One of my students feels that calling someone a tax official is more a sign of respect than calling the same person a tax officer. They seem intercahngeable to me and in this article: http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/19 ... ad_335.htm
What do you think? Is one more honorific?
James Trotta
www.eslgo.com/
www.esl-blog.com/
Tax officer vs. tax official
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James Trotta
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Tax Officer versus Tax Official
The article lists "Principal Tax Officer" as the man's official title. "Tax official" is not capitalized, and is therefore merely a general label for any and all Tax Officers. As you are questioning their interchangeability in this article, and they are not used in this article in the way you indicate, I point this out first.
I don't think either is an honorific in American English, as the honorific is usually attached to the title, not necessarily the title itself. This may have different implications in Irish English than in American English, though. In American English "IRS official" would sound as if the person were higher up than "IRS officer." The former I would consider a bureaucrat, maybe even an appointed official, the latter a working field officer, or tax auditor. Something like "Mr. IRS Officer" would be the honorific.
"Principal" before "Tax Officer" may be just that, the honorific in Irish English. To find out if the official title is an honorific, or if there is an honorific associated with the title, look it up at an Irish government official website on letter-writing etiquette. Maybe one of our Irish or British Commonwealth members can help
I don't think either is an honorific in American English, as the honorific is usually attached to the title, not necessarily the title itself. This may have different implications in Irish English than in American English, though. In American English "IRS official" would sound as if the person were higher up than "IRS officer." The former I would consider a bureaucrat, maybe even an appointed official, the latter a working field officer, or tax auditor. Something like "Mr. IRS Officer" would be the honorific.
"Principal" before "Tax Officer" may be just that, the honorific in Irish English. To find out if the official title is an honorific, or if there is an honorific associated with the title, look it up at an Irish government official website on letter-writing etiquette. Maybe one of our Irish or British Commonwealth members can help
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James Trotta
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2003 1:06 am
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So you're saying that tax official sounds like a higher rank than tax officer?
That's exactly what my student thought, but in that article the same person is referred to as a tax official (in a general sense) and a tax officer (as in Principal Tax Officer). I guess anyone (high or low position) working for the IRS could be called a tax official, while some people may have "officer" in their title.
James Trotta
www.eslgo.com/
www.esl-blog.com/
That's exactly what my student thought, but in that article the same person is referred to as a tax official (in a general sense) and a tax officer (as in Principal Tax Officer). I guess anyone (high or low position) working for the IRS could be called a tax official, while some people may have "officer" in their title.
James Trotta
www.eslgo.com/
www.esl-blog.com/
Tax Official vs. Tax Officer
What I'm saying is that if one person were a Tax Official and the other a Tax Officer, I would guess the Tax Official to be of higher rank. So, yes. I am guessing that many, but not all, "Tax Officials" are "Tax Officers," and not all are "Principal Tax Officers."
What we're actually talking about, though, is one Principal Tax Officer amongst tax officials, like discussing the Desk Sergeant or the 14th Precinct amongst all the police officers in the city, or the block with the letter A on it in a set of alphabet blocks or just one amongst the group, rather than an honorific. Honorifics are not often used in English, and they would be used in forms of address rather than when discussing someone in the third person in a newspaper article.
In my opinion directing the student to the clue that the one was capitalized and the other not will answer the question about if either one is an honorific. Also comparing and discussing honorifics in his/her native language versus English, official English, and written English. A good lead into a discussion of general nouns and specific tiles in English. Etc., etc.
Still, good question, as I had to really ponder it. I would love some additional input, more precise, from anyone on the board.
What we're actually talking about, though, is one Principal Tax Officer amongst tax officials, like discussing the Desk Sergeant or the 14th Precinct amongst all the police officers in the city, or the block with the letter A on it in a set of alphabet blocks or just one amongst the group, rather than an honorific. Honorifics are not often used in English, and they would be used in forms of address rather than when discussing someone in the third person in a newspaper article.
In my opinion directing the student to the clue that the one was capitalized and the other not will answer the question about if either one is an honorific. Also comparing and discussing honorifics in his/her native language versus English, official English, and written English. A good lead into a discussion of general nouns and specific tiles in English. Etc., etc.
Still, good question, as I had to really ponder it. I would love some additional input, more precise, from anyone on the board.