Essential Phrases for Formal English Writing

Posted on Nov 16, 2025 in Commerce and Marketing

Essential Phrases for Formal Letters

Opening Statements

  • Applying for a scholarship: “I would like to apply for one of the scholarships I saw advertised in your prospectus.”
  • Applying for a job: “I am looking for outdoor work during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for the position of hotel lifeguard assistant, which I saw advertised in my university’s student newspaper.”
  • Applying for a job: “I have seen your advertisement for the post/vacancy/job of… advertised in the local newspaper on 16 June. I am writing because I would like to apply for the job.”
  • Requesting information: “I am the secretary of my college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the exhibition ‘The Next 100 Years’ and I am interested in organizing a group visit. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about it.”

Polite Inquiries

  • Could you tell me…?
  • I would be grateful if you could…
  • I would be interested in having more details about…
  • I would like to know if/when/where…
  • I would like information on…
  • Do you know if…?

Making a Complaint

  • I would like to complain about + [noun or -ing verb]…
  • …is not what I expected/was expecting.
  • I am not satisfied with…
  • I would be grateful if my money was refunded / if you could give me a refund.

Closing Remarks

  • I look forward to hearing from you soon.
  • I look forward to receiving your reply.
  • For a complaint letter: “I look forward to receiving a full refund.”
  • For a complaint letter: “I would like to know what you are going to do about this situation.”
  • For an inquiry letter: “I would like to thank you in advance for this information.”
  • If you require/Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me / feel free to contact me.

Key Phrases for Writing Reports

Introduction (Paragraph 1)

  • The main aim/objective/purpose of this report is to…
  • To prepare for this report, I conducted interviews with…
  • I visited three of the most popular…
  • I discussed the issue with…

Body (Paragraphs 2 & 3)

  • According to…
  • All those who were interviewed believe that / are concerned that…
  • It is thought that…
  • It was commented upon by a number of people we talked to that…
  • A cause of dissatisfaction was…
  • The arguments against… are the following:
  • The following were the main reasons given for supporting…: firstly, …, secondly, …
  • Points mentioned in favour of/against… were:
  • There are several ways in which… might be…:

Conclusion & Recommendations (Final Paragraph)

  • Taking all the factors mentioned into account…
  • I would therefore recommend…
  • Clearly, more could be done to…
  • I would make the following recommendations:

Useful Phrases for Writing Reviews

Positive Feedback

  • What I liked most was…
  • The thing I liked most was…
  • I was pleasantly surprised by…
  • …would appeal to…
  • If you get a chance to…

Negative Feedback

  • What I disliked most was…
  • I was disappointed by/with…

Specific Criticism

  • The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me.
  • The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible.
  • The characters are appealing and true to life.
  • The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish.

Recommendations

  • Judging from this CD/show…
  • Overall, if you like…, you’ll love / you should…
  • Although some of…, he/she/it is still a great…
  • You really must/should buy/see/read/visit…
  • I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at…