Books: How to Speak and Write Correctly
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Joseph Devlin >> How to Speak and Write Correctly
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The letter which is written with the greatest facility is the best kind
of letter because it naturally expresses what is in the writer, he has
not to search for his words, they flow in a perfect unison with the ideas
he desires to communicate. When you write to your friend John Browne to
tell him how you spent Sunday you have not to look around for the words,
or study set phrases with a view to please or impress Browne, you just
tell him the same as if he were present before you, how you spent the
day, where you were, with whom you associated and the chief incidents
that occurred during the time. Thus, you write natural and it is such
writing that is adapted to epistolary correspondence.
There are different kinds of letters, each calling for a different style
of address and composition, nevertheless the natural key should be
maintained in all, that is to say, the writer should never attempt to
convey an impression that he is other than what he is. It would be silly
as well as vain for the common street laborer of a limited education to
try to put on literary airs and emulate a college professor; he may have
as good a brain, but it is not as well developed by education, and he
lacks the polish which society confers. When writing a letter the street
laborer should bear in mind that only the letter of a street-laborer is
expected from him, no matter to whom his communication may be addressed
and that neither the grammar nor the diction of a Chesterfield or
Gladstone is looked for in his language. Still the writer should keep in
mind the person to whom he is writing. If it is to an Archbishop or some
other great dignitary of Church or state it certainly should be couched
in terms different from those he uses to John Browne, his intimate
friend. Just as he cannot say "Dear John" to an Archbishop, no more can
he address him in the familiar words he uses to his friend of everyday
acquaintance and companionship. Yet there is no great learning required
to write to an Archbishop, no more than to an ordinary individual. All
the laborer needs to know is the form of address and how to properly
utilize his limited vocabulary to the best advantage. Here is the form
for such a letter:
17 Second Avenue,
New York City.
January 1st, 1910.
Most Rev. P. A. Jordan,
Archbishop of New York.
Most Rev. and dear Sir:--
While sweeping the crossing at Fifth
Avenue and 50th street on last Wednesday
morning, I found the enclosed Fifty Dollar
Bill, which I am sending to you in the hope
that it may be restored to the rightful
owner.
I beg you will acknowledge receipt and
should the owner be found I trust you will
notify me, so that I may claim some reward
for my honesty.
I am, Most Rev. and dear Sir,
Very respectfully yours,
Thomas Jones.
Observe the brevity of the letter. Jones makes no suggestions to the
Archbishop how to find the owner, for he knows the course the Archbishop
will adopt, of having the finding of the bill announced from the Church
pulpits. Could Jones himself find the owner there would be no occasion to
apply to the Archbishop.
This letter, it is true, is different from that which he would send to
Browne. Nevertheless it is simple without being familiar, is just a plain
statement, and is as much to the point for its purpose as if it were
garnished with rhetoric and "words of learned length and thundering
sound."
Letters may be divided into those of friendship, acquaintanceship, those
of business relations, those written in an official capacity by public
servants, those designed to teach, and those which give accounts of the
daily happenings on the stage of life, in other words, news letters.
_Letters of friendship_ are the most common and their style and form
depend upon the degree of relationship and intimacy existing between the
writers and those addressed. Between relatives and intimate friends the
beginning and end may be in the most familiar form of conversation,
either affectionate or playful. They should, however, never overstep the
boundaries of decency and propriety, for it is well to remember that,
unlike conversation, which only is heard by the ears for which it is
intended, written words may come under eyes other than those for whom
they were designed. Therefore, it is well never to write anything which
the world may not read without detriment to your character or your
instincts. You can be joyful, playful, jocose, give vent to your feelings,
but never stoop to low language and, above all, to language savoring in
the slightest degree of moral impropriety.
_Business letters_ are of the utmost importance on account of the
interests involved. The business character of a man or of a firm is often
judged by the correspondence. On many occasions letters instead of
developing trade and business interests and gaining clientele, predispose
people unfavorably towards those whom they are designed to benefit.
Ambiguous, slip-shod language is a detriment to success. Business letters
should be clear, concise, to the point and, above all, honest, giving no
wrong impressions or holding out any inducements that cannot be fulfilled.
