greetings...

[smk]

I am writing a greeting card to my professor and need some help.

My professor and his wife (who is also a professor) have been very helpful to me and I want to send them a greeting card, but I am not sure if I have the salutation correct. I am not using real names but the last name ends with an 's' so is the apostrophe in the correct place?

Dear Drs. Walters',

Happy Holidays...


Thank you!

 

[emsr2d2]

I am writing a greeting card to my professor and need some help.

My professor and his wife (who is also a professor) have been very helpful to me and I want to send them a greeting card, but I am not sure if I have the salutation correct. I am not using real names but the last name ends with an 's' so is the apostrophe in the correct place?

Dear Drs. Walters',

Happy Holidays...


Thank you!

No matter what the last letter of their surname is, you don't need an apostrophe at all. In the salutation at the beginning of a letter, you just say:

Dear Mr Smith
Dear Mr and Mrs Walters
Dear Drs Jones

etc.

 

[smk]

No matter what the last letter of their surname is, you don't need an apostrophe at all. In the salutation at the beginning of a letter, you just say:

Dear Mr Smith
Dear Mr and Mrs Walters
Dear Drs Jones

etc.

Thank you, emsr2d2! Just to make sure I have understood correctly, even if the last name didn't end in 's', like 'King', I would still write Drs. King, right? How would I write their names on the envelope? Dr. John King and Dr. Susan King or just Drs. King?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you, emsr2d2! Just to make sure I have understood correctly, even if the last name didn't end in 's', like 'King', I would still write Drs. King, right? How would I write their names on the envelope? Dr. John King and Dr. Susan King or just Drs. King?

Yes, you would still write "Dear Drs King".

On the envelope, I would be more likely to write "Dr J and Dr S King". However, you could write "Drs J and S King" or simply "Drs King". I don't think the latter sounds particularly polite, though.

 

[5jj]

I will accept what emsr2d2 says, but I find 'Dear Drs King' ugly.

I would address them on the envelope as 'Dr M King' and 'Dr F King'.
If I had to address a greeting to them, I would write 'Dear Doctors King'.

No expertise here - just my personal thoughts.

 

[smk]

Yes, you would still write "Dear Drs King".

On the envelope, I would be more likely to write "Dr J and Dr S King". However, you could write "Drs J and S King" or simply "Drs King". I don't think the latter sounds particularly polite, though.

Thank you!!! Also, here is what I am planning on writing:

"One of the real joys of the Holiday Season is the opportunity to say Thank You! I am truly very grateful for your support and guidance! I wish you two the very best for the New Year!"

I found this message online (and added a little bit myself) but don't think the capitalization of Holiday Season and Thank You are necessary, and I also think that Thank You should be in quotation marks. Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you!!! Also, here is what I am planning on writing:

"One of the real joys of the Holiday Season is the opportunity to say Thank You! I am truly very grateful for your support and guidance! I wish you [STRIKE]two[/STRIKE] both the very best for the New Year!"

I found this message online (and added a little bit myself) but don't think the capitalization of Holiday Season and Thank You are necessary, and I also think that Thank You should be in quotation marks. Am I right?

"You both" is much better than "you two".
I would put "Thank you" in quotation marks but with the capital T.
I don't like Holiday Season at all, even without capitals but that could just be because I'm in the UK and we don't refer to the Christmas/New Year/festive period like that. If you're in America, and that's the accepted term, then use it. I wouldn't capitalise it, though.

 

[5jj]

"One of the real joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to say "Thank you!" I am truly very grateful for your support and guidance! I wish you two the very best for the New Year!"

I'd capitalise the first letter of 'Thank'

I also think I'd say '... I wish you both ...' rather than '... I wish you two ...'.

 

[5jj]

emsr2d2 beat me to it. :-(

 

[smk]

Thank you, emsr2d2 and 5jj :-D!!!

 

[smk]

One final question...

The salutation goes above the printed message in card, my handwritten message goes below printed message, and closing signature goes on bottom right hand of card. Is this format correct?

[Salutation],

Pre-printed message in card

My handwritten message

[Closing signature].

 

[smk]

"One of the real joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to say "Thank you!" I am truly very grateful for your support and guidance! I wish you two the very best for the New Year!"

I'd capitalise the first letter of 'Thank'

I also think I'd say '... I wish you both ...' rather than '... I wish you two ...'.

Should there be a comma before "Thank you"?

 

[5jj]

I'd put the signature on the left or, if the printed message and your handwritten message are centre--aligned, in the middle, under the handwritten message.