Reading Forms and Applications
Surname, DOB, block capitals, tick as appropriate — the fixed vocabulary of official forms, and the boxes that catch people out.
Forms use a small, fixed vocabulary that almost never changes, and getting one field wrong can invalidate the whole thing.
The name fields
- Surname / Family name / Last name — all mean the same thing
- First name / Given name / Forename — also all the same
- Middle name — often optional
- Title — Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr
- Maiden name — a woman's surname before marriage
Ms is the safe choice when writing to a woman: it does not indicate marital status, unlike Mrs and Miss.
The other standard fields
- DOB — date of birth
- Nationality — your citizenship, not where you live
- Place of birth — usually the town
- Occupation — your job
- Marital status — single, married, divorced, widowed
- Next of kin — closest relative, for emergencies
- Signature — sign, don't print
The instructions
| Instruction | What to do |
|---|---|
| BLOCK CAPITALS | Write in CAPITAL LETTERS |
| Tick as appropriate | Mark the boxes that apply |
| Delete as applicable | Cross out what does not apply |
| Please print | Write clearly, not joined-up |
| For office use only | Leave blank |
| Attach a copy | Include a photocopy |
| Continue overleaf | Carry on on the back |
| N/A | Not applicable — write this rather than leaving it empty |
"For office use only" means do not write there. It is one of the most common form errors.
Date format — the real trap
UK: DD/MM/YYYY — 03/08/2026 is 3 August US: MM/DD/YYYY — 03/08/2026 is 8 March
The same eight characters mean two different days. When a form does not state the format, write the month as a word: 3 August 2026 is unambiguous everywhere.
Address order
English addresses go small to large:
Flat 4 / 22 King Street / Manchester / M1 4WX / United Kingdom
Postcode (UK) = ZIP code (US).
Test yourself
The quiz below covers the instructions and the date trap.