Useful language
FORMAL LETTERS
Letters objecting to someone's plans
I am writing to express my concern /disappointment / alarm at hearing ...
I was extremely alarmed/sorry/distressed to hear about your plans to ...
As I think you know, …
May I point out that …
I feel I really must object to ...
I am extremely concerned at the thought that ...
It must be very clear that ...
If these proposals go ahead, ... will happen.
Another threat to ... , if these proposals go ahead, would come from ...
I dread to imagine what damage this will cause.
May I respectfully suggest that you ...
I was wondering if you had considered this alternative?
Would it not be possible to ... ?
Letters of complaint
I am writing to complain about ...
I am writing to tell you how disappointed/annoyed I feel about ...
I was amazed/distressed/horrified to find that ...
As you must realise, ...
I am sure you know that ...
I am sure you can imagine ...
I am sure you will appreciate that ...
It goes without saying that ...
At the very least, I look forward to receiving ...
Unless you ... , I am afraid that I will have to take this matter further.
Letters of recommendation
I am writing to you on behalf of ...
I have known X for ... years.
She / He has shown herself/himself to be extremely ...
X would seem to fit the requirements of this job perfectly.
I have no hesitation in recommending X as a ...
Letters to the editor
I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).
I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).
I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...
You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.
At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...
I am afraid I totally disagree.
I am completely in agreement.
I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...
Cheers,
Keep in touch,
Take care,
Warmly,
Warm regards,
Warmest regards,
Warmest,
All best,
All the best,
Best wishes,
Best,
Bests,
EMAILS
Below are some of the most common professional email closings.- Best,
- Best regards,
- Best wishes,
- Fond regards,
- Kind regards,
- Regards,
- Sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Thank you,
- With appreciation,
- With gratitude,
- Yours sincerely,
- Yours truly,
Cheers,
Keep in touch,
Take care,
Warmly,
Warm regards,
Warmest regards,
Warmest,
All best,
All the best,
Best wishes,
Best,
Bests,
ARTICLES
Sequencing
At first / To start with/In the beginning, ...
Then/Next/After that, ...
The next thing that happened was ...
The next thing I knew was ...
Seconds/Minutes later,
Late on/Some time later,
It wasn't until much later that ...
After some time/After what seemed like years, ...
Finally/In the end, ...
At last, ...
Simultaneous events
Meanwhile/In the meantime,
While all this was going on,
In the middle of all this, ...
During all this time, ...
Sudden or unexpected events
Suddenly/All of a sudden, ...
All at once, ...
Out of the blue, ...
Without any warning, ...
Just when I was least expecting it, ...
The next thing I knew was ...
Rapid events
As quick as a flash, ...
In the wink of an eye, ...
In a matter of seconds/minutes, ...
In no time at all, ...
Looking back
In retrospect, ...
When I think back to what happened then, ...
REPORTS
Introductory comments
I recently visited (the new Leisure Centre) and have prepared the following report for your consideration.
Further to my visit to ... , I have prepared the following report.
The following report relates to my recent visit to ...
General comments
On the whole, I found that ...
Although ... , I should point out that ...
It is a fact that ...
Concluding comments
All things considered, I believe that ...
Taking all these points into consideration, I would recommend ...
I recommend that we look into the possibility of ...
Comparing places or facilities
One of the main differences between X and Y is that …
X is completely/entirely/totally different from Y in that …
Unlike X, Y is ...
While/Whereas/Although X is ... , Y is ...
X is a little/slightly/somewhat/a great deal (bigger/more elegant than Y.
X is not quite/nearly as (comfortable/expensive/ convenient) as Y because ...
X is virtually/exactly the same as Y when it comes to ...
PROPOSALS
As requested, I am submitting the following proposal on ...
The purpose of this proposal is to...
The purpose of this proposal is to...
I recommend that we ...
I therefore recommend that we should...
It is strongly advised/ recommended...
We feel certain that...
We hope to develop...
I therefore recommend that we should...
It is strongly advised/ recommended...
We feel certain that...
We hope to develop...
I propose that we ...
I propose that radical changes should be made to...
I propose that radical changes should be made to...
We should also ...
I believe that ...
It is vital...
It would seem sensible...
It is vital...
It would seem sensible...
We could ...
This would be of considerable benefit to...
This course of action would be...
This would be of considerable benefit to...
This course of action would be...
It is a fact that , which means that ...
There appears to be no alternative to ...
There appears to be no alternative to ...
If we were to , it would ...
I suggest we… .We would then be able to ...
I feel strongly that we should ...
The best solution seems to be...
The evidence (undoubtedly) points towards...
...these proposals will be given due consideration...
I trust these recommendations...
The best solution seems to be...
The evidence (undoubtedly) points towards...
...these proposals will be given due consideration...
I trust these recommendations...
I trust you will give my proposal your full consideration.
REVIEWS
x has much to recommend it.
X is, at heart, a(n) love/spy/adventure story.
It is based on a book by ...
It is set in the countryside/the future.
The film has a quality cast.
The film was directed by ...
The film score is enchanting/evocative/scary.
The film captures the spirit of ...
The hero/heroine/villain is ...
I felt/thought it was …
I was impressed by …
What struck me most was ...
What I liked most/didn't like was ...
The plot was gripping.
The characters were very convincing/very well drawn.
On reflection, I think it was ...
It struck me as being ...
What I didn't understand was how ...
In spite of these few criticisms, I think ...
I would have no hesitation in recommending …
Useful words and phrases
These words and phrases can be used in the following text types, depending on what are asked to write about:
• letters
• essays
• articles
• proposals
• reports
• reviews
Expressing and supporting opinions
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
I believe/do not believe that ... (because) ...
Personally I feel that ... Let me explain why.
In my opinion, ... Just consider ...
As I see it, … The reason is ...
It seems to me that… This is because ...
I would argue that for the following reasons.
I feel very strongly that ...
I am convinced that ...
I am of the opinion that ...
I am very much in favour of/against ...
I am completely opposed to ...
The reasons why I believe that ... are as follows.
Opening phrases
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
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 ….
Making statements
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
It is clear that ...
On the whole, it appears/seems that ...
We must take into account the fact that ....
It goes without saying that ...
It is important to remember that ...
Explaining/Expanding ideas and giving examples
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
... This means that ...
... This is largely due to ...
…For example/For instance, ...
…In other words, ...
Take, for example, the situation in ...
Listing arguments
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
Firstly/In the first place / To begin with, …
Secondly/A second area to consider is …
Another point to remember is ...
Finally, ...
In conclusion, ..
Last but not least, ...
Evaluating ideas, Dismissing contrary arguments
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.
I think it is true that ...
I totally disagree/agree with the point that…
It is questionable whether …
I am sure/I doubt whether …
It is true that ... On the other hand, ...
While nobody can deny that ... , I would like to point out that …
I agree that …However, ...
Although it is true that , we must remember that ...
It could be argued that … However, I would like to point out that ...
Despite all the arguments, I still feel that ...
Notwithstanding the claim that ... , I would argue that…
It may be true that ... , but all too often ...
In no way can I agree that ...
Surely it is completely unacceptable that ...
Persuading
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters and proposals.
I would urge you to consider…
I am sure you will agree that…
Surely you must agree that…
I would urge you very strongly to ...
When you hear the arguments, I am sure you will agree that ...
Evaluating
These words and expressions are especially useful in reports, proposals and reviews.
I was extremely impressed by…
I was rather disappointed by…
While X has much to commend it, I feel that some aspects could be improved.
The problem could easily be solved if ...
I would like to praise the ...
Another area for complaint is …
My overall impression was that …
I am sure that visitors/readers/holidaymakers will thoroughly enjoy ...
While some people will love ... , others may feel less happy.
A major problem is that ...
I was less happy with ...
Making recommendations
These words and expressions are especially useful in proposals and reports.
I recommend that we ...
I propose that we ...
We should also ...
I believe that we should ...
We could ...
If we were to… , we could ...
I suggest we… We would then be able to ...
Summarising
These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays,articles, reports, proposals and reviews.
All in all, I think that ...
To sum up, I believe that ...
In conclusion, the facts suggest that ...
Describing
These words and expressions are especially useful in articles, reviews, and letters.
Character/Personality
He tends to be ...
She can be ...
He is inclined to be ...
She appears/seems to be ...
Hobbies and interests
He is crazy about ... -ing.
She loves ... -ing.
His greatest love is ...
What she loves most in life is ...
He spends all his time ... -ing.
WRITING AND VOCABULARY
1) FORMAL WRITING (Reports and proposals)
Introduction
-The main
purpose/aim of (this report) is to outline/
present / discuss / examine / evaluate…
-This
report (outlines/looks at)…
-This
report is based on…
|
Generalising
-On the whole,…
-In general,…
|
Making recommendations and concluding
-It is
clear from customer feedback that…
-With
regard to…, the general view seems to be…
-In the
light of (this year’s experience),…
-Perhaps
the most effective way of…
-If the (centre)
is to attract more customers, it is
vital that…
-It would
be a good idea to…
-It is
(therefore) believed / obvious that…would be
ideal for…
-It would
(not) be advisable / practical to…
-We
suggest/propose that…
-We
suggest/propose + ing
-A (more
spacious area) would be the solution…/
an effective way of…
|
-In light
of the above, we believe the following
measures should be adopted…
-In the
short/long term, we suggest you should
consider…
-My
recommendations are as follows:…
-In my
view, in future, we should…
-To
improve the situation, we recommend…
-It is
recommended that…
-To sum
up,…To conclude,…
-I hope
that the plan outlined/presented in this
report meets with your approval…
-I hope
that the recommendations outlined/
presented in this report will receive your
serious
consideration.
|
2) SEMI-FORMAL WRITING
Adressing
the reader
-Have you
ever wondered (what the college would be like if)…? If the answer is (yes)…,
you…
--If you
want a different kind of experience,… / As you know,…
-Doesn’t it
just make everyone feel (positive about…)?
-If you have
a few hours to spare,…is worth seeing.
Describing location
-Located
/ Situated (just a few miles away from…), X
is…
-Built
(just next to…), X is…
-Some
minutes from…, X is…
Giving information
-Throughout
it history, X…
-X is by
far the oldest…
-Y is the
best known…
-What is
particular spectacular is…
-Recent
additions/changes include…
|
Giving your opinion
-X is intended for young(er) people…
-X is popular with (children)…
-In fact, (NEGATIVE OPINION)
-It’s clearly been a good idea to…
Giving
practical information
-Anyone wishing to (apply)…can/should…
-(We) participate in…/organise…/run…
-(The club) offers/provides a range of
(competitive
matches for)…
-One of the most popular (features of our
club is)…
-Members have the opportunity to…/…are able
to
|
Attitude clauses and phrases
Generally
speaking,…
Annoyingly,… Naturally,…
Strangely,… Surprisingly,… Evidently,…
Indeed,… In
fact,… Admittedly,… Presumably,…
. . .
. . . . .
. . .
. . .
. . . .
. .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . .
RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES
Agreement
-A great
number of people share the view that tourism will have a negative impact
on the island.
-Today there
is general / widespread agreement that pollution from cars and planes is
threatening the
future of our planet.
-It is
now widely accepted that the universe began with the so-called 'big bang'.
Disagreement
-Opinions
differ about the proper relationship between the mass media and society.
-There
is considerable disagreement among experts about the usefulness of these
tests.
-There
has been a great deal of controversy over abortion in the US.
