Formal letter-reply - After Reading

3. VARIATIONS for FIRST and LAST SENTENCES.

Why work on first and last sentences?
   They are important as introductions and conclusions.
   They have to be general. You cannot start or finish a letter with small details.
   They need to have both adequate language and information.
   If you find it easier, you may start writing the body of your letter and think carefully of the first and last sentences after your first draft.

Read through these four beginnings and decide which one is BEST for a FORMAL letter of REPLY:

A.- I am writing with reference to your advertisement in the newspaper on (date)…
B.- I think your advertisement on the paper is precisely what we were looking for!
C.- What a coincidence! We were just thinking of doing the same kind of advert as you did for a house exchange.
D.- I believe that your advertisement about a house exchange in the newspaper on (date) is a very clever way of spending a nice, pleasant and economical holiday.

Read through these four endings and decide which one is BEST for a FORMAL letter of REPLY:

A.- So, if you agree, why not try the exchange this year? Never put off till tomorrow what we can do today!!
B.- We have already done a number of house exchanges and, in some cases, the experience hasn't run out smoothly enough (all of my CDs were stolen once!) but I am pretty sure this time will be just different.
C.- If you finally agree to do this house exchange with us, we'll jump for joy.
D.- In this sense we believe that giving each other a chance to try this house exchange would give our holiday a different taste.