UWF WRITING LAB

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS FORMS OF ADDRESS

ADDRESSEE	FORM OF ADDRESS	SALUTATION
Clerical and Religious Officials
Clergy	The Reverend Dr. Michael Johnson	Dear Sir: or Dear Rev. Johnson: or Dear Dr. Johnson:
Priest	The Reverend Tom Bonanti or The Reverend Tom Bonanti	Dear Father Bonanti:  or Dear Father:
Rabbi	Rabbi David Ostrich	Dear Rabbi Ostrich:
College University Officials
Dean	Dean Wesley Little or Dr. Wesley Little Dean	Dear Dean Little: or Dear Dr. Little:
President	President John  Cavanaugh or Dr. John Cavanaugh	Dear President Cavanaugh: or Dear Dr. Cavanaugh:
Professor	Dr. Lowe-Evans or Professor Lowe-Evans	Dear Dr. Lowe-Evans: or Dear Professor Lowe-Evans:
Federal, State, and Local Government Officials
City Councilman	The Honorable Ronald Townsend	Dear Mr. Townsend:
Commissioner	The Honorable Marie Young Board of County Commissioners	Dear Mrs. Young:
Judge	The Honorable Nancy Gilliam	Dear Judge Gilliam:
Governor	The Honorable Jeb Bush Governor of Florida	Dear Governor Bush:
School Board Member	Dr. Elmer Jenkins Escambia County County School Board	Dear Dr. Jenkins:
School Superintendent	Mr. Jim Paul	Dear Mr. Paul:
Representative	The Honorable Jeff Miller	Dear Mr. Miller:
Mayor	The Honorable John Fogg	Dear Mayor Fogg:
President	The President	Dr. Mr. President:
Military
Admiral	RADM David L. Brewer	Dear Admiral Brewer:
Commander	Commander Nathaniel Wu	Dear Commander Wu:
Private	Private Ken Freeman U.S. Army	Dear Private Freeman:
Other Professional Titles
Attorney	Cynthia Williams Attorney-at-Law or Cynthia Williams, Esq.	Dear Ms. Williams: or Dear Attorney Williams:
Dentist	Marcus Paul, D.D.S. or Dr. Marcus Paul	Dear Dr. Paul:
Physician	Percy Goodman, M.D. or Dr. Percy Goodman	Dear Dr. Goodman:
Veterinarian	Marclyn Sims, D.V.M. or Dr. Marclyn Sims	Dear Dr. Sims:

Proofreading Tip: Check any sequence of numbers of letters, especially on successive pages.
• page numbers 
• lettered lists
• tables and figures
• number sections and subsections
• numbered footnotes or endnotes
• alphabetized lists, such as bibliographies

STATE ABBREVIATIONS
Standard Two-Letter Abbreviations for Addressing Envelopes

Avoid "Weasel" Words or Phrases

generally speaking	as has been suggested
to be sure	customarily
it appears (or it seems)	in keeping with company policy
normally	as you can see
apparently	as might be expected
supposedly	is considered (or thought) to
possibly	for the most part

Commonly
Mispronounced Words

in-cen-tive	NOT	in-cen-i-tive
real-tor	NOT	real-a-tor
often (of-en)	NOT	oft-tin
fiscal year	NOT	physical year
clique (click)	NOT	cliché
ten-ta-tive	NOT	ten-a-tive
sim-i-lar	NOT	sim-u-lar
mis-chie-vous	NOT	mis-chee-vee-ous
li-brary	NOT	li-berry

USING CAPITAL LETTERS

The following aren't just generic nouns. They are trademarks and thus should be capitalized. Check any standard dictionary if you're unsure about whether a word is a trademark.

Apple computers	Liquid Paper correction fluid
Band-Aid adhesives	Styrofoam disposable cups & plates
Bic ink pens	Realtor real estate broker
Kleenex facial tissues	Rolodex card file
Magic Marker felt tip pens	Velcro fasteners
Jeep vehicle	Tupperware plastic containers

How's Your Business English?

•What's wrong with this sentence? 
     You must register and attend the conference.
•Which of the following words is misspelled?
     1. alot 
     2. all right
     3. two dollars apiece
•Which of the following expressions is grammatically correct?
     1. I feel badly about. . . . 
     2. I feel bad about . . . .