A separate topic in the study of English is usually discussed the tradition of writing letters. Why is she getting so much attention? Everything is simple. Each country has its own characteristics that should be observed when writing letters. Even the address is not written the same way everywhere, and this should be taken into account, because the correct spelling of the address affects whether the addressee receives the letter or not. In this article, we will learn how to write an address in English.
Address in English. Key Features
Before we get into the details, let's look at how to write an address in English in general terms. First of all, it must be correctly positioned on the envelope. Of course, envelopes are now more common, where the lines that need to be filled out are already marked, but what if they are not there? Remember that the sender's address is traditionally written in the upper left corner, and the address of the person to whomintended letter - addressee.
Handwriting
This little detail deserves special attention. In order for the letter to reach the recipient, the address must be written not only correctly, but also as legibly as possible. To do this, you must follow some rules. Firstly, it is better to indicate the address in block letters. Second, the letters must be large enough to be easily read.
How to send a letter in the UK?
In English-speaking countries, address traditions differ.
Therefore, let's look at how to write an address in English correctly using several examples. And we'll start with the UK.
In Britain there is the Royal Postal Service, which dictates the requirements for writing an address. For example, you need to remember that the name of the city must be written in capital letters (i.e. large). When writing the address, the following order is observed: the sender's name, house number and street, if necessary, after that the name of the district is mentioned, then the name of the city, written in capital letters, as mentioned above, and finally the postal code. It is in this strict sequence that the address is issued in letters in the UK.
How to send a letter in America?
Now let's figure out how to write an address in English using the example of American letters. The requirements for the design of the address in American letters are somewhat different from the British requirements, and all because the name of the state will also have to be indicated on the American letter. Moreover, it is not necessary to write it in full, but to use certain abbreviations. For example, instead of New York, you just need to write NY. To find out which abbreviation corresponds to the name of a particular state, you need to use the American Postal Service website, where a complete list of abbreviations is presented.
So, how do you write an address in English when sending letters to the US? More precisely, in what order should it be written? First of all, as in the British version, you must specify the name of the sender / recipient, then indicate the house number and street name, then the city name, abbreviated state name and postal code. The name of the country is indicated last.
Write the address in capital letters, especially if it is a formal letter.
Features of writing a business letter
Business writing often requires more rules and regulations to be followed.
In a business letter, before the name, you must put an appeal corresponding to the status of the recipient. Before the name of a man, the treatment Mr. is used, if the letter is addressed to a married woman, then Mrs. should be used, if the woman is not married, then Miss is written before the name, if information about the marital status is not known, then the neutral address Ms is put. It is worth noting that in recent years, neutral treatmentgive more preference, insofar as it does not draw attention to the marital status of a woman and her status. To some, this option seems more respectful and preferable.
You also need to remember that when writing an address in British letters, do not need to put a period after the form of address and initials.
How to write an address in English for delivery?
In our time, online shopping is rapidly gaining momentum. Online stores have a huge selection of goods at various prices. No wonder so many people prefer online ordering. True, some people face difficulties when specifying the address, because many online stores ship goods from other countries. How to write a Russian address in English? Let's deal with this issue.
Everything is somewhat simpler here, since the shipment is intended for Russia, therefore, the address should be as clear as possible for the Russian postal service.
How to write an address in English if the names are all Russian? Very simple. You need to use transliteration. Probably, everyone who started learning English tried to write his name in Latin letters. In general terms, this is transliteration. When issuing passports, transliteration is also used. There are even correspondence tables in which you can see which Latin letters or their combination will correspond to Russian. Thus, you can write down all the necessary names in Latin.
The address is usually filled in in the following order: the first name and surname are written first, then the house number and street, the namelocality, followed by state, postal code and country. It is very important to check whether the index is written correctly before sending. This will guarantee that the package will definitely arrive without problems.
What should I pay attention to?
So, we figured out how to write addresses in English correctly. In the course of studying the rules, one could notice that in general there is some similarity in writing addresses in English. Everywhere, first of all, names are indicated, and then the movement begins, as it were, from larger to smaller. First, the street is written, then the city, etc., and the address ends with the name of the country, i.e., there is an upward movement. The difference between British address writing traditions and American ones lies in some details, but they are still worth considering. And, of course, you need to remember about business forms of address if you are writing an official letter - this is required by the norms of etiquette.
But what should you pay attention to in absolutely all cases?
Firstly, the correctness of the specified address. It's best to double check everything. Second, make sure all the words are written large enough to be easily legible. They must be clear so that postal workers do not guess the name of the city. And, of course, you must make sure that the index is written correctly, and that it is specified at all. This will significantly increase the likelihood that the package will reach the specified address without any problems.
