How to end a letter in English. Let's figure out how to finish a personal, business, congratulatory letter
Surely, many friends who have traveled to different cities or countries do not exchange short messages on social networks every day, but occasionally write letters to each other about their lives. Someone writes regular mail, someone - electronic. Writing the letter itself is easy, but how do you finish the letter? For many a problem. Today we'll talk about how to finish a letter correctly.
A letter to a friend
To properly finish a letter to a friend, first re-read the entire text, at the same time and check for errors. Perhaps you missed something that you can add at the time of checking the letter.
For yourself, you need to clearly know: do you want to receive an answer instantly or do you expect an answer when the opportunity arises? Before you write something at the end of the letter, decide on a logical link so that there is no such feeling that the letter is not finished, unless, of course, you want to intrigue the recipient.
But how to end a letter to a friend completely, leaving only a small phrase? It’s not worth saying goodbye too tediously, because you probably don’t say goodbye like that in life. When you have edited your letter, the end turned out to be meaningful and the thought is over, then at the very end at the bottom of the letter you can add phrases such as:
- Your (I) girlfriend / friend (Name);
- >Waiting for an answer;
- I want to see you soon;
- See you;
- Wait for a visit;
- Come soon;
- Kiss (NAME);
- Good luck;
- With best wishes, your friend / girlfriend (Name).
Business letter
When completing a business letter, you need to check it even more carefully for errors and literacy of the text, so that everything is clearly stated, so that there is nothing superfluous, naturally without such words as “che”, “yes, no problem” and the like. Your tone should be quite trusting and fairly easy to understand.
Approaching the end of your story, you should finally interest the addressee in something, because the end of the letter is more memorable. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't show all your cards in the beginning. Gradually, you need to let the interest grow and at the end, open it completely so that your letter remains in your memory.
Before thinking about how to end business letter, you must enter a list of documents attached to the letter, if any. The list must be numbered, and the documents must be nested in the order in which you previously indicated. The last phrase that is used in a business letter may sound like this:
- Sincerely (Name);
- Hope for cooperation;
- With respect (Name);
- Thank you for responding to my offer.
Farewells in English in letters
When you communicate with friends or correspond with a loved one, you do not have to follow certain boundaries of communication. Somewhere you can play a joke or write a word that you would not be able to use in a business letter. This allows you to communicate more openly.
Nowadays, different slang is widespread among young people, which is incomprehensible to the older generation. One of these slangs is the replacement of Russian words with foreign ones. How to finish a letter in English is no different from the previous tips. Any letter should be checked so as not to lose face and send it with a bunch of blots and unfinished thoughts. Just at the end, you can add such a zest as a farewell to English language. For example, we will provide you with a few suitable phrases:
- With Love (Name) - With love (Name);
- Talk to you later - Let's talk later;
- Good Cheers!* - Good mood!*;
- Best wishes (Name) - With best wishes (NAME);
- See you soon - See you soon;
- Yours, (Name) - Yours / Yours (Name);
- All the best - With best wishes;
- Thanks in advance - Thank you in advance for your reply;
- Good luck - I wish you good luck;
- Say hi to everyone - Say hello to everyone;
- Truly yours (Name) - Sincerely (Name);
- Sincerely yours (Name) - Sincerely yours / yours (Name).
Correspondence is one of the most important ways of communication between people all over the world. With its help, you can solve any issue: work, commercial, personal. This often saves time, because we do not have to wait for a person to talk to him (let it be better if the letter is waiting for him in the box).
Fortunately, today we do not have to wait long, and a letter can be sent at lightning speed thanks to the Internet. However, to avoid shame, it is important to know how to write it correctly in English. Let's discard the officialdom and talk about something pleasant - today we are writing a letter to a friend.
Example of a friendly letter
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your letters! I "m glad to hear that you" ve passed your driving test! Congratulations!I "m sorry I haven"t written for such a long time. I "ve been really busy with my new project. By the way, thank you for your brilliant idea. I really had the best presentation last time. I really appreciated your advice.
As for your question, I think all you have to do is just regular exercises. Don "t be lazy and try to find at least 20-30 minutes for your health every day. There is a rule of 30 minutes a day: if you do something at least 30 minutes a day you will have a result at the end of the week. For example, if you read 50 pages during this time, at the end of the week you"ll have total of about 350 pages. If we say that we don't have enough time for it (as we usually do) we have 0 result at the end of the week. Besides, they say that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So all you have to do is to take the bull by the horns and try it for just 3 weeks.
Unfortunately, I need to come back to my project. I hope my advice was helpful.
