Do you still address letters Dear Sirs?
In the UK the firm will now address all communications to “Dear Sir or Madam”, while in the US all correspondence will start with “Dear Ladies and Gentlemen”. …
Why do people still say Dear Sirs?
The reason “Dear Sirs” exists is because, traditionally, you were writing to the firm rather than to the individual. And, of course, for a long time only men were partners in law firms – thus, Dear Sirs.
Why does an email start with Dear Sirs?
The email started with “Dear Sirs”. This annoyed one of the women, who happens to be English. I’m afraid that I may have assimilated too much French, though the email was in English, and can no longer remember what would have been more appropriate. Personally, though I’m told that “Dear Sirs” is considered sexist, I cannot understand why.
When to start a letter with Dear sir or Madam?
– Sir/Madam – you start your letter with “Dear Sir or Madam” when you don’t know to whom your letter should be addressed; for example, if you’re writing to the general university admissions department and don’t know exactly who would be responsible for the handling of your enquiry.
Is there such a thing as Dear Sirs and madams?
“Ladies and gentlemen” seems a bit too “look at my show” (?) and putting all their names would be awful, “dear teachers” seems a bit too familiar, however I’m not sure about this since obviously I’m not an native English speaker… Thank you ! Dear Sirs and Mesdames was once the accepted formal salutation.
Can you use ” dear colleagues ” instead of ” Dear Sirs “?
You could try “Dear Colleagues”, if you can bring yourself to regard the two women as colleagues. The people I was addressing were are all very much my superiors. So no, Dear Colleagues, Comrades are out. I am a woman. “Dear Sirs” is short and to the point. I don’t see what the big deal is.
Do you use dear sir or madam in an email?
You should avoid using Dear Sir/Madam in emails as well as in cover letters. Cover letters are notably more formal than emails, but some of the same rules apply, especially if you are writing to someone for the first time.
When do you start a letter Dear Sir?
When I was taught how to write formal letters in the 80s/90s, the answer to how you deal with the unknown gender of the recipient is “Don’t”. We were taught that formal letters always start “Dear Sir” if you don’t know who will be receiving it.
What’s the best alternative to ” Dear Sir “?
In a comment, @DanRomik suggests modifying the salutations to refer to particular groups of people (like “committee” does) rather than abstract departments: examples include: “Dear MBE program administrators”, “Dear MBE office team”. I think that’s perfectly fine, too, if you find that more logical.
How to write a thank you for the advice note?
Thank you for the advice template and tips. Tip #1: The best thank you note are those that are specific. Your note will feel less generic if you say what the advice was and how it impacted you. Tip #2: If you are stumped for words, a short one line, Thank you for your advice, is better than not saying thank you.