Writing a Business Letter

Writing a Business Letter 8th grade Service Learning Bottle Bill Legislation I support or oppose container deposit laws for Maryland?

Step 1 • Sign in • Open a word document

Step 2 • Put the sample business letter next to your computer for reference • Share if your neighbor does not have one

Step 3 • Type the date starting at the left margin • Skip two spaces

Step 4 Choose a representative to write to and copy their name and address • Steven J. DeBoy, Sr. • House Office Building, Room 306 • 6 Bladen St. • Annapolis, MD 21401 • James E. Malone, Jr. • House Office Building, Room 251 • 6 Bladen St. • Annapolis, MD 21401 • Edward J. Kasemeyer • Miller Senate Office Building, 3 West Wing • 11 Bladen St. • Annapolis, MD 21401

Type a Salutation or Greeting • Dear Senator Kasemeyer, • Dear Representative DeBoy, • Dear Representative Malone,

First paragraph • Grab your reader’s attention with a statement, fact, concern or question • Give background about the situtation--(plastic bottle use and its environmental effect) • State your opinion or what you would like to see happen • Give three reasons for your opinion

Sample first paragraph • We have been learning about ways to protect the environment in my classes at school. We have looked at how container deposit laws have helped other states reduce litter and recycle resources. This got me wondering why Maryland does not have a container deposit law. There seem to be very few negative aspects to these laws. A Maryland bottle bill could reduce litter, provide financial incentives for recycling and create jobs at a time when they are very much needed.

Sample opening paragraph 2 • Plastic bottles from water and sports drinks litter the baseball field next to my school and are bobbing up and down in the pond. Plastic drink bottles are so popular that they seem litter almost every place I look. If Maryland adopted a container deposit law like 11 other states, it could greatly reduce litter, create new jobs and cut down the litter put in landfills.

2nd paragraph • Skip a space • Transition smoothly and restate your strongest reason for your thesis • Support this reason with two examples or statistics from the bottle bill web site, your experience, the ppt viewed in class, or articles

3rd and 4th paragraph • Skip a space • Follow directions on your handout • Your 4th paragraph can be from your experience cleaning up the campus and counting the bottles your family uses in a week. • This shows how many bottles one family uses in a week and how many bottles end up as litter

Closing • Sincerely, • Skip two spaces for your signature • Type your name • Under your name, type your complete address

Homework • Save your work to your USB key • Forgot your USB key? Print a copy of your letter. You will have to retype it in your home computer • Finish your letter at home • Final letter is due • EA 5/20 BCD 5/21

Writing a Business Letter