Using Personal Titles: Using Personal Titles #7: U.S. Government Titles

Using Personal Titles #7:
U.S. Government Titles (#1)

 

Another group of special titles is used for people who hold
U.S. government offices. Here are some common ones:

 

The President and Vice President
of the U.S.

If you are speaking directly to a president or vice president
of the U.S., use Mr. President or Mr. Vice President
but do not use a name. You can also use sir (without
a name), but Mr. President and Mr. Vice President
are more polite and formal:

It's an honor to meet you, Mr. President.
(It's an honor to meet you, sir.)

It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Vice President.
(It's an honor to meet you, sir.)

If you write a letter to a president or vice president of the
U.S., use this form:

address:

The President (The Vice President)
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

greetings (in the letter):

Dear Mr. President (Mr. Vice President):

Mr. President: (Mr. Vice President):

Dear Sir:

A U.S. Senator

If you are speaking directly to a U.S. Senator, use Senator
< /FONT>and a surname (family name). You can also use sir (for
a man) or ma'am (for a woman) without names, but the
title Senator is more polite and formal:

It's an honor to meet you, Senator Jones.
(It's an honor to meet you, sir / ma'am.)

If you write a letter to a U.S. Senator, use this form:

address:

The Hon. Senator + complete name
(or Senator + complete name)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

greetings (in the letter):

Dear Mr. Senator: /
Dear Madam Senator:

Dear Mr. + surname:/
Dear Ms. + surname:

Dear Senator + surname

 

A U.S. Representative

If you are speaking directly to a U.S. Representative, use
Representative and a surname (family name). You can
also use sir (for a man) or ma'am (for a woman) without
names, but the title Representative is more polite and
more formal:

It's an honor to meet you, Representative Smith.
(It's an honor to meet you, sir / ma'am.)

If you write a letter to a U.S. Representative, use this form:

address:

The Hon. Representative + complete name
(or Representative + complete name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

greetings (in the letter):

Dear Mr. + surname:/
Dear Ms. + surname:

Dear Representative + surname

 

A U.S. Ambassador

If you are speaking directly to a U.S. Ambassador, use
Ambassador and a surname (family name). You can
also use sir (for a man) or ma'am (for a woman) without
names, but the title Ambassador is more polite and formal:

It's an honor to meet you, Ambassador Johnson.
(It's an honor to meet you, sir / ma'am.)

If you write a letter to a U.S. Ambassador, use this form:

address:

The Hon. + complete name,
American Ambassador
(address)

greetings (in the letter):

Dear Mr. Ambassador: /
Dear Madam Ambassador:

Sir: / Madam:

_________________________________________

 

Special Notes:

1.		The U.S. has not yet had a woman president, but when this happens, use Madam President or ma'am when speaking directly to her and use Dear Madam President: or Madam President: in the greeting of a letter.
2.		For a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Representative, or a U.S. Ambassador, the title The Hon. means The Honorable. "Honorable" is almost always abbreviated to "Hon." in writing.
3.		Although ma'am is actually an abbreviation for madam, madam is not generally used, in the U.S., in speaking.