Cartas y correos
The first writing task is always a letter or an email answering one you have been given. Marks go on register as much as on grammar, so the opening and the closing are worth learning by heart — and the informal and formal sets must never mix.
Abrir, informal
Querido Juan / Querida Ana
Dear Juan / Dear Ana
Agrees with the person: querido for a man, querida for a woman.
¡Hola, Marta!
Hi Marta!
Perfectly acceptable in the informal task, and quicker.
¿Qué tal estás?
How are you?
Espero que estés bien
I hope you're well
Esperar que always takes the subjunctive: estés, not estás. An easy mark to win or lose.
Perdona que no te haya escrito antes
Sorry I haven't written sooner
Perdona que plus the perfect subjunctive. Learn it whole; it opens half the letters in the exam.
Te escribo para contarte que…
I'm writing to tell you that…
Para plus infinitive states your purpose in the first line, which the examiner is looking for.
Abrir, formal
Estimado señor / Estimada señora
Dear Sir / Dear Madam
Never Querido in the formal task.
Muy señores míos
Dear Sirs
For a company rather than a person.
Le escribo en relación con…
I am writing regarding…
Le escribo en relación con el anuncio publicado el lunes. · I am writing regarding the advert published on Monday.
Me dirijo a usted para…
I am writing to you in order to…
Dirigirse a alguien: the most formal of the openers.
En respuesta a su correo…
In reply to your email…
El cuerpo
Por un lado… por otro lado
On the one hand… on the other
Además
What's more
Adds weight, not merely one more item.
Sin embargo
However
Opens a new sentence, after a full stop. Pero joins two clauses inside one.
Por eso
That's why
Por eso in a letter to a friend; por lo tanto in the formal one.
En cuanto a…
As for…
En cuanto al horario, me viene bien el sábado. · As for the timing, Saturday suits me.
Lo que pasa es que…
The thing is…
Informal only, and very natural in a letter to a friend.
Me gustaría saber si…
I would like to know whether…
The polite way to ask a question in the formal task.
Le agradecería que…
I would be grateful if you would…
Followed by the imperfect subjunctive: le agradecería que me enviara. High-value structure at B1.
Cerrar
Bueno, te dejo
Right, I'll leave you to it
Informal. Signals the letter is ending.
Escríbeme pronto
Write back soon
Un abrazo
A hug
The standard informal sign-off. Un beso is warmer, and used between friends and family.
Saludos
Best wishes
Neutral: safe in both registers.
Quedo a la espera de su respuesta
I look forward to your reply
Formal only.
Atentamente
Yours faithfully
The formal sign-off. Never with a friend.
Un cordial saludo
Kind regards
Slightly warmer than atentamente, and still formal.