Classify and rank the formal and informal FCE email and letter phrases

Dear Sir or Madam Dear Mr/ Ms + family name

Dear + first name
Hi + first name
Hi + first name + !
Thank you for your email
yesterday regarding
Thank you for your quick
reply.
apologise for the delay in
replying to your email.
Thanks for your email
a!out
"as delighted to recei#e
your email saying $m sorry for my late reply.
"as so thrilled to get your
mail a!out
"as o#er the moon "hen
your mail a!out popped
into my in!o%.
Sorry for taking so long to
get !ack to you.
am "riting to you in
connection "ith
am "riting to you in order
to
am "riting to you "ith
regards to
$m "riting to you a!out $m "riting to you to $m "riting to you !ecause
hope this email finds you
"ell.
hope you and your family
are "ell.
Ho" are you&
Hope you had a good
"eekend.
Hope your e%ams "ent
okay.
Ho"$s it going& Ho" are things& Ho"$s life&
'ould you possi!ly gi#e me
some information a!out&
"as "ondering if you
happen to kno"
f it$s not too much trou!le(
could you inform me
a!out&
'an you let me kno"& $d like to find out )ou don$t kno"( do you&
My chief recommendation
is May suggest& $d pro!a!ly ad#ise
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
*hy don$t you& t$s "ell
"orth it. Ha#e you thought a!out&
can$t recommend highly
enough.
*hat a!out&
)ou really must f you
like( you$ll lo#e it!
*hate#er you do( don$t
miss + you$ll kick yourself if
you do!
,nfortunately(did not meet
the high standards that
e%pected.
$m afraid "as not fully
satisfied "ith
"as #ery disappointed to
find that
"as totally unaccepta!le. "ant to complain a!out
am a!solutely furious
a!out
look for"ard to hearing
from you.
look for"ard to hearing
from you soon.
look for"ard to seeing you
again soon.
$m looking for"ard to
hearing from you.
$m looking for"ard to
hearing from you soon.
Hope "e ha#e the chance to
meet again soon.
-ooking for"ard to hearing
from you.
-ooking for"ard to meeting
up again soon. .eep in touch.
*rite soon! 'an$t "ait to see you again!
Hope "e !ump into each
other again #ery soon!
f you need any further
information( please do not
hesitate to contact me.
f you ha#e any questions(
please do not hesitate to
contact me.
f can !e of any assistance(
please do not hesitate to
ask.
f you need more info( /ust
drop me a line.
f anything isn$t clear( feel
free to ask.
f you need a hand "ith
anything( /ust let me kno".
)ours sincerely Sincerely yours )ours faithfully
)ours 0est regards 1egards
2ll the !est 0est "ishes
'heers See you
-ots of lo#e Hugs and kisses
Cut up and shuffle one set per group of two to four students, throwing away the blank
ones.
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
Put the cards that you are given into categories by function (= what the language is meant
to do), then rank the words in each category by formality from most formal at the top to
least formal at the bottom, putting ones of the same formality next to each other.
f you get stuck, use the hints under the fold below one by one to help you!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
There are ten categories
3o more than three ha#e the same function and le#el of formality( and sometimes /ust
one
The smallest categories has fi#e items and the !iggest categories ha#e nine items.
The greatest num!er of le#els of formality is fi#e and the smallest num!er of le#els of
formality is t"o.
The functions of the categories are4
1 5pening greeting
2 5pening line 6 talking a!out last contact
3 5pening line 6 mentioning the topic
4 5pening line 6 friendly( socia!le phrases
5 1equests for information
Suggestions
! 'omplaints
" 'losing line 6 Mentioning ne%t contact
# 'losing line 6 5ffering 7more8 help
10 'losing greeting
Check your answers with the worksheets above.
#hat are the general differences between formal and informal emailing phrases$ %ecide if
each thing below is a characteristic of formal emails (&) or informal emails )!
2#oid contractions 79 using : am; instead of :$m;( etc8
<moticons such as smileys
<%clamation marks and multiple punctuation 7e.g. !!!!8
=rammar 7e.g. "ord order8 unlike normal speech
>ust first names
-onger "ords and longer sentences
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
3o su!/ect or no su!/ect and no au%iliary #er!
?hrasal #er!s like :get + !ack + to + me;
dioms made from short "ords like :keep + in + touch;
diomatic language or slang
Similar to speech
Short forms 7!t" etc8
@ery polite language such as :*ould you mind&;
#ithout looking above, put expressions into the gaps on the next page.
'ook above, checking any phrases you put which are not in that list.
#hy are these kinds of informal language not acceptable in &C($ " A5A5( ',( See ya(
*assup&( gonna( "anna
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
#ithout looking above, put expressions with the same function into the gaps below.
Dear Mr/ Ms/ Dr + family
name
Hi + first name + !
Thank you for your quick
reply.
"as o#er the moon "hen
your mail a!out popped
into my in!o%.
am "riting to you "ith
regards to
$m "riting to you !ecause
hope you and your family
are "ell.
Ho"$s life&
"as "ondering if you
happen to kno"
)ou don$t kno"( do you&
My chief recommendation
is
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
*hate#er you do( don$t
miss + you$ll kick yourself
if you do!
,nfortunately(did not meet
the high standards that
e%pected.
"ant to complain a!out
look for"ard to hearing
from you.
.
Hope "e !ump into each
other again #ery soon!
f you ha#e any questions(
please do not hesitate to
contact me.
f you need a hand "ith
anything( /ust let me kno".
)ours sincerely
-ots of lo#e
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014