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Good morning,
I'm correcting a letter that one of my business students has to send to another company and he wrote "I'm writing you about...". I know I've heard this many times and it actually sounds good but, isn't "I'm writing to you about..." better? Please help!
Thank you,
Marisa
Hi Marisa,Quote:
Originally Posted by marisa1rodriguez
The first is what an american might say, the second is the English form, so both are correct.
Really? I would say that "I am writing you..." is just wrong full stop. I've never seen any native English speaker use it.Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy
Which can only prove the fact that you are British by birth, by nationality, by way of thinking, and the like!Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm With Stupid
Check it out (type in 'write', and check the paragraph dealing with 'A LETTER'):
Possible entries for 'write'
:-D
Marisa, ask one of the American members...I'm sure I'm right here!
Well either way.
I find the phrase horrible whether you omit the word to or not.
I much prefer to say I write. As much as the two things are fundamentally the same thing, saying I am writing just seems to me like a statement of the obvious - that is, you are obviously writing, why bother stating it?
The letter is a formal business letter, so it must be "I am writing to you". "Writing you" is colloquial and informal.
You should not use either version. As someone else has written, when I receive a letter starting "I'm writing to you about ....." I just think how unimaginative and lazy. As my English teacher used to say, never state the obvious. Obviously you're writing to me because I have the letter here in my hand!
As an alternative, just say what you want without this superfluous preamble.
for example:
"I wish to introduce myself ........" not "I’m writing to introduce myself ......."
Hope this helps
Tomorrow I am taking my First Certificate Exam and while studing I came across this thread which states exactly mi opinion about teh way we are made to write formal letters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall
The thing is that we are tought to do it in that way. All of my books say that the way to start a formal letter is saying:"I am writing to you in order to/ in connection with/ regarding/ about your/to apply for/ to ask about, etc..