Passive Voice or Passive Sentence

See guys, It is about my material presentation at school...

Okay guys,we've delivered a message from someone else or we say something and other people who deliver longer something that we convey to people lain.We and others in conveying it must use the passive voice so we must know how to make passive voice :)

Passive voice or Passive Sentence is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

In the passive sentence, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb.
Only transitive verbs are used in the passive. Intransitive verbs such as happen, sleep, come and seem cannot be used in the passive.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes by Agent in the passive sentence (or is dropped)
• Only active sentence containing object which can be changed into passive form
• The two forms should have the same tenses

AGENT (OR BY AGENT)

IN A PASSIVE CLAUSE, WE USUALLY USE A PHRASE BEGINNING WITH BY IF WE WANT TO MENTION THE AGENT - THE PERSON OR THING THAT DOES THE ACTION, OR THAT CAUSES WHAT HAPPENS.
EXAMPLES:
MY MOTHER MAKES THE SANDWICH EVERY MORNING.

SUBJECT VERB1+S/ES O C (ADV. OF TIME)

THE SANDWICH IS MADE BY MY MOTHER EVERY MORNING.


SUBJECT O BE+V3 AGENT C (ADV. OF TIME)



WHAT ABOUT OTHER TENSES?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS : [ S + TO BE + BEING +V3 (PAST PARTICIPLE)
PRESENT PERFECT: [ S + HAS/HAVE + BEEN + V3 (PAST PARTICIPLE)

Here are the examples:

1. A young boy is catching a butterfly.
2. A butterfly is being caught by a young boy.

• Yano has returned the book to the library.

• The book has been returned to the library by Yano.

Next,
If you want to change an active sentence which has two objects into its passive forms, there are two ways:

1. Make its indirect object into the subject of the passive sentence.
2. Make its direct object into the subject of the passive sentence

 FOR INSTANCE:

John is giving his girl-friend a bunch of flower.
indirect object direct object

Passive: The indirect object as the subject
John’s girl-friend is being given a bunch of flower
or
Passive: The direct object as the subject
A bunch of flower is being given to John’s girl-friend

Hey, how about the negative and interrogative?
Take a look at the followings:

People don’t use bikes anymore
Bikes are not used anymore
Did the students play the cards in the class yesterday?
Were the cards played in the class yesterday?

SOME EXAMPLES (SIMPLE PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE) FOR YOU…

 Some students open the book silently during the examination (active)
 The books are opened silently by some students during the examination. (passive)

 Ku Klux Klan killed many innocent people.
 Many innocent people were killed by Ku Klux Klan

 Sting will perform the 2nd world tour in Indonesia
 The 2nd world tour will be performed by Sting in Indonesia

Direct and Indirect Speech

look at the picture :)
you know what the differences are pronounced sentence.It's so easy If you have understood what it is direct and indirect speech. Let's check this out guys :)


DIRECT SPEECH
Direct speech refers to reproducing another person’s exact words or saying exactly what someone has said (sometimes called quoted speech)

Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.

For example:
She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations."
or
"Today's lesson is on presentations," she said.


INDIRECT SPEECH
indirect speech reproducing the idea of another person’s words that doesn’t use question mark to enclose what the person said and it doesn’t have to be word for word. Indirect speech is sometimes called reported speech
For example:
Direct speech :"I'm going to the cinema", he said.
Indirect speech : He said he was going to the cinema.


TENSE CHANGE
• When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.
• Note : the reporting verbs that are usually used to report imperative sentence are :Tell , other command , ask , warn , remind

Present simple
Past tense

direct : Vita said “ I eat fried rice”

indirect :Vita said that she ate fried rice.


Past simple


Past perfect

direct : Mother said “ I went to market yesterday”

indirect : Mother said (that) she had gone to market the day before.


Future simple


Past future

direct : Dave said “ I will buy an i-pod next week’

indirect : Dave said (that) he would buy an i-pod the week after


Present continuous


Past continuous

direct : Gama said “ I’m playing football”

indirect : Gama said he was playing football


Past continuous


Past perfect continuous

direct : She said “ I was teaching earlier”

indirect : She said she had been teaching earlier


when we want to report what someone said , wedon’t usually repeat their exact words , we use our words , we can use reporting words
such as tell say as follow by “that clause”

example :
my mother said that she got up at 4 o’clock

In time expression and pronouns

Narrative text

Narrative text is a text that is to tell something that imaginary without exception and the direction is to entertain the reader.

