Appeal to a woman in English. Forms of address in English

Girls are different ... And appeals to them too. Let's look at the peculiarities of the English appeal to women of different social status, because the rules of good manners oblige us to know this.

In Western culture, when introducing a woman (in oral and written speech), it is customary to indicate not only her first and last name, but also her “status”. This status is usually denoted by a special word, which often acts as an appeal. There are no analogues of such treatment in Russian culture. Appeal to a woman with the designation of her status was typical for holders of a noble title. In general, this division of statuses is not typical for Russian culture, so the English "Miss" and "Mrs" cannot be unequivocally compared with similar appeals to women in Russian culture.

The Miz[UK spelling], Ms. [ˈmɪz], , [ˈməz], [ˈməs]) - "Madam ...". This appeal is neutral in English speaking countries. Ms is placed before the surname of both married and unmarried woman, in case her marital status is unknown or the woman consciously emphasizes her equality with the man. This appeal appeared in the 1950s and came into use since the 1970s at the initiative of representatives of the feminist movement.

As The American Heritage Book of English Usage states, “Ms. eliminates the need to guess is the addressee Mrs. or Miss: using Ms., it is impossible to make a mistake. Whether the female addressee is married or not, whether she has changed her last name or not, the use of Ms. always correct." In its style guide, The Times states: “Today, Ms is completely acceptable if a woman wants to be called that, or if it is not known exactly, Mrs. she or Miss. The Guardian, which uses "women's titles" exclusively in editorials, advises in its style guide to "use Ms for women...unless they have expressed a desire to use Miss or Mrs."

Appeal Ms. is the standard term for a woman, unless another preferred term is given to her. For the standard use of Ms. etiquette authors also perform, including Judith Martin (also known as "Miss Manners").

Appeal to an unmarried girl

Miss (Miss)- an English-language address to an unmarried woman. Is an abbreviation for mistress(an obsolete form of addressing a woman). It can be used before a surname or as a direct address. An analogue in Russian can be the word "girl" or the pre-revolutionary "lady" or "mademoiselle".

The address "miss" is also used in relation to the teacher, regardless of her marital status. This rule is associated with a period when only unmarried women could engage in teaching activities.

Appeal to a married woman

Mrs (Mrs)- Appeal to a married woman. Addressing a woman using her husband's name is rare nowadays, although it is possible to address a couple jointly, such as Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. It is generally considered polite to address women as Miss (Ms.) rather than Mrs., especially if the woman's preference for addressing her is not known, especially when communicating in writing.

Punctuation after abbreviation

A period is put on the letter after the abbreviations:

• Dear Miss Jones! Dear Miss Jones!
• Dear Mrs. Wilson! Dear Mrs Wilson!
• Dear Ms. Smith! Dear Miss Smith!

If the appeal is written in full, then the point is not put:

• Miss Dana Simms - Miss Dana Simms.

Let's summarize:

• Ms – polite form addressing a woman in letters without a direct indication of marital status.
• Miss- Appeal to an unmarried woman.
• Mrs- Appeal to a married woman.

Adapted texts on English language
Rhyming words in English
English female names

When writing a letter, the beginning, that is, the appeal to the addressee, plays an important role. Contacting English writing significantly different from the treatment in Russian. Therefore, in order to write a letter that is correct from the point of view of etiquette, you need to know some rules.

Always remember that the form of address in a letter depends on the degree of acquaintance or family ties with the person to whom you are addressing the letter.

General circulation model:

Dear /My dear+ recipient's name (with or without courtesy) + colon
Dear /My dear+ recipient's name (with or without courtesy) + comma,

where polite address is formsMr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Sir, Madam, which are used only with the surname (periods after the forms Mr., Mrs., Ms., as a rule, are put).

Basic rules of address in English writing.

1. Letters that are strictly formal in tone and content should begin with Dear/My dear and courtesy:

2. In official letters to strangers whose last names you do not know, the following polite forms are used:

The last two addresses are used for both married and unmarried women. The combination Dear Miss is not used as an address in English.