Hope to hear from you soon.
take care,
Victor
Sample letter to a friend
Thank you for your letter!
I'm glad to know that you passed on the rights! Congratulations!
I'm sorry I haven't written to you for a long time. I have been very busy with my new project. By the way, thanks for the great idea. I really had a great presentation last time. I really appreciated your advice.
Regarding your question, I think all you need to do is just exercise regularly. Do not be lazy and try to find at least 20-30 minutes a day for your health. There is a rule of 30 minutes a day: if you do something for at least 30 minutes a day, at the end of the week you will have a result. For example, if you read 50 pages during this time, by the end of the week you will have 350 pages. If we say that we don't have time for this (as we usually do), we will have a zero result at the end of the week. Plus, they say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So all you have to do is take the bull by the horns and try for 3 weeks.
Unfortunately, I have to get back to my project. Hope my advice was helpful.
I hope for a speedy reply.
What is informal English writing?
Such a letter is also used to ask for some information, to congratulate on a holiday, to ask for advice / give advice. A friendly letter can be written to both an old friend and a new, unknown friend. The tone of the letter should show your love and concern for your friend.
How to start an informal letter?
Like any other type of letter, informal contains certain mandatory parts. Of course, this is a greeting and a farewell. Start with a word Dear(dear) + the name of the person you are writing to. Also (especially in e-mails) you can start with the word Hi+ person's name.
For example: Dear Bob, or Hi Bob. Do not address a person by their last name or Mr, Mrs. It sounds too formal and even ridiculous when combined with Dear.
In an informal letter, a comma is often put after the name, and the text of the letter itself begins on a new line. In this case, it is important to keep the style, that is, if you used a comma at the beginning, then repeat this technique at the end of the letter, saying goodbye.
What to write about in an informal letter?
- How are you?- How are you?
- How is your family?- How is your family?
- Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.- Thank you/Many thanks for the (recent/last) letter/card.
- I hope you are well.- I hope you are well.
- I was so surprised to hear that...- I was surprised to hear that...
- It was good / nice / great to hear from you again.- It was good / nice / wonderful to hear from you again.
If you have not communicated for a long time, the following phrases will do:
- It "s ages since I" ve heard from you. I hope you "re well / you and your family are well. Haven't heard from you in years. I hope you are well/you and your family are well.
- I "m sorry I haven"t written/haven"t been in touch for such a long time. Sorry for not posting/ keeping in touch for so long.
Examples of phrases and variants of letters in English
If a friend wrote about the news:
- Glad to hear that…- Glad to hear that...
- Great news about…- Great news about...
- Sorry to hear about…- Sorry to hear about...
- I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that…“I thought you might be interested in hearing about/knowing what…”
- Listen, did I tell you about …? You"ll never believe what…- Listen, did I tell you about...? You will never believe that...
- By the way, have you heard about / did you know that…?- By the way, did you hear about / did you know that…?
- Oh, and another thing… This is just to let you know that… Oh, and one more thing... Just so you know...
Sorry:
- I "m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.- Sorry, I'm sorry I forgot to send you a birthday card, but I was busy with a new job.
- I "m writing to apologise for missing your party but I"m afraid I was with flu.- I'm writing to apologize for missing your party, but I'm afraid I had the flu.
We invite:
- Could you let me know if you can come / you "d like to join us?- Could you let me know if you can come/would you like to join us?
- I was wondering if you "d like to come on holiday with us. I'm wondering if you would like to come with us on vacation.
- I "m / We" re having a party on Saturday 13th and I / we hope you "ll be able to come.- I / We are having a party on Saturday the 13th and we hope you manage to come.
We answer the invitation:
- Thank you very much for your invitation. I "d love to come.- Thanks a lot for the invitation. I would love to come.
- Thank you for inviting me to… but I "m afraid I won"t be able to…- Thank you for inviting me to... but I'm afraid I can't...
We ask:
- I "m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour.- I am writing to you to ask for help / (could you give me) a favor.
- I wonder if you could help me/do me a favour.- I'm wondering if you could help me / provide a service.
- I "d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could ...- I would be very / really / terribly grateful if you could.
Thank you:
- I "m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the wonderful present. I am writing to you to thank you for your hospitality/wonderful gift.
- It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.“It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
- I really appreciated all your help/advice.- I really appreciate your help/advice.
Congratulations/good luck:
- Congratulations on passing your exams/your excellent exam results!- My congratulations on passing the exams / your excellent results!
- I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your exams/your interview.- I wish you good luck / good luck in / in the exams / interview.
