FORMAL LETTERS
ü Dear Sir / Madam
ü Dear Mr/Mrs & the name of the person you’re writing to
ü Thank you for …
ü I am writing in order to / with reference to / about … which …
ü As far as ________ is concerned …
ü With regards to the …,
ü Regarding the …
ü In your letter/ the advert you mentioned (that/the) …
ü Would it be possible to …
ü I was hoping that I could …
ü I would be grateful if you could …
ü I would appreciate your help/advice
Linking words: In addition to this, Additionally, Furthermore, Despite the fact that, However, Firstly, Secondly, In conclusion, Finally
ü I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience,
ü I hope you will consider my application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future,
ü Thank you for taking the time to consider (my application/my suggestions),
ü Yours faithfully, (for Dear Sir/Madam)
ü Yours sincerely, (if you know the name)
ü (your name)
Letters objecting to someone's plans
ü I am writing to express my concern /disappointment / alarm at hearing ...
ü I was extremely alarmed/sorry/distressed to hear about your plans to ...
ü As I think you know, …
ü May I point out that …
ü I feel I really must object to ...
ü I am extremely concerned at the thought that ...
ü It must be very clear that ...
ü If these proposals go ahead, ... will happen.
ü Another threat to ... , if these proposals go ahead, would come from ...
ü I dread to imagine what damage this will cause.
ü May I respectfully suggest that you ...
ü I was wondering if you had considered this alternative?
ü Would it not be possible to ... ?
ü
Letters of complaint
ü I am writing to complain about ...
ü I am writing to tell you how disappointed/annoyed I feel about ...
ü I was amazed/distressed/horrified to find that ...
ü As you must realise, ...
ü I am sure you know that ...
ü I am sure you can imagine ...
ü I am sure you will appreciate that ...
ü It goes without saying that ...
ü At the very least, I look forward to receiving ...
ü Unless you ... , I am afraid that I will have to take this matter further.
Letters of recommendation
ü I am writing to you on behalf of ...
ü I have known X for ... years.
ü She / He has shown herself/himself to be extremely ...
ü X would seem to fit the requirements of this job perfectly.
ü I have no hesitation in recommending X as a ...
Letters to the editor
ü I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).
ü I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).
ü I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...
ü You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.
ü At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...
ü I am afraid I totally disagree.
ü I am completely in agreement.
ü I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...