3. In less official and semi-official correspondence, you can find the following forms:

4. If you do not know the name of the addressee, you should not use phrases To whom it may concern(To whom it concerns). Instead, you should indicate the position or greeting of a general nature:

Dear Recruiter:
Dear Claims Adjustor:
Dear Sir or Madame:

5. If you do not know the gender of the recipient, write it full name, omitting the polite treatment:

Dear Dana Simms:
Dear T.K. Spinazola:

6. If you are in doubt about the choice of address to a woman (Miss or Mrs.), Use the neutral Ms.

7. If you are writing to two people, be sure to include both names in the greeting:

Dear Mr. Trujillo and Ms. Donne:
Dear Alex and Jill:

8. Never write the following courtesy in full:
Mr., Ms., Mrs. and Dr.:

These appeals, on the contrary, should not be reduced:
Professor, Dean, Sister, Rabbi, Imam, Senator, Governor, Captain, Admiral, Judge

9. If you are writing a letter not to a particular person, but to an organization, use its name in circulation:

Dear Syntax Training:

10. In simplified business letters, don't use the greeting at all. Instead, you need to specify the subject in capital letters, after which the body of the letter will go.

WAYS TO BEGIN A BUSINESS LETTER
I am writing to share information about standard letter openings to…
(A simplified form of a business letter is rarely used.)

11. When greeting a letter to unfamiliar or unfamiliar people, a polite address and surname should be used.

12. In informal situations, i.e. when referring to acquaintances, relatives, friends, only names are used (without polite address):

Polite AddressesMy dear Sir, My dear Madam, Sir, Madam are strictly official. Dear Sir, Dear Madam somewhat less formal. However, all these forms are used in official situations.

As you can see from the previous examples, both a comma and a colon can appear after the conversion. The comma is in accordance with the British tradition, and the colon in accordance with the American one, but at present this distinction is hardly observed. In addition, a comma is used in less formal letters (social letters), which include letters of sympathy, gratitude, personal congratulations (on a wedding, birthday, promotion, etc.), and a colon in strictly formal letters.

13. Appeal to a woman
When addressing a woman, her preferences regarding this issue should be taken into account. That is, a married woman can leave her name and take her husband's surname, she can take her husband's full name and surname, etc. It is recommended to find out about such preferences in advance (for example, from friends or from a signature in a letter). See the table below for details.

14. Appeal to a couple (husband and wife)

Rules for writing Email in English

To write a formal style email (business email), follow all of the formal style rules listed above (points 1-11). An informal email usually starts like this.

Dear Han,
Hi, Ivan,
Hi, Kate,
Sue, Brooke:
Good morning Kitty
hello homer,

Or just start the first sentence with a name:

Bart, you were absolutely right about the matter.

Summary table of appeals in letters in English.

Every year the rhythm of life is getting faster. People in big cities live in a crazy mode, in the morning they rush to work, from work to home, to kindergarten for a child or to the gym. Hurry everywhere and everywhere, because so many things are planned. The desire to do everything quickly turned into our speech.

Abbreviations in Russian speech

To speed up writing or save memory on the media, they began to use more and more abbreviations when writing, which also passed into oral speech. From the words at least two letters, but will be deleted:

• “Push on the gas / brake” - press on the gas / brake pedal.
• "Magaz" - shop.
• Tele - TV.
• "Photo" is a photograph.
• "Infa" - information.
• "Laptop" or "beech" - notebook (laptop - portable personal computer).
• "X / s" - "hell knows."

Abbreviations are also used when writing:

• Spsb - thank you
• "Pzhlst" - please
• "Prv" - hello and many others.

There are abbreviations officially accepted and enshrined in academic reference books:

• "Those." - that is
• "Etc." - etc
• "Etc." - the like
• "Km" - kilometer
• "V/h" - military unit and many others.

Imagine how difficult it is for a foreigner not only to learn these words, but also to figure out what they mean!

In English, too, there are enough abbreviations and abbreviations, and it is difficult for the uninitiated to understand the secrets of the language to understand the rules of use. symbols.

Abbreviated words in English

IN Western countries It is customary to address people, emphasizing their social status, age, gender and level of education.

The most common abbreviations Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms are used before the first or last name. In Russian, social status is not emphasized.

The difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Mr lies in determining the social status of a woman (married or unmarried), belonging to the male sex and having an academic degree.

It can be understood that Mr means "Mr" (mɪstər) or "Mr" when referring to a male person of any age, whether married or not, and without a degree. Used with a surname: Mr Holmes is a detective - Mr. Holmes is a detective.

Dr is an address to a man or woman who has a scientific degree or medical practice (in Russian Federation is a candidate or doctor of science). For example: Dr Watson is Sherlock Holmes' friend - Dr. Watson is a friend of Sherlock Holmes.

All abbreviations Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms in British English are written without a dot, in American English with a dot. For example: Mr.

