Words of gratitude are indispensable in our everyday speech. The difficulty of reproducing them for students of English is associated with the need to express various semantic nuances. Often there is a need to say "thank you", whether it is a business response to a partner or an informally expressed 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, the information will be presented in the form of tables and impromptu dialogues.
First, I would like to give as an example some universal words of thanks in English for those who do not want to rack their brains once again.
Phrases suitable for any situation
| thank you | thanks |
| thank you for smth | thanks for something |
| thank you very (so) much; many thanks, thanks a lot | thank you very much (sometimes with irony) |
| thanks | I thank you |
| I am grateful (thamkful) to you | thanks (short, symbolic) |
| much obliged (I appreciate it) | highly grateful |
| thank you very much indeed. | very grateful |
| you shouldn't have | not worth the worry |
| that's very kind of you | it is very kind of you |
The above phrases are neutral, do not convey special emotional shades, therefore 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! (Thanks a lot!).
Or in gratitude to the waiter:
- Here is your breakfast. (Here is your breakfast).
- Thanks. (Thanks).
In a dialogue with a stranger:
- Can I help you? (Can I help you?).
- I am alright, thank you. (I'm fine, thank you).
Formal Thanks
How to correctly thank for successful cooperation, material support or the conclusion of a profitable contract? If it is necessary to express gratitude in English to a colleague, business partner, client, then any emotional tone of words will be inappropriate. This is contrary to business etiquette. In this situation, it will be beneficial to use the following phrases of gratitude in English with a 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 that.)
- 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 to you for everything 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 question).
And you can thank a member of your team or organization as a whole using the following templates:
- to be grateful for smb kindness / loyalty (thanks for the kindness);
- thank so much for smth encouragement;
- allow me to express our great gratitude for the providing opportunities (thanks for the opportunity).
Acknowledgments in English to the teacher
Qualified teachers are worthy of kind words, since it is often they who instill in students the basic skills and equip the mind with settings for further development. Under the influence of a teacher, children often choose their future profession, which determines their whole future life. Words of gratitude to the teacher should be not only soulful and sincere, but also not violate the boundaries of ethical standards. Let us cite as an example the variations 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 to improve knowledge).
- I am so glad that you are my tutor. (I'm glad that you are 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 greetings are heard from all sides, I would like to thank others in a special way by formulating phrases in English clearly and competently.
A selection of phrases that will help summarize all the accumulated thoughts and express them most effectively and solemnly is presented below.
- Thank for your great gift! (Thanks for the wonderful gift!).
- Thanks for making me feel the special atmosphere of this fete today! (Thanks for the special atmosphere of the celebration!).
- 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 invitation!).
Letter of thanks in English
The most courteous, polite way of expressing appreciation is a letter of appreciation. They send it not often and only to people whose diligence and care they want to especially reward. In the letter it is necessary to indicate the name and address of the sender in the upper right corner, to 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 associated with 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
02/23/2018
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 learn how to use it and there is no others activities for her. Thank you.
Yours cordially,
John
In the end, in no case should you put an end to it, because in the context of the British culture this means an open reluctance to continue communication.
And how to respond to gratitude?
Such a need arises no less than the expression of gratitude itself. Silence in response to courtesy and appreciation may pass for disrespect and hostility. It is worth remembering the main phrases for this situation.
The most common and neutral phrases: not at all (not worth the gratitude), you are welcome (please). In official conversations, you can use the more advanced: the pleasure is all mine (not worth the gratitude).
Not at all: do not mention it, it is all right, sure, it is no bother. There are also options typical of colloquial speech and young people, informal:
- it's nothing (trifle);
- no problem
- no sweat (do not worry);
- sure (not at all).
English-speaking countries, especially Great Britain, pay special attention to the intelligence and education of the interlocutor, therefore, to make a favorable impression, you need to take care of the quality of your speech.