Читать книгу Collins Letter Writing - Collins Dictionaries - Страница 33

Even in the 21st century, it is courteous to address people correctly. It is less important to get this right than it used to be and nobody is going to think less of you for making a minor slip of titular etiquette. Nevertheless, it is still important to try to get this right.

As a general guideline, the most common title is ‘Sir’. This is granted to knights and baronets and, unless you are on first-name terms with them, the correct form of address would be ‘Dear Sir Bob’. Sir Bob’s wife, on the other hand, would be addressed as ‘Dear Lady Charlton’ and this would also be her title if she was a peer in her own right.

Bob and Jane Charlton’s children should be referred to as ‘The Honourable Lancelot and Lucretia’ on an envelope but as ‘Mr’ or ‘Miss Family Name’ in the letter itself.

A Dame is a woman who has been granted a life peerage. She is not addressed as ‘Lady’ but as ‘Dame’, hence, ‘Dame Judi Dench’. The next highest rank before a peerage is a baronet and this fellow would also be ‘Sir Bob’.

UNTITLED

MAN Dear Sir, or Dear Mr WOMAN Dear Madam, Mrs, Miss or Ms CHILDREN Dear First Name

RELIGIOUS

ARCHBISHOP My Lord Archbishop BISHOP My Lord Bishop DEAN Very Revd Sir CLERGY Revd Sir

OTHER PROFESSIONALS

JUDGE Sir or Madam PRIVY COUNCILLORS Sir or Madam

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT Sir or Madam

DOCTOR Dear Dr SURGEON Dear Mr or Ms

TITLED

DUKE Dear Duke DUCHESS Dear Duchess

MARQUIS Dear Lord X MARCHIONESS Dear Lady X

EARL Dear Lord COUNTESS Dear Lady

VISCOUNT Dear Lord VISCOUNTESS Dear Lady

BARON Dear Lord BARONESS Dear Lady or Dear Baroness

BARONET Dear Lord BARONET’S WIFE Dear Lady

KNIGHT Sir KNIGHT’S WIFE Madam

ILLUSTRATION 4 This basic chart shows how to address people who have specific titles. (For a more complete list of correct styles of address, see the appendix on p.238