Email Opening and Closing- Same or Different

Decide if each pair of sentences below has the same or different meaning (dont worry
about formality yet)
Opening
Dear Sir or Madam/ To whom it may concern
Thank you for your email yesterday/ Thanks for your email yesterday.
Thank you for writing back to me so quickly./ Thanks for your quick reply.
This is Alex from the ritish !ouncil/ My name is Alex !ase and " work for the ritish
!ouncil
" hope you are well./ #ow are you$/ #ow%s it going$/ #ow are things$
" hope you weren%t &too' affected by the recent(/ " hope you are okay./ Are you okay$
This is )ust a quick note to say(/ " ha*e to go to a meeting in a minute but " thought "%d
better let you know(
" am writing to you in connection with(/ " am writing to you about(
" am writing to you in order to(/ " am writing to you to(
+egarding(/ +e,
Thanks for making the time to see me yesterday./ Thanks for taking the time to meet
with me yesterday.
-ong time no see./ Sorry it%s taken me so long to reply to your email.
Closing
Thank you for your cooperation./ Thanks in ad*ance.
" look forward to your reply./ " look forward to hearing from you.
" look forward to hearing from you./ " look forward to hearing from you soon.
" look forward to hearing from you soon./ " expect to hear from you soon.
" look forward to hearing from you./ "%m looking forward to hearing from you./ -ooking
forward to hearing from you.
"%m looking forward to hearing from you./ " am waiting for your reply.
.lease get back to me as soon as you can./ .lease reply asap.
Thanks/ !heers
Thanks in ad*ance/ Thanks again
"f you need any further information/ please do not hesitate to contact me./ "f you need
to know anything else/ )ust let me know.
Any feedback you can gi*e me on this would be greatly appreciated./ "f you ha*e any
further questions/ please contact me at any time.
With the ones that do have the same meaning, are there any differences in formality?

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2012
Answer key
Opening
Dear Sir or Madam/ To whom it may concern 0 Different. With the latter I have abso-
ltely no idea who will read it when! e.g. an open letter! a "ob referen#e or a will.
With the former I basi#ally know who will read it I "st don$t know the name.
Thank you for your email yesterday/ Thanks for your email yesterday.1 Same
Thank you for writing back to me so quickly./ Thanks for your uick reply. 1 Same
This is Alex from the ritish !ouncil/ My name is Alex !ase and " work for the ritish
!ouncil 0 Different. %he former is when they already know who I am.
! hope you are well./ #ow are you$/ #ow%s it going$/ #ow are things$ 0 Same
! hope you werent (too) affected by the recent"/ " hope you are okay./ Are you okay$
1 Same
This is )ust a quick note to say(/ " ha*e to go to a meeting in a minute but " thought "%d
better let you know( 1 Same
! am writing to you in connection with"/ " am writing to you about( 1 Same
! am writing to you in order to"/ " am writing to you to( 1 Same
#egarding"/ +e, 1 Same
!t was a pleasure to finally meet you yesterday./ Thanks for making the time to see me
yesterday./ Thanks for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. 0 Same
-ong time no see./ Sorry it%s taken me so long to reply to your email. 0 Different. %he
former is abot meeting fa#e to fa#e.
Closing
Thank you for your cooperation./ Thanks in ad*ance. 0 Different. %he former is only
sed with an order or new rle or poli#y.
" look forward to your reply./ " look forward to hearing from you. 0 Same
" look forward to hearing from you./ " look forward to hearing from you soon. 0 Same
" look forward to hearing from you soon./ " expect to hear from you soon. 0 Different.
%he latter is very dire#t and sally rather rde.
! look forward to hearing from you./ "%m looking forward to hearing from you./ -ooking
forward to hearing from you. 0 Same.
"%m looking forward to hearing from you./ " am waiting for your reply. 0 Different. %he
latter shows impatien#e and so is sally impolite.
$lease get back to me as soon as you can./ .lease reply asap. 0 Same.
Thanks/ !heers 0 Same
Thanks in ad*ance/ Thanks again & Different.
!f you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me./ "f you need
to know anything else/ )ust let me know. & Different.
Any feedback you can gi*e me on this would be gratefully appreciated./ "f you ha*e
any further questions/ please contact me at any time. & Different. %he former is a re-
'est for feedba#k and the latter is an offer to answer 'estions.
The more formal examples are in italics abo*e%
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2012