In business letters, just as in business conduct, honesty is always the
best policy.
_Official letters_ are mostly always formal. They should possess clearness,
brevity and dignity of tone to impress the receivers with the proper
respect for the national laws and institutions.
Letters designed to teach or _didactic letters_ are in a class all by
themselves. They are simply literature in the form of letters and are
employed by some of the best writers to give their thoughts and ideas a
greater emphasis. The most conspicuous example of this kind of composition
is the book on Etiquette by Lord Chesterfield, which took the form of a
series of letters to his son.
_News letters_ are accounts of world happenings and descriptions of
ceremonies and events sent into the newspapers. Some of the best authors
of our time are newspaper men who write in an easy flowing style which is
most readable, full of humor and fancy and which carries one along with
breathless interest from beginning to end.
The principal parts of a letter are (1) the _heading_ or introduction;
(2) the _body_ or substance of the letter; (3) the _subscription_ or
closing expression and signature; (4) the _address_ or direction on the
envelope. For the _body_ of a letter no forms or rules can be laid down
as it altogether depends on the nature of the letter and the relationship
between the writer and the person addressed.
There are certain rules which govern the other three features and which
custom has sanctioned. Every one should be acquainted with these rules.
THE HEADING
The _Heading_ has three parts, viz., the name of the place, the date of
writing and the designation of the person or persons addressed; thus:
73 New Street,
Newark, N. J.,
February 1st, 1910.
Messr. Ginn and Co.,
New York
Gentlemen:
The name of the place should never be omitted; in cities, street and
number should always be given, and except when the city is large and very
conspicuous, so that there can be no question as to its identity with
another of the same or similar name, the abbreviation of the State should
be appended, as in the above, Newark, N. J. There is another Newark in
the State of Ohio. Owing to failure to comply with this rule many letters
go astray. The _date_ should be on every letter, especially business
letters. The date should never be put at the bottom in a business letter,
but in friendly letters this may be done. The _designation_ of the
person or persons addressed differs according to the relations of the
correspondents. Letters of friendship may begin in many ways according to
the degrees of friendship or intimacy. Thus:
My dear Wife:
My dear Husband:
My dear Friend:
My darling Mother:
My dearest Love:
Dear Aunt:
Dear Uncle:
Dear George: etc.
To mark a lesser degree of intimacy such formal designations as the
following may be employed:
Dear Sir:
My dear Sir:
Dear Mr. Smith:
Dear Madam: etc.
For clergymen who have the degree of Doctor of Divinity, the designation
is as follows:
Rev. Alban Johnson, D. D.
My dear Sir: or Rev. and dear Sir: or more familiarly
Dear Dr. Johnson:
Bishops of the Roman and Anglican Communions are addressed as
_Right Reverend_.
The Rt. Rev., the Bishop of Long Island. or
The Rt. Rev. Frederick Burgess, Bishop of Long Island.
Rt. Rev. and dear Sir:
Archbishops of the Roman Church are addressed as _Most Reverend_ and
Cardinals as _Eminence_. Thus:
The Most Rev. Archbishop Katzer.
Most Rev. and dear Sir:
His Eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore.
May it please your Eminence:
The title of the Governor of a State or territory and of the President of
the United States is _Excellency_. However, _Honorable_ is more commonly
applied to Governors:--
His Excellency, William Howard Taft,
President of the United States.
Sir:--
His Excellency, Charles Evans Hughes,
Governor of the State of New York.
Sir:--
Honorable Franklin Fort,
Governor of New Jersey.
Sir:--
The general salutation for Officers of the Army and Navy is _Sir_. The
rank and station should be indicated in full at the head of the letter,
thus:
General Joseph Thompson,
Commanding the Seventh Infantry.
Sir:
Rear Admiral Robert Atkinson,
Commanding the Atlantic Squadron.
Sir:
The title of officers of the Civil Government is Honorable and they are
addressed as _Sir_.
Hon. Nelson Duncan,
Senator from Ohio.
Sir:
Hon. Norman Wingfield,
Secretary of the Treasury.