- Don "t worry, I" m sure you "ll do well / pass.- Don't worry, I'm sure you'll succeed / pass.
- Why don't you…?- Why do not you…?
- Maybe you could…?- Perhaps you could...?
- How about…?- What about…?
- You can't leave Moscow without... (doing sth)- You can't leave Moscow without... (having done something)
- I "m sure you will enjoy... (doing sth). If you like, we can…- I'm sure you'll enjoy... (doing something). If you want we can...
How to end an informal letter?
Of course, after we shared everything, talked about everything, answered all the questions, you need to logically finish the letter, you can’t just cut it off. For this, we also have some blanks, traditional phrases.
Say why you end the letter:
- Unfortunately, I need to / have to go.- Unfortunately, I have to / I have to go.
- It's time to finish.- It's time to finish.
- Anyway, I must go and get on with my work!“Anyway, I have to go and get the job done.
Say hello or tell me about your next meeting/letter:
- Give my love / regards to... / Say hello to... - Give my regards to...
- Anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party."Anyway, don't forget to let me know the date of the party."
- We must try and meet up soon.- We should try to meet soon.
- I can't wait to hear from you.- I can't wait to hear from you.
- Look forward to seeing you again.- Looking forward to seeing you again.
- Hope to hear from you soon.- I hope to hear from you soon.
- See you soon.- See you soon
And in conclusion, do not forget about the traditional wish from a new line
- Love,/Lots of love,- With love,
- All the best- All the best,
- take care,- Take care,
- best wishes,- Best wishes.
Useful Linking Words
then- then
after it/that- after this/that
though- although
so- so, therefore
that's why- therefore, that's why
besides- Moreover
still- Nonetheless
anyway- anyway, anyway
fortunately- Luckily
unfortunately- unfortunately
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Did fate separate you and your friend, scattering you in different cities, albeit for a while? You can keep in touch by talking on the phone, using computer programs, using headphones with a microphone.
You can even see the interlocutor, and not only hear him, if you have a webcam. However better option than a living letter, not yet invented. After all, it is one thing to type a couple of phrases on the keyboard in a mail agent or Skype, and another to write a letter by hand on a piece of paper, seal it and send it to the addressee. But first you need a letter finish right. So, how to end a letter to a friend.
Indicate who the letter is from
Despite the fact that you write your last name and initials on the envelope, in the letter itself you must subscribe. If you are just writing to a friend, a sample signature will look like this: “Your friend Katya” or “I look forward to seeing you, Katya.” Are you texting your best friend? Then you can afford something like this: “Your best friend Katyushka. Look forward to meeting!" or “Don't be bored, see you soon. Katyusha. Finally, if your letter is addressed to your boyfriend in the army, boldly write “I love you, kiss you and miss you very much. Your Katenka" or "I miss you very much, come soon! Your Katenka. As for diminutive suffixes in names, it's up to you to decide how to write. It all depends on what your friend calls you.
The ending of a letter is not only a signature
Finishing a letter to a friend from a girl should not just be one line with a name and a request to come quickly or not be bored. First read your letter, highlight the main ideas that you put on paper. At the end of your message recall what was said in the letter. For example, you know that your friend is coming tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and in the course of writing you mentioned that you definitely want to meet him. Summing up, write that you want to meet at such and such a time and in such and such a place..
Write at the end about everything that you forgot to write about
If you remember that forgot to write something, put a combination of characters P.S. it Latin abbreviation, literally means "after what is written". Then you can state everything else you want to add to the letter.
Check your letter for errors
Of course, if you wrote your message on a computer to send later by e-mail, you can easily make corrections. But while writing a live letter, it’s better be careful not to make any mistakes. Otherwise, you will either have to rewrite the message again, or make blots. The latter is highly undesirable. After all, you are not writing to someone, but to your good friend or even boyfriend.
Last touches
Here you have written a letter, it remains to seal and send. But don't rush into it. One of the beauties of paper letters is that you can imprint your kiss on the paper, scent the message with your perfume, or put a photo of you together that was taken on the day you met or some other small object dear to your friend's heart..
Friends are friends, but everyone should have a family. If you do not have a person who would like to spend the rest of his life with you, find him on
English culture is inconceivable without the art of correspondence. For centuries, English ladies and gentlemen have exchanged exquisite messages, written in accordance with strict etiquette - it determined what to write, when and why, in what terms, at what time of the day, and on what paper. Letters played - and still play - the most important role in people's lives: they make you laugh, surprise, intrigue, fall in love, offend to death and fill you with happiness.
