Finally, from the first word to the last be courteous. No matter how righteous your indignation, be courteous. You cannot afford to lose your temper. Courtesy does not imply flattery nor a lack of truth. Your letter can be strong and yet polite in tone. Lose your temper, and your letter will probably fail. Keep your temper, show thoughtfulness for the reader's interest, and your letter will more likely fulfill its purpose.
Exercise 216—The Form of the Letter
Before we look at some actual letters to judge of their effectiveness, we must learn the conventional form of a letter, the parts which many years of use have shown to be necessary. There are six parts to a formal or business letter:
1. The heading, which includes the writer's address and the date.
2. The introduction, which includes the name and the address of the one to whom you are writing.
3. The salutation; for example, Dear Sir:
4. The body of the letter, the important part.
5. The courteous close; for example, Yours truly,
6. The signature.
Each part ends with a period except the salutation, which ends with a colon, and the courteous close, which ends with a comma. The various groups of words within the heading and the introduction are separated by commas.