Informal letter
Beginning the letter
Great/Lovely to hear from you (after
so long).
Thanks (a lot) for the letter.
Sorry to hear about your .. .
Sorry I haven't written/been in touch
for so long.
Persuading
You'd get so much out of it.
It'd be a wonderful/marvellous
opportunity for you to ...
Just think of (all the people you'd
meet).
Just imagine how it would (improve
your CV), not to mention (the money
you could earn).
Advising
Whatever you do, make sure you ...
It's (not) worth/There's no/little point
+gerund
I'd/I wouldn't .. . if I were you.
You'd be much better off+ gerund
Ending the letter
Write back soon and let me know how
it goes.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Can't wait to see you again.
(Give my) love/regards to .. .
Signing off
Friends: All the best/Best wishes/Bye
for now
Close friends or relatives:
Lots of love/All my love/Love
Formal letter
Reason for writing
I am writing with regard/reference to ...
I am writing to express (my concern about/
disappointment with/disapproval of/apologies for) .. .
I would like to draw your attention to/point out .. .
Introducing points
(I feel) I must also (dis)agree with .. .
I should also like to point out that .. .
Your (article) states that ... However, .. .
Request for action
I would appreciate it/be grateful if you would .. .
I look forward to receiving/seeing ...
I trust/very much hope you will ...
Essay
Expressing an opinion
It is probably true to say that ...
There can be no doubt that .. .
It is simply not the case that .. .
Commonly held views
It is widely believed that ...
No one would dispute the fact that ...
Few people would contest/dispute (the
fact) that ...
It is generally agreed that ...
Saying what other people think
There are those who argue that ...
It has been suggested that ...
It is often claimed that ...
Opponents/Supporters/ of (hunting) argue that .. .
Referring to sources
All the evidence suggsts that ...
A recent survey proved that ...
Judging by the comments made by ...
Interviews with (students) have revealed that ...
Proposal
Suitability
The (town/centre/stadium) is well
equipped to deal with/perfectly suited
for (such events).
It is conveniently located/ideally
situated/well connected to (the
capital) .
There is little doubt that it would be a
resounding success/of great benefit to
the (town/company).
Amenities
There is no shortage/a wide selection
of (hotels/cinemas) to choose from.
The (town/conference centre/school)
boasts an impressive range of
(amenities/facilities).
Few (cities/schools) can offer such a
large choice of ...
Travel and transport
It is within easy reach/walking
distance/driving distance of the
(centre/hotel).
It is just a short walk/drive/bus ride/
train ride from the (coast/station).
The (town) has easy access to (the
motorway network).
Report
Introducing the report
The aim/purpose of this report is to
examine/evaluate/describe/outline ...
It will also include/consider/suggest/
recommend ...
The report is based on a survey
conducted among (college students).
Predicting the future
The outlook for young people/jobs/
the country is (far from) bright/
optimistic/depressing.
The future looks bleak/remains
uncertain/is promising.
This seems unlikely in the near/
foreseeable future.
Making recommendations
I would (strongly) recommend that
(the school/company) should .. .
In the light of the results of the
survey, I would (strongly) advise
against ...
I feel it would be to our advantage if .. .
Stating the purpose of the proposal
 The principal aims/objectives of this proposal are to...
 This proposal is intended to...
 In this proposal I describe/evaluate/present/assess...
Background information
 Comments made at the end of the questionnaires suggest...
 Following a survey among families of young children...
 Concerned members of the local community were invited to attend...
 A number of concerns with regard to the most recent street party were expressed by locals...
Making recommendations and suggestions
 A working group should be set up by...
 There should be an enquiry into...
 I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is reached...
Final recommendations
 The results of the survey/questionnaire suggest that the introduction of heavier fines would seem to be the best
option/choice/solution.
 If these recommendations are implemented, the situation is bound to improve.
 Unless these suggestions are implemented, it is unlikely that there will be any improvement in the short term.
 Should these recommendations be carried out, the event is bound to be a resounding success.

The aim of this report is to present the findings of a survey into local shopping habits and to make recommendations for
improvements in facilities and services.

Stating the purpose of the report

 The principal aim/objective/purpose of this report is to provide a description of... / to provide/to present results of /to assess
the importance of ...
 In this report I will provide a description of ... / I will provide/present results of .../ I will assess the importance of...
 This report describes/provides an assessment of... / describes/provides/presents results of...
Describing how you got the information
 I conducted a survey of / I conducted interviews with local council officers ...
 ... responded to an online questionnaire.
 I visited three of the most popular ...
 ... were invited to attend a focus group...
Reporting your results
 Most of those responding to the survey stated that/expressed the opinion that ...
 According to ...
 A large/considerable/significant/ proportion of respondents/informants/those surveyed said that ...
 Nearly three quarters of the ...
Presenting a list
 The arguments against ... are the following:
 The following were the main reasons given for supporting ...: firstly, ..., secondly, ...
 Points our informants mentioned in favour of/against ... were:
 There are several ways in which ... might be ... :
Making recommendations
 Taking all the factors mentioned into account/In the light of the results of the survey/questionnaire, ... would appear to be the
most viable solution/option/approach.
 I would therefore recommend ....
 Clearly, more could be done to .... I would make the following recommendations: