Linking Words And Phrases

Personal opinion:

In my opinion/view, To my mind, To my way of thinking, I am

convinced that, It strikes me that, It is my firm belief that, I am inclined
to believe that, It seems to me that. As far as I am concerned, I think
that the economic recession of the previous decade was foreseeable.

To list
advantages and
disadvantages:

One advantage of, Another advantage of, One other advantage of, A
further advantage of, The main advantage of, The greatest advantage
of. The first advantage of riding a motorbike in a large metropolis
is that of not getting caught in major congestion.

To list points:

Firstly, First of all, In the first place, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally. To

start/begin with, we have to address the inadequacies within the
education system before we can tackle unemployment fully.

To add more
points to the
same topic:

What is more, Furthermore, Apart from this/that, In addition (to this),

Moreover, Besides (this), not to mention the fact that your choice of
career is a fundamental decision which will influence the rest of your
life. Not only is your choice of career a fundamental decision, but it is
also one that will influence the rest of your life.Your choice of career is
both a fundamental decision and something that will influence the rest
of your life.

To refer to other
sources:

With reference to, According to the latest scientific research, the use of
mobile phones can be damaging to one's health in the long run.

To emphasise a
point:

Indeed, Naturally, Clearly, Obviously, Of course, Needless to say, the

scheme was hound to fail due to insufficient funds.

To give
examples:

For instance, For example, by establishing day-care centres across the

country, working mothers can he encouraged to resume their careers. By
providing incentives such as, like day-care centres working mothers are
encouraged to resume their careers. If working mothers are to resume
their careers then the provision of incentives particularly, in particular,
especially day-care centres is essential.

To state other
people's opinion:

It is popularly believed that, People often claim that, It is often alleged

that, Some people argue that, Many argue that, Most people feel that,
Some people point out that wealth will bring happiness. Contrary to
popular belief, wealth does not necessarily bring happiness.

To conclude:

Finally, Lastly, All in all, Taking everything into account/consideration,

On the whole, All things considered, In conclusion, On balance, For the
above mentioned reasons, Therefore I feel that, To sum up, it is unlikely
that there will be peace in all the countries of the world concurrently.

Summarising:

In short, Briefly. To put it briefly, his performance on stage was

fantastic!
To State the Reasons

There are different reasons why it ...

There are several explanations for ...

There are many positive/negative reasons for ...

There are some/more/fewer benefits/disadvantages to ...

To Give an Opinion

(Why) I believe

Id like to explain why

Personally

Id enjoy

I would prefer

I think

In my opinion

As far as Im concerned

It seems to me

I suggest

To Set Up a Condition

If

Even if

If I could

Whether (or not)

. . .may/might

. . .can be

To Further the Argument

First (of all) . . . Second . . .Third

Firstly ... Secondly ... Thirdly

In addition

There are three reasons why

Similarly

Furthermore

Moreover

Further

As an example

For instance

Whats more

Not only . . . but also

. . . including

More than

Also

. . . coupled with

Both . . . and

To Summarize / Conclude

In conclusion

Finally

As a result (of)

In summary

Therefore

To sum up

In other words

To summarize

Then

In brief

On the whole

To conclude

As we have seen

As has been said

To Restate or Repeat an Argument

To put it differently

To repeat

Namely

That is

In other words

To Show Cause/Reason and Effect/Result

Consequently

Because (of)

Due to

Thanks to

If this occurs, then

To this end

Since

For this reason

As a result

Caused by

To Show Time Relationships

Immediately

Then

Later

Afterwards

After

Before

While

During

As soon as

As

Sometimes

Last

Frequently

When

Once

Often

Oftentimes

To Generalize

Overall

For the most part

In general

Generally speaking

By and large

To Show Contrast/Make an Exception

Some may argue that

Although

Even though

Whereas

Instead

In contrast

On the one hand

On the other hand

However

In spite of

Despite

Unlike

On the contrary

But

Yet

Rather than

Either

Or

Nor

Neither

Either . . . or

Neither . . . nor

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Sometimes

Once in a while

Occasionally

Someother(s)

Other(s)

