Writing stories

WRITING STORIES
Time Linking Words	A few minutes later Afterwards All of a sudden All the while As As soon as At first At last At that moment Before Before long By the time During Eventually Finally For Immediately (after that) In no time at all In the beginning In the end In the meantime Just Just as Later On the spur of the moment Since Sometime later Soon Still Suddenly The moment that The next moment Then Until When While
Concession - Contrast	Although Even though In spite of Despite However No matter how/what Whatever But While Whereas Nevertheless Regardless of
Result - Consequence	So…that Such…that Therefore So Otherwise For this reason Under the circumstances Consequently As a consequence As a result
Cause-Reason	Because (of) As Since Due to Owing to
Emphasis	In fact As a matter of fact Actually To tell you the truth Strangely enough
Expressions/Phrases	It was too good to be true. It happened out of the blue. The next thing I knew was… Before I knew it… Without any warning… I was taken by surprise… To my surprise… (Un) fortunately… To make matters worse… Without any doubt… Beyond any doubt Beyond a shadow of a doubt Without thinking… It was a sight for sore eyes. I couldn’t believe my eyes/ears/luck. As luck would have it… (Un) luckily… I breathed a sigh of relief. I was out of breath. It was a narrow escape. My heart sank. My heart was beating furiously. It made me jump. I burst out laughing / into tears. It was a real shock. My hair stood on end. I was as white as a sheet. It was getting on my nerves. It was the best/worst ever. I was in a good/bad mood. I was left speechless.

WRITING INFORMAL LETTERS
Greeting		Dear Maria, Dearest Maria, Hi Maria! Hello Maria!
Opening Paragraph		It was great to hear from you. I’m glad that you’re well. I’m sorry (to hear) that you’re not well. I really enjoyed getting your letter. Hi! What’s new? What have you been up to? I haven’t heard from you for ages. I was very happy to get your letter. Sorry I haven’t written for so long. It’s taken me ages to reply but I have been busy. I’m been meaning to write back but I was busy. Just thought to drop you a line. I was on cloud nine having read your letter.
Giving Information		As for … Regarding … As you know… You see… I must say… Here is the information you require. You wanted some information about… You need to know these things… I’m writing to give you some extra information. The first thing I should write about is… As far as… is/are concerned,… Now, something else. In your letter you also asked about…, In addition to this…, Well, about the… I hope the information I’ve given you will help you. I hope I’ve been of some help. If you have any other questions… Write if you need more details. Let me know if you need anything else
Making arrangements		How about meeting at…? Why don’t we…? …would be the best place to meet, because… We can meet… if you like. I’ll meet you… I suggest we meet… Can you make it on…? Is… OK for you? Which date/time do you prefer? Can you let me know if these arrangements suit you/are OK with you?
Asking for Information		Do you know if/whether…? I’d like to know if/whether… I’d like to find out if/whether… I was wondering if I would appreciate it if … It would be great if… Please let me know…
Referring to an advertisement or letter		The announcement / advertisement / letter says / mentions / states…
Linking Ideas		To begin with, … Regarding the… As to the… As far as the… is/are concerned, … In the meantime… Moreover, … Furthermore,… Once again, …
Giving Advice		My advice is that you (do)… I would advise you to (do)… If I were you, I would (do)… If I were in your position/shoes, I would… I think the best thing would be to… I’m sure you will/can… I suggest that you (should) do… In my opinion you should/could/might (do) … You needn’t (do)… I strongly advise you to… It would be a good idea to… I think you’d better do… One thing you can do is to… What I always find helpful is… Why not consider doing…? Why don’t you do…? The way I see it, you can… How/What about doing…? Well, that’s what I think you should do. I hope I’ve been of some help to you. I really hope everything goes well.
Inviting		I’d love it if you joined me for / came to… I thought we might… I hope you can… We could… How about going to / joining me for…? Would you like to…? I have some suggestions about how we could spend the afternoon/evening/morning.
Closing Paragraph		That’s about it for me. That’s (all) my news. I look forward to hearing from / seeing you soon. Well, I think that’s about it. Well, that’s all for now. Well, I’d better finish off here. I must go now. Write soon. Waiting for your letter/reply. See you soon. Keep in touch. Say hello to everyone. Give my love/regards to everyone. Drop me a line and let me know...
Closing Remarks		Love, Best wishes, Yours, Your friend, All my love, All the best, Lots of kisses, Take care, Bye for now, (your first name)
WRITING FORMAL LETTERS
Greeting	Dear Mr./Ms/Miss/Mrs… Dear Sir or Madam,
Letter of Complaint	I am writing to complain about… I am writing to make a complaint about… I am writing to you regarding / in connection with / on account of… I regret that I am obliged to complain about… I feel I must complain about… Your advertisement states/claims/says that… Your advertisement/brochure was misleading in this respect. In your advertisement/brochure you state otherwise. You failed to mention that… You led me to believe that… You advertised that… According to your advertisement… It was completely different from… I feel it is absolutely unacceptable… I am dissatisfied with… Unfortunately, it was nothing like what I expected. The problem is… I must mention/point out… To make matters worse… As if that was not bad enough… I was shocked/surprised/disappointed… To my amazement/surprise… Considering all the above, I believe I am entitles to a partial / full refund. I demand a full refund / immediate action / a replacement. I expect to be compensated / all expenses to be paid. I would be grateful if you would deal / you dealt with this matter immediately. I would appreciate it if we could sort this matter out as soon as possible. I feel sure / am confident that this matter will receive your prompt attention. I hope that you will give this matter your attention. I am afraid that if this matter is not dealt with immediately, I will… It would be a good idea to… You should consider… I hope you will…
Asking Information – Making a Request	I am writing to you in connection with… I am writing with regard to / in regard to / with reference to… I am writing to ask if you could inform me about… I am writing to enquire about… I am writing for more information about… I was interested in your advertisement in… I would appreciate some further information about… Referring to your advertisement published in…
Applying for a Job	I am writing to apply for… Regarding/Concerning/As regards my qualifications… If you wish to interview me… Thank you for considering… I hope to hear from you… I am looking forward to hearing from you. I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
Declining an Initiation	I would like to thank you for the invitation. Thank you again for the invitation. I’m afraid that / Unfortunately I will not be able to attend to… I’m terribly sorry… I would appreciate it if you could send me some photographs of the event.
Referring to an advertisement or letter	The announcement / advertisement / letter says / mentions / states…
Linking Ideas	To begin with, … Regarding the… As to the… As far as the… is/are concerned, … In the meantime… Moreover, What is more, Furthermore, In addition Once again, … Although, However, Nonetheless First, Second, Then, Finally Therefore
Expressing an Opinion	I am writing with regard / in response to the article in your newspaper/magazine about… I felt I should write to you to express my opinion. I am writing to express my opinion about an article that I read in your newspaper/magazine about… I am writing to express my personal opinion in regards to the advertisement about... First and foremost, I would like to point out that... I am in complete agreement with... I firmly believe that... In reference to the reasons why.... Keep in mind that... As for the results which show that..., my opinion is that... As far as I am concerned, I believe that... Bear in mind that... All in all, I honestly believe that... I am sure that… For these reasons, … Clearly, this would … In my opinion,… I think it would be an excellent idea to… Speaking from personal experience... Personally speaking, ... This seems to be the best solution… On one hand I think that…, but on the other hand…
Closing Paragraphs	Thank you for considering… I would be very grateful if you would/could reply as soon as possible. Thanking you for your time and assistance. Thanking you in advance for your assistance / co-operation. I would like to thank you in advance. I look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience. I hope to hear from you soon. I am looking forward to hearing from you. I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
Closing Remarks	Yours Sincerely, (your full name) – when you know the name of the person you’re writing to Yours Faithfully, (your full name) – when you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to

