3．Invitations邀请函

Occasionally people receive formal invitations—to an open house，to a special party honoring a distinguished person，to a special anniversary celebration，or to a formal social gathering．These invitations are usually engraved or printed and are written in the third person．When these invitations are handwritten，however，they are placed on plain white notepaper．

Replies to formal invitations are often requested by stating Please reply or R.S.V.P.7 which means“please answer”．If the invitation is written in the third person，the reply is also written in the third person and follows the wording and arrangement of the invitation．

Sample Invitations

a．Formal Invitation

The Local Bank Tellers Club

request the pleasure of your company

at a tea

in honor of

Nancy Eitzgerald

on Saturday，May the sixth

at four o'clock

suite 13 of the Howard Building

Please reply

b．Personal Formal Invitation

Mr．and Mrs．John Smith

request the pleasure of the company of

Mr．and Mrs．Barry Green

at dinner

on Monday，the fourth of April

at eight o'clock

8106 Keats Road

R．S．V．P．

c．Formal Acceptance

Mr．William Sregory

accepts with pleasure

the kind invitation of

The Local Bank Tellers Club

Saturday，May the sixth

at four o'clock

suite 13 of the Howard Building

d．Formal Refusal

Mr．and Mrs．Barry Green

regret that a previous engagement

prevents their accepting

the kind invitation to dinner

at the home of

Mr．and Mrs．John Smith

on Monday，the fourth of April

e．Informal Invitation

Dear Mr．Milford，

I understand from my friend that you are contemplating making a visit to Canada this year with the intention of promoting further bilateral trade8 between our countries．I hope very much that you will find time to visit my country soon．I would like very much to receive you here．I suggest that it would be particularly appropriate for you to visit our country in the near future in view of our mutual efforts to enlarge and diversify our mutual trade．

I am looking forward to an early opportunity to discuss these matters with you．

With warm personal regards．

Sincerely yours，

Richard

f．Informal Refusal of an Invitation

Dear Perty，

How nice of you to ask me to the small late-dinner party on Tuesday，June the 7th，2014．I only wish I could be with you，but unfortunately Tuesday is now my day to work at our bank．

Affectionately yours，

Henry

g．Informal Acceptance of an Invitation

Dear Mr．Hudson，

I regret very much that，owing to a previous engagement，I cannot have the pleasure of accepting your kind invitation for next Sunday．

Sincerely yours，