Often

None

To Emphasize

Above all

Obviously

Clearly

Evidently

Actually

In fact

Certainly

Definitely

Extremely

Indeed

Absolutely

Positively

Surprisingly

Unquestionably

Without a doubt

Objectively

In fact

To Argue/Make a Suggestion

. . . seems to warrant

. . . contend/s

. . . argue/s

. . . justify/ies

This observation is supported by

To plead

. . . suggest/s

The suggestion is valid

. . . propose/s

. . . claim/s

. . .state/s

. . . clearly proof enough

If I had the choice

. . . examine/s

. . . assert/s

To Show Disagreement

. . . object/s (to)

. . . disagree/s with

. . . contradict/s

. . . doesnt/dont support

. . . is/are invalid

These arguments, one by one, can be challenged

. . . is absurd/ridiculous/unfounded/illogical

. . . not to be taken seriously

. . . has/have no scientific basis

. . . dispute/s

To Choose One Option over

Another

. . . might be the better option

. . . make/s it a better policy

Its beneficial/better/positive

Its detrimental/worse/negative

. . . is true/false

The assertion that

. . . seem/s to offer strong arguments for/against

. . . is/are better/worse than

To Show Similarity

Just as

As . . . as

In the same way

Similarly

Likewise

As in/as with/as was/etc.

To Show Purpose

In order to

For

So that

So as to

To Show Evidence/Give an

Example

As evidence of

The legitimacy of

Such as

For example

A few of these are

In the case of

In addition

For one thing . . . for another

To State the Problem

The problem is (how)

The question is

What is being asked/challenged

To State the Options

One option is

The other option is

Introduction
More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ...
Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
Hardly a week goes by without another report of ... appearing in the media.
This raises the issue of whether ...
Although most people would generally agree that ... few would deny that ...
There are differing explanations \ opinions as to why.
It is first necessary to explain
In the following essay will be examined.
People (sometimes) claim that but I feel that ...
It is often said/argued that ... However, it seems to me that ...
It is a fact that ...
Over the past few months/years, it seems that
Recently, we have all become concerned that
Nowadays, we are all realising that ...
In the past, people used to , but now ...
These days, it seems that .
Giving opinion
It seems to me that ... I would also say that ...
I am convinced that ...
I am inclined to believe that ...
There is no doubt in my mind that ...
One of the drawbacks of ... is ...
However, one of the benefits is that ...
I think that
In my opinion \ in my own view \ to my mind
This is a matter of opinion
In my experience
As far as I know
As far as I am concerned
To tell you the truth
I am convinced that
I firmly believe that

As I see it,
To me,
From my personal point of view,
It seems to me that
I personally believe that
From my perspective
To my way of thinking
It appears to me that
Presenting arguments
One justification often given for ... is that...
Advocates \ Proponents would claim that ...
Those who object to ... often argue that ...
Another objection is that ...
However, it should not be forgotten that ...
... are opposed to ... on the grounds that ...
From the point of view of ...
Describing causes
One factor which has led to ... is ...
As regards the causes for this, ...
Concerning the causes for this, ...
As for the causes, ...
One of the factors which has brought this about is ...
The problem often stems from ...
The situation has been exacerbated by ...
... has only made the situation worse.
One consequence of ... is ...
Proposing measures
As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ...
The first step to be taken would be to ...
To alleviate the situation people should ...
In addition they ought to ...
To begin to tackle this situation society \ individuals \ the government need \ s to ...
... would certainly ameliorate the situation.
This can only be dealt with if ...
To overcome this problem, ...
Were the government to ..., the situation would doubtless improve.
Individuals can do a great deal to ...
The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ...
It is vitally important that ...
Legislation should be introduced to control ...
It would be a grave error if we ...
Contrasting
Another important distinction between and is that
I would like to distinguish between ... and ....
The essential difference is that

The essential point on which I differ is that

There is however an important difference between ... and ....
There are some respects in which differs from ...
This difference clearly cannot be explained by
We must here make a distinction.
Whereas
Withal ( )
Nonetheless
Notwithstanding
Even so
Even though
However,
But
On the contrary,
On the other hand,
Differ from
Although
Though
Otherwise
Instead
Alternatively
Generalizing
Generally,
Generally speaking,
Overall,
On the whole,
In general,
By and large,
It seems to me that
All in all,
Basically,
Essentially,
As a rule,
All things considered
For the most part
Expressing certainty
Absolutely
Certainly,
Definitely,
Doubtless,
Genuinely
Indubitably
Needless to say
No doubt,
Of course,
Rightfully

