Distribute a sample business letter formatted in the block format. Students will better understand your explanation and instructions for creating the document when they see a correctly formatted example.
Review the parts of a business letter with your students. Business letters, regardless of their format, must include, in this order: the sender's address, the date, the recipient's address and a salutation. The letter also includes the body, the closing and the enclosures. The enclosures line lists the number of attachments included in your document.
Explain to students the "block" format. In the block format, the entire letter is aligned to the left side of the document (also known as "justified left"). Each element in the letter is separated by a single line, except for the space between the signature box and the enclosures. Those two elements are separated by four lines.
Teach students how to type a basic business block letter on their word processors. Regardless of the word processor used, the process for creating the letter is the same. For example, the font should be set to Times New Roman at size 12. The document must be single spaced. Explain to students that the format settings should be set before typing the letter.