INDEX:
1. letters etc
2. ways of beginning a letter
3. ways of ending a letter
RELATED WORDS
to post or mail a letter : ↑ SEND
see also
↑ MESSAGE
↑ WRITE
↑ READ
↑ COMPUTERS/INTERNET/EMAIL
↑ CONTACT
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1. letters etc
▷ letter /ˈletəʳ/ [countable noun]
a written or printed message that is usually put in an envelope and sent by mail :
▪ In a letter dated May 10th, the US government protested about the use of force in the republics.
letter from somebody
▪ I got a letter from Anna today.
letter to somebody
▪ Hamlin wrote a letter to the council, complaining about the incident.
write somebody a letter
▪ Write me a letter and tell me all your news!
get/receive a letter
▪ David, who won first prize in the lottery, has received more than 100 letters from charities asking for money.
▷ post British /mail especially American /pəʊst, meɪl/ [uncountable noun]
letters, papers, parcels etc that are sent and delivered using the postal system :
▪ I picked up the mail -- no letters, only bills today.
▪ Paul was opening his post when Margot phoned.
▪ There was a pile of mail and a number of telephone messages waiting for Victor.
▪ When the post came, she searched anxiously for his scrawled handwriting.
▪ Was there any post for me this morning?
by post
▪ You will receive the application form by post.
by mail
▪ You can apply for a passport by mail.
junk mail
advertisements and other mail that you do not want
▪ So much junk mail ends up in my mailbox nowadays; I just throw it all away!
▷ note /nəʊt/ [countable noun]
a short informal letter written from one person to another :
▪ Just a quick note to say Helen had a baby boy yesterday -- 8lbs 6oz.
leave (somebody) a note
▪ I forgot to leave them a note to tell them we won’t be home by dinnertime.
suicide note
a note written just before someone kills themselves
▪ Police are puzzled about the man’s death. There was no sign of a struggle and no suicide note.
▷ memo /ˈmeməʊ/ [countable noun]
a short letter written from one person to another within a company or organization :
▪ Mr. Fitchel said he made the suggestion in a memo to his superiors.
send (out) a memo
▪ The Managing Director sent out a memo to all employees saying there would be a meeting at 10 o'clock.
▷ correspondence /ˌkɒrɪˈspɒndəns, ˌkɒrəˈspɒndənsǁˌkɔːrə̇ˈspɑːn-, ˌkɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
letters or e-mails that people write to each other regularly or over a long period of time :
▪ Your fax should include copies of any correspondence you have received from our office.
correspondence with
▪ The biography is based on Marx’s correspondence with Engels over 40 years.
▷ e-mail/email /ˈiː meɪl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an electronic message sent using the Internet :
▪ I came back from vacation to find 130 e-mails waiting for me.
send somebody (an) e-mail
▪ Several people sent us e-mail asking for help with the software.
get an e-mail
▪ I got an e-mail from Emma the other day.
by email
▪ The reports are sent out weekly by email.
e-mail address
the letters or numbers that people use to send you e-mail
▪ The e-mail address for the dictionaries department is dict.edit@pearsoned-ema.com.
e-mail/email [transitive verb\]
to send a message to someone using e-mail :
e-mail somebody
▪ I’ll e-mail you when I get to Boston.
2. ways of beginning a letter
▷ Dear Sir/Sirs/Sir or Madam /ˌdɪəʳ ˈsɜːʳ, ˈsɜːʳz, ˌsɜːr ɔːʳ ˈmædəm/
use this in formal letters when you do not know the person’s name :
▪ Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to ask for your help....
▷ Dear Mr Wiggins/Ms Harper /ˌdɪəʳ mɪstəʳ ˈwɪgɪnz, mɪz ˈhɑːʳpəʳ/
use this in formal letters :
▪ Dear Mr Bartholomew, Thank you for your quick response.
▷ Dear Jim/Sarah etc /ˌdɪəʳ ˈdʒɪm/
use this when you know the person well enough to use his or her first name :
▪ Dear Jackie, How are you?
▷ Hi /Hey especially American /haɪ, heɪ/
use this in e-mails and letters to friends :
▪ Hi, how’s it going?
▪ Hey Jenny - good to hear from you again.
3. ways of ending a letter
▷ Yours faithfully /ˌjɔːʳz ˈfeɪθf ə li/ British
use this at the end of formal letters, which began with ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Dear Madam’ etc :
▪ Yours faithfully, Adam Browning
▷ Yours sincerely /ˌjɔːʳz sɪnˈsɪəʳli/ British
use this at the end of formal letters which begin with ‘Dear Mr ...’, ‘Dear Ms ...’ etc :
▪ Yours sincerely, Mary Whitford
▷ Yours truly,/Sincerely,/Yours sincerely, /ˌjɔːʳz ˈtruːli, sɪnˈsɪəʳli/ American
use this at the end of formal letters :
▪ Yours truly, Donna Deavers
▷ love (from) /ˈlʌv (frəm)/
use this at the end of letter to members of your family, close friends etc :
▪ I’ll give you a call soon. Love, Brad
▷ All the best/Best wishes/With best wishes /ˌɔːl ðə ˈbest, ˌbest ˈwɪʃə̇z, wɪð ˌbest ˈwɪʃə̇z/
use this especially in letters or e-mails to friends and family :
▪ All the best, Dad
▷ take care /ˌteɪk ˈkeəʳ/
use this at the end of letters to friends, to show that you will be thinking about them :
▪ Take care, Martin and Sophie
▷ xxx also xoxo American
use this at the end of letters and notes to people you love. The X’s represent kisses and the O’s represent hugs :
▪ xxx Moira
▷ regards /rɪˈgɑːʳdz/
use this especially in letters or e-mails to people you know or work with, especially people who are not family or close friends :
▪ Regards, Jonathan Pryor
▷ PS British /P.S. American /ˌpiː ˈes/
use this when you want to add something after the end of a letter :
▪ PS I love you.
▪ PS Send my regards to Pauline.