Page 155 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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control
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(N OT • •• ffl oontffll the steering.)
However, the noun control is used with the meaning of 'inspection point' in expressions like passportlcustoms control.
correspondence (1): letters
Each culture has its own way of organising a letter and arranging it on a page.
English-speaking people generally observe the following rules.
Put your own address at the top on the right. Addresses generally follow the rule of 'smallest first': house number, then street, then town. Postcode and telephone number I fax number I email address come last. Don't put your name with the address.
Put the date directly under the address. A common way to write the date is to put the number of the day, followed by the month and year (e.g. 17 May 2005). For other ways (and differences between British and American customs)
see 152.
1n formal letters and business letters, put the name and address of the person you are writing to on the left side of the page, starting on the same level as the date or slightly below.
Different styles are common in formal letters on paper which has the address ready-printed at the top of the page. For example, the date may be put on the left, and the address of the person written to may come at the end of the letter or of the first page.
Begin the letter (Dear X) on the left. Common ways of addressing people are: • by first name (informal): Dear Penny
• by title and surname (more formal): Dear Ms Hopkins
• Dear Sires), Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Madam (especially to somebody
Control is a 'false friend' for people who speak some languages. It generally means manage, direct, not check or inspect. Compare:
-
-
The crowd was too big for the police to controL (= . . . to keep in order.) Thepolicewerecheckingeverybody'spapers. (NOT ••• etmtfflUingeveryh6dy's
ptftfJet's. )
I found the car difficult to control at high speeds.
1 took the car to the garage and asked them to have a look at the steering.
whose name is not known)
Some people like to use the first name and surname (Dear Penny Hopkins) when writing to strangers or people that they do not know well.
Do not use a title like Mr together with a first name (NOT Dear Mr}ames Carter).
•
correspondence (1): letters 146
page 123