Writing types 
FORMAL 
  
General formal letter 
Greetings: 
- Dear Sir 
- Dear Madam 
- Dear Sir/Madam 
- Dear Mr Brown 
- Dear Ms Jones etc. 
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 
- I am writing on behalf of 
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 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Request letter 
Reason for writing: 
- ’’ I am writing to receive further information
about 
 - ’’enquire about 
- ’’receive more detailed information about 
- ’’receive further details about 
- I have a number of questions I would like to ask 
Requesting first piece of information: 
- The first thing I would like to know is 
- I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all
….? 
Requesting further information: 
- Could you also tell me….? 
- ’’inform me ….? 
- Would you also mind informing me ….? 
- ’’telling me ….? 
- I would also like to know if 
- I hope you might also let me know about … 
Thanking for information: 
- Thanking you in advance for this information 
-I look forward to receiving this information as soon
as possible so that I… 
Other ideas: 
-The purpose of our stay is.. 
-I have just found… 
-I recently saw… 
-You seem to offer… 
-I (would) require… 
-I notice that it is possible to… 
-We are planning… 
-Are dogs allowed…? 
Vocabulary: 
 Website 
 Stay 
 Require 
 (conference) Facilities 
 Accommodation 
 Advertisement 
 Location 
 Available 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Complaint letter 
Reason for writing: 
- I am writing in order to complain about 
Introducing the complaint: 
 - The first problem is 
- The first thing I would like to draw your attention
to is 
- My first concern is 
Introducing further complaints: 
- Not only …….but also 
- Added to this 
- …….was also unacceptable 
 
Demanding action: 
- I suggest that…  
- I would be grateful if… 
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 
Other ideas: 
- I am dissatisfied  
-… replace the item 
- …be given a full refund 
-I am of the opinion that your course has been a total
waste of both my time and money. 
Vocabulary: 
 Dissatisfied 
 Telephone conversation 
 Postage/packing/receive 
 Promise/discovered/describe/comprehend/suggest 
 Purchase/(complete) refund 
Request permission 
Reason for writing: 
- I am writing to ask/request permission to/for 
- I am writing to ask if I might 
Making first request: 
- Firstly, I wonder if you would 
- 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/to 
Thanking for permission 
- Many thanks for kindly considering my requests 
- Thank you for considering my requests 
Suggestion letter 
Reason for writing: 
- I am writing to suggest 
- ’’arrange 
- ’’offer suggestions 
- ’’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 
- I further suggest 
- I would further suggest 
- Secondly 
Offering a choice: 
- Would you therefore mind choosing between ….? 
- You might choose either…or 
 
 
Give information 
Reason for writing: 
- I am writing to inform you about 
- ’’provide you with information about 
- ’’ let you know that 
Providing first point: 
- The first thing I (would like)/wish to inform/tell
you of is 
- I would like to begin by informing you 
Providing further points: 
- I would also like to let you know/inform you that 
- You might also find the following information
useful 
- It might also be useful for you to know that 
Ending the letter: 
- If you require further information, please do not
hesitate to ask 
- I will willingly provide further information on
request 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report            Report on…(mental
issues) 
+ Encabezado por párrafo 
Introduction: 
-The purpose/aim of this report is (to outline the
positive and negative things…) 
Conclusion: 
-Having taken everything into consideration, I
recommend that… 
Vocabulary: 
  Recommendations 
 Improvement 
 
Opinion Essay 
Others opinion: 
-Some experts claim that… 
-Experts strongly believe that… 
-The vast majority of psychologists claim that… 
-According to people´s belief, 
-It is a common belief that… 
-Contrary to popular belief, 
Seem/appear: 
- There would appear to be two possible approaches 
- There seems to be no universal consensus on how
important it is… 
Turn out: 
-It turns out to be clear that… 
-It truly turns out necessary to make the most of that
experience 
Passive:  
-Cooperation is said to be crucial  
-It is claimed/it is believed that 
-It is reported/thought /known/said… 
Other ideas: 
-For better or worse… 
-It has undergone… 
-In the event of…  
-It is of utmost importance   
-No one would dispute the fact that…  
-It goes without saying…  
-It is likely that…  
-It can be clearly seen that… 
-Clearly there are arguments on both sides 
For and against 
 
Application 
Ideas: 
-I am considering studying 
-I would like to apply for (a scholarship) 
-I took part in a competition… 
-… and won first prize 
-I wish to work… 
-I hope that my application will be seriously
considered 
-I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest
convenience. 
Vocabulary: 
 A levels 
 Grades 
  Awarded 
 University 
 Scholarship 
 Industry 
 Part-time job/work experience 
 Hardworking/reliable/skills 
 
 
 

NEUTRAL/INFORMAL 
Article                             
title 
Rhetoric questions: 
-Have you ever…? 
-Do you ever wonder…? 
-What do you think about…? 
-Are you a… like me? 
-Are you one of those people who…? 
-What would you say if I told you that…? 
Introducing ideas: 
-The coolest thing about… 
-What attracts me most… 
-One thing to consider is… 
Conclusion: 
-… you will not regret it! 
Vocabulary:  
-Great 
-stuff 
-wonderful 
 
 
 
Review (book, film…)                 
title 
Introduction:  
-I recently read/saw… 
Other ideas: 
-It is great because… 
-It is set… 
-I enjoy(ed) following the changes in the
characters’… 
-This book/film will overwhelm you from the
beginning. 
-I’d recommend it to… 
Vocabulary: 
 Suspense/drama/humour/ fantasy/science fiction… 
 Description/describe 
  Characters/enemy/main character/relationships/ 
 Outgoing/shy… 
 Episode/season 
Informal email  
Greetings: 
-Dear/Hello/Hi (Sarah) 
Introduction: 
-How’s it going? 
-How are things? 
-It’s great to hear from you! 
News: 
-I’m glad to hear that/It’s so great that 
-I’m so sorry to hear/read about 
To end up: 
-Well, I gotta go now 
-Look after yourself 
I'm Looking forward to hearing from you so drop me a line
soon! 
Goodbye: 
-Love, 
-All the best, 
-Best wishes,  
-Regards,  
Idioms: 
-Hit the books (estudiar muy duro) 
-It's a piece of cake (es muy fácil) 
-Drop me a line (Escríbeme) 
-Learn the ropes (Tomarle el truco a alg 
Al principio es difícil, pero poco a poco le irás pillando el truco.
It's difficult but you'll soon learn the ropes. 
-Lend an ear (listen) 
-Hit the sack (go to bed) 
-Get on like a house on fire (llevarse muy bien) 
-Break a leg  
-Beat a dead horse (pérdida de tiempo)