Sir:
Hon. Rupert Gresham,
Mayor of New York.
Sir:
Presidents and Professors of Colleges and Universities are generally
addressed as _Sir_ or _Dear Sir_.
Professor Ferguson Jenks,
President of .......... University.
Sir: or Dear Sir:
Presidents of Societies and Associations are treated as business men and
addressed as _Sir_ or _Dear Sir_.
Mr. Joseph Banks,
President of the Night Owls.
Dear Sir: or Sir:
Doctors of Medicine are addressed as _Sir: My dear Sir: Dear Sir:_
and more familiarly My dear Dr: or Dear Dr: as
Ryerson Pitkin, M. D.
Sir:
Dear Sir:
My dear Dr:
Ordinary people with no degrees or titles are addressed as Mr. and Mrs.
and are designed Dear Sir: Dear Madam: and an unmarried woman of any age
is addressed on the envelope as Miss So-and-so, but always designed in
the letter as
Dear Madam:
The plural of Mr. as in addressing a firm is _Messrs_, and the
corresponding salutation is _Dear Sirs: or Gentlemen:_
In England _Esq._ is used for _Mr._ as a mark of slight superiority and
in this country it is sometimes used, but it is practically obsolete.
Custom is against it and American sentiment as well. If it is used it
should be only applied to lawyers and justices of the peace.
SUBSCRIPTION
The _Subscription_ or ending of a letter consists of the term of respect
or affection and the signature. The term depends upon the relation of the
person addressed. Letters of friendship can close with such expressions
as:
Yours lovingly,
Yours affectionately,
Devotedly yours,
Ever yours, etc.
as between husbands and wives or between lovers. Such gushing
terminations as Your Own Darling, Your own Dovey and other pet and silly
endings should be avoided, as they denote shallowness. Love can be
strongly expressed without dipping into the nonsensical and the farcical.
Formal expressions of Subscription are:
Yours Sincerely,
Yours truly,
Respectfully yours,
and the like, and these may be varied to denote the exact bearing or
attitude the writer wishes to assume to the person addressed: as,
Very sincerely yours,
Very respectfully yours,
With deep respect yours,
Yours very truly, etc.
Such elaborate endings as
"In the meantime with the highest respect, I am yours to command,"
"I have the honor to be, Sir, Your humble Servant,"
"With great expression of esteem, I am Sincerely yours,"
"Believe me, my dear Sir, Ever faithfully yours,"
are condemned as savoring too much of affectation.
It is better to finish formal letters without any such qualifying
remarks. If you are writing to Mr. Ryan to tell him that you have a house
for sale, after describing the house and stating the terms simply sign
yourself
Your obedient Servant
Yours very truly,
Yours with respect,
James Wilson.
Don't say you have the honor to be anything or ask him to believe
anything, all you want to tell him is that you have a house for sale and
that you are sincere, or hold him in respect as a prospective customer.
Don't abbreviate the signature as: _Y'rs Resp'fly_ and always make
your sex obvious. Write plainly
Yours truly,
_John Field_
and not _J. Field_, so that the person to whom you send it may not take
you for _Jane Field_.
It is always best to write the first name in full. Married women should
prefix _Mrs._ to their names, as
Very sincerely yours,
_Mrs._ Theodore Watson.
If you are sending a letter acknowledging a compliment or some kindness
done you may say, _Yours gratefully,_ or _Yours very gratefully,_ in
proportion to the act of kindness received.
It is not customary to sign letters of degrees or titles after your name,
except you are a lord, earl or duke and only known by the title, but as
we have no such titles in America it is unnecessary to bring this matter
into consideration. Don't sign yourself,
Sincerely yours,
Obadiah Jackson, M.A. or L.L. D.
If you're an M. A. or an L.L. D. people generally know it without your
sounding your own trumpet. Many people, and especially clergymen, are
fond of flaunting after their names degrees they have received _honoris
causa_, that is, degrees as a mark of honor, without examination. Such
degrees should be kept in the background. Many a deadhead has these
degrees which he could never have earned by brain work.
