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Dear Person Letter Gender Writing Formal Business Sir

Id ESLPod_0114_CN
Episode Id ESLPod 114
Episode Title Writing a Thank You Note
Title Salutations in Letters and Emails
Text

What do you do when you don't know the person's name to whom you are sending a letter or message? Or, you don't know what "gender" (male or female) of that person?

For a formal or business letter, you can use "Dear Sir or Madam." "Sir" is a very polite term for a man and "madam" is a very polite term for a woman. This is useful no matter which gender the person reading your letter may be. Perhaps 50 years ago it was acceptable to only use "Dear Sir" if you didn't know the gender of the person you're writing. However, it is not considered acceptable today. The woman reading your letter, especially if you're applying for a job, scholarship, or anything else, may not have a "favorable" (good; positive) opinion of you "right off the bat" (immediately; right away). She may think you're "sexist" (think women are less important than men) or "presumptuous" (don't know what is appropriate or socially acceptable), and that's probably not the impression or impact you're trying to make.

Some people use the greeting "To whom it may concern:" when they don't know the name or gender of the "recipient" (person receiving something). This greeting is useful when, for example, writing a letter to the telephone company because there is a mistake in your bill. However, it is not considered the most respectful or courteous for formal business "correspondence" (letters and written messages). Instead, use "Dear Sir or Madam" or the job title of the person you are writing, such as:

"Dear Recruiter" (the person accepting applications for a job or position)

"Dear Claims Adjuster" (the person who takes care of your insurance matters)

Topics Relationships + Family

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