The three business letter formats most commonly used in the international business world are:

1. Block-style format: There are no indentations in this letter. All lines are typed against the left-hand margin. The block-style letter is very popular because it is simple and reflects efficiency.

2. Modified block-style format: The difference between the modified block-style letter format and the block-style format is the fact that the dateline and the complimentary closing are typed slightly to the right of the page center. There are no indentations.

3. Semiblock-style format: In the semiblock-style or indented letter format, the paragraphs are indented five spaces from the left of the margin. The dateline and the complimentary closing are typed to the right of the Page center.

To read more about how to write these style formats follow our Business Correspondence section