Married women whose husbands are alive may sign the husband's name with
the prefix _Mrs:_ thus,
Yours sincerely,
_Mrs._ William Southey.
but when the husband is dead the signature should be--
Yours sincerely,
_Mrs._ Sarah Southey.
So when we receive a letter from a woman we are enabled to tell whether
she has a husband living or is a widow. A woman separated from her
husband but not a _divorcee_ should _not_ sign his name.
ADDRESS
The _address_ of a letter consists of the name, the title and the
residence.
Mr. Hugh Black,
112 Southgate Street,
Altoona,
Pa.
Intimate friends have often familiar names for each other, such as pet
names, nicknames, etc., which they use in the freedom of conversation,
but such names should never, under any circumstances, appear on the
envelope. The subscription on the envelope should be always written with
propriety and correctness and as if penned by an entire stranger. The
only difficulty in the envelope inscription is the title. Every man is
entitled to _Mr._ and every lady to _Mrs._ and every unmarried lady to
_Miss_. Even a boy is entitled to _Master_. When more than one is addressed
the title is _Messrs._ _Mesdames_ is sometimes written of women. If the
person addressed has a title it is courteous to use it, but titles never
must be duplicated. Thus, we can write
Robert Stitt, M. D., but never
Dr. Robert Stitt, M. D, or
Mr. Robert Stitt, M. D.
In writing to a medical doctor it is well to indicate his profession by
the letters M. D. so as to differentiate him from a D. D. It is better to
write Robert Stitt, M. D., than Dr. Robert Stitt.
In the case of clergymen the prefix Rev. is retained even when they have
other titles; as
Rev. Tracy Tooke, LL. D.
When a person has more titles than one it is customary to only give him
the leading one. Thus instead of writing Rev. Samuel MacComb, B. A.,
M. A., B. Sc., Ph. D., LL. D., D. D. the form employed is Rev. Samuel
MacComb, LL. D. LL. D. is appended in preference to D. D. because in most
cases the "Rev." implies a "D. D." while comparatively few with the prefix
"Rev." are entitled to "LL. D."
In the case of _Honorables_ such as Governors, Judges, Members of Congress,
and others of the Civil Government the prefix "Hon." does away with _Mr._
and _Esq._ Thus we write Hon. Josiah Snifkins, not Hon. Mr. Josiah Snifkins
or Hon. Josiah Snifkins, Esq. Though this prefix _Hon._ is also often
applied to Governors they should be addressed as Excellency. For instance:
His Excellency,
Charles E. Hughes,
Albany,
N. Y.
In writing to the President the superscription on the envelope should be
To the President,
Executive Mansion,
Washington, D. C.
Professional men such as doctors and lawyers as well as those having
legitimately earned College Degrees may be addressed on the envelopes by
their titles, as
Jonathan Janeway, M. D.
Hubert Houston, B. L.
Matthew Marks, M. A., etc.
The residence of the person addressed should be plainly written out in
full. The street and numbers should be given and the city or town written
very legibly. If the abbreviation of the State is liable to be confounded
or confused with that of another then the full name of the State should
be written. In writing the residence on the envelope, instead of putting
it all in one line as is done at the head of a letter, each item of the
residence forms a separate line. Thus,
Liberty,
Sullivan County,
New York.
215 Minna St.,
San Francisco,
California.
There should be left a space for the postage stamp in the upper right
hand corner. The name and title should occupy a line that is about
central between the top of the envelope and the bottom. The name should
neither be too much to right or left but located in the centre, the
beginning and end at equal distances from either end.
In writing to large business concerns which are well known or to public
or city officials it is sometimes customary to leave out number and street.
Thus,
Messrs. Seigel, Cooper Co.,
New York City,
Hon. William J. Gaynor,
New York City.
