Useful Expressions for academic and business letters

A. Requests with modal and if clauses

Can I borrow your pencil? Less formal
Could you please lend me a suit?
Is it OK if I use your phone?
Do you mind if I use your CD player?
Would it be OK if I used your fax machine?
Would you mind if I borrowed your video camera?
Would you mind letting me borrow your laptop?
I wonder if I could borrow 100?
I was wondering if you'd mind lending me your car? More formal

B. Describing problems (not for academic purposes)

Past participles as adjectives

The product is damaged
The glass is cracked
The pipe is leaking (exception)

With nouns
It has a tear
It has a stain
It has some damage
It has a crack

Vocabulary (for complaining about a product)

Tear chip brake stain
Stain dent burn
Damage loose (adjective)
Crack scratch leak
Possible solutions to problems
The refrigerator needs to be fixed
The refrigerator needs fixing

C. Adjectives for letters of recommendation

Capable
Committed
Creative
Diligent
Excellent
Experienced
Flexible
Gifted
Hard working
Inspiring
Outgoing
Outstanding
Promising
Reliable
Responsible
Skilled

D. Preferences
I would rather (not) take than study
I would prefer (not) taking to studying
I'd prefer (not) to take

E. Suggestion/recommendation
Ought to (affirmative only)
Should
I strongly recommend

F. Necessity/obligation
Have to (used in all tenses)
Must (present only)

G. Express gratitude about something

I'd appreciate it if you paid (past tense verb)
I'd appreciate any advice you could give me
We appreciate being invited.
Thank/thanking you in advance (for closing)

H. Express desire/eagerness about something

Look forward to something/doing something

I look forward to your reply
I look forward to hearing from you

I. Refusal or indications of something not welcome

I'm sorry to say: I'm afraid (that) I can't help you

J. Apologies
Sorry, I don't have any change less serious
I'm/I am sorry
I'd like to apologize for
I apologize more serious

In writing
I regret that..
I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have
caused

Patterns
I'm (really, very, extremely, terribly so) sorry for/that
I hereby affirm that

K. Conditionals without the if connector

Were he in my position, he would understand.
Were he not in my position, he wouldnt understand
Had the meeting started, he would have known the details.
Should you have any question, please let me know.

L. Opening/Closing
Dear Sir or Madam (British used if you dont know the persons
name)
To whom it may concern (US mainly)
Dear Mr / Miss / Mrs /Ms Smith
Yours faithfully (with Sir / Madam) / yours truly (US) when you
don't know the name
Yours sincerely /yours truly when you know the name

M. Abbreviations used in formal letters (taken from

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/55419-
examples-formal-letters-samples-formal-letters.html)
asap = as soon as possible
cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this
abbreviation to let them know)
enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)
 pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on
somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc)
ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it)
pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter
continues on the other side of the page)
RSVP = please reply

N. Business terms: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

srv/business/longterm/glossary/indexag.htm

More on letters: http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-

writing.php