The Dateĭirectly beneath your address, put the date on which the letter was written:

Why put your address? Even if the recipient has your details in their address book, you want it to be as hassle-free as possible for them to reply – you’re likely to receive a speedier response.

On the right-hand side (tab across, rather than right-aligning) if you’re using modified block format.

On the left-hand side if you’re using full block format.

Your return address should be positioned: If you have letter headed paper, you should omit this.) (Note that this applies when using standard plain paper. Your address, also known as the “return address”, should come first. Let’s break those down into the main elements, in top-to-bottom order: Your Address Nowadays, this style is appropriate in most contexts.

Modified block format means that some elements of the letter are shifted over to the right.

This is the more formal style, so use it if you’re unsure which to go for.

Full block format means that all the elements of the letter are left-justified so that the start of each line is at the left-hand margin.

The main formats for business letters in the US are called full block format and modified block format. This article is about US business letter format (for UK readers, don’t worry, I’ll be writing a follow-up one for you.) Of course, you’ll want the letter to be well-written – but almost as important is knowing how to format it correctly. Perhaps it’ll even be to a literary agent or publisher who just might take on your undiscovered novel. It might be to a customer, to an employer with a job that you want, or to apply for university funding. Whatever you do – whether you’re a student, employed in an office job, or working as a freelancer – I can guarantee that at some point in your life, you’ll need to sit down and write a formal business letter. How to Format a US Business Letter By Ali Hale

Official letter format