WRITING DISCURSIVE COMPOSITIONS, ARTICLES & ESSAYS
Stating arguments	People in favour claim that… Supporters argue that… Those against this idea believe that… Say = argue, claim, believe, agree, disagree
Expressing Contrasting Ideas	On the one hand…On the other hand…, however, Although, Even though, In spite of, Despite, No matter how/what, Whatever, But, While, Whereas, Nevertheless, Regardless of, Contrary to, In contrast
Adding Information	In fact, For example, For instance, In addition (to this), Furthermore, Moreover, Apart from, Except for, Besides, What is more, As well as, not only…but also, Another point worth mentioning is the fact that..., Another important point worth taking into consideration/account is the fact that..., Another significant point I wish to bring to your attention is that...
Expressing Opinion	In my opinion…, In my view…, Personally I believe that…, The way I see it…, From my point of view…, I am in favour of…, I am against…, My belief is that…, I believe…, Personally, I agree that…, Personally, I disagree with the idea that…, I feel very strongly that…
Listing points	Initially, First (of all), At first, To begin with, To start with, Second, Secondly, Then, Next, Finally, Eventually, Lastly, Last but not least, To conclude, In conclusion
Emphasizing	In fact, As a matter of fact, No matter how, However (+adjective), Even, Indeed, Actually, Instead, Apparently, Obviously, To be honest
Giving examples	For example, For instance, Such as, Like
Expressing Result – Consequence	So…that, Such…that, Therefore, So, Otherwise, For this reason, Under the circumstances, Consequently, As a consequence, As a result, In this case, Or
Expressing Cause-Reason	Because (of), As, Since, Due to, Owing to
Expressing purpose	In order to, So as to, So that, in case, For, To
Clarifying meaning	Specifically, To be more specific/precise, In other words, That is to say
Summarising	To sum up, To summarise, All in all, On the whole, In short, In conclusion, Taking everything into account

WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS
Starting	We are writing to inform you that ...                       to confirm ...                       to request ...
Referring to    previous contact	Thank you for your letter of March 15 … With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday ... Further to our meeting last week ...
Making a request	We would appreciate it if you would ... I would be grateful if you could… Could you possibly ... It would be helpful to us if ...
Offering help	We would be happy to ... Would you like us to ... We are quite willing to ...
Giving good news	We are pleased to announce that ... I am delighted to inform you that ... You will be pleased to learn that ...
Giving bad news	We regret to inform you that ... I'm afraid it would not be possible to ... Unfortunately we cannot/we are unable to ...
Apologising	We are sorry for the delay in replying ... I regret any inconvenience caused… I would like to apologise for...
Enclosing documents	I am enclosing ... Please find enclosed ... You will find enclosed ...
Closing remarks	If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know. If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your help.
Referring to future Contact	I look forward to seeing you next week. Looking forward to hearing from you. Looking forward to receiving your comments. I look forward to meeting you on the 15th.
Ending	Sincerely / Yours sincerely (for all customers/clients) Regards (for those you already know and have a working relationship with)

WRITING REPORTS

Don’t forget to use HEADINGS and TOPIC SENTENCES!!

Report on… by… (full name) The aim/purpose of this report is to… This report describes / deals with… It is considered… It seems… It appears… I would recommend / suggest… It would be a good idea to…

FREQUENTLY FOUND STRUCTURES

A great many buildings / people…

A summit conference

According to sb

An alternative to

As / So long as

As a result of

As far as sth is concerned

As to / Considering / Regarding

At all costs / Without fail

At the expense of

But for the fact that / If it hadn’t been for the fact that

By all accounts

For fear of…ing

From the very beginning

I can personally vouch for the fact that

I object to…ing

I would (far) sooner…BI

I would have been better off…ing

If I had been / were in your shoes

In addition to…ing

In preference to

In proportion to

In terms of…noun

In the light of (this information) / In view of

It didn’t occur to me that

It is common knowledge that

It is worth…ing

It seems / looks / appears as if/though

It serves / served / will serve you right

It was / is alleged that

It was the first time…past perfect

It would be in your own / best interest to

It’s (high) time…simple past

It’s doubtful if / that

It’s no good…ing

It’s no use…ing

It’s the first time…present perfect

Known as…

Let alone (the fact that)

Much as = Although = Even though = Though

No reference was made to / Make reference to

On my first / second attempt

On sb’s arrival / departure

On second thoughts / On reflection

On the condition that

On the grounds that = Because of

Other than / Apart from / Except for…ing / noun

Rather than

Regardless of

Sth serves its purpose

Sth tipped the scales in his favour

The answer to / The key to / The solution to

The prospects of…ing sth

The small hours = After midnight early in the morning

There can be little / no doubt over sth

There is little / no likelihood that

There’s a demand for

There’s a good chance that

There’s a reduction / an increase in

There’s a risk that

There’s heavy / severe / harsh criticism of

There’s no excuse for sb…ing sth

There’s no guarantee that

There’s no point in…ing

To acquaint myself with (the rules)

To an / some extent / To such an extent that…

To be at a loose end

To be at a loss

To be at fault

To be bound to / To be certain to

To be cut out for …ing sth

To be cut out to be a (profession)

To be hard on sb

To be in mourning for sb

To be in need of…ing

To be in possession of

To be in the habit of…ing sth

To be in the hope of…ing

To be intent / determined on…ing

To be laid off (workers, clerks…) = To be made redundant

To be left speechless

To be on good / bad / equal terms with sb

To be on the dole

To be released on bail

To be resigned to the fact of…ing

To be susceptible to / prone to

To be taken aback by = To be taken by surprise

To be taken completely by surprise

To be under construction

To be under pressure

To bear a great / striking resemblance to

To break an engagement off

To cast doubt on sth / To cast an eye on sb (cast-cast-cast)

To cater for

To chair a meeting

To clash with (timing)

To commit myself to…ing sth

To comply with / to abide by / to conform to

To discourage sb from…ing sth

To distance myself from (another point of view)

To end up in…(prison)

To familiarise myself with

To focus attention on

To form an opinion

To get / be accustomed to…ing

To get the gist

To give an excuse for…ing

To give sb credit for …ing sth

To have a good / excellent command of…(language)

To have a monopoly on…ing

To have a narrow escape / To have a close shave

To have an (immense / great) effect on sb

To have little / great / no difficulty in…ing

To have no intention of…ing

To have no other choice / option / alternative but to…

To have sth at my disposal

To insist on…ing

To keep sb abreast of… = To inform sb on

To keep up to date

To lead to / to result in

To let off (some) steam

To make an impression on sb

To mutter sth under my breath

To prevent sb from…ing

To provide sb with

To pull out of (an agreement)

To pursue my own interests

To put paid to sb’s hopes = lose hope

To raise (an) objection(s) to…ing

To resign myself to an idea / of…ing sth

To resort to…ing / As a last resort

To seek approval from sb (seek-sought-sought)

To subject myself to

To succeed in…ing

To take any / no notice of

To take into account / into consideration

To take steps / course of action

To tell at a glance that

To the best of my ability

To transform sth into

To try / do my best

To work up an appetite

To write off debts

We are all in the same boat

We hadn’t bargained for / on

With the exception of = With / To the exclusion of

Without (any) doubt / Beyond a / the shadow of a doubt