Sincerely
Surely
Truly
Undoubtedly,
Without doubt
Expressing partial agreement
Almost,
Dubious ()
Dubitable (Open to doubt or suspicion)
In a way,
More likely
More or less,
Most likely
Possibly
Probably
So to speak,
To some extent,
Up to a point,
Showing cause
Due to
Because
Because of
Owing to
Showing effect
Therefore,
As a result,
Consequently,
For this reason,
Thus,
So,
thereby
Eventually,
Hence,
The reason why
Marking sequence
After
After this \ that
Afterwards
As soon as
At the same time
Before
Currently
During
Eventually

Finally
First of all,
First, Second, etc.
Firstly,
Following this
Formerly
Henceforth (, )
Hitherto, Heretofore ( )
Immediately
In due time
Initially
Last
Lastly,
Later
Meanwhile
Next
Once
Previously
Simultaneously
Since
Soon
Subsequently
Then,
To begin with
While
Adding Information
Another possibility is that
As well as
At the same time it is true to say
Besides
Furthermore
In addition
In any case
It should also be emphasized that
It should also be noted that
Likewise
Mention should also be made of
Moreover
Related to these arguments is the critique that
Similarly
The corollary of this is that
The key point to note is that
The same can be said of
The same is true of
There were other factors which arguably counted for more.
This idea is supported by
This is further illustrated by.
This is further shown by the fact that.

Whats more
Expressing condition
Given
If
In case
Providing
One the condition of
Provided that
Provision, proviso (A stipulated condition)
Stipulate (Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract)
Unless
Whenever
Whether
Weighing up arguments
On the one hand ... on the other hand
To consider the advantages and disadvantages
Arguments for and against
To discuss the pros and cons
In theory ... in reality
Both... and...
Not only ... but also
As a matter of fact
By no means \ not at all
Giving examples
A classic illustration often cited is
Another example of this may be given.
et cetera \ and so on \ and so forth
In particular \ particularly
In the case this was perhaps the most obvious.
More detailed studies show that
Only in one respect does the advantage seem to be with
The evidence of is even more obvious in the case of
The origins of can be traced back to
This was by no means unique.
This was typified by
To illustrate this point
To take yet another illustration
Giving explanations
A general explanation remains difficult to find \ elusive.
How are we to explain ?
If one looks at in historical perspective, one finds that
Moreover it is at least arguable that
Partly for this reason it was inevitable that
The first thing we notice is the

The main reason it happened was that

The reality was at best that
This achievement was primarily due to
This applies especially to
This in turn means that
This is the key to the problem.
This means that
This takes us to the heart of the matter
This was one of the most important reasons why
Yet the important point to note is that
Arguing
At the same time it could be argued that
For one thing it could be argued that
Indeed, it might be argued that
It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if
It is tempting to pose another question.
It may well be asked how
It might be argued that
Nor is it entirely fanciful to suggest that
Of course it could be argued that
Still, there is no denying that
This is not to say that there are not
Though it may seem a stretch to compare x with y
More controversial is the question as to whether
Concluding
All in all it seems to me that ...
All things considered, ...
Consequently
Corollary ( )
Finally \ Lastly,
For the aforementioned reasons, there is no doubt that
Given these facts
Hence
In all due fairness
In conclusion,
In the final analysis this may be the best explanation of all.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that
It seems not implausible to link with
Judged by this criteria
Judged by this measure
Last but not least
More generally it seems hard to deny that
Nothing can detract from the central fact that
On balance, I tend to believe that ...
Overall
Summing up

Taking everything into account \ consideration,

The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that ...
Thence (From that fact or reason or as a result)
Therefore
Therefrom (From that circumstance or source)
Thereof (Of or concerning this or that, From that circumstance or source)
Thus
Thusly (In the way indicated)
To conclude,
To put it briefly
To put it simply
to sum up \ to summarize we can say
To sum up the foregoing,
To summarize
With good judgment,
. it can be said \ claimed that
. it seems \ appears that
. it would seem that
. it is likely \ unlikely \ possible \ foreseeable that
. it is clear \ obvious that
.. there is no \ little doubt that
.. it is true to say that
.. although it must be said that
. it may be concluded \ said that

Other useful phrases

it
It can be argued that
It is important to recognize that
It is only to be expected that
It is also worth noting that
It is likely that
It is possible that
It is anticipated that
It is not clear whether
It is significant that
It is assumed that
It is not surprising then, that
It is sometimes suggested that
It is clear that
It is not surprising to find that
It is unlikely that
It is difficult to see
It is not unreasonable to suggest that
It is worth pointing out that
It is essential, therefore, that
It is not, however, simply a matter of

