are lined up at the left margin. In semiblock form, the
heading, closing, and signature are aligned on the right side of the page. The
recipient of a business letter is usually a stranger, so the letter should be formal in
style and respectful in tone.Exercise 1 Read the following letter of request. Then answer each question below.
Dear Mr. Holbrook:
I am a sixth grader at Horatio Alger Middle School. Could you send me
some information about the national parks in the West? Thanks tons.
Sincerely,
Pramode Pirakh
1.Are the salutation and closing appropriate? yes
2.Does the letter writer identify himself? yes
3.Does the letter writer explain why he needs the information? no
4.Is the writer specific enough about the information he wants? no
5.Is the letter courteous in tone? no—it is rather brief
6.Is the letter appropriately formal in style? no—the last line in particular is too casual
Exercise 2 Rewrite the above letter to make it better. Refer to your evaluation, and
add new information as needed. Sign your own name to the letter.
Students should expand the letter. The request for information should be more specific than in the
sample, the tone should be courteous, and the style should be formal or semiformal. A heading and an
inside address should be included.