The generic structures of the text:

• Orientation : It sets the scene and introduces the participants (it answers the questions; Who, What, When and Where)

• Complication: A crisis or a problem arises. It usually involves the main characters.

• Resolution: A solution to the problem (for better or worse). Main characters find a way to solve the problem. Other generic structures of the text:

• Evaluation: (optional) a step back to evaluate the plight (the narrator’s viewpoint)

• Coda: (optional)Changes of the characters or lesson/value of the story

• Re-orientation: (optional)

Ciri kebahasaan/language features:
•    Nouns tertentu sebagai kata ganti orang dalam cerita, e.g. stepsisters, housework, etc.
•    Adjectives yang membentuk noun phrase, e.g. long black hair, two red apples, etc.
•    Time connectives dan conjunctions untuk mengurutkan kejadian, e.g. and, then, before that, etc.
•    Actions verbs dalam past tense, e.g. stayed.
•    Saying verbs yang menandai ucapan, seperti: said, told, dan thinking verbs yang menandai pikiran dan perasaan tokoh, seperti: thought, felt, etc.

 Kinds of narrative text:

•    A myth
•    A legend
•    Fable
•    A folklore

 Example :

    Once upon a time there was a beautiful place called Neverland where Peter Pan and Tinker Bell lived.Not so far from this place is the city of London where John, Wendy and Michael Darling lived.They really love the story of Peter.One day Peter Pan appeared and asked the children to fly to Neverland.They where excited to see the scenery and beauty of Neverland.Then, they were surprised to know the existence of a cruel pirate called Captain Hook.One day Captain Hook captured Tinker Bell and forced her to show Peter Pan’s place.In doing so all Peter’s friends, the Darlings were captured and taken to the pirate ship.Captain Hook frightened the children by putting them on the plank.
    Suddenly, Peter Pan appeared and stopped everything in a fierce duel, he threw Hook and all the pirates overboard.Hook was chased away by the crocodile and nobody cared to save him.
    The Darlings were so happy and thankful to Peter Pan. They told Peter their intention to go home.With the sprinkle of Tinker Bell’s Pixie Dust.Captain Hook’s pirate ship was sailing through the skies of Neverland, heading back to the Darling’s home in London.

Persuading,Encouraging and Preventing Someone from Doing Something

Persuading

Persuading is an expression to persuade someone. So, someone want to do something as like as persuader’s request. 

Expressions of Persuading :

§   Are you really sure you can’t/couldn’t...?

§   Don’t be so silly!
§   I really think it would be a pity if we didn’t...

§   Are you quite sure you won’t consider...?

§   Buy me this one, Mom, please ?

§   I really think you’d do well to...

§   Oh, come on!

§   Can’t I persuade you to...

§   Let’s join... You won’t regret it.

§   I’m begging you. Will you...?

§   Just this once!

§   How I can persuade you to…?

§   Won't you… Please?

§   Why don't you…?

§   You're not going to let me down, are you?

§   Not even for me/for my sake?

Encouraging

Encouraging is an expressions to give someone support or motivation to do something so he/she can achieve the goals.

How to Encourage Someone ???

If your goal is to learn how to encourage someone, follow the quick below guide:

1. Praise

2. Show people their strength

3. Show appreciation

4. Believe in them

5. Be a positive role model

 

Expressions of Encouraging :

§  Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do better the next time.

§  You have my support.

§  You’re doing very well.

§  You like it? Go for it!

§  It wouldn’t hurt.

§  Keep at it!

§  Stick to it!

§  Give it a shot.

§  Come on. This is not the end of the    world.

§  We feel you should go ahead.

§  I’m sure you’ll win !

§  Go on, you can do it!

§  Don’t give up!

§  Keep it up!

§  No pain, no gain.

§  This is for your best ..

§  I'm sure you will pass ...

Preventing Someone from Doing Something

Preventing is an expressions to prohibit someone to  do  something that he/she don’t want.

Expression of Preventing :

§  You mustn’t ...!

§  You shouldn’t (really) ...

§  You’d better not ...