It may seem surprising to say that

It is evident that
It is noteworthy that
It seems that
It is for this reason that
It is now clear that
It would seem clear that
It is important to note that
It is often argued that
one
one could envisage
one might expect
one need only turn to
one could argue that
one might ask
The question one seeks to answer is
one could seriously question
one must remember
To describe
To portray
To depict (, , )
To exhibit
To illustrate
To expose
To present
To paint a portrait
To limn (, , )
To delineate (, )
To represent
To demonstrate
To constitute - Form or compose
To embody - (v) Represent or express in tangible form (embodiment); embodied - (adj)
To prove
To manifest - Provide evidence for; stand as proof of
To attest - Provide evidence for
To testify - Provide evidence for
To certify - Provide evidence for
To endorse, indorse - Give support or one's approval to
To shew - Establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment
To establish
To instance - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
To exemplify - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
To compare or contrast
Positive words

magnificent
grandeur - The quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand, the quality of being exalted in
character or ideals or conduct
magnanimous - The quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
fantastic
fantastical
phenomenal
wonderful
extraordinary
marvelous
superb
good
fine
great
avid - Emotionally desirable
avid ambition to succeed
excellent
spectacular
prodigious
grand
brilliant
glorious - Bringing great happiness and thankfulness
illustrious - Widely known and esteemed
notable - Worthy of notice
respected
impressive
splendid
splendiferous - Having great beauty and splendor
resplendent - Having great beauty and splendor, Richly and brilliantly colorful
flamboyant - Elaborately or excessively ornamented, Richly and brilliantly colorful
redoubtable - Having or worthy of pride
formidable - Extremely impressive in strength or excellence
prowess
superior
terrific
tremendous
wondrous - Extraordinarily good
wonderful
sublime - Inspiring awe, Lifted up or set high
flair - natural talent
knack - A special way of doing something
outshine - Attract more attention and praise than others
paramount - Having superior power and influence
predominant
preponderating
prevailing
To show intelligence

profound
shrewd hardheaded (practical experience and observation) intelligence
astute
acumen - Shrewdness shown by keen insight
insightful
savvy - The cognitive condition of someone who understands
cognition - The psychological result of perception, learning and reasoning
genius
smart
sharp
keen
mastermind
Einstein - Someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
work of art
fine art
maven - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
mavin - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
adept - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
whiz - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
wizard - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
To intensify
incredibly
exceedingly
toppingly - extremely well
extremely
extraordinarily
truly
really
very
utterly - Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers, With sublimity; in a
sublime manner
absolutely
perfectly
sublimely
dramatically
sheer - (adj.) Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as an
intensifier; (adv.) Directly "he fell sheer into the water"
It is said
enounced, enunciated - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
pronounced - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
articulated - Express or state clearly
vocalized - Express or state clearly
posited - Put firmly
stated
expressed
reported
alleged - Declared but not proved

averred - Report or maintain, To declare or affirm in a grave manner and formally as true
affirmed, asserted
wrote
composed
indited - Produce a literary work
penned - Produce a literary work
spelt - Indicate or signify
voiced, sounded - Give voice to
demean - Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
It is noted
remarked
denoted - Be a sign or indication of, "Her smile denoted that she agreed"
observed
commented
mentioned
referred
announced
noticed
Precisely
explicitly
accurately
expressly
exactly
incisively
Numerous
innumerable
many
various
several
diverse
umpteen
umteen
myriad (noun and adj.)
Praise
extol - (v) Praise, glorify, or honor
exalt
glorify
laud
proclaim
revere
idolize
worship
venerate
Call forth

evoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

arouse - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
elicit - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
enkindle - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
provoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
inflame - Arouse or excite feelings and passions
awake - Stop sleeping
conjure - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
invoke - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
summon - Gather or bring together
instill - deposit gradually
Adding ideas

again

also

as well as

besides

coupled with

for example (e.g.)

for instance

furthermore

in addition

in fact

indeed

likewise

moreover

once more

similarly

that is (i.e.)

