Words of gratitude are indispensable in our daily speech. The difficulty of reproducing them for English learners is related to the need to express various semantic shades. Often there is a need to say "thank you", whether it is a business response to a partner or an informal expression of gratitude to a loved one. In order not to be caught in the inability to appropriately and correctly insert the necessary phrases into your speech, we will consider all possible options for how to express gratitude in English. For convenience, information will be presented in the form of tables and impromptu dialogues.
First I would like to give an example of some universal words of gratitude in English for those who do not want to rack their brains again.
| thank you | thank you |
| thank you for smth | thanks for something |
| thank you very (so) much; many thanks, thanks a lot | thank you so much (sometimes ironically) |
| thanks | I am grateful to you |
| I am grateful (thamkful) to you | thank you (briefly, symbolically) |
| much obliged (I appreciate it) | much appreciated |
| thank you very much indeed. | very grateful |
| you shouldn't have | don't worry |
| that's very kind of you | this is very kind of you |
The above phrases are neutral, do not convey special emotional nuances, so they are suitable for use in typical, everyday dialogues. For example, in response to a compliment:
– Oh, you look amazing in this blouse! (Oh, you look incredible today!)
– Thank you so much! (Thank you very much!).
Or in gratitude to the waiter:
– Here is your breakfast. (Here is your breakfast).
– Thanks. (Thank you).
In dialogue with a stranger:
– Can I help you? (Would you like help?).
– I am alright, thank you. (I'm fine, thank you.)
Formal expression of gratitude
How is it correct to thank for successful cooperation, financial support or the conclusion of a profitable contract? If you need to express gratitude in English to a colleague, business partner, client, then any emotional connotation of words will be inappropriate. This is against business etiquette. In this situation, it would be advantageous to usethe following phrases of gratitude in English with translation, which are presented below.
- Thank you for taking the trouble to help me. I appreciate it. (Thank you for agreeing to help me. I appreciate it.)
- I highly appreciate your assistance. (I appreciate your support.)
- Thank you for cooperation. (Thank you for your cooperation).
- We would like to express our appreciation for all you have done. (We are extremely grateful for everything you have done.)
- I appreciate your contribution to our successful collaboration. (I really appreciate your contribution to our successful cooperation).
- Thank you for your great attention to our matter. (Thank you for your special attention to our issue).
And you can thank a member of your team or the organization as a whole using the following templates:
- to be grateful for smb kindness/loy alty (gratitude for kindness);
- thank so much for smth encouragement (thanks for the encouragement);
- allow me to express our great gratitude for the providing opportunities.
Expressing gratitude in English to a teacher
Qualified teachers are worthy of warm words, as they are often the ones who instill in students the basic skills and supply consciousness with attitudes for further development. The teacher often influences the children's choice of their future profession, which determines the rest of their lives. Words of gratitude to the teacher should not beonly heartfelt and sincere, but also not to violate the boundaries of ethical standards. Let's give an example of variations that are suitable for this case.
- Many thanks for being kind, patient and professional and helping me to improve my knowledge. (Thank you for your kindness and professionalism, for helping me improve my knowledge.)
- I am so glad that you are my tutor. (I'm glad you're my teacher.)
- I have got so much skills during our lessons. (I got so many skills during our lessons).
Thanks for the congratulations
On holidays, when warm congratulations are heard from all sides, I want to thank those around me in a special way by formulating phrases in English clearly and correctly.
A selection of phrases that will help summarize all the accumulated thoughts and express them most effectively and solemnly is presented below.
- Thank you for your great gift! (Thank you for the wonderful gift!)
- Thanks for making me feel the special atmosphere of this fete today! (Thank you for a special celebration atmosphere!)
- I appreciate your efforts very much! (I really appreciate your efforts!)
- I send you a very warm thank you for the invitation! (Thank you for the invitation!)
Letter of thanks in English
The most courteous, polite way to show appreciation is a thank you note. They do not send it often and only to people whose efforts and care you want to especially reward. The letter must include the name and addresssender in the upper right corner, greet the interlocutor. The first paragraph contains the very gratitude for the visit, reception, meeting or gift. Then it is worth describing your emotions and feelings related to the subject of the letter. In the following paragraphs, you can talk about your news.
A brief example of a letter looks like this:
John Stephen
Los Angeles
USA
2018-02-23
Dear Sasha, My sister and I thank you for the wondweful present sent by you on Saturday. This gadget not only looks nice but does well all its functions. Really, she has always wanted to have a tablet. Thanks for you there is no need to buy it. Now she is only learning how to use it and there is no other activities for her. Thank you.
Yours cordially, John
At the end of the letter, in no case should you put a period, because in the context of the British culture this means an open unwillingness to continue communication.
How to respond to gratitude?
Such a need arises no less than the very expression of gratitude. Silence in response to courtesy and appreciation can pass for disrespect and hostility. It is worth remembering the basic phrases for this situation.
The most common and neutral phrases: not at all (no thanks), you are welcome (please). In formal conversations, you can use more advanced: the pleasure is all mine (no thanks).
Not at all: do not mention it, it is all right, sure, it is no bother. There are also optionscharacteristic of colloquial speech and young people, informal:
- it's nothing;
- no problem;
- no sweat (don't worry);
- sure (not at all).
English-speaking countries, especially the UK, pay special attention to the intelligence and education of the interlocutor, therefore, in order to make a favorable impression, you need to take care of the quality of your speech.