NOTES
_Notes_ may be regarded as letters in miniature confined chiefly to
invitations, acceptances, regrets and introductions, and modern etiquette
tends towards informality in their composition. Card etiquette, in fact,
has taken the place of ceremonious correspondence and informal notes are
now the rule. Invitations to dinner and receptions are now mostly written
on cards. "Regrets" are sent back on visiting cards with just the one
word _"Regrets"_ plainly written thereon. Often on cards and notes of
invitation we find the letters R. S. V. P. at the bottom. These letters
stand for the French _repondez s'il vous plait_, which means "Reply, if
you please," but there is no necessity to put this on an invitation card
as every well-bred person knows that a reply is expected. In writing
notes to young ladies of the same family it should be noted that the
eldest daughter of the house is entitled to the designation _Miss_ without
any Christian name, only the surname appended. Thus if there are three
daughters in the Thompson family Martha, the eldest, Susan and Jemina,
Martha is addressed as _Miss_ Thompson and the other two as _Miss_ Susan
Thompson and _Miss_ Jemina Thompson respectively.
Don't write the word _addressed_ on the envelope of a note.
Don't _seal_ a note delivered by a friend.
Don't write a note on a postal card.
Here are a few common forms:--
FORMAL INVITATIONS
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff request the
honor of Mr. McAdoo's presence on Friday
evening, June 15th, at 8 o'clock to meet the
Governor of the Fort.
19 Woodbine Terrace
June 8th, 1910.
This is an invitation to a formal reception calling for evening dress.
Here is Mr. McAdoo's reply in the third person:--
Mr. McAdoo presents his compliments to
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff and accepts with
great pleasure their invitation to meet the
Governor of the Fort on the evening of June
fifteenth.
215 Beacon Street,
June 10th, 1910.
Here is how Mr. McAdoo might decline the invitation:--
Mr. McAdoo regrets that owing to a prior
engagement he must forego the honor of paying
his respects to Mr. and Mrs. Wagstaff and the
Governor of the Fort on the evening of June
fifteenth.
215 Beacon St.,
June 10th, 1910.
Here is a note addressed, say to Mr. Jeremiah Reynolds.
Mr. and Mrs. Oldham at home on Wednesday
evening October ninth from seven to eleven.
21 Ashland Avenue,
October 5th.
Mr. Reynolds makes reply:--
Mr. Reynolds accepts with high appreciation
the honor of Mr. and Mrs. Oldham's invitation
for Wednesday evening October ninth.
Windsor Hotel
October 7th
or
Mr. Reynolds regrets that his duties render
it impossible for him to accept Mr. and Mrs.
Oldham's kind invitation for the evening of
October ninth.
Windsor Hotel,
October 7th,
Sometimes less informal invitations are sent on small specially designed
note paper in which the first person takes the place of the third. Thus
360 Pine St.,
Dec. 11th, 1910.
Dear Mr. Saintsbury:
Mr. Johnson and I should be much pleased to
have you dine with us and a few friends next
Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past seven.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Burnside.
Mr. Saintsbury's reply:
57 Carlyle Strand
Dec. 13th, 1910.
Dear Mrs. Burnside:
Let me accept very appreciatively your
invitation to dine with Mr. Burnside and you
on next Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past
seven.
Yours sincerely,
Henry Saintsbury.
Mrs. Alexander Burnside.
NOTES OF INTRODUCTION
Notes of introduction should be very circumspect as the writers are in
reality vouching for those whom they introduce. Here is a specimen of
such a note.
603 Lexington Ave.,
New York City,
June 15th, 1910.
Rev. Cyrus C. Wiley, D. D.,
Newark, N. J.
My dear Dr. Wiley:
I take the liberty of
presenting to you my friend, Stacy Redfern,
M. D., a young practitioner, who is anxious
to locate in Newark. I have known him many
years and can vouch for his integrity and
professional standing. Any courtesy and
kindness which you may show him will be very
much appreciated by me.
Very sincerely yours,
Franklin Jewett.
CHAPTER VII
ERRORS
Mistakes--Slips of Authors--Examples and Corrections--Errors of Redundancy.
In the following examples the word or words in parentheses are uncalled
for and should be omitted:
1. Fill the glass (full).
2. They appeared to be talking (together) on private affairs.
3. I saw the boy and his sister (both) in the garden.
4. He went into the country last week and returned (back) yesterday.
5. The subject (matter) of his discourse was excellent.
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