Appeal to a woman

But the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms is almost the same as it was customary in pre-revolutionary Russia: when referring to unmarried girls - "young lady", and "madame" - to married ladies. It is difficult to understand if you have not studied the language, but nothing is impossible.

What is the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms? Everything is elementary! The Miss address is taken in relation to unmarried girls, when you are sure that she does not have a marital relationship, and it does not matter how old the girl is - 1 year or 90 years old. Pronounced "miss" (mɪs), the indication is before the surname: Good afternoon, Miss Wood! - Good afternoon, Miss Wood!

Again, Miss refers to the saleswoman, maid and teacher, even if she is married. This is due to the fact that previously only unmarried women could teach.

At first glance, the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms is small, but it is.

For a married woman using her husband's surname, the address Mrs (Mɪsɪz - "misiz") is accepted from the word Mistress - Mrs. or madam, mistress, mistress, woman with her family: Mrs Johns is a housewife. Mrs Jones is a housewife.

Also, Mrs can be addressed to divorced women or widows who, after Missis, give their first and maiden name.

The meaning of the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms can only be understood by reading British newspapers or where more and more often a woman is addressed as Ms (mɪz, məz) - "mis" from the word Mistress does not depend on her husband. This is simply an indication of belonging to the female sex. If you don't know if a girl is married and don't want to offend her, feel free to call her Ms! No need to guess whether she changed her last name or not - the woman herself will correct the form of address, if she sees fit. This is a correct neutral address in English-speaking countries, a common greeting in business, an appeal to a woman emphasizing her equal rights with men.

Official address

Introduced in the 1950s, the word Ms was introduced in the 1970s to refer to feminists.

Miss, Mrs, Ms - the difference when referring to the female gender, adopted in Western countries, where status is given great importance. This abbreviation is also placed before the last name or estate: Ms Jane Clark has got a nice car! - Jane Clark has a nice car!

In newspapers and magazines, this is a common address policy. Even Judith Martin, recognized as Miss Impeccable Manners, recommends this form of greeting women in her books on etiquette.

Between Miss, Mrs, Ms, the difference exists only in an official setting, during a business meeting and communication of unfamiliar people. When talking with friends and relatives, just names and surnames are used without a word indicating a social status or just affectionate words.

We know firsthand about the politeness of the English. High-sounding appeals such as sir (sir), my lord (my lord), lady (lady) and others, used since the Middle Ages, are designed to define and emphasize the status of a person in a conversation.

In modern England and now the classic appeals are in use: the queen is called none other than Her Majesty (Her Majesty), according to the title, other members are also addressed. royal family. For those who do not have the status of a lord or other aristocratic titles, it is customary to address according to marital status.

Today, once and for all, we will deal with such seemingly similar appeals in English as Mr, Mrs, Ms and Miss: what are these abbreviations, how are they translated and when are they used.

This knowledge will be useful to you not only in everyday communication, but also when compiling business letters, as well as for filling out foreign documents.

Mr & Mrs: Who is this?

To begin with, let's deal with such basic concepts used everywhere as Mr. and Mrs. and talk about how they are written and used.

Mr ['mɪstər] - Mr.

This address is used when we are talking about a man. It doesn't matter at all whether you are married or not. Age is not important either: boys are treated this way during their studies. Used with a surname:

Mr Lewis is a very handsome man - Mr Lewis is a very handsome man

Thus, Mr is an abbreviation for the word mister, that is, "Mr" in English.

Mrs [ˈmɪsɪz] - Mrs.This is an address to a married woman in English. It can also be used in relation to a girl if she is married. The abbreviation was formed from the word mistress: the so-called "mistresses of the house" in the 18th century in Great Britain. Similar to "Mister", used together with the surname:Mrs Lane is cooking a Christmas dinner - Mrs Lane is cooking a Christmas dinner

The address Mrs (Mrs.) in English comes from the full word misses and is used both when filling out documents and in communication.

Remembering these two basic appeals is not difficult. It is enough to know that Mr is a man, and if you add s to this reduction, you get an appeal to his wife. It is also easy to remember how Mr. and Mrs. are written in English: always with a capital letter, like the surname of the person they are addressing. But whether to put a period after the abbreviation or not depends on which version of English you use. In British English, there is no period after Mr and Mrs, but in American English it is. The word must be pronounced in both cases in full.

These abbreviations are perhaps the most used around the world. A married couple is usually presented together under the same last name. For example, as in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith" ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith"). Also, these are the most popular words in wedding decor when newlyweds' chairs or cakes are decorated with Mr. and Mrs., by whom they will be called after marriage.