then too

As expected

as a matter of fact

for that matter

it follows that

naturally

obviously

of course

surely

to be sure

Restatement

in essence

in other words

namely

that is

that is to say

in short

in brief

to put it differently

Cause and effect

accordingly

and so

thats why

as a consequence

as a result

as might be expected

consequently

for this purpose

for this reason

hence

otherwise

since

so then

subsequently

then

therefore

thereupon

thus

wherefore

Contrast

at the same time

but

by the same token

contrast

conversely

despite

however

in contrast

in spite of

instead

likewise

nevertheless

nonetheless

not at all

notwithstanding

on one hand

on the contrary

on the other hand

rather

similarly

still

unlike

yet

Sequence

at first

first of all

to begin with

in the first place

at the same time

for now

for the time being

the next step

in time

in turn

later on

meanwhile

next

then

soon

the meantime

later

while

earlier

simultaneously

afterward

in conclusion

with this in mind

Concession

although

but of course

certainly

doubtless

granted that

of course

though

to be sure

to doubt that

whereas

Direction

here

there

over there

beyond

nearly

opposite

under

above

to the left

to the right

in the distance

Degrees of certainty

anyhow

anyway

certainly

doubtless

in all likelihood

in all probability

in any case

indeed

perhaps

possibly

probably

surely

Qualification

especially

frequently

if

in case

in general

in particular

inasmuch

lest

occasionally

particularly

provided that

specifically

unless

Repetition

as noted

as noted earlier

as we have seen

besides

in any case

in fact

in other words

indeed

to put it another way

to repeat

Similarity

comparatively

coupled with

correspondingly

identically

likewise

similar

moreover

together with

Emphasis

above all

chiefly

with attention to

especially

particularly

singularly

Generalizing

as a rule

as usual

for the most part

generally

generally speaking

ordinarily

usually

Exemplifying

as an example

as an illustration

chiefly

especially

for example

for instance

for one thing

illustrated with

in particular

in this case

including

markedly

namely

particularly

specifically

such as

Exception

aside from

barring

besides

except

excepting

excluding

exclusive of

other than

outside of

save

Summary

all in all

all things considered

briefly

by and large

finally

in a word

in any case

in any event

in brief

in conclusion

in short

in summary

in summation

in the final analysis

in the long run

on balance

on the whole

therefore

to conclude

to make a long story short

to sum it up

to summarize

FORMAL AND INFORMAL LETTERS

Name

Previous
contact

FORMAL

INFORMAL

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Dupuis

Hi/Hello Mary

Dear Mary

Mary,....(or no name at all)

Thank you for your e-mail of...

Thanks for your e-mail.

Further to your last e-mail,...

Re your e-mail,...

I apologise for not getting in contact with Sorry, I haven't written for ages,but
you before now.
I've been really busy.

Just a short note about...

I am writing in connection with...
I'm writing about...
I am writing with regard to...
Reason for
writing

Here's the...you wanted.

In reply to your e-mail, here are...
Your name was given to me by...
I got your name from...
We would like to point out that...
Please note that...

Giving
information

Attachments

Asking for
information

I'm writing to let you know that...

Just a note to say...

We are able to confirm that...

We can confirm that...

I am delighted to tell you that...

Good news!

We regret to inform you that...

Unfortunately,...

Please find attached my report.

I've attached...

I'm sending you ... as a pdf file.

Here is the...you wanted.

Could you give me some information

about...
I would like to know...

Can you tell me a little more about...

I'd like to know...
Please send me...

I'm interested in receiving/finding out...

Requests
I'd be greatful if you could...

Please could you...

I wonder if you could...

Do you think I could have...?
Thank you in advance for your help in
this matter.

Promising
action

Could you...?
Can I have...?
I'd appreciate your help on this.

I will...

I'll...

I'll investigate the matter.

I'll look into it.

I will contact you again shortly.

I'll get back to you soon.

Do you want me to...?

Would you like me to...?
Offering help

Shall I...?

If you wish, I would be happy to...

Let me know whether you would like me
Let me know if you'd like me to...
to...

Thanks again for...

Thank you for your help.
Final
comments

Let me know if you need anything

else.

Do not hesitate to contact us again if

you require any further information.
Please feel free to contact me if you
have any questions. My direct line is...

Just give me a call if you have

any questions. My number is...

I am looking forward to...(+ -ing)

Looking forward to...(+ -ing)

Close

Give me regards to...

