LETTER & EMAIL WRITING
General Rules of Business Letter Writing
Abbreviations
Do not use abbreviations like “univ.,” “dept.,” “asap,” etc., unless it is
awkward to spell something out:
Please call the Life University Marketing Department as
soon as possible to retrieve your Student ID card.
*In this example, “ID” is an exception, because it is awkward and
unnecessary to write “Student Identification card.” However,
“Department” and “as soon as possible” are not abbreviated. Other
exceptions are outlined in the “Life University Specific” section and
include acronyms, degrees, etc.
Greetings/Salutations
For formal business letters, the salutation is NOT the same as the name in
the address line:
Address line:
Mrs. Shelly Batcher
Life University
1269 Barclay Cir.
Marietta, GA 30060
Salutation line:
Dear Mrs. Batcher, Dear Shelly, (if you know her personally)
Life University Style Guide | 11