8. Group your ideas logically. Do not scatter information. A letter applying for a position might consist of three paragraphs: Personal qualifications (age, health, education, etc.); Experience (nature of positions, dates, etc.); References (names, business or profession, exact street address). Finish one group of ideas before passing to the next.
9. Do not monotonously close all letters with a sentence beginning with a participle: Hoping to hear from you ..., Asking your coöperation ..., Awaiting your further favors ..., Trusting this will be satisfactory ..., Wishing you ..., Thanking you .... The independent form of the verb is more emphatic (see [42]); I hope to hear from you ..., We await further orders ..., We ask coöperation ....
[d.] The close should be consistent in tone with the greeting. It is written on a separate line, beginning near the middle of the page, and is followed by a comma. Only the first word is capitalized. Preceding expressions like "I am", "I remain", "As ever", (if they are used at all) belong in the body of the letter.
- Right: I thank you for your courtesy, and remain
- Yours sincerely,
Robert Blair - Right: I shall be grateful for any further information you can
give me.
- Yours truly,
Florence Mitchell
In business letters the following forms are used:
- Yours truly,
- Very truly yours,
- Yours respectfully,
In personal letters the following are used:
- Yours truly,
- Yours sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Cordially yours,
[e.] The outside address should follow one of the forms given below:
R. E. Stearns
512 Chapel Hill St.
Durham, N. C.