Informal
letters should include
·
Clear Paragraphs
·
Contractions: I’d, it’s, I’m…
·
Phrasal verbs.
·
Interesting adjectives:
enormous, wonderful, fantastic, terrific, incredibly cheap
·
Informal linking words: also,
but, actually, anyway, so, then, fortunately...
Greeting
Dear Ana
Hello Ana
Hi Ana
Getting started
Many thanks for your last letter.
Thanks a lot for the letter.
It’s so good to hear from you, It’s been
ages since we have seen each other.
Sorry I haven’t written for ages
Sorry it’s taken me so long to write
How are you?
How are things with you?
How are things?
How's it going?
Sorry I haven’t written back for so long.
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply.
I’ve been really busy recently.
I’ve been working really hard.
I’ve been studying like mad for my final
exams.
I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner, I have
been really busy.
I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write
to you, I have been really busy.
This is just a note to say that... / to
tell you about...
Referring to their news
Great news about ...
Glad to hear that ...
I’m really glad to hear about
I’m very happy to hear about
I was very happy to read about
Great news about your…
That’s great news about the (house / job /
trip), I’m so happy for you.
I’m glad to hear about the (house / job / promotion), I always knew you
would do it one day.
The (new house / job…) sounds brilliant,
how are you settling in?
Your... sounds an excellent idea and...
I’m really pleased you’re (coming to
Madrid).
It’s great that you’re (coming here soon).
When exactly will you be (coming)?
Do you know (when you’re coming)?
Sorry to hear about ...
Sorry to read about
I’m extremely sorry to hear about
I’m very sorry to hear about
Its very sad to hear about your
I can’t tell you how sad I am that
Anyway, I don’t think it will be long
before…
Giving news
Listen, did I tell you about ...
You'll never believe what ...
By the way,
Did you hear about
Did you see
Have you seen
That reminds me,
You’ll never guess what happened to me last
week
Oh, another thing
About (the / your)...,
Speaking of..,
As for...
Is all right if / for me to...?
Asking
for Information / Help
Could you tell me … ?
Please tell me whether…
Let me know if…
Oh, I almost forgot! Could I/you…?
Making suggestions
Why don't you ...?
Maybe you could ...
How about ...?
Giving Advice
You asked about . . . . . . . .. . . Well, the best thing to do is + infinitive
You wanted to know if . . . . . . . My
advice would be + infinitive
About the . . . . . . . . . . . , I would recommend + gerund / noun
Making an invitation
I’m having a party and was wondering if
you’d like to come.
You’d be more than welcome to come and stay
some time. How about the 15th of June?
Accepting / rejecting
invitation
I’d love to come and stay with you, thanks
for the invitation.
I’d love to accept your invitation but I
have an exam that week. What a shame! Perhaps another time.
Closing expressions
Well, got to go now.
Give my love to ...
Say hello to ...
See you soon!
Well, time to go
Well, it’s time to go
Well, got to go
Well, time to close
I’ve got to leave off now
Write soon
Make sure you write soon
I must go, as it’s getting late and I have
an early start tomorrow.
I’d better close now as I have homework to
do.
Well, that’s all from me.
Friendly final comment
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
I can’t wait to hear from you. Let me know
how you are getting on.
I can’t wait to see you, I’m looking
forward to your visit.
Keep in touch, I always look forward to
your letters.
Signing off
Love,
Lots of love,
Yours,
All my love
Will write again soon
Look after yourself
Take care
All the best
Write back soon and tell me your plans.
Write and tell me exactly when you are
planning to (come).
Best wishes
Name
your first name
Remember that planning is essential!
There are usually 2 or more points to
discuss in a typical task at B2 level. These ideas should be divided into 2
paragraphs and sometimes you can include one of the points in the opening
itself. One of the points could be discussed in more detail. This is called
expansion.
Read the task / instructions carefully and
decide if you would like to add another point. Don’t forget to try to
introduce each idea with a connector, expression and/or direct question to
sound more natural).
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