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Thank You Notes

Thank You Notes

Date: Nov 20 2020

Themes: Friend, How To

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

In the US, many people write thank you notes when they receive a gift. It is considered the minimum courtesy toward the gift-giver to acknowledge the thoughtfulness and usefulness of the gift.

However, many Americans never write thank you notes, the younger generations especially. It seems that we may be losing this custom.

If you are in the States and someone gives you a gift to honor your arrival, your birthday, a holiday or any other occasion, it is best to write them a card thanking them for the gift. It is also nice to thank people who let you stay in their home or cook a meal for you.

A thank you note can be very brief. Here is an example:

Dear Mrs. Robinson,
Thank you so much for the bracelet you gave me for my birthday. It will always remind me of you and of my visit to your city. I appreciate your thinking of me.
Warm regards,
Kaya

After you write it, make sure you have the correct address, put a stamp on it and drop it in the mail.

Listen to Amanda and Kevin talk about thank you notes.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amanda

Amanda

Kevin

Kevin

Amanda:  Mm, salad.

Kevin:  I’m feeling frustrated. So I gave a good friend of mine a gift two weeks ago.

Amanda:  Uh huh.

Kevin:  And I’ve yet to get… I sent her a gift two weeks ago and I have yet to get any notification of, of receipt of the gift.

Amanda:  Um, that’s probably one of my biggest pet peeves right now. When I was a kid, my parents taught me to write a thank you card that moment.

Kevin:  Immediately.

Amanda:  Write the card. Put it in the mail.

Kevin:  That’s right.

Amanda:  Nobody does it anymore and it drives me crazy.

Kevin:  It’s, it’s gone out of style, I guess. I think it’s incredibly rude.

Amanda:  Do you think it’s inconvenient? Or people don’t know to do it? Because maybe they weren’t raised and taught to write a thank you card.

Kevin:  I think it’s a combination of both. I think because the custom has kind of gone by the wayside. People aren’t doing it as much and… or they just never learned. Kind of like tipping. Some people just aren’t good tippers…

Amanda:  That’s horrible.

Kevin:  ‘Cause they didn’t learn from their parents.

Amanda:  It’s absolutely horrible.

Kevin:  Yeah.

Amanda:  With wedding gifts, you know, that excuse, you have a year.

Kevin:  That is BS.

Amanda:  That’s, that’s BS.

Kevin:  Yeah.

Amanda:  Total BS.

Kevin:  I agree.

Amanda:  And people run with that year and they go into the next year and they say, “Well, I missed the deadline. Oops.”

Kevin:  It’s ridiculous.

Amanda:  Not OK. Not OK.

Kevin:  Very rude.

 

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Discussion

Kevin sent a gift to his friend but hasn’t heard whether the friend received the gift.

Amanda thinks it is rude not to write a thank you note for a gift you receive. That’s what her parents taught her to do.

Kevin thinks the custom has faded. People don’t take the time to write a thank you note, or they just weren’t taught that it is the polite thing to do.

What do people do in your country when they receive a gift?

Do you write thank you notes?

 

Comments

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abaan

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I haven’t checked out this amazing site for a while because I thought it was closed down. And now Im so happy to see it up with new lessons. 


Thank you englishbaby team!

03:59 AM Nov 24 2020 |

prakashjhagsk

India

yeah , It’s an old custom and now a days people do not write thank you notes at all,what we do actually to acknowledge a gift is just say thanks to that person by call them or by sms.


Whenever I got gift, I call that person and let them know how important this gift is for me and say thank for that.

05:16 AM Oct 02 2013 |

asma2n

Algeria

Last time when i got a gift from my friend, i send her an E-mail thanking her for her nice parfume.. that’s all!


@

04:43 PM May 14 2013 |

1 person likes this

NightiNgale

Sudan

its not necessory to send a card , I mean this is an old fashion, I simply send sms or call the person who sent me a gift or did me a favor and thank him personally, this is much easier and faster :).

04:35 PM Apr 26 2013 |

meere

meere

Oman

i encourage that habit


mean thanking by notes

05:32 PM Sep 16 2011 |

agansaglik

agansaglik

Turkey

In Turkey , we say ” thank you for your gift ” at verbal matter. we desire to respond it more beautiful gift . You may say or write a card. It doesn’t matter . If a person take a gift or help from the someone., he or she absolutely has to express his or her gratefulness . Otherwise is opposite of humankind.

08:29 AM May 13 2011 |

gokhan1500

Turkey

In My Country!People don't writes thanks you notes.May be they wrote thank you notes before 1990.Nowadays people using technologhy to communication.If I wrote a thank you note or letter to my firend,ıt would be more better.But using technology more easier.

04:33 AM Apr 08 2011 |

green_lea

Viet Nam

just simply say thanks, i hate truoblesome etiquettes

12:37 PM Feb 06 2011 |

hima2

Egypt

hi

10:16 PM Jan 04 2011 |

becmoon

becmoonSuper Member!

Mexico

it is nice to say thank you to the person rather than in a note i think!

04:32 PM Oct 15 2010 |

waqasatk

United Arab Emirates

we say thanx, and plz keep sending gifts:)

03:22 AM Sep 09 2010 |

crumarina

crumarina

United States

We use to express our thankful by visiting people who sent the gift and thank them personally for the gift or present.

03:14 AM Aug 13 2010 |

zabotto

Brazil

We just say thank you to the gift-giver.. and in my opinion it's enough polite! we don't feel the need of scratching the gift-giver's balls!

04:52 PM Jul 16 2010 |

friendly2008

China

In China, a thank you note seems not so popular, we will seek another chance, i.e.birthday or other festival, to return our thnks to the gift-givers

04:49 AM Aug 20 2008 |

agyeman

Ghana

Thank u notes really makes the person know how much u appreciate it.so it really fantastic to voice out thank u!!!!!!God bless u                                                  

 

                                           luv,

                                                agyeman

01:35 PM Aug 01 2008 |

SophiaMeng

SophiaMeng

China

we should take "thank you"all the time, shouldnt we?

12:43 PM Dec 28 2007 |

shm123456

China

it is hard to listen this conversition.i finish the anwser after readding the text.

10:23 AM Dec 26 2007 |

xiaji

China

in my country,sometimes people write thank you notes when recieving the gift.most of times,they just say’thank’.

11:56 AM Dec 11 2007 |

hahaautumn

China

just say "thank you "and smile to you!

03:36 AM Dec 11 2007 |

ramyamaneesh

India

In india, we just say "thank u".Its nice to send back a thank u note or a gift.

05:08 AM Dec 04 2007 |

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