Appendix 3

Writing samples

INFORMAL LETTER

Dear/Hi (first name),

Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.

It was good/nice to hear from you recently.

I’m sorry I haven’t written/been in touch for such a long time.

Beginnings
I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.

Sorry, I haven`t written for ages, but I`ve been really busy.

It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you’re/you and your family are well.
Asking How are the things? How are you? Hope you are well. How’s it going?
Your last letter was a real surprise. It was so nice of you to remember about...

Referring to Thanks a lot for the information you've sent me in your last letter.
their news I've just received your letter. I'm so happy to hear that...

Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …

Anyway, the reason I'm writing ... 
I thought I'd write to tell/ask you ...

Just a note to say …Listen, did I tell you about … You’ll never believe what
…
Giving news
Oh, and another thing … This is just to let you know that …
I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that …

By the way, have you heard about/did you know that …

I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu.

I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my
new job.
Apologies
If you let me know where you bought it/how much it cost I’ll gladly pay for it/
replace it.

Please let me know how much the bill is and I’ll gladly pay it.
I’m/We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I/we hope you’ll be able to come.

Would you like to come/go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend.

I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre/come on holiday with us?

Invitations
Could you let me/us know if you can come/you’d like to join us?

Thank you vary much for your invitation. I’d love to come.

Thank you for asking/inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …

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I’m writing to ask for your help/you (if you could do me) a favour.

I wonder if/I was wondering if you could help me/do me a favour.

Requests
I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?

I’d be very/really/terribly grateful if you could …

I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality/the wonderful present.

It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.

Congratulations

I really appreciated all your help/advice.

Thank you

Good Luck

Congratulations on passing your exams/your excellent exam results!

I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your exams/your driving test/your
interview.

Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well/pass.

Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …

Why don’t you …? Maybe you could …? How about …?

You can’t leave New York without doing sth

Making
suggestions I’m sure you will enjoy doing sth If you like, we can …
and
recommend. Do visit somewhere Don’t forget to do sth (Imperative -> Strong
Recommendation)

I’m told that … People say that … (If you heard sth is good)

Main body

Give my love/regards to … Say hello to … Hope to hear from you soon.

Endings
See you soon! Write soon. Once again, thank you for all your help.

Love,

Lots of love,

Yours,
Signing off
Best wishes,

All the best, 

Take care, 
First name

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Dear Emily,

I am sorry I haven’t written for such a long time but I was very busy with my exams. How are
you? I like your choice to be an actress. And I know that you are very talented and you’ll become a
famous actress.

As for my plans I always wanted to be a singer. You know that I love singing. But unfortunately I
often have a sore throat, and the doctor said that it was impossible. So I decided to be a teacher of
English. I study English and German and what I also like is singing.

To be ready for my future profession, firstly, I listen to English songs and watch English movies.
Secondly, I learn words when I’m walking along the street or even cycling. But the most important
thing is language practice. I try to speak to native speakers if I have such an opportunity wherever
I am.

If I want to be a successful teacher I have to be communicative. Moreover I must love children and
love to work with them and, of course, I have to understand children’s behavior.

Hope to hear from you soon. Drop me a line, please. And give my regards to your family.

Best wishes,
Anna

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FORMAL LETTER

Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,

I am writing to …
Reason for I am writing with regard to …
writing I am writing on behalf of …
I am writing to draw your attention to…

I would be (most) grateful if you would …

I wonder/would appreciate if you could …
Asking Could you …? Could you tell me something about …?
questions I would particularly like to know …
I would be interested in having more details about …
Would you be so kind and…
I was wondering if you could…

Referring to As you started in your letter, …

their letter Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

I’d like to complain about/I am writing to complain about …

You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a
Complaining guest house.
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
I find it most unsatisfactory that…
I wish to draw your attention to the…
I wish to inform you that/I am writing to inform you that …

З’єднувальні формули
Main body Firstly, secondly, to begin with, in addition, furthermore, lastly, moreover,
besides; on the one hand…on the other hand, however, still, in spite of/despite,
nevertheless; all in all, to sum up, in conclusion тощо.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Closing Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.
I would be most grateful if you would look into this matter as soon as possible.
Please let me know as soon as possible what action you propose to take.

