Letter Format: Block, Modified Block and Semi-Block (With Templates)

There are three standard letter formats. In block format everything is flush left. In modified block, the date, closing and signature move to the centre or right while paragraphs stay left. In semi-block, paragraphs are also indented. Block is the safe default for business letters today. Below are layouts, spacing rules, US and UK conventions and a template you can paste into Word or Google Docs.

The short answer

Use block format unless you have a reason not to. Every line starts at the left margin, paragraphs are separated by a blank line, and there is no indentation anywhere. It is the easiest layout to type, the easiest to read on screen, and the one most employers, universities and companies expect in a business letter today.

Choose modified block if you want a more traditional look, for example on printed letterhead. Choose semi-block only when a teacher, exam or house style asks for it. The three layouts differ in just two things: where the sender's details, date, closing and signature sit, and whether each paragraph is indented.

What the three layouts look like

The three layouts use the same content in the same order. Only the position of some lines changes. The examples use a short letter from a student to a university department.

Block format

Maya Thompson
42 Elm Road
Leeds LS6 1AB

12 March 2026

Dr Helen Okafor
Admissions Office
University of Northfield
Northfield NF1 2CD

Dear Dr Okafor,

Subject: Request to defer my place to September

I am writing to ask whether I can defer my place on the BSc Environmental Science course for one year.

Yours sincerely,

Maya Thompson

Nothing is indented and every line starts at the left margin. The only separation between parts is blank lines, which makes the letter easy to copy into an email as well.

Modified block format

The sender's block, the date, the closing and the signature line up on one vertical line near the centre or right of the page. The recipient's address, salutation and body stay on the left.

Semi-block format

Semi-block uses the same positions as modified block, with one addition: the first line of each body paragraph is indented by about five spaces or half an inch. Everything else (sender block, date, closing and signature on the right; recipient and salutation on the left) is unchanged. In practice you will mostly see it in classroom exercises.

When is each layout expected today?

• Job applications, complaints, requests, references, official enquiries: block. It is what hiring managers see most and what Word's own business letter templates tend to use.
• Printed letters on company letterhead: block or modified block. Many organisations keep modified block because the letterhead sits in the centre or top right and the date fits neatly beneath it.
• Letters pasted into an online form or sent as email body text: block, since indentation and tab stops often break when text is pasted.
• School and exam tasks: follow your teacher's or exam board's instruction. If none is given, block with a clear subject line is accepted almost everywhere. For a formal letter task in school English, read the mark scheme: markers usually reward correct salutation and closing pairing, an organised structure and an appropriate tone more than any particular layout.
• Personal letters: no strict format. A date, a greeting and a signature are enough.

Do not mix layouts. A date on the right with paragraphs indented and a closing on the left looks accidental. Pick one and keep to it for the whole letter.

The parts of a business letter, in order

1. Sender's address (or letterhead). Your street, town and postcode. Leave out your name here if it is on the signature and you are using letterhead.
2. Date. One blank line below the sender's address.
3. Recipient's name, title, organisation and address. One blank line below the date.
4. Salutation. "Dear Dr Okafor," or "Dear Hiring Manager,".
5. Subject line (optional). Short and specific, one blank line below the salutation. Common in UK and Commonwealth business writing; also used in the US.
6. Body. Opening paragraph that states your purpose, one or two middle paragraphs, a closing paragraph with the action you want.
7. Complimentary close. "Yours sincerely," or "Sincerely,".
8. Space for a handwritten signature, then your typed name. Leave about four blank lines if you will sign by hand.
9. Enclosures and copies. "Enc: CV, transcript" and "cc: Ms Lee" go below the typed name when relevant.

Spacing rules that apply to every format

• Use a single-spaced layout with one blank line between parts and between paragraphs.
• Set margins of about one inch (2.5 cm) on all sides.
• Use a plain font such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman at 11 or 12 point.
• Keep a one-page letter if you can. If it runs over, keep at least two lines of the body on the last page and add the recipient's name and page number at the top of page two.
• Do not use bold or underline for anything except an optional subject line.

Date and address formats: US and UK

The same letter changes in small ways depending on the country. The table gives common styles; follow the recipient's country when you know it.

Write the month as a word. "3/4/2026" means 4 March in the UK and 3 April in the US. A letter to someone abroad should never use the numeric form.

