Letter Writing

Question

Would you be kind enough to answer a question for me that has concerned me for some time. I am always moaning about people sending letters to me that start with "I am writing......." It drives me mad as I was always taught at school that you should never start a letter with those words. Friends of mine, however, tell me that I am wrong and that it is perfectly acceptable.

I welcome your input.

Many thanks

Caroline

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi Caroline,

Would you be kind enough to answer a question for me that has concerned me for some time. I am always moaning about people sending letters to me that start with "I am writing.." It drives me mad as I was always taught at school that you should never start a letter with those words. Friends of mine, however, tell me that I am wrong and that it is perfectly acceptable.

I welcome your input.

It seems OK to me, except perhaps that it is a little unimaginative. At least it gets people to focus on why they are writing.

I think such formulaic wording can sometimes be useful, maybe more polite, in its indirectness.

eg Compare "I am writing to tell you that your brother is dead"

to "Your brother is dead".

Clive

Sam1947 · Answer

I was always taught that one should not begin a social letter with "I" in any context.

For the situation described above, one might say, "It is my sad duty to inform you that your brother, James, died on August 10th due to the injuries sustained in a car accident." or, you could say, "With the deepest regret, I must inform you that your brother..."

For an invitation, instead of saying, "I am writing to invite you..." one would say, "It is my pleasure to invite you, " or, my honor, privilege, etc.

For thank you notes, one shouldn't start with, "I am writing to thank you..." or "Thank you very much for..."

One might say, "The charming dinner service that you presented me is something I will delight in using over the years. The vividness of the colors and patterns are enchanging, and I will think of you each time I use them. The size of the set is perfect for intimate entertaining, which is our favorite type of gathering. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, as your gift will give John and me much pleasure over the years, in no small measure because it will remind us of you.

These are not grammar rules, per se, but etiquette rules.

I cannot think of any letter I would start with, "I am writing to...." whether it was a business letter, a legal letter, or a social letter.

Sam1947 · Answer

that should be "enchanting" above, not "exchanging."

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