http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalGeneralBusinessLetter-Writing/Forum5.htmFormal letter-writing questions, how to write a cover letter, general, business, official, reference, character, leave, sponsorship, or invitation letter, CVs, writing to an English company, Learn how to start and end a letter.enXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#148206Wed, 27 May 2009 06:12:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:148206Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#148206http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments5-148206.xmlKim, I, like yourself, have always been taught to capitalize just the first word of a closing. If you need hard evidence for your boss, perhaps the MLA (Modern Language Association) Handbook will have a section regarding the subject at hand. Pick up a copy to show him/her. Best wishes, Mikehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66720Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:12:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:66720Mister Micawber1http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66720http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments5-66720.xmlHi Kimberlina, Thanks for joining English Forums. There should indeed be a comma after the closing, as in the examples I supplied. As for punctuation in the address block: I have never heard that rule expressed; however, I would think it applies only to the ends of lines, since many addresses would need internal commas, to separate apartment blocks from streets and cities from states, for instance: Mr. Wilkins Micawber Windsor Terrace, City Road London, England Mr. Micawber's English Emporium 1-55-6 Akuwa-higashi, Seya-ku Yokohama-shi 246-0023 Japanhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66703Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:12:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:66703kimberlina2http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66703http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments5-66703.xmlThanks for your prompt reply. While I know it didn't make grammatical sense, there are so many other exceptions in the English language that I didn't even consider it to be untrue. Now, another question relating to this: My co-worker rewrote all the letters while I was on holiday (luckily she knows my password to my computer, so it wasn't as big a task as my boss made it out to be). She wrote: "Yours sincerely" Should there be a comma after sincerley? I have always put one there. Also, should there be absolutely no punctuation in address blocks in letters? This was again, something my English lecturer taught us. Thanks very much for this!http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66636Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:12:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:66636Mister Micawber3http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htm#66636http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments5-66636.xmlHi Kim, Below is a typical explanation, with which I fully agree. Only the first word of the closing, whatever it may be, should be capitalized. Opinions vary somwhat in other matters. For instance, according to some authorities, strict BrE usage for business letters requires 'Yours faithfully' if the greeting is 'Dear Sir' etc, and 'Yours sincerely' if the addressee is named ('Dear Mr. Brown'). In regard to your other question: on the grounds that it is a 'business letter', 'Mr. Smith' would be preferable, while on the grounds that it is addressed to your students, 'Dear Jonathan' would be acceptable, I suppose. 'Complimentary Closing The complimentary closing should convey the level of formality and degree of personal...http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htmWed, 27 May 2009 06:12:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:66632Guest4http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormalBusinessLetters/njjj/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments5-66632.xmlHello, My boss has just made me feel terrible for a "mistake", however this is what I have been taught since high school and no-one has told me otherwise. I work at a university and wrote a business letter to students commending them on their results. I fixed the letter that the Head of School gave me to read "Yours Sincerely" as opposed to "Yours sincerely" as this is what I have always been taught. Bear in mind I had the same English teacher for the last three years of high school and I practically considered him a God, so I took his word to be true. I have since gone on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Communication/Bachelor of Business and have not once been corrected on this. I have searched the internet with no...