Miss & Ms: what's the difference?

A little more complicated than with Mr and Mrs, the situation is with an appeal to a girl whose marital status is unknown to us.

Miss - Miss This address is used when we are talking about a woman or girl who, as we know, is definitely not married. Miss in English is also placed before the surname of a woman or girl, but is most often used in relation to schoolgirls and students.

Please note that this word is the only one of the four addresses that is written and pronounced in its entirety, which means that the letter never has a period:

look! This is our new star Miss Lopez! - Look! This is our new star Miss Lopez!

Ms - Miss

We use this form of polite address when we do not know whether a woman is married or not. The full form of this word sounds like mizz, hence the slightly different pronunciation, more sonorous than Miss. Like all other appeals, it is used with the name of a woman or girl:

Please, give these papers to Ms Strait - Please give these papers to Ms Strait

As you can see, the difference between Miss and Ms is not that big. Especially in colloquial speech. If you doubt the marital status of the woman in front of you, you can always use the indefinite Ms.

By the way, in the business environment it is the appeal Ms that is more common, even if it is known that the woman is married.

Summing up

Often those who study English confuse the appeal to women. With men, everything is clear: he will be Mr in any case, regardless of age and marital status. But what about the ladies and the difference between Miss and Mrs in English?

The abbreviation Mrs is translated as Mrs. This is the woman who is married to Mr. It is quite easy to remember, because in this very abbreviation Mr.

If you see Ms, then this is a miss, which means an unmarried woman or girl. It is also easy to remember: if there is no letter r, then this Ms has not yet found her Mr.

This is the main difference between the abbreviations Miss and Mrs in English.

Once again about the points: they are put when writing only in American English, when we have in front of us an abbreviation for the full word mister, mistress or mizz. The word Miss (appeal to an unmarried girl) also begins with a capital letter when writing, but a period is not put after it. After the address (with or without a dot) comes the surname of a man or woman with a capital letter.

We hope that now you will forever remember in which cases such addresses in English as Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms are used correctly.

• 06 dec.

  Very often, inexperienced users of a foreign language ask themselves: “How to contact new acquaintances? What forms to use? After all, it is known that depending on the status and position of the addressee, the forms of appeal vary. Therefore, we decided to clarify and once and for all figure out how and in what situations to contact different categories of people.

  The status is indicated on the letter:
  Mr. - Mister (addressing a man)
  Mrs. - Misses (appeal to a married woman)
  Miss - Miss (appeal to an unmarried woman)
  Ms - Mizz (appeal to both married and unmarried women)

  Before we begin, you need to remember: the form of address indicates that you take into account such characteristics of the addressee as gender, age, level of education, etc.

  So, let's start with the safest option, namely, ask yourself how the addressee prefers to be addressed.

  • What should I call you? - What should I call you?
  • What should I call your mum / the teacher / the manager? - What should I call your mother/teacher/manager?
  • Can I call you? - May I call you [Name]?
  • Is it okay if I call you? - Is it okay if I call you [Friendly Name]?
  • What's your name? - What's your name?

  If you heard one of these questions in your address, then you can answer like this:

  • Please, call me - Please, call me [name]
  • You can call me - You can call me [nickname or short name]

  To grab the recipient's attention, use expressions
  Excuse me, Sir/ Madam
  Pardon me, Sir/ Madam

  If you are in a formal setting, such as a business meeting, negotiation or presentation, then it's okay to have a couple of formal addresses up your sleeve.

  1. Sir(for an adult male)
  2. madam(for an adult woman)
  3. Mr + last name(for any man)
  4. Mrs + last name(for a married woman who uses her husband's last name)
  5. Ms + last name(for a married or unmarried woman; common in business)
  6. Miss + last name(for an unmarried woman)
  7. Dr + last name(for some doctors, at their request, they use not the last name, but the first name)
  8. Professor + last name(at university/institute)

  Sometimes it happens that an official after a while asks you to call him by his name. In English this is called ‘on a first name basis’ or ‘on first name terms’. This is the name of a relationship that seems official only at first glance, but in fact is closer.

  But most often, of course, we use appeals not in the business world, but in the everyday world. For example, how to address your soul mate, mother or child? Here are some suggestions.

  • Honey (for a child, loved one, or someone younger than you)
  • sweetie
  • Darling
  • Babe or Baby (for a loved one)
  • Pal (appeal to son or grandson)
  • Buddy or Bud (very colloquial between friends; sometimes used with negative connotations)