WRITING STORIES

 Time Linking Words A few minutes later

Afterwards
All of a sudden
All the while
As
As soon as
At first
At last
At that moment
Before
Before long
By the time
During
Eventually
Finally
For
Immediately (after that)
In no time at all
In the beginning
In the end
In the meantime
Just
Just as
Later
On the spur of the moment
Since
Sometime later
Soon
Still
Suddenly
The moment that
The next moment
Then
Until
When
While
Concession - Contrast Although
Even though
In spite of
Despite
However
No matter how/what
Whatever
But
While
Whereas
Nevertheless
Regardless of
Result - Consequence So…that

1
 Such…that
Therefore
So
Otherwise
For this reason
Under the circumstances
Consequently
As a consequence
As a result
Cause-Reason Because (of)
As
Since
Due to
Owing to
Emphasis In fact
As a matter of fact
Actually
To tell you the truth
Strangely enough
Expressions/Phrases It was too good to be true.
It happened out of the blue.
The next thing I knew was…
Before I knew it…
Without any warning…
I was taken by surprise…
To my surprise…
(Un) fortunately…
To make matters worse…
Without any doubt…
Beyond any doubt
Beyond a shadow of a doubt
Without thinking…
It was a sight for sore eyes.
I couldn’t believe my eyes/ears/luck.
As luck would have it…
(Un) luckily…
I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was out of breath.
It was a narrow escape.
My heart sank.
My heart was beating furiously.
It made me jump.
I burst out laughing / into tears.
It was a real shock.
My hair stood on end.
I was as white as a sheet.
It was getting on my nerves.
It was the best/worst ever.
I was in a good/bad mood.
I was left speechless.

2
 WRITING INFORMAL LETTERS
   Greeting Dear Maria,
Dearest Maria,
Hi Maria!
Hello Maria!
   Opening Paragraph It was great to hear from you.
I’m glad that you’re well.
I’m sorry (to hear) that you’re not well.
I really enjoyed getting your letter.
Hi! What’s new?
What have you been up to?
I haven’t heard from you for ages.
I was very happy to get your letter.
Sorry I haven’t written for so long.
It’s taken me ages to reply but I have been busy.
I’m been meaning to write back but I was busy.
Just thought to drop you a line.
I was on cloud nine having read your letter.
   Giving Information As for …
Regarding …
As you know…
You see…
I must say…
Here is the information you require.
You wanted some information about…
You need to know these things…
I’m writing to give you some extra information.
The first thing I should write about is…
As far as… is/are concerned,…
Now, something else.
In your letter you also asked about…,
In addition to this…,
Well, about the…
I hope the information I’ve given you will help you.
I hope I’ve been of some help.
If you have any other questions…
Write if you need more details.
Let me know if you need anything else
Making arrangements How about meeting at…?
Why don’t we…?
…would be the best place to meet, because…
We can meet… if you like.
I’ll meet you…
I suggest we meet…
Can you make it on…?
Is… OK for you?
Which date/time do you prefer?
Can you let me know if these arrangements suit you/are OK with
you?
   Asking for Information Do you know if/whether…?
I’d like to know if/whether…
I’d like to find out if/whether…
I was wondering if
I would appreciate it if …
It would be great if…
Please let me know…