7 main types of informal letters
In a personal letter, you can
1. Handling: by name, surname or using the words “ Sir/madam”:
2. Opening offer. Here you explain the purpose of your letter. This may be a complaint, consent or refusal to accept an invitation, a response to a received letter.
3. Body of the letter: one or two paragraphs, revealing the topic.
4. Final paragraph in one or two sentences. Summarize what you have written and express your readiness to continue the correspondence. You can also thank the recipient in advance for a favor or prompt response.
5. Final wording:
6. Date and signature(not necessary).
What to look out for
- Informal writing allows you to use expressions from different styles, both business and informal, depending on the situation. You can even use colloquial style, slang, abbreviations and abbreviations. Just do not overdo it with vernacular so that your letter does not look cheeky, impolite. Some expressions in colloquial speech sound acceptable, but are inappropriate in a letter, even if the letter is informal.
- Idioms and colloquial expressions enrich the language of your writing - feel free to use them.
- Follow the structure of the letter, do not overload sentences with complex constructions and develop the idea consistently.
- It is customary to leave a blank line between paragraphs for visual convenience. For the same reason, it is advised to start each paragraph with a small indent at the beginning of the first line if you are writing by hand.
- Use the time when you want to express your expectations (“ I am looking forward to hearing from you…” - “Looking forward to your answer ...”) or about the purpose of your letter (“ I am writing to you on behalf of/with regard to…”-“ I am writing to you at the request / occasion ...”). Use or when reporting news or describing recent events.
- try break the body of the letter into at least two or three paragraphs instead of trying to fit everything you want to say into one big paragraph. Information is perceived much better, being divided into logical parts.
- End the letter with a question to the addressee to initiate the continuation of the correspondence. So you show that you are interested in communication and are waiting for his answer - and this will be a logical conclusion to the letter.
1. Letter of invitation
There are unofficial, semi-official and. Such a letter should contain additional information about the event (address, date and time, dress code of the event) and, if necessary, clear instructions on how to get to the venue.
Opening phrase:
Closing phrase:
|
We would be grateful if you could… |
We will be grateful if you can... |
|
Please indicate whether you would be able to attend… |
Please let me know if you can attend... |
|
I hope you can make it… |
Hope to see you... |
|
Hope you can come. |
Hope you can come. |
|
Looking forward to seeing you at… |
Looking forward to our meeting… |
|
Please let me know if you can come. |
Please let me know if you can come. |
2. Letter of acceptance of the invitation
There are informal, semi-official and business. Contains a clear and unequivocal consent to attend the event.
Opening phrase:
Closing phrase:
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We await the event with great anticipation. |
We are looking forward to this event. |
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I will be looking forward to the party. See you then. |
I'm looking forward to the party. See you. |
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We are really looking forward to your party. |
We look forward to receiving you*. |
* Stylistically, in this case, the definition of “reception” rather than “party” is more suitable for translating the word party, since the construction of the phrase is quite formal and it most likely refers to an official and semi-official reception.
3. Letter rejecting an invitation
There are informal, semi-official and business. Expresses refusal to accept an invitation.
Opening phrase:
Closing phrase:
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I am sorry to miss the opportunity of greeting you in person. |
I'm sorry I miss the opportunity to congratulate you in person. |
|
Thank you again for the invitation. |
Thanks again for the invitation. |
|
I hope we will have another opportunity to meet/celebrate… |
I hope we get another chance to meet/celebrate. |
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I am really sorry I will have to miss it. |
I'm really sorry that I won't be able to attend. |
|
I'm sure we can get together some other time. |
I'm sure we can meet another time. |
4. Letter of apology
It also happens business and informal. The letter should contain an apology and explain why anyone was inconvenienced or why duties or promises could not be fulfilled.
Opening phrase:
Closing phrase:
|
Once again, my sincerest apologies for… |
Once again, I would like to offer you my sincere apologies for... |
|
I hope you understand. |
I hope you understand me. |
|
I hope my apologies will be accepted… |
I hope my apologies will be accepted... |
|
I know there is no excuse good enough for… and I just hope you can forgive and understand me. |
I know that all my apologies are not enough for... and I only hope |
5. Letter with a response to an advertising offer
There are business and semi-formal.
Usually contains a request additional information or a request to clarify and supplement the information received earlier.
Opening phrase:
Closing phrase:
"Yes" and "no" personal letter
These rules must be followed:
- No matter how informal your letter is, always be polite.
- State the purpose of the letter from the very beginning.