Advantages and
disadvantages
-Regular
exercise has many benefits, including reducing the risk of heart
disease.
-Despite a
few problems with the design, the car's advantages clearly outweigh its
disadvantages.
-The major drawback of this
method is that it can be very time-consuming.
-The
downside of running your own business is that you are responsible if
anything goes wrong.
Cause
-lead to:
The research could lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.
-result
in: The fire resulted in damage to their property.
-be
responsible for: He was responsible for the accident.
-bring
about:The war brought about enormous social change.
-give
rise to: Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even
thoughts of suicide.
-trigger:to
make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation such as a
crisis or a war, or
a medical condition: Certain foods can
trigger allergies.
-contribute
to: Passive smoking could contribute to the development of respiratory
diseases among
nonsmokers.
-factor:
Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing any product.
Effect
-impact
on: His work has had an enormous impact on the study of genetics.
-influence
on: In his book, he examines the
influence of the media on our society.
-affect:
(v) The disease affects women more than men.
-influence:
(v) She has influenced him a lot.
-implications: The results of the study could have important
implications for future educational policy.
Emphasizing
-I would like to stress that
the research is still at an early stage.
-It should be noted that
there are a number of alternative methods available.
-It is worth bearing in mind
that 90% of the scientists researching herbicides in the US are employed by
chemical companies.
-Factors such as temperature and
acidity play a crucial role in determining how well the process works.
-These insects play a vital part
in the food chain.
-It is essential that the
work is carried out as soon as possible.
-The climate is much colder, especially
in the far north.
Problems
-issue: Issue is used
especially about problems that affect a lot of people in society: International terrorism
is the biggest issue (=the most important issue) facing the world today.
Previous governments failed to
address (=try to deal with) social issues such as unemployment and
homelessness.
-challenge: something
difficult that you must do or deal with, which needs a lot of skill, effort,
and
determination: She said she was looking forward to the challenge of
starting up a new business on her
own.
-difficulty: The company has managed to overcome (=deal
with) its recent financial difficulties.
Many people experience difficulty in sleeping at some time in their
lives.
- trouble: a problem or several problems that make
something difficult, spoil your plans etc:
Students of
English often have trouble with phrasal verbs. The company ran into trouble (=started to
have problems)
when it tried to expand too quickly.
-setback: something that happens which stops you making
progress or which makes things worse than
they were before: Despite some
early setbacks, his campaign for the presidency was successful.
-obstacle: Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to
democratic reform.
-dilemma: The doctors were faced with a moral dilemma.
-vicious circle: Some developing countries get caught in a
vicious circle. They cannot afford to pay their
debt repayments, and so the debts get even bigger.
-complication
Increase
-increase
by (percent): Last year, the number
of burglaries increased by 15 percent.
-go up:
Last month unemployment went up from 1.6 million to just over 1.7 million.
-grow: The volume of traffic on our roads continues
to grow.
-expand: After two years of no growth, the economy
started to expand again in 2003.
-double/triple/quadruple:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
-growth:
(n) There has been a huge growth in sales of big 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
Decrease
-decrease
by (percent): The average rainfall
has decreased by around 30 percent.
-go down:
The percentage of fat in our diets has gone down.
-fall:
The number of tigers in the wild has fallen to just over 10,000.
-drop: At night, the temperature drops to minus 20
degrees.
-decline:
decline is used about numbers or amounts, and also about the level or standard
of something:
In rural areas, the standard of living
continued to decline.
ADMIRE
-respect
/
look up
to: The children
need someone they can look up to.
-think
highly of: Most of the students and
staff think very highly of Dr. Smith.
