We had another letter writing session in class today. Among the many things we discussed, there were these three useful tips to make letters or emails more professional:

1. If you don’t know whether a man or a woman will be dealing with your letter, begin the message with DEAR SIR/MADAM and end it with YOURS FAITHFULLY
2. If you know that it’s a man, begin with DEAR SIR and end with YOURS FAITHFULLY; if a woman, DEAR MADAM but also end with YOURS FAITHFULLY
3. If you know the surname of the person you are writing to, then start with DEAR MR [surname] for a man or DEAR MS [surname] for a woman. In both cases, close the missive with YOURS SINCERELY

If you missed the writing tips I published earlier this month, you can read them here: Three letter (and email) writing tips