Practical Grammar and Composition

by Thomas Wood

156. Position of Inside Address. In strictly commercial letters the name and the address of the person to whom the letter is being sent should come at the beginning of the letter, and should begin flush with the margin at the left side of the page, and a little below the level of the heading. The second line of the inside address should be set in a little from the margin. See model letters under §174.

In formal friendly letters and in letters of a non-commercial nature, the inside address should stand a little below the bottom of the letter at the left side of the page. In informal friendly letters the inside address may be omitted.

157. Punctuation of Inside Address. In punctuating the inside address, place a period after each abbreviation that is used. In addition to this, place a comma after the name of the addressee, a comma after the street address, if one be given, and after the name of the town or city. Place a period after the name of the state or country. Examine the correct inside address under §174.

158. Faults to be Avoided in the Inside Address. Do not omit the town, city, or state address from the inside address.

Wrong:	Mr. E. P. Griffith,
	My dear Sir:

Right:	Mr. E. P. Griffith.
	Muskogee, Oklahoma.
	My dear Sir:

Right:	Mr. E. P. Griffith.
	221 Fiji Avenue,
	Muskogee, Oklahoma.
	My dear Sir:

Do not omit proper titles.

Wrong:	R. R. Stolz,
	Muncy, Pennsylvania.

Right:	Mr. R. R. Stolz,
	Muncy, Pennsylvania.