Writing Formal Email

Respuesta correcta: A) Dear Mr Sanchez,

• A) Dear Mr Sanchez,Correct! 'Dear' plus a title and a surname is the standard formal opening in English.
• B) Hey Sam,'Hey' is an informal greeting used between friends.
• C) Hi there,'Hi there' is a casual greeting that does not suit a formal exchange.
• D) Hello friend,'Hello friend' states a relationship that a principal letter does not have.

Respuesta correcta: B) Yours sincerely,

• A) Bye for now,'Bye for now' is a casual farewell between peers.
• B) Yours sincerely,Correct! 'Yours sincerely' is the standard formal closing when the recipient is named.
• C) See you later,'See you later' implies a future meeting and is informal.
• D) Love,'Love' expresses affection and does not belong in formal correspondence.

Respuesta correcta: C) Request for a change of class

• A) Hello'Hello' is a greeting and not a subject.
• B) Something important'Something important' is vague and gives the reader no idea of the content.
• C) Request for a change of classCorrect! The subject states the topic precisely and lets the reader identify the email at a glance.
• D) Question about stuff'Question about stuff' is informal and imprecise in both content and tone.

Respuesta correcta: D) I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to transfer to another class.

• A) I want to change class, can I?The first sentence is a direct question that is too blunt for a request to a superior.
• B) Hey, so I need a new class, you know.The second sentence is spoken register and does not belong in a formal email.
• C) I am telling you that I am asking about a class.The third sentence is verbose without adding information, and it states nothing about the request.
• D) I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to transfer to another class.Correct! 'I am writing to ask whether' is a conventional and appropriately indirect opening for a formal request.

Respuesta correcta: A) It would be possible to

• A) It would be possible toCorrect! 'Would be' is a hedged construction that leaves the decision with the recipient.
• B) You must do it'You must' imposes an obligation and is not a request.
• C) You have to do it now'You have to' also imposes an obligation and is too direct in this context.
• D) It is a must for you to do it'It is a must' is spoken register and does not appear in formal written English.

Respuesta correcta: B) I am writing because my current timetable clashes with my part-time work.

• A) I am writing because of clash my work.'Because of' is followed by a noun, not by a clause with a verb.
• B) I am writing because my current timetable clashes with my part-time work.Correct! 'Because' is followed by a complete clause with a subject, a verb and an object.
• C) I am writing because my work clash.A clause after 'because' needs a subject, and this one has none.
• D) I am writing because of my work is clashing.'Because of' cannot be followed by a clause, so the structure is not possible.

Respuesta correcta: C) I would be grateful for a response at your earliest convenience.

• A) Reply fast please.'Reply fast please' is a spoken-style request that is too informal for a formal email.
• B) Answer me soon.'Answer me soon' is a direct order in tone and does not suit the register.
• C) I would be grateful for a response at your earliest convenience.Correct! The hedged construction asks for a reply without imposing a deadline on the recipient.
• D) You must reply now.'You must reply now' imposes an obligation and is not a request at all.

Respuesta correcta: D) Thank you for your email of 3 May.

• A) Thanks for the mail.'Thanks for the mail' is informal and calls an email a letter in a casual way.
• B) I got your message, ok?'Ok' is spoken register and does not belong in a formal email.
• C) You sent me an email before.The last sentence states the fact without thanking the sender for it.
• D) Thank you for your email of 3 May.Correct! 'Thank you for' plus a precise reference to the date is the formal way of acknowledging a message.

Respuesta correcta: A) I look forward to hearing from you.

• A) I look forward to hearing from you.Correct! 'I look forward to hearing from you' is a standard formal way of closing a message that expects a reply.
• B) Write me soon, ok?'Write me soon' is a spoken-style order, not a formal closing.
• C) Waiting for your answer.'Waiting for your answer' states a fact in a way that reads as impatience.
• D) You know what to do.'You know what to do' is informal and slightly rude in a request to a superior.

Respuesta correcta: B) A signature written in capitals with the word 'bye'

• A) The recipient's name in the opening lineThe recipient's name in the opening line is part of the standard layout.
• B) A signature written in capitals with the word 'bye'Correct! 'Bye' is informal and does not belong in the signature block of a formal email.
• C) A subject line above the greetingThe subject line belongs above the greeting.
• D) A closing phrase before the signatureThe closing phrase belongs before the signature.

Respuesta correcta: C) inquire

• A) ask'Ask' is neutral and would not by itself mark the message as formal.
• B) check'Check' is a spoken expression rather than the verb of a formal request.
• C) inquireCorrect! 'Inquire' is the formal verb used in written correspondence to request information.
• D) find out'Find out' is a phrasal verb of neutral or informal register, not the verb of a formal letter.

