Business Letter: The Inside Address
Apart from writing the writer’s address in a business letter, you should not forget to include the “inside address”.
You may have some question why the “inside address” is essential because it is used to make sure that the letter is not misdirected.
The inside address is the recipient’s address. It is placed after the date line and before the salutation. It is on the left margin and every line can be arranged equally.
Elements of the Inside Address
The inside address contains the receiver’s name, job title, and address which has many details to concern. Some of you, therefore, may confuse about how to put them in order. Please see the details as follows.
The inside address should start with the smallest unit which is the recipient’s name and job position and then it is followed by the larger units. It can be compared to a pyramid as the following picture.
Please note that:
- Indicate the person’s title (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Dr., Professor, The Reverend, etc.) if you know.
- Address his or her job title instead if you do not know the person’s name and title.
Examples of inside addresses:
Mr. John Smith
General Manager
Wall Street, Inc.
189 King’s Palace St.
New York, NY 37781
Ms. Amrita Kumar
Director of Communications
Waverley College
1400 Meadowvale Road
Pleasantville, MB R2N 6Z9
Sales Manager
ACME Inc.
Suite 102
1169 Parkwood Place
Wheaton, BC V9Z 2Y8
Dr. Sudawadee Jitphon
English Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University
1061 Itsaraphap 15 Alley
Hiranruchi, Thon Buri
Bangkok 10600
References:
Parisuthiman, S. (2017). Business communication: A functional approach. Thammasat University Press.
Parts of a business letter. NMU Writing Center. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://nmu.edu/writingcenter/parts-business-letter
Peter Connor. (1994–2023). Business Letters: Format. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/resources/writing/guides/.
Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada. (2015, September 23). Business letters: Inside address. business letters: inside address — Search for entries starting with B — Writing Tips — TERMIUM Plus® — Bureau de la traduction. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/wrtps/index-fra.html?lang=fra&lettr=indx_catlog_b&page=9UNkUHwQ3Au0.html
Spors, K. (2023, February 15). What are the different sections in a business letter? Small Biz Ahead Blog– Small Business Owners | Accounting | Digital Currency. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://sba.thehartford.com/business-management/marketing/parts-of-a-business-letter/
Writing the Basic Business Letter. The Basic Business Letter — Purdue OWL® — Purdue University. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html