3
   Referring to an The announcement / advertisement / letter says / mentions /
advertisement or letter states…
   Linking Ideas To begin with, …
Regarding the…
As to the…
As far as the… is/are concerned, …
In the meantime…
Moreover, … Furthermore,
…
Once again, …
   Giving Advice My advice is that you (do)…
I would advise you to (do)…
If I were you, I would (do)…
If I were in your position/shoes, I would…
I think the best thing would be to…
I’m sure you will/can…
I suggest that you (should) do…
In my opinion you should/could/might (do) …
You needn’t (do)…
I strongly advise you to…
It would be a good idea to…
I think you’d better do…
One thing you can do is to…
What I always find helpful is…
Why not consider doing…?
Why don’t you do…?
The way I see it, you can…
How/What about doing…?
Well, that’s what I think you should do.
I hope I’ve been of some help to you.
I really hope everything goes well.
   Inviting I’d love it if you joined me for / came to…
I thought we might…
I hope you can…
We could…
How about going to / joining me for…?
Would you like to…?
I have some suggestions about how we could spend the
afternoon/evening/morning.
   Closing Paragraph That’s about it for me.
That’s (all) my news.
I look forward to hearing from / seeing you soon.
Well, I think that’s about it.
Well, that’s all for now.
Well, I’d better finish off here.
I must go now.
Write soon.
Waiting for your letter/reply.
See you soon.
Keep in touch.
Say hello to everyone.
Give my love/regards to everyone.
Drop me a line and let me know...
Closing Remarks Love, Best wishes, Yours, Your friend, All my love,
All the best, Lots of kisses, Take care, Bye for now,
(your first name)

4
 WRITING FORMAL LETTERS
   Greeting Dear Mr./Ms/Miss/Mrs…
Dear Sir or Madam,
   Letter of Complaint I am writing to complain about…
I am writing to make a complaint about…
I am writing to you regarding / in connection with / on account of…
I regret that I am obliged to complain about…
I feel I must complain about…
Your advertisement states/claims/says that…
Your advertisement/brochure was misleading in this respect.
In your advertisement/brochure you state otherwise.
You failed to mention that…
You led me to believe that…
You advertised that…
According to your advertisement…
It was completely different from…
I feel it is absolutely unacceptable…
I am dissatisfied with…
Unfortunately, it was nothing like what I expected.
The problem is…
I must mention/point out…
To make matters worse…
As if that was not bad enough…
I was shocked/surprised/disappointed…
To my amazement/surprise…
Considering all the above, I believe I am entitles to a partial / full
refund.
I demand a full refund / immediate action / a replacement.
I expect to be compensated / all expenses to be paid.
I would be grateful if you would deal / you dealt with this matter
immediately.
I would appreciate it if we could sort this matter out as soon as
possible.
I feel sure / am confident that this matter will receive your prompt
attention.
I hope that you will give this matter your attention.
I am afraid that if this matter is not dealt with immediately, I will…
It would be a good idea to…
You should consider…
I hope you will…
Asking Information – I am writing to you in connection with…
Making a Request I am writing with regard to / in regard to / with reference to…
I am writing to ask if you could inform me about…
I am writing to enquire about…
I am writing for more information about…
I was interested in your advertisement in…
I would appreciate some further information about…
Referring to your advertisement published in…
   Applying for a Job I am writing to apply for…
Regarding/Concerning/As regards my qualifications…
If you wish to interview me…
Thank you for considering…
I hope to hear from you…
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
   Declining an Initiation I would like to thank you for the invitation.

5
 Thank you again for the invitation.
I’m afraid that / Unfortunately I will not be able to attend to… I’m
terribly sorry…
I would appreciate it if you could send me some photographs of the
event.
   Referring to an The announcement / advertisement / letter says / mentions / states…
advertisement or letter
   Linking Ideas To begin with, …
Regarding the…
As to the…
As far as the… is/are concerned, …
In the meantime…
Moreover, What is more, Furthermore, In addition
Once again, …
Although, However, Nonetheless
First, Second, Then, Finally
Therefore
   Expressing an Opinion I am writing with regard / in response to the article in your
newspaper/magazine about…
I felt I should write to you to express my opinion.
I am writing to express my opinion about an article that I read in your
newspaper/magazine about…
I am writing to express my personal opinion in regards to the
advertisement about...
First and foremost, I would like to point out that...
I am in complete agreement with...
I firmly believe that...
In reference to the reasons why....
Keep in mind that...
As for the results which show that..., my opinion is that...
As far as I am concerned, I believe that...
Bear in mind that...
All in all, I honestly believe that...
I am sure that…
For these reasons, …
Clearly, this would …
In my opinion,…
I think it would be an excellent idea to…
Speaking from personal experience...
Personally speaking, ...
This seems to be the best solution…
On one hand I think that…, but on the other hand…
   Closing Paragraphs Thank you for considering…
I would be very grateful if you would/could reply as soon as possible.
Thanking you for your time and assistance.
Thanking you in advance for your assistance / co-operation.
I would like to thank you in advance.
I look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.
I hope to hear from you soon.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
Closing Remarks Yours Sincerely, (your full name) – when you know the name of the
person you’re writing to
Yours Faithfully, (your full name) – when you don’t know the name of
the person you’re writing to