§  (For godness sake) Don’t look!

§  You can’t ...!

§  You’re not (really) supposed to ...

§  I don’t really think you should ...

§  Stop! Wait! (Or other imperatives)

Contrastive Conjunction and Perfect Modal Verbs

Contrastive Conjunction

 

Types of conjunction

Different types of conjunctions link information in different ways. It is important to know which conjunctions establish which types of links.

There are five main types of conjunction in English.

1. Conjunctions of addition and replacement

Additive conjunctions simply add more information to what is already there. Examples of additive conjunctions include:

and, also, in addition, not only … but also, moreover, further, besides.

Example:

The study used a small sample only and was strongly criticized for this reason. Furthermore, the initial premise of the research was considered questionable in the light of previous evidence.

Conjunctions of replacement replace one piece of information with another. That is, they offer an alternative. Conjunctions of replacement include the words:

or, or else, alternatively.

Example :

The results could be interpreted to mean that high levels of protein are beneficial to diet generally. Alternatively, they could also mean that high protein levels are only beneficial to severely overweight males.

2. Conjunctions of comparison, contrast and concession

Comparative conjunctions are used to link two ideas that are considered to be similar. Comparative conjunctions include the terms:

in the same way, likewise, just as, both … and.

Example :

Reading aloud to young children stimulates their interest in books. Similarly, visiting libraries or book fairs has been shown to increase children’s readiness to engage with print.

Contrastive conjunctions link two ideas that are considered to be different. Examples of contrastive conjunctions include:

but, however, in contrast, on the contrary, instead, nevertheless, yet, still, even so, neither … nor.

Example :

This evidence points clearly to a fall in the number of unemployed. On the other hand, anecdotal evidence from reputable charities suggests that the number of people seeking financial support has increased.

Concessive conjunctions are a subgroup of contrastive conjunctions. They are used to contrast one idea with another where one piece of information appears to be surprising or unexpected in view of the other idea. Examples of concessive conjunctions include:

though, although, despite, in spite of, notwithstanding, whereas, while.

Example :

Even though money has been poured into literacy programs, literacy levels among 12-15 year olds do not appear to be improving.

Perfect Modal Verbs

Modal verb + have + past participle

The Future Perfect Tense

Unlike all the other modals above, will is used for the future:

Subject + will + have + past participle

Singular	Plural
I will have lived	We will have lived
You will have lived	You will have lived
He will have lived
She will have lived	They will have lived
It will have lived

This is a difficult tense to use. It describes an action that will be completed in the future.

For example:

I moved to Minnesota in 1991. The year now is 2008.

By 2011, I will have lived in Minnesota for 20 years.

Discussion Text

1. Definition

Discussion is a text which presents a problematic discourse. This problem will be discussed from different points of view. It presents pro and contra opinion on certain issue.

The purpose of a discussion text is to present arguments and information from differing viewpoints. Discussion texts are usually written in the present tense.

2. Points to check

• Have you been fair to both sides?

• Have you supported your views with reasons ande vidence?

• In your conclusion, have you given a reason for what you have decided?

3. Generic Structure

• Issue : contains of statement and preview about something.

• Arguments for/Supporting arguments : after stating the issue, it is necessary to present the argument to support that one point is agreeing.

• Arguments against : beside the supporting argument, discussion text need the arguments which disagree to the stated issue.

• Recommendation/conclusion : It is used to tell how to solve issue by concerning the arguements for and against.

4. Language Features

•  Introducing category or generic participant.

• Relating verb/to be: is, am, are, etc.

• Using thinking verb: feel, hope, believe, etc.

•  Using additive, contrastive, and causal connection: similarly, on the hand, however, etc.

•  Using modalities: must, should, could, may, etc.

• Using adverbial of manner: deliberately, hopefully, etc.

• Conjunction/transition: although, even, if, etc.

Bringing Mobile Phone To School

[Issue] Students are not allowed to bring mobile phone to school. The reasons why they shouldn't bring mobile phone are: avoiding losing mobile phone and disturbing the lesson time.

[Argument against] This policy causes parents to react. Some of them disagrees. They think students need to bring mobile phone in order to be easy checked and controlled. Some parents say that they may call their children every break time to check whether they are in the school or not. Other parents state that they don't want their children to come home late. By bringing mobile phone they are able to call their children after school off.

