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Useful Phrases for writing formal letters

a) Writing formal letters generally:

Greetings:

• Dear Sir
• Dear Madam
• Dear Sir/Madam
• Dear Mr Brown
• Dear Ms Jones

Reason for writing:

• I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter 

Ending the letter:

• I look forward to receiving your reply
• I look forward to your reply
• I look to hearing from you
• I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to)
• I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to)
• Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

b) Writing formal letters to complain:

Reason for writing:

• I am writing in order to complain about
• I am writing to complain about
•  

Introducing the complaint:

• Firstly
• In the first place
• First of all
• My first complaint is
• The first problem is
• The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is
• My first concern is 

Introducing further complaints:

• Secondly
• In the second place
• Not only …….but also
• In addition
• In addition to this
• Added to this
• …….was also unacceptable 

Demanding action:

• I suggest that you replace the item
• I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund
• I would be grateful if my money was refunded
• I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Ending the letter:

• I look forward to hearing from you
• I look forward to receiving a full refund
• I look forward to receiving a replacement
• I look forward to receiving your explanation
•  

c) Writing formal letters to make suggestions:

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to suggest
• I am writing to arrange
• I am writing to offer suggestions
• I am writing make arrangements 

Making first suggestion:

• My first suggestion is
• First of all I suggest
• I would like to suggest

Making further suggestions:

• Another possibility is
• A further possibility is
• I further suggest
• I would further suggest
• Secondly 

Offering a choice:

• Would you therefore mind choosing between ….?
• Either……or
• You might choose either ……. Or
•  

d) Writing formal letters to request information

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to receive further information about
• I am writing to enquire about
• I am writing to receive more detailed information about
• I am writing to receive further details about

Requesting first piece of information:

• The first thing I would like to know is
• First of all I would like to know
• I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all ….?
•  

Requesting further information:

• Could you also tell me….?
• Could you also inform me ….?
• Would you also mind informing me ….?
• Would you also mind telling me ….?
• Do you know ….?
• I would also like to know if
• I would also like to know whether
• I hope you might also let me know about …

Thanking for information:

• I would like to thank you in advance for this information
• Thanking you in advance for this information
• Thanking you in advance
•  

e) Writing formal letters to give information:

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to inform you about
• I am writing to provide you with information about
• I am writing to let you know that
•  

Providing first point:

• The first thing I would like to inform you of is
• The first thing I would like to tell you is
• The first thing I wish to inform you of is
• I would like to begin by informing you
•  

Providing further points:

• I would also like to let you know that
• I would also like to inform you that
• You might also find the following information useful
• It might also be useful for you to know that
• Another piece of information that might be useful

Ending the letter:

• If you require further information, please do not hesitate to ask
• If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask
• I will willingly provide further information on request
• I am at your disposal should you require further information
• I am at your disposal should you need further assistance
• Please do not hesitate to ask should you require further information

f) Writing formal letters to request permission

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to ask permission for
• I I am writing to ask permission to
• am writing to request permission to
• I am writing to request permission for
• I am writing to ask if I might

Making first request:

• Firstly I wonder if you would
• First of all I wonder whether you would mind
• The first request I would like you to consider is

Making further requests:

• I would be grateful if you would also consider
• I wonder if it might be possible for me to
• I would also like to request permission for
• I would also like to request permission to

Thanking for permission

• Many thanks for kindly considering my requests
• Thank you for considering my requests

Speaking part 2

Speaking Unit 2: The long Turn  

Requirement	Strategy
1~2 minute answer (1 minute preparation), followed by a couple of questions The examiner will hand you a card with a question and three sub questions on it. You have one minute to read the question and prepare your answer.	preparation 1. Identify key words in the question 2. Think about the tense required 3. Write down some key points 4. Write down some key vocabulary Speaking 1. Use strong adjectives (fantastic!) 2. Speak with rhythm if possible 3. Try to avoid long pauses

 1. Read the question below and the then underline the key words.

Describe a place that you have visited that you particularly liked. You should say: a.    When you visited there?  b.      Who you went with? c.      What was most memorable? And explain what you liked most about this place.