Respuesta correcta: D) The documents were received on time.

• A) We received the documents on time.The first sentence is active and names the agent, which a formal report often avoids.
• B) The documents receive on time.'Receive' is a base form and cannot form a passive clause on its own.
• C) The documents receiving on time.'Receiving' is a participle and cannot serve as the verb of a finite passive clause.
• D) The documents were received on time.Correct! 'Were received' is the past simple passive, which focuses on the action rather than on the agent.

Respuesta correcta: A) I was unable to attend the meeting as it had been scheduled earlier.

• A) I was unable to attend the meeting as it had been scheduled earlier.Correct! The sentence states the fact and the circumstance without accusing anybody of a mistake.
• B) I did not come because the meeting was badly scheduled.The second sentence blames the person who set the meeting and is not appropriate in a formal message.
• C) The meeting was scheduled badly, so I skipped it.The third sentence names a fault directly and uses informal wording.
• D) I could not go, the meeting was at a terrible time.The last sentence is a spoken complaint with a subjective adjective.

Respuesta correcta: B) I apologise for the delay in replying; I was away from school last week.

• A) Sorry, was busy, no time.The first sentence is spoken register and gives no reason.
• B) I apologise for the delay in replying; I was away from school last week.Correct! The sentence apologises formally and gives a clear, verifiable reason.
• C) I was busy so I did not answer.The third sentence blames the student rather than explaining the situation.
• D) I had no time, that is why.The last sentence is informal and does not apologise at all.

Respuesta correcta: C) In addition

• A) Anyway'Anyway' is a spoken discourse marker and is not used in a formal message.
• B) So whatever'So whatever' is a spoken phrase that closes a discussion rather than adding to it.
• C) In additionCorrect! 'In addition' formally introduces a further point in an explanation.
• D) Well'Well' is a conversational filler and has no place in a formal email.

Respuesta correcta: D) If this is possible, I would be grateful for your approval.

• A) If it is possible give it to me.The first sentence is an order written without articles or capital letters.
• B) If possible, give me the paper.The second sentence drops the article and turns the request into a command.
• C) If can be, approve this.The third sentence is not a grammatical English structure.
• D) If this is possible, I would be grateful for your approval.Correct! The conditional structure defers to the recipient and the hedged second clause makes the request polite.

Respuesta correcta: A) I regret to inform you that the application was not accepted.

• A) I regret to inform you that the application was not accepted.Correct! 'I regret to inform you that' is a fixed formal expression used to deliver unwelcome news.
• B) I regret say you no.The second sentence omits the infinitive and the articles.
• C) Sorry, no, you not accept.The third sentence lacks the articles and the auxiliary and is not written English.
• D) I am sad that maybe not accept the application.The fourth sentence uses 'maybe' and a passive with a bare infinitive, which is not correct.

Respuesta correcta: B) Please find attached the certificate of participation.

• A) I put the certificate, you see it attached.The first sentence is spoken register and does not name the attachment properly.
• B) Please find attached the certificate of participation.Correct! 'Please find attached' is the standard formula used to refer to a document sent with a formal message.
• C) Attached is the certificate, look it.The third sentence is a spoken instruction rather than a formal reference.
• D) The certificate is attach, check it.The fourth sentence uses a verb form that is not correct and an imperative without a subject.

Respuesta correcta: C) Subject: Lab 3 sink not working. Dear Ms Ordonez, I am writing to report that the sink in laboratory 3 is not draining properly. Yours sincerely, Luis Vega

• A) Subject: help. hi the sink is broke again, can u fix it tmrw?The first message has no capitalisation, abbreviations and a chatty request.
• B) Subject: Sink. It does not work. Fix it.The second message is an order without articles and without any politeness.
• C) Subject: Lab 3 sink not working. Dear Ms Ordonez, I am writing to report that the sink in laboratory 3 is not draining properly. Yours sincerely, Luis VegaCorrect! The message has a precise subject, a formal greeting, a factual report and a formal closing.
• D) Subject: Laboratory. There is a sink. It has a problem.The fourth message states the problem so vaguely that the reader cannot act on it.

Respuesta correcta: D) I am writing to confirm the date of the appointment.

• A) I am write for confirm the date.'Am write' is not a possible form of the verb 'be' with a gerund complement.
• B) I am writing for to confirm the date.'For to confirm' places a preposition and an infinitive marker together, which is not a possible structure.
• C) I am writing the date confirm.'Writing the date confirm' has no infinitive and does not express a purpose.
• D) I am writing to confirm the date of the appointment.Correct! 'I am writing to' is the standard formula for stating the aim of a formal message.