![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
How do you refer to people?
(Ignore the "dear" if that's not what you'd say - I just put it there because it's the start of a letter.)
At work, you're writing a letter to John Smith, whom you've never met. You start...
Dear Mr Smith
22 (78.6%)
Dear John Smith
2 (7.1%)
Dear John
1 (3.6%)
Dear Mr John Smith
0 (0.0%)
Dear Sir
3 (10.7%)
At work, you're writing a letter to John Smith, whom you've met several times. You start...
Dear Mr Smith
13 (44.8%)
Dear John Smith
2 (6.9%)
Dear John
13 (44.8%)
Dear Mr John Smith
0 (0.0%)
Dear Sir
1 (3.4%)
At work, you're writing an email to John Smith, whom you've never met. You start...
Dear Mr Smith
18 (62.1%)
Dear John Smith
1 (3.4%)
Dear John
7 (24.1%)
Dear Mr John Smith
0 (0.0%)
Dear Sir
3 (10.3%)
At work, you're writing an email to John Smith, whom you've met several times. You start...
Dear Mr Smith
4 (14.3%)
Dear John Smith
0 (0.0%)
Dear John
23 (82.1%)
Dear Mr John Smith
0 (0.0%)
Dear Sir
1 (3.6%)
It makes a difference if you're...
not at work
20 (69.0%)
writing to Jane Smith instead of John
4 (13.8%)
an inferior, a superior, or an equal
18 (62.1%)
trying to be polite
14 (48.3%)
talking to them face-to-face
18 (62.1%)
Questions? Comments?
no subject
See, to me, a name without anything preceding it comes across as abrupt and slightly rude!
no subject
Someday I'm going to work for an international conglomerate, and offend every single international person I have to email...
no subject