Phrases, not templates: a flexible phrase bank

By Michael Ukwuma

Useful chunks for requests, complaints, reasons and comparisons that you can bend to any task.

Research on formulaic language found that learners who notice and use natural word combinations are rated as more proficient. That is very different from memorizing a whole paragraph. A phrase is a tool. A template is a costume, and raters can see through costumes.

Stating your purpose

I am writing about ...
I wanted to let you know that ...
I am contacting you to ask whether ...
I am writing to follow up on ...

The rest of this lesson is part of full access.