[Argument against] Students also have some objections. They need mobile phone to tell their family to pick them up after school. Beside that, they need mobile phone to access the internet to search some information they need during the lesson.

[Argument for] But, some other parents think differently. The parents agrees if the school prohibits students to bring mobile phone. They say that bringing mobile phone to school is useless. They are afraid their students are busy with their mobile phone. They are only calling, sending text, chatting and receiving inappropriate file during the school time. They are also worried if the mobile phone is missing.

[Recommendation] By hearing to those arguments, the school decide some policies. The policies state that students may bring mobile phone but they should leave their mobile phone in the teachers' room. They may take their mobile phone after school time.

National Exam: Pro and Contra?

National exam becomes the hot topic in most of discussions. Though the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the go-vernment on the organization of the national exams, the controversy over whether it is necessary to maintain the national exams (UN) has continued. Some debates include the primary questions such as; does the quality of Indonesia education depend on the national exam?, will the quality of the Indonesian education system worsen without national exam?

People, who support the national exam explain that the quality of the Indonesia education system will drop without the national exam, so they try to defend the current system.

Hoever there are people who disagree with the opinion. Those who against this national exam kept in our high school education say that it doesn't need the national exams because the quality of education does not just depend on the national exam. Further, the national exam only measures a small portion of students' competence in specific subjects, and does not measure students' competences throughout the semester.

In fact, the national examination can still be useful as an instrument to evaluate or detect the level of students' cognitive competence in several subjects, on a national scale.

Asking About Possibilities, Expressing Curiosity and Desire and Expressing Views

 

 ASKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES

To know, to find, to inform possibilities the following phrases might be useful.

Do you think it is possible

·         Is it likely to….

·         Is there any chance?

·         Can she be…?

·         I think it is going to….

·         I bet…..

·         It’s quite possible

·         It seems probable

·         It looks like

·         It is not unlikely

·         It is more than likely…..

·         I won’t be surprised if……

·         In all likelihood…..

·         Would there be any possibility of …..?

·         Do you think we are capable of…..?

·         Would it be possible for (somebody) to …..?

·         I think that would be possible …..

·         Is it possible to …..?

·         Yes, there is a possibility ….

Asking something if it is possible

• Is it possible to ... ?
• Is there any possibility of ... ?
• What are the chances of ...?
• What possibility is there that ... ?
• What's the possibility of ... ?

Saying something is possible

• It's possible ...
• There's a good possibility.
• Chances are ...
• They will probably ...
• Perhaps.
• That''s very possible.
• There's a possibility of ...

Expressing Curiosity and Desire

·         What I’d really like to find out is …

·         I’d be very interested to know …

·         I’ve been meaning to ask you.

·         I’d like to know …

·         I wish I knew …

·         I’d love to know …

·         What’s on your mind?

·         I wonder …? ·         I wonder what it really is. ·         I was just wondering how to do it ·         I wonder why he could do such thing to her ·         I wonder if she likes studying here. ·         That's amazing. How did you do that? ·         How marvelous. How come? ·         I wonder at her directness.

“Curiosity”, a feel that happen when we really want to know about something. Usually “curiosity” happens when we see something strange or something new. Let’s describe it as follow:

Situation 1

Sarah : “I’m so curious about the new student.”

Farhan : “Yeah, me too. Let’s wait for her. She loves coming to the library during the break.”

Situation 2

Khadis : “You look so happy. I’m interested to know what happen to you.”

Sarah : “Sure, Dad. I got the highest score for math again.”

Khadis : “Really? So, congratulation.”

Situation 3

Sarah : “Why are you staring me like that?”

Farhan : “I wonder why you could be smarter than me.”

Sarah : “Because I’m your sister, hehe..…”

EXPRESSING VIEWS

in my view / opinion

I think we would normally drop point of and simply say in his view(in my view / in their opinion / etc):

• In my view, birds should not be kept in cages.
• How important is it, in your view, that the twins should stay together? ~ In my opinion, it's very important.

