Practical Writing Invitations 1. Invitation cards 2. Invitation letters

1. Invitation cards The following is a typical wedding invitation card. Notice that it very clearly states who is getting married, where and when, and how and when to reply. The letters RSVP indicate that a reply is expected.

Sample

Task 1 Using the above card as a sample, write a wedding invitation card for a future wedding between two of your friends. Make it realistic by using correct names of people and places. But the wedding does not have to be in a church, it may be in a restaurant or a hotel instead.

Key The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of Wang Fang and Zhang Jun 3:30 p.m. Saturday the eighth of October Golden Sun Hotel 188 Zhongshan Road Changsha, Hunan Reception follows in hotel ballroom RSVP by September 20th on enclosed card

Invitation cards to a party To invite people to a party does not require a fancy card unless the party is very formal. But the information should be very clear and specific, and it should also be clear whether an acceptance of the invitation is required. If so the letters RSVP ("Reply Sent Very Promptly" in English, or "Repondez s'll vous plait" in French) is sometimes used.

Sample 2

Task 1  Write an invitation card to a party for graduating seniors at your campus. Include local details to make it interesting and realistic.

Key to Task 1 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　June 24, 2003 Dear Friends, All Civil Engineering students and faculty, as well as their families and guests are invited to come to the lawn in front of the Civil Engineering Building this Saturday immediately after the Commencement Ceremony to honor the graduating seniors. Snacks, coffee, tea, and varied soft drinks will be provided by our office. No RSVP 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Cordially Li Bing Dean

2. Invitation letters A sample invitation letter to an Alumni gathering. Notice that all the key facts the alumni must know to decide whether to attend the reunion are included, and that it’s very clear what they should do next if they decide to attend. They know who is invited to the reunion, who else is welcome, when the event will occur, how long it will last, how much it will cost, when and how to reply, and how to ask any further questions they may have.

Sample 5th REUNION OF THE CLASS OF 1992 Dear Classmates: 　　 Time certainly flies! It has now been five years since we graduated. As members of the Reunion Committee, it is our great pleasure to invite you to our Fifth Reunion the first weekend of June of the current year. You and your spouse, if you have one by now as we do, are cordially invited to join us on the campus and celebrate our friendships and successes. Free housing will be available in the dormitories, but if you would prefer off-campus housing, or if you have children, inexpensive housing will also be available at the Happy Valley Hotel. The only cost for those living on campus will be for the meals and the entertainments. The meals will include dinner on Friday, three meals on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. The entertainments include a folk music concert on Friday evening and a dance on Saturday evening to the lively music of our classmates’ band, The Happy Valley Rockers. Baby-sitting services will be available on Friday and Saturday evenings if you need them. Please fill out the enclosed registration card and return it to us by May 15th if you plan to come. Call us at 777-7777 or email us at jjjhvc@happynet.com if you have any questions. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sincerely, 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　John and Jane Jones, Reunion Committee, 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Happy Valley College, Happy Valley, USA

Task 2 You are on the committee for the 10th reunion of the Class of 1992 at Happy Valley College. Most of your classmates will now be married and many of them will now have children. So you may want to have more family events at your reunion. Write a letter inviting your classmates to this event. Follow the advice provided before the sample letter for the 5th reunion. Try not to use the exact words of the above letter if you can think of different ones.

Key to Task 2 10th REUNION OF THE CLASS OF 1992 Dear classmates: Five more years have gone by, and it’s time for our 10th reunion. Surely you all remember the great time we had at our 5th reunion. We’re still on the Reunion Committee and it’s our pleasure to invite you back to Happy Valley again for the first weekend in June. Some of the events will be the same, such as the meals and the dance on Saturday, when the Happy Valley Rockers will again entertain us. Instead of the concert on Friday we’ll have a magic act to appeal to the kids. Lunch on Saturday will be a family picnic followed by outdoor games if the weather is nice. If it rains we’ll move to the gymnasium. Baby-sitting services will still be provided in the evenings. We have also arranged a special family discount for the rooms at the Happy Valley Hotel. To register for the reunion please fill out the enclosed card and return it to us by May 15th. Call us at 777-7777 or email us at jjjhvc@happynet.com if you have any questions. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sincerely, 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　John and Jane Jones, Reunion Committee, 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Happy Valley College, Happy Valley, USA

Task 3 Suppose you've received the invitation to the 5th Reunion at Happy Valley College. Either John or Jane Jones is your former roommate, so you 'd like to include a short note about recent events in your own life with the card accepting the reunion invitation. What will you say?

Key to Task 3 Dear (John/Jane), 　　 You're right. It seems like only yesterday that we graduated together. I'm glad you're married, but I'm still single. At the reunion I must tell you about my own romantic experiences. Maybe you can help me decide whether there's a wedding on my horizon. Do you have any children yet? Can I meet them at the reunion? If not, please bring lots of photos. 　　Give my regards to (Jane/John). 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your old roommate, 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Gabriel/Gabrielle)

Task 3 Write a reply to the invitation to a party according to the following information. Here you are asked to write a reply to an invitation to a friend's 21st birthday party. For many Americans, this is an important birthday. However, you can't attend the party because you have to meet your aunt at the airport at that time.

Key to Task 3 Dear _______________, Thanks for inviting me to your 21st birthday party. Now that you're finally old enough to drink, I hope you have a great time. Unfortunately I need to meet my aunt at the airport, and take her to my parents' house for a big dinner. Maybe I'll catch up with you later in the evening. Congratulations and best wishes. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Regretfully yours, _______________

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