When writing a letter, the beginning, that is, the appeal to the addressee, plays an important role. The address in the English letter differs significantly from the address 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 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 formal 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 don't know the recipient's gender, write their full name, omitting the polite title:

Dear Dana Simms:
Dear T.K. Spinazola:

6. If you are in doubt about the choice of addressing 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):

Dear John,	Dear John!
my dear john,	My dear John!
john,	John!
dearest,	Expensive!
my darling,	My dear!

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 letters of a less formal style (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.

Unmarried	Ms. Jane Johnson Miss Jane Johnson (usually when referring to girls under 18)
Married, keeping her first and maiden name	Ms. Jane Johnson
Married, taking her husband's surname	Mrs. John Kelly (a married woman may choose to take her husband's first and last name in full - John Kelly) Mrs. Jane Kelly (a married woman may choose to keep her first name, Jane, and take her husband's last name, Kelly) Today, the variant Ms. Jane Kelly
divorced	A divorced woman, as a rule, takes her first name, but she can leave both her own and her husband's last name. Mrs. Jane Kelly Ms. Jane Kelly Ms. Jane Johnson (maiden name)
Undivorced, but living separately from her husband	In this case, options are also possible, depending on the preferences of the woman. Mrs. John Kelly Mrs. Jane Kelly Ms. Jane Kelly
Widow	A widow, as a rule, considers herself married, she leaves her husband's surname, but the name can take both her own and her husband's Mrs. John Kelly (if the widow's preferences are not known, this is the most acceptable, unmistakable and neutral option) Mrs. Jane Kelly Ms. Jane Kelly

14. Appeal to a couple (husband and wife)

Married, wife uses husband's name	Mr. and Mrs. John Kelly Note - on the envelope in the address, the traditional female name precedes the male and then the surname (Jane and John Kelly) is written. Today, the order of names has become unimportant, any option is acceptable, except when one of the spouses is clearly superior in rank - then the name of the spouse who is higher in rank is written first.
Married, wife prefers Ms.	Mr. John Kelly and Ms. Jane Kelly Ms. Jane Kelly and Mr. John Kelly (do not use Ms. with the husband's name, i.e. it is incorrect to write Mr. and Ms. John Kelly)
Married, informal writing	Jane and John Kelly John and Jane Kelly
Married, wife prefers maiden name	Mr. John Kelly and Ms. Jane Johnson Ms. Jane Johnson and Mr. John Kelly Mr. John Kelly and Ms. Jane Johnson (the order of the names doesn't matter)
Unmarried but living together (civil marriage)	Mr. John Kelly & Ms. Jane Johnson (mandatory on one line)
A wife is superior in rank to her husband: elective or military office	The Honorable Jane Kelly and Mr. John Kelly If both names do not fit on one line: The Honorable Jane Kelly and Mr. John Kelly
A wife is superior in rank to her husband: academic degree	Dr. Jane Kelly and Mr. John Kelly
Both spouses of a doctor (Ph.D. or doctors) and use the same last name	The Doctors Kelly (omit first names) Drs. Jane and John Kelly / Drs. John and Jane Kelly Dr. John Kelly and Dr. Jane Kelly / Dr. Jane Kelly and Dr. John Kelly
Both spouses are doctors (Ph.D. or physicians), wife uses maiden name	Dr. Jane Johnson and Dr. John Kelly Dr. John Kelly and Dr. Jane Johnson

Rules for writing Email in English

To write a formal style email (business email), follow all 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.

Style	unit number	Mn. number
Formal and strictly official	My dear Sir / Sir My dear Madam / Madam
Strictly official	Sir / My dear Mr. Smith Madame / My dear Mrs. Smith
Official	Dear Sir Dear madam	Dear Sirs/ Sirs Dear Mesdames/ Mesdames Gentlemen Ladies
Less formal(if there is a previous correspondence)	Dear Mr. Jones Dear Mrs. Jones	Dear Messrs. Jones and Smith

There are many ways to say hello in English. On the run, throw “hello” to a friend, strike up a conversation at a party, meet an old friend after a long separation, introduce yourself to a business partner. Each situation has its own nuances, and below we will consider them in more detail.

Universal greetings

Hello!	Hello! / Hey!
good morning!	Good morning!
Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Goog evening!	Good evening!

These are phrases that can be used both in relation to acquaintances and to those whom you see for the first time.

Note that "Good day" in Britain is more often used as a farewell (official enough) and is translated as "All the best". "Good night" means "Good night" and is also used when saying goodbye.

