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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Letter Beginnings
0 Hi folks, 02 br
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00 This is my first post. Nice forum. Recently I wrote an email letter to a company because I had a complaint, and I copied several of my friends. The letter began with, "Dear Sirs." I had no real idea who was receiving it, but I did assume that it included both male and female employees and their management. 02 br
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00 I received only one reply from the company, and that was from a female, incidently. She thanked me for writing the letter. I did get a reply from a friend I copied the letter to. That was also a female. She also appreciated the letter but was upset at my use of the greeting, "Dear Sirs." She suggested, "To Whom it May Concern", or "To the Producers at XYZ". I don't disagree with her, but is Dear Sirs old fashioned now? 02 br
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00 Thanks for your input. 02 br
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00 Steve 0-
02 br
00 This is my first post. Nice forum. Recently I wrote an email letter to a company because I had a complaint, and I copied several of my friends. The letter began with, "Dear Sirs." I had no real idea who was receiving it, but I did assume that it included both male and female employees and their management. 02 br
02 br
00 I received only one reply from the company, and that was from a female, incidently. She thanked me for writing the letter. I did get a reply from a friend I copied the letter to. That was also a female. She also appreciated the letter but was upset at my use of the greeting, "Dear Sirs." She suggested, "To Whom it May Concern", or "To the Producers at XYZ". I don't disagree with her, but is Dear Sirs old fashioned now? 02 br
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00 Thanks for your input. 02 br
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00 Steve 0-
Top answer
02 br 02 br 00 I don't think 01 i 00 Dear Sirs 02 i 00 is old-fashioned; it is a set phrase and still heavily in use. 02 br 02 br 00 Still, I see the awkwardness of using the male gender in this day and age. 0-
- 02 br 02 br 00 I don't think 01 i 00 Dear Sirs 02 i 00 is old-fashioned; it is a set phrase and still heavily in use.
- 02 br 02 br 00 Still, I see the awkwardness of using the male gender in this day and age.
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4 Answers
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0 Welcome to English Forums, Steve. 02 br
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00 I don't think 01 i 00 Dear Sirs 02 i 00 is old-fashioned; it is a set phrase and still heavily in use. On the other hand ' 01 i 00 to whom it may concern 02 i 00 ' is not really appropriate for business letters-- it is a formula used in testimonials mostly, and is rather old fashioned. 02 br
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00 I don't think 01 i 00 Dear Sirs 02 i 00 is old-fashioned; it is a set phrase and still heavily in use. On the other hand ' 01 i 00 to whom it may concern 02 i 00 ' is not really appropriate for business letters-- it is a formula used in testimonials mostly, and is rather old fashioned. 02 br
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0 In Singapore, we write 'Dear Sir / Madam' in letters when we do not know whether the addressee is male or female? . Is this form of address used in other countries?. 0-
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0 Yes, it is, and I use it-- but it sounds a little odd to me in the plural. 0-
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