There are many possible ways of starting your answer, including:

I’d like to talk about a country called…

I’m going to talk about a city called…

A park that I found really interesting was…

 

2. Decide the place you will describe then write down some notes.

Place:San Francisco, USA

a.    When you went there?     For 6 months in1994

2. Who you went with?        friend who is from Viet Nam  

vegetarian guy

brother was an artist

c. What was memorable?      There were many tourist attractions such as Fisherman’s wharf and Alcatraz Island

      

d. What you liked most         lots of different types people

good weather

lots of cool places to visit

great restaurants

relaxed lifestyle

3. Introduce your answer, paraphrasing the question, to show you clearly understand the question.

    I’d like to talk about San Francisco, because it’s a place I will never forget.

a. I went there in …..   

    

b. I went there with ………

    

c. The thing I remember most is (PRESENT TENSE) …

d. Some of the things I enjoyed were

I’d like to talk about San Francisco, because it’s a place I will never forget. I went there in 1994 for about six months. I went there with a friend of mine who is from Viet Nam. He is a vegetarian, so we couldn’t use any meat when we cooked. I also remember his brother who was a very talented artist. The thing I remember most about San Francisco is that there were many tourist attractions such as Fisherman’s wharf, which had lots of delicious seafood and sour dough bread; and Alcatraz Island, which used to be a prison for murders and other serious criminals. Some of the things I enjoyed most about San Francisco were the different types people, the good weather, the many different places and neighborhoods to visit. There were also many great restaurants and overall it is a very relaxed lifestyle there.

 

4. Read the question below and the then underline the key words.

Describe a historic place that you have visited that you particularly liked. You should say: a.      When you visited there?  b.      Who you went with? c.      What you saw there? And explain what you liked most about this place.

5. Decide on a place and then write down some notes.

a. I went there in …..   

    

b. I went there with ………

    

c. Some of the things I saw were …

d. The main thing that I enjoyed about this place is …..

Describe your favorite place for shopping You should say: a.    When you go there  b.    Where it is located  c.    What you can buy there  And explain why you like it

6. Adjectives:

Adjectives make things more interesting. There is a difference between eating a nice dessert, and eating a bowl of the freshest, sweetest fruit, topped with a delicious chocolate sauce!

Comparatives are used to compare

Cheap	Cheaper	Cheapest
Expensive	More expensive	Most expensive

7. Modifiers

To modify is to change. Modifiers can be weak or strong.

Weak	A little, sort of
Strong	Much, really, very, extremely

8. Useful language to use in your speech

Introductory phrases - when you start your talk:

I want to talk about…

I’d like to talk about…

I’m going to talk about…

I'm going to describe…

What I'm going to talk about is…

Developing phrases - when you want to expand your argument:

First of all…

Secondly,…

Additionally,…

Another thing…

Another reason why…

Furthermore…

Background phrases - when you want to add some detail:

At that time…

It happened…

It took place…

It’s been going on for/since…

It's near…

Impression phrases - when you want to say something that made an impression on

you:

... influenced me. 

… affected me 

… disturbed me 

… had an effect on me 

… impressed me 

… motivated me 

… moved me 

… touched me deeply 

Things you like phrases - when you want to describe or talk about things you like:

I enjoy…

I like… most of all

I love doing...

9. Answering rounding-off questions.

You may be asked one or two questions at the end of your 2 minute speech. You can use this technique to answer them.

1. Brief answer, repeating auxiliary verb

2. Use the same tense

3. If you are really stuck for an answer just say “Yes, I think so,” “No, I don’t think so”

Answering follow up questions:

You may be required to give a couple of short answers about your topic. Usually the best way to do this is to repeat the auxiliary verb. YOU MUST USE THE SAME TENSE!

EXAMPLE 1: “­ Have you done this type of work before?”