6
 WRITING DISCURSIVE COMPOSITIONS, ARTICLES & ESSAYS
Stating arguments People in favour claim that…
Supporters argue that…
Those against this idea believe that…
Say = argue, claim, believe, agree, disagree
Expressing Contrasting On the one hand…On the other hand…,
Ideas however, Although, Even though, In spite of, Despite,
No matter how/what, Whatever, But, While, Whereas,
Nevertheless, Regardless of, Contrary to, In contrast
Adding Information In fact, For example, For instance, In addition (to this),
Furthermore, Moreover, Apart from, Except for, Besides,
What is more, As well as, not only…but also,
Another point worth mentioning is the fact that..., Another
important point worth taking into consideration/account is the
fact that..., Another significant point I wish to bring to your
attention is that...
Expressing Opinion In my opinion…, In my view…, Personally I believe that…,
The way I see it…, From my point of view…, I am in favour of…,
I am against…, My belief is that…, I believe…,
Personally, I agree that…,
Personally, I disagree with the idea that…,
I feel very strongly that…
Listing points Initially, First (of all), At first, To begin with, To start with,
Second, Secondly, Then, Next, Finally, Eventually, Lastly,
Last but not least, To conclude, In conclusion
Emphasizing In fact, As a matter of fact, No matter how, However
(+adjective), Even, Indeed, Actually, Instead, Apparently,
Obviously, To be honest
Giving examples For example, For instance, Such as, Like
Expressing Result - So…that, Such…that, Therefore, So, Otherwise, For this reason,
Consequence Under the circumstances, Consequently, As a consequence,
As a result, In this case, Or
Expressing Cause-Reason Because (of), As, Since, Due to, Owing to
Expressing purpose In order to, So as to, So that, in case, For, To
Clarifying meaning Specifically, To be more specific/precise, In other words,
That is to say
Summarising To sum up, To summarise, All in all, On the whole, In short,
In conclusion, Taking everything into account

7
 WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS
   Starting We are writing to inform you that ...
                      to confirm ...
                      to request ...
   Referring to Thank you for your letter of March 15 …
   previous contact With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday ...
Further to our meeting last week ...
   Making a request We would appreciate it if you would ...
I would be grateful if you could…
Could you possibly ...
It would be helpful to us if ...
   Offering help We would be happy to ...
Would you like us to ...
We are quite willing to ...
   Giving good news We are pleased to announce that ...
I am delighted to inform you that ...
You will be pleased to learn that ...
   Giving bad news We regret to inform you that ...
I'm afraid it would not be possible to ...
Unfortunately we cannot/we are unable to ...
   Apologising We are sorry for the delay in replying ...
I regret any inconvenience caused… I
would like to apologise for...
   Enclosing documents I am enclosing ... Please
find enclosed ... You will find
enclosed ...
   Closing remarks If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.
If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your help.
   Referring to future I look forward to seeing you next week.
contact Looking forward to hearing from you.
Looking forward to receiving your comments.
I look forward to meeting you on the 15th.
  Sincerely / Yours sincerely (for all customers/clients)
   Ending Regards (for those you already know and have a working
  relationship with)

WRITING REPORTS
Don’t forget to use HEADINGS and TOPIC SENTENCES!!
Report on… by… (full name)
The aim/purpose of this report is to…
This report describes / deals with…
It is considered… It seems… It appears…
I would recommend / suggest… It would be a good idea to…

