Social Correspondence Unit Two Social Correspondence

I. Introduction 1、Definition 日常书信大部分是礼节性的，如邀请信，感谢信等。在西方这种礼节性的书信叫做“社交书信”，又叫“义务性书信”。

2. Form 普通形式和正规形式 普通形式：一般短笺，手写，使用第一人称，感谢、慰问、祝贺等均属这类。非正式的社交活动所用的邀请信及复信。 正规形式：比较正规的请柬，用于大型的、豪华的社交场合。一般用镌版印刷，使用第三人称。 例如：

非正规社交书信格式 Dear Mrs. Lee, Will you come to lunch at one o’clock on Wednesday, July first? My niece, Helen, is visiting us, and you have so often mentioned, you would like to meet her. I do hope you will be able to come. Cordially yours, Mary

request the pleasure of your company At dinner 正规社交书信 Prof. and Mrs. Bear Lee request the pleasure of your company At dinner Wednesday, the fourth of October At eight o’clock Hubei Hotel Bear Lee 夫妇谨订于10月4日（星期三）晚8时在湖北饭店举行宴会，敬请光临。

3.Tips for informal letter 1）Don’t be puzzled at “informal”. 信纸和信封要庄重大方，切不可用彩色的或印有装饰物的信纸，不要使用公文用纸，也不要使用有格子的信纸，只能使用平整的、标准的白色信纸，而且纸张的质量一定要好。要把信写在正面，不要写在反面。

2. Brevity and manuscript 打印并非不对，但是，若表达哀痛或感激等心情的信件，若用笔写，就显得更有礼貌，更为恭敬，使人觉得更为亲切、友爱 3. Don’t delay the reply 慰问、祝贺、吊唁、感谢之类的书信，要是延误时日，就会失去意义。

II. Letters of Invitations 1. Introduction 包括宴会邀请、午餐和晚餐邀请、聚会邀请、舞会邀请、婚礼邀请等。 两种形式：正规格式（请柬）和非正规格式（一般邀请信）

2. Requirements 1）要写得明确、完整，不可留下任何疑问使收信人捉摸不定。写明场合、地点、年月日及钟点。要写的具体。 Eg. I’d like you and Tom to come to dinner next Wednesday. I’d like you and Tom to come to dinner next Wednesday, June tenth.

2) 除了只允许男人参加的社交活动外，不论正式还是非正式，都应邀请夫妻双方。 3）回信不要用打字机打。 4）给予及时的、礼貌的答复。打电话回复也行，但亲自写一封短信显得更礼貌。 5）对邀请信，复信时应明确说明接受还是不接受。I will try my best to come. I will come if I am in town.不太明确，使主人感到不安。

6）写表示应邀时，你要对受邀表示高兴；写表示谢却时，你要写出失望和遗憾之情，并具体说明不能践约的原因。 I am sorry I can’t come to your luncheon next Tuesday. I am sorry I can’t come to your luncheon next Tuesday because that’s our wedding anniversary.

7). 接受邀请时，你必须在回信中重复邀请信中的某些内容，如几月几日、星期几、几点钟等。 I will be delighted to attend your dinner. I will be delighted to attend your dinner on Monday, May tenth, at five o’clock. 以纠正你或女主人可能弄错的日期和时间。

3. More details 邀请信（ Letters of Invitation ）是人们日常生活、社䬚活动和外事活动中的一种应用文体，它分正式和非正式两种。正式邀请信的格式（包括信头、信内的地址、客套语等）要齐全，正文内容应用书面语。非正式邀请信的格式不全，常只有日期，没有地址，语句也很随便，多为口语。

邀请信的内容主要包括：邀请原因、活动地点和时间。其特点是简短、热情，给人一种真诚、亲切的感觉。 　　非正式邀请信一般用来邀请亲戚、朋友等关系较为密切的人出席某种社交场合，其格式与普通信件一样，邀请人的地址和日期（即信头）应写在正文右上角，称呼语是在 Mr 或 Mrs 后写上姓即可，落款要写全名。

书写邀请信时还应当注意以下几方面的问题： 　　1）. 邀请人和被邀请人应用第一人称，双方的名字都要写全名。 　　2）. 邀请的内容，包括邀请的原因、约定的地点和时间必须写清楚，切忌含糊不清。 　　3）. 如果要求被邀请人作出答案，可在左下角或下面正中处写上 R. S. V. P （意为“请答复”）。 　　4）. 如果有特殊要求，也应当在信中注明。 　　5）. 邀请信的常见用语有： Would you like to go swimming with me next Sunday？ / I should be very glad if you would come to my birthday party at my house at 8：00 p. m. on Sunday， December 12. / We hope you can come， and look forward to seeing you by then. / Be sure to come. / If you can't come， tell me. 等等。

望以后再向对方发出邀请时，一定要用英语来书写，进一步练习这种文体的写作，从而能更加熟练并掌握这种文体。写邀请信时还要注意的是： 　　1. 邀请信要提前发出，一般的邀请应在一周之前，正式的邀请应在 10 天或两周之前，这样就能给对方留出时间来安排别的事情。 　　2. 即使对方拒绝了邀请也不要介意，因为人们是不能总强迫别人来做某事的。

写作基本框架： 首段：表明与收信人的相关性和写作意图。 主体段落：具体交代情景包括邀请朋友干什么，什么时候，在哪里，并且要强调说明为什么邀请收信人而不是别的朋友。 结尾段：期待朋友回复。

Eg. You want to invite some friends to the party Eg. You want to invite some friends to the party. Write an invitation letter to them individually, elaborating on the reasons why such a party should be held and what activities will be arranged for them.

