Style and punctuation of addresses

Both the addresses may be 'blocked' (i.e. each line is vertically aligned with the one above):

Bredgade51,

DK 1260,

Copenhagen K,

DENMARK

There are no rules stating that one style or the other must be used, though blocking, at least in addresses, is more common. In any case you must be consistent, i.e. do not block the sender's address and then indent the inside address.

If punctuation is used, each line of the address is followed by a comma, except the last line. But the majority of firms now use open punctuation, i.e. without any commas.

These examples show the most widely used methods of writing addresses.

British style	American style
Inside address (company)
Messrs Black & Sons, 159 Knightsbridge, London SWL 87C   ************************** The International Trading Company 24 Churchill Avenue Maidstone, Kent ZH8 92B	International Trading Company Sabas Building 507 A. Flores Street Manila Philippines   **************************** The American Magazine 119 Sixth Avenue New York, NY 11011
Addressing an individual on company business
The Manager The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Main Office Kuala Lumpur Malaysia   Dear Sir,   *************************** Messrs Mahmoud & Son 329 Coast Road Karachi, Pakistan   For the attention of Mr. Singh	Mr. C.C. Pan Far East Jewellery Co. 68 Queen’s Road East Hong Kong   Dear Sir:   ************************** The Standard Oil Company Midland Building Cleveland, Ohio 44115   Attention: Mr. E.G. Glass, Jr.

British style	American style
Addressing an individual on private business
T. Hardy, Esq., c/o Waltons Ltd., 230 Snow Street, Birmingham, England.     Dear Tom,   ************************** Miss Claire Waterson c/o Miller & Sons Pty. Ltd. Box 309 Sydney NSW 2000 Australia   Dear Miss Waterson,	Mr. C. Manzi Credito Milano Via Cavour 86 Milan Italy   Dear Mr Manzi,   **************************** Continental Supply Company 312 Surawongse Bangkok Thailand   Attention: Mr. P. Wilson, Jr.     Dear Peter,

'For the attention of’

An alternative to including the recipient's name or position in the address is to use an 'attention line' as here:

Salutations

Dear Sir opens a letter written to a man whose name you do not know.

Dear Sirs is used to address a company.

Dear Madam is used to address a woman, whether single or married, whose name you do not know.

Dear Sir or Madam is used to address a person of whom you know neither the name nor the sex.

When you do know the name of the person you are writing to, the salutation takes the form of Dear followed by a courtesy title and the person's surname. Initials or first names are not generally used in salutations:

Dear Mr Smith,

not Dear Mr J. Smith or Dear Mr John Smith.

The comma after the salutation is optional (Dear Sir, or Dear Sir).

Note that in the USA a letter to a company usually opens with Gentlemen, followed by a colon, not with Dear Sirs.

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