8
 FREQUENTLY FOUND STRUCTURES
A great many buildings / people…
A summit conference
According to sb
An alternative to
As / So long as
As a result of
As far as sth is concerned
As to / Considering / Regarding
At all costs / Without fail
At the expense of
But for the fact that / If it hadn’t been for the fact that
By all accounts
For fear of…ing
From the very beginning
I can personally vouch for the fact that
I object to…ing
I would (far) sooner…BI
I would have been better off…ing
If I had been / were in your shoes
In addition to…ing
In preference to
In proportion to
In terms of…noun
In the light of (this information) / In view of
It didn’t occur to me that
It is common knowledge that
It is worth…ing
It seems / looks / appears as if/though
It serves / served / will serve you right
It was / is alleged that
It was the first time…past perfect
It would be in your own / best interest to
It’s (high) time…simple past
It’s doubtful if / that
It’s no good…ing
It’s no use…ing
It’s the first time…present perfect
Known as…
Let alone (the fact that)
Much as = Although = Even though = Though
No reference was made to / Make reference to
On my first / second attempt
On sb’s arrival / departure
On second thoughts / On reflection
On the condition that
On the grounds that = Because of
Other than / Apart from / Except for…ing / noun
Rather than
Regardless of
Sth serves its purpose
Sth tipped the scales in his favour

9
The answer to / The key to / The solution to
The prospects of…ing sth
The small hours = After midnight early in the morning
There can be little / no doubt over sth
There is little / no likelihood that
There’s a demand for
There’s a good chance that
There’s a reduction / an increase in
There’s a risk that
There’s heavy / severe / harsh criticism of
There’s no excuse for sb…ing sth
There’s no guarantee that
There’s no point in…ing
To acquaint myself with (the rules)
To an / some extent / To such an extent that…
To be at a loose end
To be at a loss
To be at fault
To be bound to / To be certain to
To be cut out for …ing sth
To be cut out to be a (profession)
To be hard on sb
To be in mourning for sb
To be in need of…ing
To be in possession of
To be in the habit of…ing sth
To be in the hope of…ing
To be intent / determined on…ing
To be laid off (workers, clerks…) = To be made redundant
To be left speechless
To be on good / bad / equal terms with sb
To be on the dole
To be released on bail
To be resigned to the fact of…ing
To be susceptible to / prone to
To be taken aback by = To be taken by surprise
To be taken completely by surprise
To be under construction
To be under pressure
To bear a great / striking resemblance to
To break an engagement off
To cast doubt on sth / To cast an eye on sb (cast-cast-cast)
To cater for
To chair a meeting
To clash with (timing)
To commit myself to…ing sth
To comply with / to abide by / to conform to
To discourage sb from…ing sth
To distance myself from (another point of view)
To end up in…(prison)
To familiarise myself with
To focus attention on
To form an opinion

10
To get / be accustomed to…ing
To get the gist
To give an excuse for…ing
To give sb credit for …ing sth
To have a good / excellent command of…(language)
To have a monopoly on…ing
To have a narrow escape / To have a close shave
To have an (immense / great) effect on sb
To have little / great / no difficulty in…ing
To have no intention of…ing
To have no other choice / option / alternative but to…
To have sth at my disposal
To insist on…ing
To keep sb abreast of… = To inform sb on
To keep up to date
To lead to / to result in
To let off (some) steam
To make an impression on sb
To mutter sth under my breath
To prevent sb from…ing
To provide sb with
To pull out of (an agreement)
To pursue my own interests
To put paid to sb’s hopes = lose hope
To raise (an) objection(s) to…ing
To resign myself to an idea / of…ing sth
To resort to…ing / As a last resort
To seek approval from sb (seek-sought-sought)
To subject myself to
To succeed in…ing
To take any / no notice of
To take into account / into consideration
To take steps / course of action
To tell at a glance that
To the best of my ability
To transform sth into
To try / do my best
To work up an appetite
To write off debts
We are all in the same boat
We hadn’t bargained for / on
With the exception of = With / To the exclusion of
Without (any) doubt / Beyond a / the shadow of a doubt

11