How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at university.

[Odessa Dawn]

How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at university.

I do know her name but the problem when I do send her a message, I don’t know what should precede her name & the best title for her. Again, she holds a master degree & gives lectures at university. I hope the aforementioned passage is clear.
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[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

A master's degree confers no title in English. Unless you know that this person prefers to be called Mrs or Miss J Doe, then address her as Ms J Doe.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

A master's degree confers no title in English. Unless you know that this person prefers to be called Mrs or Miss J Doe, then address her as Ms J Doe.

An example, her name is Maria
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Will you set me an example of that name?
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[Rover_KE]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

Ms M Doe.

The M is the initial of Maria (presumably her given name) and Doe represents her surname (family name).

You should use her actual surname.

Rover

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

If you are writing a letter, address the envelope to Ms M Surname, and begin the letter Dear Ms Surname.

 

[BobK]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

A master's degree confers no title in English...[/I]

It is a Latin pun - a male 'MA' is Magister Artis and a female 'MA' is Magistra Artis.

b

 

[abaka]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

If you are her equal (not a student), use the first name in every e-mail after the first one.

If you are her academic superior (you have a PhD) do NOT allow yourself to do so, and maintain the Ms. Doe style.

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

If you are her equal (not a student), use the first name in every e-mail after the first one.

If you are her academic superior (you have a PhD) do NOT allow yourself to do so, and maintain the Ms. Doe style.

I use a first name only if the person I have written to replies with a first-name signature. Wheher Professor Pat Postule is my 'superior' or not, I will address him/her as 'Pat' only if s/he has signed his/her last communication to me with the word 'Pat'.

 

[abaka]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

It's not just about what the person you're corresponding with signals to you; it's about what you signal to them.

Letter politeness is a precious and specious kind of elegance. E-mails in particular should be as direct as possible. And since in practice equals call each other by their first names now universally and ab initio when face to face, the same should go for e-mail.

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

And since in practice equals call each other by their first names now universally and ab initio when face to face, the same should go for e-mail.

Well, perhaps I am old-fashioned, but I am not impressed if I receive an email from someone I don't know addressing me by my first name. I never use a first name in a first email to a person I don't know.

 

[abaka]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

I've said the switch should take place only with the second message, and never between people who are not equals.

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

I've said the switch should take place only with the second message, and never between people who are not equals.

You wrote in the post I responded to:

E-mails in particular should be as direct as possible. And since in practice equals call each other by their first names now universally and ab initio when face to face, the same should go for e-mail.

My understanding of 'ab initio' is that it means 'from the beginning', not 'from the second message'.

 

[abaka]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

Oh, sorry. I meant what I wrote above that. #7 in this thread.

But a "Hello Mary" is still better even in the first message than the flowery obsequies of traditional letter-writing.

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

But a "Hello Mary" is still better even in the first message than the flowery obsequies of traditional letter-writing.

I wouldn't really call salutations such as 'Dear Ms Doe' "flowery obsequies".

If you are thinking of things like 'I remain, sir, your most obedient servant', they went out of the window more than half a century ago.

 

[abaka]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

I wasn't talking about "Dear Ms. Doe". I was talking precisely about obedient servants availing themselves of the opportunity and the like.

The important point is that the equivalents of such euphuism survive in many languages to this day.

It does no harm to remind learners of English that "Dear Mary" even in the first letter today reads more naturally than "My dear Madam" and "I remain ever yours faithfully". At least over here.

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

It does no harm to remind learners of English that "Dear Mary" even in the first letter today reads more naturally than "My dear Madam" and "I remain ever yours faithfully". At least over here.

If any used such outdated phraseology, I would point out that it was unsuitable. I would also point out that it is safer in the first letter or email to use 'Dear Ms Doe' than 'Dear Mary'.

 

[BobK]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

If I get a letter from someone I don't know who addresses me as 'Bob' I'm inclined to consign it to the bin. ;-) (I'm gradually getting the better of this tendency; I understand it's not widely applauded.)

b

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

I have no hesitation in recommending that you can't go wrong with 'Dear Madam' if you are writing to a woman whose surname you don't know.

Women are accustomed to being thus addressed and it's better to be thought of as polite rather than over-familiar.

Rover

 

[5jj]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

If I get a letter from someone I don't know who addresses me as 'Bob' I'm inclined to consign it to the bin. ;-) (I'm gradually getting the better of this tendency; I understand it's not widely applauded.)

I have the same reaction when someone writes to me as 'Jon'. That may be the name on my birth certificate, but, apart from my mother and sister, nobody I know uses that name for me. So, I know that anyone who calls me 'Jon' is not a friend, but is assuming the familiarity of a friend. I want nothing to do with such people.

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: How do we call a woman who holds master degree & she gives a lecture at universit

My father's first name was Robert, but he went by his middle name. So people calling and asking for "Bob" were obviously just annoying salespeople.