- Use adverbs and conjunctions to link your thoughts in a logical chain: then(then), later(later), but(but), at the same time(in the same time), finally(finally).
- Start a new thought on a new line: text that is not divided into paragraphs is difficult to perceive.
- Be restrained in expressing emotions, especially in semi-formal letters (complaint, congratulations, invitations, etc.).
And this is to be avoided:
- Do not overuse exclamation marks, even if you are writing to a friend or close relative.
- Don't forget about introductory and closing phrases - if the letter has a clearly defined logical structure, it is easier to read and understand.
- Do not jump from thought to thought, do not write haphazardly. Thoughts should be arranged in a logical sequence.
- Do not use long ones with numerous minor members and . The purpose of the letter - informal as well - is to convey your thoughts to the addressee the first time, and not force him to re-read every sentence in order to understand the meaning of the message.
Now that you have got acquainted with the basic rules for writing informal letters, we offer you a rather interesting example of an informal letter in English. Such letters have become a real flash mob of the English-speaking Internet: they are written by actors, singers, famous bloggers. Write yourself such a letter and you: this is a great way to turn to your inner self (albeit a sixteen-year-old) and take stock of a certain period of your life:
Letter to My
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Letter
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| I've got so many things to tell you, and so many details of my life, both happy and sad. But I think I would have to write a book to describe it all; so I will just focus on what is important for you in those difficult times you will have in 1996. | There are so many things I want to tell you, so many stories from my life, both happy and sad ... But I think I would have to publish a book to describe them all, so I will only focus on what is important to you in 1996 , in not the easiest times for you. |
| You don't need to be that devastated by what Sally did to you. I know it hurts, it is unfair, and nothing seems to be the same anymore, but just try not to do anything stupid only to decrease pain, because you will only hurt some nice people for no reason. Anyways, your grief will vanish without a trace in a month or so. Here is one little tip for you: on September 16, at 2pm, go to a bus station near your school. Just ask a girl standing there with Whitman's Leaves of Grass in her hands something about poetry. This simple act of curiosity will change your entire life, I promise. | Don't kill yourself like that because of what Sally did. I know it hurts you, you were treated unfairly, and it seems to you that things will never be the same as before. Just try not to do anything stupid just to numb the pain, because that way you will harm for no reason. good people. And your grief will pass without a trace somewhere in a month. Here's a little tip for you: on September 16 at 2:00 pm, go to the bus stop near the school. Ask the girl standing there with a volume of Whitman's Leaves of Grass something about poetry. This simple display of curiosity will change your whole life, I promise. |
| Listen to yourself, to your own wishes and beliefs. I know it sounds unoriginal, but it works. Now you feel oppressed by the expectations of your parents, relatives, friends, and society. It may be hard to step over your parents' wishes on your account. But it is just how everything goes: it's you or everybody else. You have only two options: either spend your entire life doing not exactly what you wanted and trying to please people around you; or you can do something for yourself, live a happier life, and make others adapt to your decisions. By the way, don't worry: you will make the right decision. Thank you for that. | Listen to yourself, your desires and beliefs. I know it sounds trite, but it will work. Now you are under pressure from the expectations of your parents, relatives, friends and society. It can be difficult for you to overstep the wishes of your parents for your own sake. But such is life: either you or the rest. You have only two options: either spend the rest of your life doing something you don't want to do and trying to please others, or do something for yourself, live happily and leave others the right to adapt to your decisions. By the way, don't worry, you will right choice. Thank you for this. |
| And, in a nutshell, just a couple more tips. Don't start smoking cigarettes. I know (believe me) you think that smoking cigarettes looks cool and rebellious, but the truth is that tobacco will turn you into a walking ruin even before you reach 30. Don’t drive so fast on May 11, 2003; learning how to walk and using help when going to bathrooms is reasonable only in childhood, but not when you are 23. Boldly accept that weird job offer in 2006 despite all your doubts; it will help you keep afloat when everyone around you will be losing their jobs two years later. Finally—just stay as positive and open-hearted as you've always been. In any complicated situation remember that in the end it will all be for the better. | And just a couple more tips. Don't start smoking. I know (trust me) you think it looks cool and rebellious, but tobacco will turn you into a walking wreck by 30. Don't drive so fast May 11, 2003 as a child, but not when you are 23. Feel free to accept that strange job offer in 2006, rejecting all doubts; it will help you stay afloat when everyone around you loses their jobs two years from now. Finally, just stay as positive and open as you have always been. In any difficult situation, remember that, in the end, everything is for the best. |
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Your life will be just great, believe me! |