                         “No, I haven’t.”

EXAMPLE 2: “Do you know anyone who has”

                          “Yes, I do.”

 Sample Questions according to different topics

PEOPLE: Individuals : Appearance / Personality / Hobbies / Relationship / My own feeling  

Describe one of your neighbors What is your neighbor like? Do you like this neighbor? When do you usually meet his neighbor? and say if this person is a good neighbor

Describe a young person you admire. You could say: who this person is how long you have known them what qualities they has and say why you admire them

Describe someone you know who is a good teacher. You could say: who this person is how you know them  what kinds of subjects they teach and explain why this person is good at teaching

Describe an interesting person who you know. You could say: who the person is how you know this person what sort of person this is and explain why you think this person does that is interesting

PLACES  

Buildings : Location / Exterior / Interior / Atmosphere / Service / My own feeling 

Cities : Location / People / Food / Cityscape / Entertainment / My own feeling 

Organization : History / Members / Location / Duty / Influence / My own feeling 

Natural Beauty : Location / History / Visitors / Activities / My own feeling 

Describe a house you have visited which you particularly liked. You could say: •     what kind of house it is •     why you visited the house •     how it is different to other houses you have visited and why you particularly liked it.

Describe a Cafe you know. You could say: • where this cafe is • what type of drinks/food the cafe serves • how often you go to this cafe and explain why you would recommend this Cafe.

Describe a hotel you have stayed in. You should say: • where it is • what facilities it has • when you stayed there and say whether you would recommend it to a friend

Describe a shopping centre that you often go to. Where is the shopping centre? What do you buy there? How often do you go to it? and explain why you choose to go that shopping centre

Describe a country that you would like to travel to. You could say: where this country is? how you would travel there? who you would go with? and explain what you like about this country.

Describe a public building you know. You could say: where this building is what you can do in this building how often you go to this building and explain why you went to this building.

Describe a park you remember visiting. You could say: where it is what it looks like what activities people do there and explain why you still remember it.

Objects 

Objects : How I got it / Exterior / Function / Price / another related object / My own feeling 

Describe something expensive that you bought recently [not a computer] What was it? What does it look How much did it cost? And explain why you bought it

Describe an invention that is important in today’s society. You could say: What is the invention? What is it used for? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the invention? and explain why you think this invention is so important

Describe a book you read that you think is interesting You could say: how you knew about this book where you this book from what is it abut and explain why you think this book is interesting.

Describe an important letter or email that you received. You could say: who wrote it what the letter or email was about how you felt about it and explain why it was important.

Describe your favourite electronic gadget. You could say: what it is when you bought it why you bought it and say why you like it so much.

 Activities 

Leisure activities : What / Who / When / Why / My own feeling 

Describe an activity you enjoy doing in your free time. You could say: who you do this with where you do it why you do it and explain why you like to spend your free time this way.

Describe a practical skill you have. You could say: what the skill is how often you use it who taught it to you and explain why the skill is so practical

Describe an advertisement you think is interesting. You could say: what this advertisement is about where you saw or heard this advertisement what the contents of the advertisement are and explain why you think this advertisement is interesting

Describe a sport you have enjoyed playing or watching You should say where this sport is played how the sport is played what sort of people play this sport and explain what you like about this sport

 

Experiences/The past  

What / Why / When / Where / Who / My own feeling

Describe a time when you had to be polite What was the place? What was the situation? Who were the people involved? And explain why you had to be polite

Describe an educational trip that you went on when you were in school. You could say: who went with you where you went what you did there and explain what you learned on this trip.

Describe a place you have visited where you learnt something. You could say: who went with you where you went what you did there and explain what you learned at this place.

Describe a recent news story that interested you. You could say: how you heard about this news story what the news was about is this news positive or negative and explain why this news story was interesting to you.

Describe an important decision that you might have to make in the future You could say: what the decision will be about how you will make your decision what the results of the decision are likely to be and explain why it was important.