If we want to use point of view, I think we would more often sayfrom my point of view rather than according to my point of view. Both these expressions emphasise the position or angle you are judging the situation from:

• From my point of view it makes no difference whether you return on Saturday night or Sunday morning.
• From a political point of view, the agreement of the UN is extremely important.
• From the point of view of safety, always wear a helmet when you are on the building site.

to my mind / etc

In my view, from my point of view, in my opinion are all fairly formal ways of expressing your opinion characteristic of written English. Less formal equivalents more characteristic of spoken English, include the following:

to my mind: to emphasise that this is your opinion

reckon: usually to express an opinion about what Is likely to happen

feel: to express a strong personal opinion

if you ask me: to express an opinion that may be critical

to be honest (with you): to express a critical opinion without seeming rude

as far as I'm concerned: to express an opinion that may be different from others'

• To my mind the quality of their football is just not good enough.
• I reckon it'll rain later today. Let's go tomorrow.
• I feel she shouldn't be getting married so young.
• If you ask me, it's unreasonable to pay for something which should be free.
• To be honest (with you), I'm surprised you got into university with such low grades.
• As far as I'm concerned, the matter is over and done with and we can now move forward.

academic writing and expressing opinions

If you are required to write an academic essay in which you are asked to express an opinion (see below), useful alternatives to in my view include:

I think that…

It seems to me that…

I would argue that…

I do not believe that…

I am unconvinced that…

I do not agree that…

• How acceptable is it for wild animals to be kept in zoos?
• I believe that it is quite unacceptable for animals to be kept in zoos. It seems to me that when they are confined to a cage they never have enough room to move around. I would argue that it is kinder to allow a rare animal to die naturally in the wilds rather than to prolong its life artificially in a zoo.

making concessions

To achieve balance in any essay, it may be useful to incorporate opinions that are different from your own. Useful linking words and expressions include:

Of course, many / some people argue…

It is sometimes argued…

Admittedly…

While…

• It is sometimes argued that it is possible for conditions in the zoo to replicate the wild animal's natural habitat. While this may be feasible for smaller reptiles, it will never be possible, in my view, for the larger mammals which needs acres of space to roam around in.

clarifying an opinion

It may sometimes be necessary to explain a thought in greater detail. Useful linking expressions for doing this include:

By this I mean…

Here I'm referring to…

To be more precise…

That is to say…

By spending money on confining wild animals to zoos, we are wasting resources. By this I mean there are more urgent economic problems to deal with: hospitals and schools should be our first priority

Bussines Letter

• 

  Parts of a Business Letter

This resource is organized in the order in which you should write a business letter, starting with the sender's address if the letter is not written on letterhead.

• Sender's Address

The sender's address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using letterhead, include the sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the date.

Do not write the sender's name or title, as it is included in the letter's closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.

• Date

The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting a date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date.

• Inside Address

The inside address is the recipient's address. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person's name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the U.S. Post Office Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender's address or one inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.

• Salutation

Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and last/family name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.

If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris's gender.

• Body

For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.

• Closing

The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender's name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.

• Enclosures

If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

• Typist initials

Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the letter yourself, omit the typist initials.

A Note About Format and Font

Block Format

When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.

Modified Block

Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.

Semi-Block

The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

Keep in mind that different organizations have different format requirements for their professional communication. While the examples provided by the OWL contain common elements for the basic business letter (genre expectations), the format of your business letter may need to be flexible to reflect variables like letterheads and templates. Our examples are merely guides.

Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font, always consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom when choosing fonts.

Punctuation

Punctuation after the salutation and closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation (never a comma) and a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may also use a less common format, known as open punctuation. For this style, punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the closing.

• FORMAT

1. Block Format

Return Address Line 1 1 Return Address Line 2 Date (Month Day, Year) 2 Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3 Title/Position of Recipient. Company Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4 Subject: Title of Subject 5 Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Closing (Sincerely...), 7 Signature 8 Your Name (Printed) 9 Your Title Enclosures (2) 10 Typist Initials. 11

The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left margin. 

Your Address 1

The return address of the sender so the recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.)

Date 2
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date).

Inside Address 3
The address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources". Skip a line between the date and the salutation.

Salutation 4
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body.

Subject Line (optional) 5
Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line and the body.

Body 6
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing.

Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the signature.

Closing 7

Signature 8
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen.

Printed Name 9
The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure.

Enclosure 10
If letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the word "Enclosure." If there is more than one you would type, "Enclosures (#)" with the # being the number of other documents enclosed, not including the letter itself.

