Mailing Address Vocabulary

Mrs. Carpenter

UNIT 1: MAILING ADDRESSES

Mailing Address Vocabulary:

Mailing Address- Information used to identify who will receive a letter or package and where the letter or package will be delivered.

Return Address- Information used by the post office to return a letter to the writer (or sender) in case the recipient (person receiving letter) cannot be found.

PO Box - Used by the post office when a person picks up mail at the post office building (instead of a mailbox).

Zip Code- A five-digit or nine-digit number used to deliver an envelope to a town or city.

State Abbreviation- Two letters written using uppercase letters to represent one state in the United States of America.

Examples: New York = NY

Pennsylvania = PA

Virginia = VA

Organizing a Mailing Address:

The lines in a mailing address should be written in a specific order to be sure that the post office will be able to deliver your envelope or package. Use the postal guidelines below to write a mailing address or return address.

Understanding Titles:

Titles are used to identify the gender and/or marital status of the reader (or recipient) of the letter. The title is typed before the first and last name, and it normally appears in the first line of the address.

Mrs. - Used when a female is married

Miss - Used when a female is not married

Ms. - Used when you are unsure whether a female is married

Mr. - Used for all men regardless of marital status

Address Lines:Description of Lines

Line 1: Title FirstName LastName Full name with title (sometimes a company name is used instead of a specific person)

Line 2: Street Address A number identifies the house or building location on a specific Road, Street, Drive, Avenue, Parkway, Boulevard, etc.

Line 3: City, STATE ZipCode City or Town, comma, State Abbreviation (2 letters in CAPS), 2 spaces, and a 5 or 9-digit Zip Code

*** A PO Box Number (PO Box 234) is sometimes used instead of a Street Address for families that pick up the mail inside the PostOfficeBuilding.

UNIT 2: BUSINESS LETTERS

The purpose of a business letter is to communicate information that will be delivered in the mail by the US Postal Service or by a courier service. A letter is sent to one person, and it is delivered in an envelope using the individual’s mailing address. A letter may be used to express appreciation, communicate a problem, apply for a job, or invite friends to an event. It is printed on paper (with or without letterhead stationery), folded, inserted into an envelope, and mailed.

Vocabulary – Parts of a Business Letter

Return Address - Address that includes the writer’s personal address and the current date. (Who is the letter from?)

Mailing Address - Address that includes the recipient’s name (person receiving letter) and the address the letter will be sent to. (Who is the letter going to?)

Salutation - A line used to greet the reader of the letter.

Body - The message is communicated in two or more paragraphs. What do you call this part of the letter?

Complimentary Closing - This part is a line used to end the letter in a respectful and friendly manner. What do you call this part of the letter?

Signature Line - This line identifies the writer of the letter. What is it called?

Enclosure Notation - This line is used for letters that will be sent in an envelope along with some other document.

Letter Formatting Styles: Block StyleandModified Block Style

Block style is a type of formatting used in a business letter in which all of the text is aligned on the left at the one-inch margin. Modified Block Style is a different type of letter formatting in which some parts of the letter are tabbed or indented half-way across the page at the 3.25” (inch) position on the ruler. (See Page 4 for an example of each letter style.)

Punctuation Styles: Mixed Punctuation and Open Punctuation

Mixed Punctuation is the most common type of punctuation used in business letters. When using mixed punctuation, two punctuation marks are used in the letter.

1)A Colon (:) is used at the end of the line containing the salutation.

2)A Comma (,) is used at the end of the line containing the complimentary closing.

Open Punctuationis used less frequently than mixed punctuation. Open punctuation means that there are no punctuation marks used after the salutation and complimentary closing. The ends of the lines are left without punctuation, or “open”. (See page 3 for an example of the two types of punctuation.)

Mrs. Carpenter

22 Glendale Court

Kingsbury, NY 18892

November 15, 2012

Ms. Deborah Phillips

1333 Melbourne Avenue

Bayside, NY 14534

Dear Ms. Phillips:

Thank you for helping chaperone the fifth-grade class on their field trip to Broadway. When I visited Mrs. Kennington’s classroom yesterday, the children were still excited about having attended the play. A thank you note from the class is enclosed.

Because of parents like you, educational experiences outside the classroom are possible. These experiences bring to life what the students learn in school. I’m glad our children have this opportunity for enrichment.

Sincerely,

Lisa Brooks

22 Glendale Court

Kingsbury, NY 18892

November 15, 2012

Ms. Deborah Phillips

1333 Melbourne Avenue

Bayside, NY 14534

Dear Ms. Phillips

Sincerely

Lisa Brooks

Mrs. Carpenter

Letterhead Stationery vs. Blank Printer Paper

Letterhead is pre-printed stationery. Stationery that is pre-printed may have a company’s logo and mailing address positioned at the top of the page. When printing is done, a document must be started 2 inches from the top of the page to make sure that the document text doesn’t print over top of the pre-printed letterhead. This is the reason that a two-inch margin is used in all professional business letters.

** When pre-printed stationery contains the sender’s address, it is not necessary to repeat the return address. Only the date line would be included at the top of the document.

Letters printed on blank paper are formatted using the same 2-inch top margin. Since pre-printed address information does not appear at the top of the page, the writer must include the return address as well as the date in the first part of the letter.