Best wishes to...
Best wishes
Speak to/See you soon.
Regards
Bye (for now) / All the best

Informal letter
Dear (first name),
Dear (first name), or Hi (first name) (for informal e-mails)
Beginnings
Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.
It was good/nice to hear from you recently.
Im sorry I havent written/been in touch for such a long time.
Its ages since Ive heard from you. I hope youre/you and your family are well.
Asking
Hi! / How are the things? / How are you? / Hows it going?
Referring to their news
Great news about Glad to hear that Sorry to hear about
Giving news
Listen, did I tell you about ? Youll never believe what
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
Apologies
Im writing to apologise for missing your party but Im afraid I was with flu.
Im really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.
If you let me know where you bought it/how much it cost Ill gladly pay for it/replace it.
Please let me know how much the bill is and Ill gladly pay it.
Invitations

Im/Were having a party on Friday 19th and I/we hope youll 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 youd like to go to the theatre/come on holiday with us?
Could you let me/us know if you can come/youd like to join us?
Thank you vary much for your invitation. Id love to come.
Thank you for asking/inviting me to but Im afraid I wont be able to
Requests
Im 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.
I hope you dont mind me asking but could you (possibly) ?
Id be very/really/terribly grateful if you could
Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck
Im writing to thank you for your hospitality/the wonderful present.
It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
I really appreciated all your help/advice.
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.
Dont worry, Im sure youll do well/pass.
Making suggestions and recommend
Why dont you ? Maybe you could ? How about ?
You cant leave New York without doing sth
Im sure you will enjoy doing sth If you like, we can
Do visit (somewhere). Dont forget to (do sth) (Imperative -> Strong Recommendation)
Im told that People say that (If you heard sth is good)
Endings
Give my love/regards to Say hello to Hope to hear from you soon.
See you soon! Write soon. Once again, thank you for all your help.
Signing off
Love,
Lots of love,
All the best,
Best wishes,
+First name

Remember that in informal letters we use:

Informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs

go on instead of continue

Simpler sentence structure

Ill be late for the party. Its because of my French exam.

Punctuation using exclamation marks (don't overuse it)

If youd been at the wedding, youd have loved the food!

Contractions
I've just heard you've been to...

Formal letter
Dear Mr/Ms (surname) - Dear Sir/Madam - Dear Sir or Madam,
Reason for writing
I am writing to
I am writing with regard to
I am writing on behalf of
Asking questions
I would be grateful if
I wonder if you could
Could you ? Could you tell me something about ?
I would particularly like to know
I would be interested in having more details about
Referring to their letter
As you stated in your letter,
Regarding Concerning With regard to
Complaining

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 guest house.
Closing
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.
Signing off
Yours sincerely, (If you started with 'Dear + surname') or Yours faithfully, (If you started with 'Dear
Sir/Madam')
First name + surname
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 service.

Punctuation using semi-colons

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

Letter of application
Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,
Reason for writing
I am writing to apply for the post/position of as advertised in
I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw
I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May 11th
With reference to your advertisement
Experience / Qualifications / CV

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
At the moment I am employed by
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
Endings
Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I am available for interview at your convenience.
I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays.
Signing off
(If Dear + surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,
First name + surname

Report
Introduction
The aim/purpose of this report is to consider/suggest/...
This report is intended to...
I summarise below / Below is a summary of the most important relevant points as well as some
recommendations.
Reporting results
Most people seem to feel that...
Several people said/told me/suggested/thought that
Making recommendations
I would therefore recommend that we expand the library/installing a new coffee machine...
It would seem that banning mobile phones is the best idea.

Having considered the options,

I would like to suggest/recommend
I therefore suggest/recommend
You may wish to consider

Article
Heading / Title
Freezing! (dramatic)
My Lone Walk to the North Pole (a summary)
Whats the big idea? (a question)
Youre already well equipped to prevent crime (surprising)
Opening
Did you know ?
What would you do if ?
General Structure

Give your article a heading or headline which makes the subject clear and also catches the
readers attention.

Divide the article into paragraphs to help the reader follow the argument.

Begin with an interesting introduction an example, perhaps, or a question.

End with an overall comment or concluding.

Essay
Making points
Many people feel that ...
First and foremost, ...
It is widely believed that ...
It would be ideal if ...
Another argument in favour is ...
It is clear from the facts that ...

The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages.

On the whole, I think ...
Contrasting points
On the other hand ...
Other people think ...
An opposing argument is ...
Giving opinions
I personally feel that ...
I find it hard to see why ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It is difficult to believe that ...
I object to the cloning of animals.
Organising and linking your ideas
First of all, Secondly, In addition,
Moreover, Furthermore,
So As a result, Therefore,
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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