Friday, March 20, 2020

Writing Business Letters

Writing Business Letters Writing business letters is an art that very few people take the time to master today. For those who dedicate time towards learning the proper format and style of writing business letters, they’ll find that they’ve gained a very distinct advantage over those who haven’t. A business letter is often the first impression, so take the opportunity to do it right. Spend time fixing the wording and print the letter on high-quality paper. Master the techniques and points of writing business letters and you’ll never have to wonder how you came across in your initial contact with the individual. Before you begin writing business letters, try to research and find out as much as possible about the audience that you are writing to. Business letters can range from an extremely formal style of writing to a more casual mode. Knowing which to use will go a long way in gaining the interest of the recipient of the letter. No matter which style of writing you decide to use when writing business letters, there are certain rules that need to be followed. When writing business letters, you should always use your computer. They should never be written by hand. Begin by choosing the format in writing business letters. The most commonly used format is the block format. This requires left justifying the whole letter using single spacing with a double space between paragraphs. Next choose the font. In writing business letters, one may not think the font is all that important but it can make a big difference. Again, the type of company you are directing your business letter to will play a role in the font you choose. Traditional companies lean towards the more conservative font styles while others may allow for more creativity. Either way, your letter should always be easy to read. Some fonts are very creative looking and make for an interesting looking page but are difficult to read. If it’s too difficult then your letter may not get read. Keep in mind that you are writing business letters for the audience not for yourself. Read what you have selected and ask yourself if you’d have any trouble reading this. In writing business letters, remember that it’s a much more formal looking document than personal letters. The margin should be at least an inch on all four sides. Begin with the heading, which contains the return address then a date line with a space between the two. Skip another line after the date and write out the inside address. If you’re writing a business letter then most likely this is an important document that you truly need to have delivered correctly. The inclusion of an inside address on a business letter ensures the delivery to the correct person or department should the address on the outside of the envelope become damaged in some way. Skip another line after the inside address and type in the salutation. The greeting, when writing business letters, is always formal. It typically begins with â€Å"Dear† and includes the person’s full name and title. Skip another line after the salutation and you’re ready to begin writing the body of t he letter. The most important part of writing business letters is the body of the letter. Excellent grammar and spelling is a must to make a good impression on the reader. The information you are conveying here must be concise and to the point. The whole purpose of writing business letters is to get a point across or to request something. In doing these things, you need to have a good handle on proper grammar and English choices to make your statement as quickly and succinctly as possible. This is not the time to use flowery creative words and draw out your sentences. Do not attempt to show off your vocabulary skills. Be professional but yet clear on the subject. Again skip another line before your closing. Use a short but polite closing in writing business letters and skip two lines before typing in your full name. This allows a space for your handwritten signature. Follow these tips when writing business letters and you’ll find that this will set you apart from most people who haven’t taken the time to really study how writing business letters should be. Incoming search terms: what types of fonts and paragraph spacing would you use in a business letter What types of fonts and paragraph spacing would you use in a business letter? proper font for business letter business letter font What types of fonts would you use in a business letter formal letter font proper business letter spacing format What types of fonts and paragraph spcing would you sue in a business letter what type of font and spacing is used in business letter what font should i use for a business letter

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Losing the Dark

Losing the Dark Have you ever heard of light pollution? Its the overuse of light at night. Nearly everyone on Earth has experienced it. Cities are bathed in light, but lights also encroach on the wilderness and rural landscapes as well. A study of light pollution around the world made in 2016 showed that at least a third of people on Earth have skies that are so light-polluted they cant see the Milky Way from their locations.   One of the most astonishing discoveries the astronauts on the International Space Station share with us is the widespread light pollution that covers our landscapes with the yellowish-white glow of lights. Even at sea, fishing boats, tankers, and other ships light up the darkness.   The Effects of Light Pollution Because of light pollution, our dark skies are disappearing. This is because lights on homes and  businesses are sending light up to the sky. In many places, all but the brightest stars are washed out by the glare of lights. Not only is this simply wrong, but it also costs money. Shining them UP to the sky to light the stars wastes electricity and the energy sources (mainly fossil fuels) we need to create electrical power.   In recent years, medical science has also looked into the link between light pollution and too much light at night. The results show that human health and wildlife are being harmed by the glare of lights during the night time hours. Recent studies have linked exposure to too much light at night to several serious diseases, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. In addition, the glare of light pollution interferes with a persons ability to sleep, which has other health consequences. Other studies show that the glare of lights at night, particularly on city streets, can result in accidents for both drivers and pedestrians blinded by the light of electronic billboards and superbright headlights on other cars. In many areas, light pollution is contributing to tragic loss of wildlife habitat, interfering with bird migrations and affecting reproduction of many species. This has reduced some populations of wildlife and threatens others.   For astronomers, light pollution is a tragedy. No matter whether you are a beginning observer or an experienced professional, too much light at night washes out the view of stars and galaxies. In many places on our planet, people have rarely seen the Milky Way  in their night skies. What Can All of us Do to Prevent Light Pollution? Of course, we all know that lighting is needed in some places at night for safety and security. No one is saying to turn off ALL the lights. To solve the problems caused by light pollution, smart  people in industry and science research have been contemplating ways to have our safety but also eliminate the waste of light and power.   The solution theyve come up with sounds simple: to learn proper ways to use lighting. These include lighting places that only need illumination at night. People can reduce a LOT of light pollution by shining lights DOWN to the places where they are needed. And, in some places, if light isnt needed, we CAN just simply switch them off. In most cases, proper lighting not only preserves safety and reduces the harm to our health and to wildlife, but it also saves money in lower electrical bills and lowers the use of fossil fuels for power.   We CAN have dark skies and safe lighting. Learn more about what YOU can do to light safely and reduce light pollution from the International Dark Sky Association, one of the worlds foremost groups seeking to solve light pollution issues and preserve safety and quality of life. The group has many useful resources for city planners, and both urban and country dwellers interested in reducing the glare of lights at night. They also sponsored the creation of a video called Losing the Dark, which illustrates many of the concepts discussed here. Its available free for download by anyone wishing to use it in their planetarium, classroom, or lecture hall.