Reference Initials 11
If someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs.

2. Modified Block Format

1.      Return Address: If your stationery has a letterhead, skip this. Otherwise, type your name, address and optionally, phone number, five spaces to the right of center or flush with the right margin. Five spaces to the right of center is common. These days, it's also common to include an email address.

2.      Date: Type the date five spaces to the right of center or flush with the right margin, two to six lines below the letterhead. Five spaces to the right of center and three lines below the letterhead are common. If there is no letterhead, type it where shown.

3.      Reference Line: If the recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice number, type it on one or two lines, immediately below and aligned with the Date (2). If you're replying to a letter, refer to it here. For example,

a.           Re: Job # 625-01

a.           Re: Your letter dated 1/1/200x.

4.      Special Mailing Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. Examples include

·            SPECIAL DELIVERY

·            CERTIFIED MAIL

·            AIRMAIL

5.      On-Arrival Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a notation on private correspondence, such as a resignation letter. Include the same on the envelope. Examples are

a.           PERSONAL

b.           CONFIDENTIAL

6.      Inside Address:  Type the name and address of the person and/or company to whom you're sending the letter, three to eight lines below the last component you typed. Four lines are standard. If you type an Attention Line (7), skip the person's name here. Do the same on the envelope.

7.      Attention Line: Type the name of the person to whom you're sending the letter. If you type the person's name in the Inside Address (6), skip this. Do the same on the envelope.

8.      Salutation: Type the recipient's name here. Type Mr. or Ms. [Last Name] to show respect, but don't guess spelling or gender. Some common salutations are

a.           Ladies:

b.           Gentlemen:

c.           Dear Sir:

d.          Dear Sir or Madam:

e.           Dear [Full Name]:

f.           To Whom it May Concern:

9.      Subject Line: Type the gist of your letter in all uppercase characters. Be concise on one line. If you type a Reference Line (3), consider if you really need this line. While it's not really necessary for most employment-related letters, examples are below.

a.           SUBJECT:  RESIGNATION

b.           LETTER OF REFERENCE

c.           JOB INQUIRY

10.   Body: Type two spaces between sentences. Keep it brief and to the point.

11.   Complimentary Close: Type this aligned with the Date (2). What you type here depends on the tone and degree of formality. For example,

 a.          Respectfully yours (very formal)

 b.         Sincerely (typical, less formal)

 c.          Very truly yours (polite, neutral)

 d.          Cordially yours (friendly, informal)

12.   Signature Block: Align this with the Complimentary Close (11). Leave four blank lines to sign your name. Sign it exactly the same as you typed it below your signature. Title is optional depending on relevancy and degree of formality. Examples are

a.           John Doe, Manager

b.           P. Smith
              Director, Technical Support

c.           R. T. Jones - Sr. Field Engineer

13.   Identification Initials: If someone typed the letter for you, he or she would typically include three of your initials in all uppercase characters, then two of his or hers in all lowercase characters. If you typed your own letter, just skip it since your name is already in the Signature Block (12). Common styles are below.

a.           JAD/cm

b.           JAD:cm

c.           clm

14.   Enclosure Notation: This line tells the reader to look in the envelope for more. Type the singular for only one enclosure, plural for more. If you don't enclose anything, skip it. Common styles are below.

a.           Enclosure

b.           Enclosures: 3

c.           Enclosures (3)

15.   cc: Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon copies). List the names of people to whom you distribute copies, in alphabetical order. If addresses would be useful to the recipient of the letter, include them. If you don't copy your letter to anyone, skip it.

3.   Semi-block format

The semi-block letter is a more traditional letter format than the full-block or block. The identifying features of the semi-block style letter is the left justification of the inside address (3) and salutation(4) and the indentation (five to ten spaces) of the first line of each paragraph (5). The dateline (2) is placed to the right or to harmonize with the letterhead. . The complimentary close (6) and the signature line (8) are typed to the right of the horizontal center of the page. 

Sample Letter

Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:

Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
Tel:
Fax:
Email: kenny@cheese.com

October 23, 2006

Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL

Dear Mr Flintstone:

With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856

The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days.

Please contact us again if we can help in any way.

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Beare

Director of Ken's Cheese House