Match the salutation and closing:

• "Dear Ms Patel," goes with "Yours sincerely," in UK style and "Sincerely," in US style.
• "Dear Sir or Madam," goes with "Yours faithfully," in UK style. If you can find a name, use it and choose "Yours sincerely,". More on this pairing for an unnamed reader is in To Whom It May Concern.

Sign-off placement

Where the closing sits depends on the layout:

• Block: the closing, the blank signature space and your typed name are all flush left.
• Modified block and semi-block: they start at the same vertical line as the date and sender's address, so the letter looks balanced.

Capitalise only the first word of the closing: "Yours sincerely," not "Yours Sincerely,". End with a comma. Sign above your typed name, in ink for a printed letter or with an image of your signature for a PDF. If you are sending the letter as an attachment with a covering email, say so in the email, and keep the tone of the email consistent with the letter. Our guide to how to end an email covers the equivalent choices for email.

Copy-ready template (Word and Google Docs)

Copy this layout into a blank document, choose a plain font, and replace the square brackets. It is in block format, so no tab stops or indents are needed. Put a blank line wherever you see a gap between the parts listed below.

[Your full name]
[Street address]
[Town / City, Postcode]
[Email address] | [Phone number]

[Date written as 12 March 2026 or March 12, 2026]

[Recipient's name and title]
[Organisation]
[Street address]
[Town / City, Postcode]

Dear [Title and surname],

Subject: [Short, specific topic]

[Paragraph 1: say why you are writing in one or two sentences.]

[Paragraph 2: give the key facts, dates, reference numbers or reasons.]

[Paragraph 3: state what you would like to happen and by when, and thank the reader.]

Yours sincerely,

[Your typed name]

Enc: [list of enclosures, if any]

Setup in Word: Layout > Margins > Normal (1 inch), Home > Paragraph > Line spacing 1.0 and Spacing After 0 pt, then use the Enter key for blank lines. In Google Docs: File > Page setup for margins, Format > Line and paragraph spacing > Single, and untick "Add space after paragraph". Leaving paragraph spacing at zero keeps your blank lines exact, which is what makes the layout look clean.

A short before and after

Many letters follow no layout and read as careless. Here is a weak version of the opening and the fixed one.

Before (mixed formats, vague):

3/4/26
hi dr okafor
i wanted to talk to you about my course. Thanks, Maya

After (block format, specific):

12 March 2026

Dear Dr Okafor,

Subject: Request to defer my place to September

I am writing to ask whether I can defer my place on the BSc Environmental Science course for one year, as I have been offered a placement abroad.

Yours sincerely,

Maya Thompson

The second version has an unambiguous date, a correct salutation and closing, and a first sentence that states the request.

Common mistakes

• Mixing layouts, such as a right-aligned date with indented paragraphs and a left-aligned closing.
• Using the wrong closing for the greeting, for example "Dear Sir or Madam," with "Yours sincerely,".
• Ambiguous numeric dates in international letters.
• Writing the date or address in the wrong order for the recipient's country, such as postcode before town in a UK address.
• Tabs and spaces to line things up. Use the alignment buttons or paragraph indent settings; runs of spaces collapse or shift when text is pasted.
• No signature space on a printed letter.
• A long first paragraph of background before the request. Put the purpose first.
• Over-formatting, with several fonts, colours or bold sections.

Letter format checklist

• Is the layout one of the three, used consistently?
• Does the date show the month as a word?
• Are the recipient's name, title and address correct and in the order used in their country?
• Does the salutation match the closing?
• Is the first sentence the purpose of the letter?
• Is there a subject line if the letter is about a specific matter or reference number?
• Are margins about one inch and paragraphs separated by a blank line?
• Is there room for a signature, and are enclosures listed?
• Have you proofread names, dates and numbers?

Using AdeptWrite to draft and check a letter

AdeptWrite does not format a letter into a template for you, but three tools help with the writing itself.

• The Email & Letter Writer drafts the body from a few details you provide. It is AI-generated: check every fact, add the names and dates it leaves out, and then place the text in your chosen layout.
• The Tone Changer rewrites a draft in a formal, office or casual tone, which is useful when a first draft sounds too blunt for a complaint or too stiff for a colleague.
• The Grammar Checker and Spell Checker catch slips in the text; set American or British English first, because spelling and title punctuation differ. Each run handles up to 6,000 characters, which is enough for most single-page letters.

If you are applying for a job, continue with cover letter format, and for email versions of the same message see how to write a professional email.

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