Dear Susan, I will hold a dinner party at my house on June 23, 2000 (Saturday) to celebrate my father’s being awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism this year. As you are a close friend of our family, my parents and I would very much like you to participate in the celebration and share our joy. The occasion will start at five o’clock in the afternoon, with the showing of the documentary film of the 1999Kosovo war produced by my father, which secured the prize for him. This will be followed by a dinner party. At around eight o’clock, we will hold a small musical soiree, at which a band will perform some works by Bach and Strauss.

If you do not have any prior appointment on June 23, my family and I look forward to the pleasure of your company. Cordially yours, Jessica RSVP before June 19 (Please reply)

邀请信的开头常用句式和套话 　　I am writing to invite you to … 　　I wonder if you could come … 　　邀请信的结尾常用句式和套话 　　My family and I would feel honored if you could come. 　　We would be looking forward to your participation in the party. 　　I really hope you can make it.

高频词汇： accept; attend; decline; enjoy oneself; entertain; expense; extend; get-together; go sightseeing; in advance; invitation; join sb. in sth.; participate; resort; scenic spot; turn down; welcome.

Write an invitation to Mr Write an invitation to Mr. John Smith, inviting him to give a speech on “American literature”. Write a letter to him and say: 1) the purpose of the invitation 2) the time and place of the lecture It should be no less than 100 words.

Sample Dear Mr. Smith, We know that you are an expert on literature. As students majoring in English, we want to know some details about literature. We should be very grateful if you could give a talk on “American Literature” to students of English Department on Saturday, April 19. If this subject does not suit you, any other similar topic would be welcome as well.

We have already had several interesting talks from distinguished visitors from various countries this semester and we look forward eagerly to the opportunity to benefit from your experience and wisdom. Sincerely yours, Bear Lee

4、Different invitations 1)Inviting a close friend to dinner Dear Linda, Will you and Mr. Bear have dinner with us on Tuesday, the fifth of May, at seven o’clock? It’s a long time since we have had the pleasure of seeing you and we do hope you can come. Sincerely yours, Elizabeth K. Benton

Acceptance Dear Mrs. Benton, Bear and I will be delighted to dine with you on Tuesday, the fifth of May, at seven o’clock. How very nice of you to ask us! We are both looking forward with great pleasure to seeing you and Dr. Benton again. Very sincerely yours, Linda

Regrets Dear Mrs. Benton, I have been putting off this note until the last possible moment, hoping Bear would get back from Beijing in time for your dinner party. But now I must regretfully write that he’ll still be out of town on Tuesday, the fifth; and we therefore cannot accept your kind invitation for dinner on that day. It was sweet of you to ask us and I know Bear will be as sorry as I am to miss an evening with you and Dr. Benton .We know how delightful such evening at your house usually are! Sincerely yours, Linda

2).Invitation Card to Dinner Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request the pleasure of your company at a dinner in honor of their parents’ Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, the fifth of July at eight o’clock New Century Hotel 102 Queen Street Hong Kong R. S. V. P

3) Enclosed Response Card The favour of a reply is requested before the seventeenth of March M____________ will __________attend Tips: A. The card is enclosed in the invitation letter. B. Write down the name in the blank of “M” Eg. Mr and Mrs Mark C. If you cannot join, write “not”.

4) Formal Handwritten Acceptance to a Wedding Invitation Mr. and Mrs. Mark Jones accept with pleasure the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith To the wedding reception of their daughter Maria Louise and Mr. John Smith on Sunday, the twenty-third of March at three o’clock in the afternoon 128 North Main Street

Regrets Mr. and Mrs. Mark Jones regret that they are unable to accept the very kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith for Sunday, the twenty-third of March Time and place may be omitted.

Class work Your classmate, Jimmy, is head of the university’s swimming club. He has invited you to join the club, but you like some other sport. Write him a note, declining and explaining why. (07)

Homework Directions: Supposed you are the assistant of the English department, you want to invite Mr. Williams to give a lecture on "American literature" in your college. Your letter should be no less than 100 words. You don’t need to write the address. Don’t sign your own name at the end of the letter, use Linda instead.

Dear Mr. Williams, 　　I am writing on behalf of the English Department to invite you to give a lecture in our college. We know that you are an expert on American literature. As English majors, our students would like to know something about American literature. We would be very grateful if you could give a talk on "Contemporary American Literature" to students of the English Department on Saturday, June 4. If this subject does not suit you, any other similar topic would be welcome as well. 　　We have already had several very interesting talks from some distinguished visitors from various countries and we look forward early to the opportunity to benefit from your experience and wisdom. 　　Yours truly, Linda