Cheers on the go

Saying hello to someone you know is a simple courtesy. However, there is not always time to stop and talk. If you're in a hurry, you don't have to interrupt what you're doing, but remember to smile when you say hello. You can also wave your hand. Sometimes you meet the same person several times a day. In this case, you can say hello again (“hello again”) or just smile.

friendly greetings

If you know the person well, you can say to him:

Hi!	Hey!
Hey...!	Hey,<имя>!
How's it going?	How are you doing?

Teenagers and young people, as well as just close friends among themselves, often use slang.

• Howdy!
• Hiya!
• What's up?
• G "day (Australia)!

Greetings after a long separation

The British value personal space and do not like public displays of affection. However, close friends may well hug when they meet, especially if they haven't seen each other for a long time. Men sometimes shake hands with each other. In doing so, one can say:

business greetings

Etiquette is important in business meetings. Smile and remember to use polite words like "please" and "thank you". Use appropriate appeals: for men - Mister, for women Ms (read:) is increasingly used, regardless of marital status. (Mrs and Miss are still usable if the woman introduced herself that way.)

The handshake is common in most English-speaking countries. When meeting, introduce yourself with your full name and state the position, for example: Hello, I "m William Jones, sales manager.

To continue the conversation, you can use the following phrases:

Cheers at the party

At a reception or party, it is considered polite to say hello to many people. After you say hello to your hosts and friends, get to know those you don't know. Introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. Mention how you know the owners. Discuss something related to the party (food, music, decor). The following questions will help keep the conversation going:

Away greetings

If you are visiting a friend, say hello to other people in the house. Introduce yourself to those you don't know. Use the following phrases:

Now that you are familiar with the basic greeting phrases in English, it's time to listen to them performed by true English ladies and gentlemen.

There are many ways to address a person when meeting, but how to choose the appropriate one in any particular case? Greet the interlocutor, given the nature of communication with him. Contact can be formal (role-based) or informal (personal), and yes, being able to distinguish one style of communication from another is a very important point in the process of learning English.

It may seem difficult at first, but over time you will understand which greetings to use and under what circumstances. To help you, YES English courses offer a range of situational universal greetings in English that can be safely used in formal, informal or non-formal situations.

Universal greetings

	Good morning!
	Good afternoon!
	Good evening!

Remember that this does not include "Good day!", which translates as "All the best!", Not "Have a nice day!", and is used when parting. And the phrase "Good night!" has a literal translation of "Good night!" and also means goodbye.

business greetings

If we imagine a working dialogue in the form of a constructor, then a correct business greeting in English will be a defining element among its other components, the basis of the first impression and further communication.

At customs, at the airport, government agency, office, you should observe etiquette and show emphatic courtesy. It is also necessary to refer to the formal language at business meetings and negotiations, at interviews, in communication with teachers at the university and with those whom you do not know well and with older people.

In addition to universal greetings, there are the following official ways to say "Hello!":

Official addresses

Addressing a person officially, it is customary to indicate the status before his name.

Female
		Appeal to a young unmarried girl. (Miss Young)
		If you are not sure if the girl is married. (Ms. Pfeiffer)
		Used for a woman who takes her husband's surname. (Mrs. Holmes)
		The most formal way of addressing an elderly woman or a woman in a respected position.
The male
	Mister	Appeal to all men. (Mr. Smith)
		The most formal way to address a man. (Sir John Lavery)
Professional titles
	Dr. Patterson
	Professor (Prof. White)

friendly greetings

Sometimes it seems that the British themselves are tired of ceremony. In any case, modern English is damn rich in friendly greetings. It is desirable to resort to informal language at conferences, talking with friends and colleagues in your free time, as well as with all those whom you already know very well.

The most popular greeting words in English known to everyone:

All of them translate as "Hello!", but are arranged in order of increasing familiarity.

"Hey!" - the most behind-the-scenes expression, an abbreviation for the American "Hey, guys!" - "Hi guys!". It is used in relation to friends from the same company, people who are close in spirit.

How are you?

Be careful! When answering the above questions, do not try to list all the things that you managed or could not do today. They are unassuming and suggest primitive answers.

Answer examples:

• fine, thank you. And you? - Well thank you. And you?
• Awesome! you? - Awesome! What about you?
• Hello, Ann - not bad, thanks! How about you? - Hello, Anya, not bad, thank you! What about you?
• Doing well. And how have you been? - Good! How are you?
• fine. And you? How are you? - Good! And you? How are you?
• Hey dear. How are you? - Hi dear. How do you?

Meeting after a long separation

If you have not seen a person for some time and suddenly meet him in a cafe or walking somewhere in the city, express your feelings in the following expressions.

These greetings are used when you have not seen a person for a long time. With their help, you can resume communication after separation. The question "When was the last time we saw each other?" “How long have we not seen each other?” is an easy way to start a conversation about what has happened since you last saw each other.

Slang greetings

Imagine that you find yourself in some kind of reality where the local population does not speak in standard, clichéd phrases. The reality you are in right now is based on play and originality. This is a street subculture, and you are outsiders in it. “They don’t go to a strange monastery with their own charter” - you will have to adhere to local rules. Below we draw up a rescue plan - remember English slang and look for super-informal ways to say the word Hello!

	Hey there! Hey!	The most street greeting in English
	Hear you, hello!	Merging "hi" and "you". You need to pronounce it in a friendly tone so that it is accepted in your new environment. And it does not matter at all that when you greet, you will look like a wild ninja.
	Hello, is everything okay?	Merging "hello" and "how are you?". It turns out two in one: they greeted each other and asked about business.
	There is no equivalent in Russian. More behind the scenes than the banal “Hi, how are you?”	Merging "hi" and "alright". Popular in Northern England.
	How are you? / How are you?	Merging "what cheer" - how's the mood? Used for close friends.
		Popular in Canada and South America. If you say "howdy" outside of these regions, there is a risk of being misunderstood.
Morning / Afternoon / Evening!	good morning / afternoon / evening	The most colloquial and friendly variant of "good morning / afternoon / evening"
	As a young life? (the answer is "nagwan" or "nothing is going on" - sucks)	A squeeze from the well-known popular song phrase “what’s going on?”
	How are you?	Short for "what's up?"
	Is it hard bro?	Super informal slang. Short for "easy bruv" / "how are you, brother" - how are you, brother?
		Borrowed from the USA. Well, remember, yes, street rappers? And in Russia, among them, the characteristic “Yo!” is popular.

Street slang is an important part of modern spoken English. And in this style, greetings can be distinguished for people who met after a long separation.

As a gift to those who have read to the end, we offer a look at a selection of famous greetings from English films and TV shows.

The most beloved greeting of typical supernatural fans. ("The Vampire Diaries" - "The Vampire Diaries")

It seems that Ben Geller, who played the role of Ross, should have presented an acting award for one of his most depressing "Haay!", Which amused more than one generation of viewers.

P.S. Don't be like Ross!

("Friends" - "Friends")

Do you remember handsome Joey Tribbiani and his famous "How are you doing?"

("Friends" - "Friends")

Most recently, this song was at the top of various charts. To date, the video has 2,346,309,814 views!

Let's sing a modern hit together and say hello to Adele.

"Hello, it's me" ("Hello, it's me").

Ah, sing along with Adele!

Afanaskina Ekaterina Vladimirovna - expert of the educational and methodological department
Center for Foreign Languages ​​"YES".

Greetings, dear readers! Today we will look at the first lesson of the audio course "Conversational English for Beginners", which simply and clearly outlines the etiquette of English speech. After all, what do we learn first of all when we start learning a language? Of course, we will learn words for greetings, phrases for getting to know each other and saying goodbye in English. Commonly used greetings in English

During the very first lecture, we will study the vocabulary on the topic "Greeting, introduction and farewell", including typical clichés and phrases. You can also listen to the audio lesson itself, voiced by a professional speaker. You will learn how to greet the interlocutor, be interested in his affairs and say goodbye in English.

And now listening to the audio version of the lesson, practice the correct pronunciation: /wp-content/uploads/2014/08/les-01.mp3 Repeat every word clearly aloud!

The text of the lesson "Greeting, acquaintance and farewell"

So, let's start with greetings. See a handy translation table:

Russian	English
Hey	Hi
Hello	hello
Good afternoon	good afternoon
Good morning	good morning
Good evening	good evening

Knowing these simple 5 phrases is enough for you to be able to greet an English-speaking interlocutor in his native language.

Let's continue with phrases with which to make an acquaintance or conversation:

Russian	English
What is your name?	What's your name?
My name is Mr Mike	My name is Mr Mike
My name is Mrs Sandra	My name is Mrs Sandra
Nice to meet you	It's nice to meet you
How are you?	How are you?
So-so	so-so
Fine. Amazing	Fine!
Very well	very well

By learning a few phrases that English speakers tend to say at the beginning of a conversation, you can easily start a conversation in English.

The following 4 simple expressions will help you end the conversation and say goodbye in English:

Russian	English
Goodbye	Goodbye
See you soon	see you soon
See you later	see you later
Goodnight	good night

So, what we get as a result: having learned 17 simple words and phrases, you can easily join a conversation with a foreigner, show your upbringing and politeness.

This concludes our lesson! Good luck!