Signing off (If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,

(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,

First name + surname

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Remember that in formal letters we use:

• Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs  

(‘Tolerate’ instead of ‘put up with’)

• More complex sentence structure 

(Knowing what a good reputation the restaurant has, I was disappointed with the ser-
vice)

• Punctuation using semi-colons 

The library offers no facilities for borrowing videos; this is because of the high cost
involved

Remember that in informal letters we use:

• Informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs 

‘go on’ instead of ‘continue’

• Simpler sentence structure 

I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my French exam.

• Punctuation using exclamation marks 

If you’d been at the wedding, you’d have loved the food!

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LETTER OF APPLICATION

Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for the post/position of …

… as advertised in …

Reason for I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw …
writing
I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May
11th …

With reference to your advertisement …

I gained some experience while …

I am currently working as …

I have been working for … for the last four years.

I worked part-time for three years as …

Qualifications
Experience

At the moment I am employed by …

CV

My qualifications include …

I have a diploma in …

I graduated from Barcelona University last year with a degree in …

Please find attached my CV

As you can see from the attached CV …

Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Endings
I am available for interview at your convenience.

I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays.

(If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,

Signing off (If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,

Yours,
First name + surname

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As a rule letter of application consists of 5 paragraphs. In the first paragraph you mention: reason
of writing, the position you want to get and the source of information. In the main body you should
mention the age, education, qualification, working experience and personal qualities. In the last
paragraph give contact information and suitable for you time for interview.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing with regard to your advertisement in The Liverpool Post dated 13th March. I am very
interested in getting the position of office manager.

I have left school this year and am currently taking an evening course in office management.
Besides, I have already completed a computer course and have been attending German and
Spanish courses for a year.

I don’t have any previous practical experience of office management, but I am a good student, a
very punctual and industrious person. I am sure I shall cope with the job.

As for my personal qualities, I am considerate, open and easygoing. I consider myself to be perfectly
fit for the position of office manager.

I would be grateful if you would consider my application. I am available for interview any day till
four p.m. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Marion Lewis

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ESSAY

Many people feel that ...

First and foremost, ...
It is widely believed that ...
It would be ideal if ...
Making Another argument in favour is ...
points It is clear from the facts that ...
The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages.
On the whole, I think ...
It is a fact that…
It is widely known that…
It is true that…

On the other hand ...

Other people think ...
An opposing argument is ...
Contrasting However,
points …, although…
As opposed to the above ideas…
Despite this…
In spite of this… 

I personally feel that ...

I find it hard to see why ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It is difficult to believe that ...
Giving I object to the cloning of animals.
opinions I (strongly)believe that…
In my opinion,…
In my view,…
It seems to me that…
Personaly, I think that…
I feel that…

First of all, … Secondly, … In addition, …

Organising Moreover, … Furthermore, …
and linking So … As a result, … Therefore, …
your ideas However, … On the one hand … on the other hand …
On the whole … While it is true to say …
Finally, … To summarise, … In conclusion

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Mobile phones at school

Nowadays, more and more students bring their mobile phones to school. While I believe that stu-
dents should carry mobile phones in case of an emergency, I am strongly opposed to phones being
used at school, particularly in the classroom.

Firstly, many students travel to and from school without their parents. Therefore, it is important
for them to have a mobile phone in case they need help or have an accident on the way to school
or home.

Furthermore, parents who work may need to contact their children. For example, if a parent has
to work late, the student has to be told if arrangements have been made for a relative or neighbor
to look after them.

On the other hand, nothing is more disruptive during a lesson than the sound of a mobile phone
ringing or playing an annoying tune. Moreover, students who send and receive text messages in
class are not paying attention to the lesson.

In conclusion, I feel that students should be allowed to take mobile phones to school for use in an
emergency. However, all phones should certainly be turned off during lessons.

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