-
have a
high opinion of
-
highly
regarded/respected:
a highly respected surgeon
ADVANCED
-sophisticated
/ high-tech (equipment) / state-of-the-art (technology)
SURPRISING
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-amazing
/ unbelievable / incredible / astonishing / staggering
-come as
a surprise / come as a shock / amaze / astonish
SURPRISED
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-amazed
/ astonished / speechless / be taken aback (He was taken aback by the news)
EXCITING
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-thrilling
/ gripping / exhilarating / action-packed
BORING
-dull /
tedious / monotonous / uninspiring
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-attractive
/ good-looking / gorgeous / striking / stunning
BEAUTIFUL PLACES (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-breathtaking
/ stunning / awe-inspiring / striking / spectacular
-spotless:
very clean
UGLY PLACES / PEOPLE (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-unattractive
/ unpleasant / unsightly / hideous (=extremely ugly)
-filthy:
very dirty
IN BAD CONDITION (PLACES)
-in bad
condition / dilapidated / run-down
NEW
-latest
/ brand-new / innovative (idea or system)
OLD
-old-fashioned
/ outdated / obsolete
VERY
-absolutely / extremely / highly / incredibly / remarkably
GOOD PERFORMANCE / PIECE OF WORK
-excellent
/ outstanding / impressive / exceptional
GOOD FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, PURPOSE, ETC
-suitable
/ right / proper / appropriate / be suited to
WRONG INFORMATION / NUMBERS
-incorrect
/ inaccurate / misleading
NOT REASONABLE / NECESSARY
-unjustified
/ unreasonable / without good reason
RELAX
-unwind
/ wind down: Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect
place to unwind.
-make
someone feel at ease
-relaxed
/ feel at ease / laid-back (not easily worried or annoyed) /
NERVOUS
-tense /
uneasy / anxious / be under stress
PUBLIC SERVICES
-facilities:
The facilities at the hotel were excellent -- tennis courts, swimming pool,
several bars and a good
restaurant.
-amenities:
things such as shops, parks, or restaurants that make living or working in a
place more pleasant
I prefer this part of the city because there
are plenty of good amenities.
COMPARISONS
-a great
deal / far / much + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)
-a bit /
slightly / barely + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)
-by far
/ easily the + superlative (This is easily the best solution we can think
of)
VERY MUCH / NOT VERY MUCH
-dramatically
/ significantly / slightly
And
-As well
(as) / in addition to: Over 600
people will lose their jobs, in addition to the 400 people who left
the company last year.
-In
addition: A fifth of the world's population lives on less than $1 a day. In
addition, over 100 million
children are living on the streets.
-Furthermore
/ Moreover: used at the beginning of
a sentence when adding an important fact that is
connected with what you have just said: The drug has strong side effects. Furthermore,
it can be
addictive.
If
-as long
as / on condition that / provided that
Or
-alternatively:
You can go up into the mountains. Alternatively, you can stroll around one of
Switzerland's
delightful cities where the old mixes with
the new.
-on THE one hand ... on the other (hand)
Because
-As / since:
As it was a hot day, they decided to leave all the windows open. Since it is difficult to predict
how the climate will change, it is not
possible to say which countries will suffer the most.
-thanks
to
-due to/owing to + NOUN
The delay was due to a problem with the
ship's engines.
-due to/owing to + THE FACT THAT + subject
+ verb
The men did most of the work in the fields.
This was partly due to the fact that the men were stronger.
But/although
-While /
whereas / by contrast
-However: However
is usually used in the middle of a sentence, separated from the rest of the
sentence by
commas: Jack and his family managed to escape
before the soldiers arrived. Other families in the village,
however, were less lucky. Or it comes at the
beginning of a sentence: He began his academic career as a
mathematician. However, his main achievements
were in the field of nuclear physics.
-Nevertheless:
Nevertheless is usually used at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end.
-in spite of/despite + NOUN
Despite his lack of formal education, he
became one of the world's leading mathematicians.
-in spite of/despite + verb + ING
This was a dinosaur that weighed only 10
tons, in spite of being some 28 metres long.
-in spite of/despite + THE FACT THAT + subject
+ verb
Many people are worried that cellphones may
be dangerous to health, despite the fact that most of the
research suggests that there is little risk.
