For example, if we’re writing a letter to Tim and Janet Jones and their children Emma and Peter, we would address the envelope to The Jones Family. [3] X Expert Source Tami ClaytorEtiquette Coach Expert Interview. 20 May 2021.
Don’t fall into the trap of using apostrophes here. Apostrophes are used to convey possession, not to make a word plural, so you shouldn’t use them in the plural form of the family name. Most family names simply need an -s at the end to become plural (e. g. Thompsons, Lincolns). However, family names that end with an “s”, “sh”, or “x” sound usually need an -es at the end (e. g. Roses, Foxes, Welshes). Following our example above, if we’re writing a letter to the Jones family, in addition to using “The Jones Family” as the first line of our address, we can also simply use The Joneses.
For example, in our Jones family example, our final address might look something like this: The Jones Family (or “The Joneses”) 21 Jump Street Anytown, CA, 98765 As a general rule, whenever you’re addressing an envelope to a family, the first line of the address is the one you’ll change — the actual street address should remain untouched. In the following methods described below, it is to be assumed that the portion of the address following the “name” line should be written as normal.
For example, If we’re inviting the Jones family to a housewarming party, we would start by writing the parents’ names on the first line: Mr. and Mrs. Jones. It’s also acceptable to use the traditional form of describing married couples in which the husband’s full name serves for both partners: Mr. and Mrs. Tim Jones. However, this method isn’t necessary. Finally, you can also write each partner’s full name, sans titles: Tim and Janet Jones. This is usually done in familiar, informal contexts, as using someone’s first name rather than his or her title can be seen as rude if you don’t know him or her well.
For example, in our example party invitation scenario, we would write the names of the children in the family below the parent’s names like so: Emma and Peter. This means that the first two lines of our address would look something like this: Mr. and Mrs. Jones Emma and Peter
Mr. and Mrs. Jones Emma and Peter
In our example, we could replace Emma and Peter’s names with the phrase “and Family” or “and Children” if we had forgotten their names. In this case, the first two lines of our address would look like this: Mr. and Mrs. Jones and Children
If, for instance, we wanted only to invite the parents in the Jones family to our party, we would use the standard Mr. and Mrs. Jones without naming any of their children.
For the outer envelope, write the parents’ names as described in the section above. For example, if you’re inviting the entire Jones family to your wedding, for the outer envelope, you would only write the names of the parents: Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Tim Jones, or Tim and Janet Jones.
Note that the directions for the inner envelope refer to its return address. Obviously, the main address that tells where the envelope is being sent will be your own (or that of a relevant agency, business, PO box, etc. ) so that their reply will be sent to the correct place. In our wedding invitation example, if we’re inviting the entire family, the return address of the inner envelope would have the parents’ names on the first line followed by the names of the children on the second. The first two lines of the inner envelope’s return address would look something like this: Mr. and Mrs. Jones Emma and Peter
As above, you should send separate letters to children who are over 18 (or are considered independent adults according to some other standard). In situations where you’re sending letters with included return envelopes, this means that you’ll need to address and stamp each return envelope with the name of the over-18 child in the return address as well.
