Formal and informal

Letters of complaint

I am writing to complain about ...

I am writing to tell you how disappointed/annoyed I feel about ...
I was amazed/distressed/horrified to find that ...
As you must realise, ...
I am sure you know that ...
I am sure you can imagine ...
I am sure you will appreciate that ...
It goes without saying that ...
At the very least, I look forward to receiving ...
Unless you ... , I am afraid that I will have to take this matter further.

Letters of recommendation

I am writing to you on behalf of ...

I have known X for ... years.
She / He has shown herself/himself to be extremely ...
X would seem to fit the requirements of this job perfectly.
I have no hesitation in recommending X as a ...

Letters to the editor

I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).

I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).
I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...
You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.
At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...
I am afraid I totally disagree.
I am completely in agreement.
I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...

Other phrases

On behalf of everyone, I send you best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Please accept or sincere apologies for any distress this situation may have caused you.
You may have overlooked this payment, but we ask that you give it your prompt attention.
Please confirm in writing if you wish to accept this offer and when you will be in a position to commence work.
Ms Atkinson is currently involved in a project which might be of interest. She will be in contact soon to arrange a meeting.
If you could forward the details of the English course, I would be most grateful.

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