MODULE 11-12

COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES:

BUSINESS LETTERS
I. INTRODUCTION
Having graduated from senior high school, some of you might be doing some part-time jobs while enrolled as
college freshmen. Even if you are full-time students, the topics in this chapter will still be helpful since you will
be working in no time at all.

The materials are business and technical documents, such as business letters, minutes, and memorandums.
These materials are used in all fields- healthcare, education, business, and trade, law, media, and science and
technology.

II. OBJECTIVES. Specifically, after working on this module, you should be able to do the following:
1. Create clear, coherent, and effective communication materials;
2. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial expressions, and
gestures; and
3. Adopt awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas.

III. PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES

Task 1. Watch the video “Writing a Formal Business Letter.”

Writing a Formal Business Letter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUTguLaaXI

Task 2.

▪ Based on the video tutorial you watched, make a letter following strictly the format specified.

▪ Use the blank document provided at the assignment link.

▪ To accomplish this activity, you have to pair yourself with your classmate.

▪ Follow the flow of correspondence to put through this activity:

Classmate 1 will write an enquiry letter about the availability of a venue for their company’s

anniversary. You must specify the details about the said event in your letter.
 Classmate 2 will reply to the enquiry specifying that the venue would not be available on the

time requested thus would offer a different time slot.

IV. LESSON PROPER

WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

• It is the process of exchanging information and ideas, both verbal and non-verbal, within an organization.

• An organization may consist of employees from different parts of the society. These may have different
cultures and backgrounds, and can be used to different norms. To unite activities of all employees and
restrain from any missed deadline or activity that could affect the company negatively, communication is
crucial.

EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

• It ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved. Workplace communication is tremendously
important to organizations because it increases productivity and efficiency. Ineffective workplace
communication leads to communication gaps between employees, which causes confusion, wastes time, and
reduces productivity. Misunderstandings that cause friction between people can be avoided by effective
workplace communication.

• Effective communication, also called open communication, prevents barriers from forming among individuals
within companies that might impede progress in striving to reach a common goal. For businesses to function
as desired, managers and lower-level employees must be able to interact clearly and effectively with each
other through verbal communication and non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals.

• Effective communication with clients plays a vital role in development of an organization and success of any
business. When communicating, nonverbal communication must also be taken into consideration. How a
person delivers a message has a lot of influence on the meaning of this one.

PROFESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE

A. BUSINESS LETTERS
▪ These letters are common form of writing in any organization.
Characteristics of a Good Business Letter
1. Clearness
2. Conciseness
3. Concreteness
4. Completeness
5. Correctness
6. Consideration
7. Courtesy

Basic Parts
1. Heading – When plain bond paper is used, the conventional heading includes the address of the writer
and the date when the letter is written. A modern heading uses the company’s stationery which bears the
company’s logo, address, telephone number, and other information. The date when the letter is written
is simply indicated.
2. Inside Address – This indicates the name of recipient of the letter, his/her designation/position in a
company or organization, and the company’s address. It is also possible that the recipient has no business
or company affiliation. In this case, the letter writer merely indicates the recipient’s address.
3. Salutation – It is also called as greeting.
4. Body – It is clear, simple, and focused. The body normally has three paragraphs, the first of which provides
reason for writing. The second paragraph gives more specific details about the information provided in
 the first paragraph while the last paragraph emphasizes the reason for writing and expresses gratitude to
the reader for taking time out to read/review the letter.
5. Complimentary Close
6. Signature

Example:

308 Liwanag Road, Abangan Norte

Marilao, Bulacan
heading
March 20, 2020

Ms. Maria Jane B. De Jesus

Inside Chief Financial Officer
address Creative Minds Corporation
102 Bambang, Bocaue, Bulacan

salutation Dear Ms. De Jesus:

We are writing this letter as a response to your inquiry regarding the 13,000 square feet lot
your company proposes to lease. Cabilla Homes is pleased to inform you that the said
property is available for occupation by the end of March 2020. In the meantime, our team
is delighted to invite you with a free tour in our Abangan Norte and Patubig locations.

We are hoping to meet with an agreement with you soon. For more details, please contact
body us thru the following numbers:

▪ Cabilla Homes, Abangan Norte, Marilao, Bulacan

#0932-000-1122
▪ Cabilla Homes, Patubig, Marilao, Bulacan
#0956-111-0002

Living with a Caring Life here at Cabilla Homes!

Complimentary Sincerely,
close

Johnathan K. Lim
signature Sales staff, Cabilla Homes
Optional or Miscellaneous Parts

1. Attention Line

Ramos Enterprise
2184 Madlang-awa Street,
Cebu City

Attention: Mr. Danny L. Ramos

Dear Mr. Ramos:

2. Subject Line

Danny L. Ramos
President, Ramos Enterprise
2184 Madlang-awa Street,
Cebu City

Dear Mr. Ramos:

3. Enclosure
Subject: Construction Supply Inquiry
Sincerely yours,

Anna M. Cruz

Enclosure: Location Map

4. Carbon Copy Notation

Sincerely yours,

Anna M. Cruz

Cc: Secretary, Angelo A. Santos

5. Blind Carbon Copy Notation

Sincerely yours,

Anna M. Cruz

bcc: Paul A. Monte

 6. Typist Initials
Sincerely yours,

Anna M. Cruz

AMC/nms

7. Post Scripts

Sincerely yours,

Anna M. Cruz

P.S. I hope you consider

Format and Layout of Business Letters

Full Block Modified Block

- left justified - left justified, except for date,
- easiest to use, though imbalanced in complimentary close, and signature
appearance which begin near the center going to the
right margin
 Semi Block Simplified
- same as modified style, except that - omits salutation and complimentary
each paragraph is indented 5 spaces close
- it is the most balanced of all styles - in place of salutation, a subject line is
imbalanced in appearance present

Format

▪ Printed on 8.5 x 11 bond paper, with 4” x 9.5” envelope

▪ Margins: 1.5 (L) x 1 (all around)
▪ Times New Roman, font size 12 (Arial and sizes 13 and 14 also accepted)
▪ Single-spaced, double-spaced between paragraphs
▪ Folding: twice into horizontal thirds, or Z-shape for window envelopes
▪ Punctuation Styles: with colon or comma after the salutation and comma after complimentary close

Examples of Business Letters

1. Request Letter
2. Inquiry Letter
3. Reply Letter
4. Order Letter
5. Sales Letter
6. Complaint Letter
7. Cover Letter
8. Resignation Letter
9. Recommendation Letter
10. Acknowledgment Letter
11. Adjustment Letter
 Sample Business Letter

• Cover Letter- An example of business letter which contains the intention of an applicant applying for a
position at work. This is usually attached before the resume of the applicant.

Format: Full block

305 Dolly Homes, Abangan Norte

City of Meycauayan, Bulacan
heading
January 16, 2022

Mr. Juan Dela Cruz

Principal IV
inside address
Learning Minds Integrated School
123 Guinhawa, City of Malolos, Bulacan

salutation Dear Mr. Dela Cruz:

I am writing this letter to inform your good office that I intend to apply for a teaching position
in your reputable institution, Learning Minds Integrated School, as a pre-school teacher. The
years I spent in my undergraduate has allowed me to develop exceptional communication
skills, adaptability skills, and various pedagogy necessary for early childhood teaching.

As a student teacher in my undergraduate, I have made sure that the limitations brought by
the pandemic would not interfere with my gaining of experiences and building of expertise.
I have volunteered to facilitate multiple demonstration teaching as I believe that the art of
teaching can be strengthened through practice and exposure. Throughout my training, I
have developed my computer literacy and mastered the effective integration of technology
in the teaching-learning process. Above all, I have become immensely passionate about
teaching and the noble satisfaction it holds upon seeing every young learner acquire new
body
learning.

With all of these, I believe that my academic qualifications along with my exposure to a
diverse teaching environment, have provided me with the skills required to succeed in this
institution. The opportunity to be a part of the teaching body of Learning Minds Integrated
School will allow me to apply all the learnings I have earned in the past years while gaining
a new perspective and training from the institution.

Attached herewith is a copy of my resume containing all the details that are necessary for
the application. I am hoping for your positive response and approval of my application.
Thank you for your consideration.

complimentary
Respectfully,
close

signature John Danielle C. Bernardo

Applicant
 • Request Letter

Format: Modified block (left justified except the heading, complimentary close, and signature)

HomeBuilders Corporation
889 Fulgencio St., Tabang Road
Balagtas, Bulacan

February 5, 2022

Ms. Anne Chiu-Uy

Manager, Building Blocks Co.
768 Orqueza Road, Tabang
Mexico, Pampanga

Dear Ms. Chiu-Uy,

We hope this letter reaches you well! We would like to request for a three-day extension for the
delivery of the 2,000 packs of cement your company has ordered last Monday. We understand that
we have made an agreement about the said shipment to be delivered on February 10; however, we
have met an unwanted circumstance with the delivery vehicles which cause the delay of the said
orders.

To compensate for this delay, HomeBuilders Corporation will be giving a 5% discount for the orders
made, reducing the total amount from php 200,000 to php 190,000. We are hoping for your positive
response and understanding of this matter.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Angela Celestial
Sales Staff

V. PRACTICE EXERCISES

Why is it important for professionals to be knowledgeable in writing formal letters?

VI. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• https://smallbusiness.chron.com/basic-parts-business-letter-216.html
• https://smallbusiness.chron.com/rules-typing-business-letters-carbon-copies-25065.html
• https://smallbusiness.chron.com/address-business-letter-multiple-persons-20499.html
• https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-set-up-your-email-signature-2061889
• https://www.thebalancecareers.com/formal-letter-closing-examples-2062307
VII. ASSESSMENT
• To be given in a separate worksheet

VIII. REFERENCES

o https://www.thebalancecareers.com/business-letters-4161905
o https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-set-up-your-email-signature-2061889
o https://smallbusiness.chron.com/basic-parts-business-letter-216.html
o https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-complimentary-close-p2-4008435
o https://www.ego4u.com/en/business-english/communication/business-letter/subject
o https://careertrend.com/how-to-reply-to-an-interview-13652477.html
o https://www.writeexpress.com/How-to-write-a-response-letter.html
o Course Syllabus – GE-Purposive Communication
o GE-Purposive Communication Lecture Notes