• I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend the conference due to personal circumstances.

•I regret that I cannot....

•I regret I must... .

•I am sorry to inform you that....

Task 4

Write a letter in which you:

a)express gratitude for the invitation to…;

b)express your regret for declining the invitation because of some circumstances.

Lesson № 3

Letter of Request

Note: a request usually consists of a request phrase, a reason for the request and an expression of gratitude.

Task 1

Read the samples and notice phrases and sentences that express a request.

Letter 1

Dear Professor...,

I would be pleased to accept a 200-word abstract of your article “West Siberian Bronze Age Rock Art” for publishing in “Archeological Abstracts.”

We look forward to receiving this abstract as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Name

Editor-in-Chief

Letter 2

Dear Professor,

Dr.... has shown me your letter requesting reprints of papers on ProEuropean Policy of the UK. This is within my area of active research, and I am keenly interested in the developments of British-German relations. I am eager to know what research has been done in your country in recent years.

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