WRITING LETTERS OF THANKS BUSINESS SKILLS

1. Formal Dear Professor Olsen I am writing to express my thanks for yesterday evening’s party on the occasion of your 60 th birthday. It really was a most enjoyable evening, and Jane and I were delighted to attend. The food was absolutely delicious, and it was a great pleasure to meet your wife and children. Yours sincerely

1. Formal The first letter starts off formally with expression “I am writing to…”, which is often used in business letters. To “express your thanks” is a formal way to say thank you, and “on the occasion of” is more formal than “to celebrate”. Also, to say that something is “most enjoyable” is more formal than “very enjoyable”. Other expressions in this letter that are more formal include “delighted” instead of “pleased”; “attend” instead of “come” or “be there”; and “a great pleasure” instead of “great”. Note the formal ending to the letter.

2. Neutral Dear Judy Thank you for the great party last night. It was a very nice evening, and it was lovely to be able to get together to celebrate your birthday. Jane and I both had a wonderful time and hope you enjoyed the party as we did. Best wishes / Best regards

2. Neutral This letter is friendly and more informal than the first one, but it is still not too informal. Words such as “great”, “lovely” and “wonderful” are neutral ways of describing something positive. The letter ends with the neutral expression “Best wishes” (or “Best regards”). Also possible is simply “Regards”.

3. Informal Hi Carla Thanks a million for the fabulous party last night. Jane and I had a hell of a time, although both of us were suffering quite a bit this morning! What a scream your kids are! It was great to see them again. Say hi to them both from us. Hope to see you again soon. Love / Best(s) Jill

3. Informal This is a very informal letter (or, more likely, an ) to some Jill clearly knows well. “Thanks a million” (or, even more informally, “Thanks a mil”) is a common way of thanking a friend. To “have a hell of a time” here means to joy yourself a lot. In contrast, if you say that you are “suffering quite a bit”, this probably means that you have a hangover after drinking too much alcohol.

3. Informal If you describe somebody or something as “a scream”, this means that he, she or it is very funny. For example, you might say: “Did you see that film on TV last night? It was an absolute scream.” “Say hi / hello to XXX for / from us” are typical ways of passing on your greetings to a third person. Informal letters or s often end with expressions such as “Love”, ”Best wishes”, ”All the best”, ”Best” or even ”Bests”.

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