邀请函包括宴会、舞会、晚餐、聚会、婚礼等各种邀请信件，形式上大体分为两种:一种为正规的格式 (formal correspondence;一种是非正式格式 (informal correspondence)。
邀请信一定要将邀请的时间(年、月、日、钟点)、地点、场合写清楚，不能使接信人存在任何疑虑。
例如:“I’d like you and Bob to come to Luncheon next Friday.”这句话中所指的是哪个星期五并不明确，所以应加上具体日期, “I’d like you and Bob to come to luncheon next Friday, May the fifth.”
1. 邀请朋友共进午餐 Inviting a friend to informal luncheon
Dear :
Will you come to luncheon on , at ?
My niece is visiting us and I think you will enjoy meeting her. She is a charming, very pretty girl … and very good company! will be here, and perhaps we can after luncheon. Do say you’ll come!
Affectionately yours,
Li Ming
亲爱的:
您能在 来吃午饭吗?
我侄女正在我们家中作客，我想您会乐于见到她的。她是个漂亮而聪明的女孩子，……同她在一起是很使人高兴的!也到这里来，也许在饭后我们能，说好，一定得来呀!
2. 邀请朋友同他们不认识的人一起共进晚餐 Inviting friends to supper with the strangers
Dear :
I know you are interested in , so I’m sure you’ll be interested in ! They are coming here
to supper , and we’d like you and to come, too.
are that very charming couple we met in last summer. They have a wonderful collection of ; and I understand that Mr. Lin Dun is quite an authority on . I’m sure you and Walter will thoroughly enjoy and evening in their company.
We’re planning supper at six; that will give us a nice long evening to talk. If I don’t hear from you before then, I’ll be expecting you on the !
Affectionately yours,
Li Ming
亲爱的:
我知道您对是有兴趣的，所以我相信您对林顿夫妇也会感兴趣。他们将在来吃饭，我们很希望您和瓦尔特也能同来。
是那么好的一对夫妻。我们是去年夏天在认识的。他们集有。我知道，林顿先生在研究方面是颇有权威的。我深信，那天晚上您和瓦尔特同他们在一起，一定会很愉快。
我们准备在6点钟吃晚饭，这样就能有较长的时间闲谈。如果事前接不到您的回信，我就指望你们那天到来。
3. 邀请来家中小住及周末聚会 An invitation for a house and weekend party
Dear :
I hope haven’t any plan for the weekend of as we’d like you to spend it with us at . It’s simply beautiful here now, with everything in bloom!
I think we can promise some good fishing this year. The fish are biting better than ever! So bring your fishing clothes; and be s
ure to bring your tennis things, too, because are coming and I’m sure you’ll want to get out on the courts with them.
There’s a very good train ; I’ve marked it in red on the timetable. It gets you here about which is just in time for dinner. You can get a late train back , or there’s an early express that usually takes on .
We hope nothing will prevent you from coming, as we’re looking forward to your visit … and I know are looking forward to seeing you again, too. Be sure to let us know what train you are taking so that can meet you at the station.
Affectionately yours,
亲爱的:
如果您没有什么活动安排，我希望能同我们一起在共度周末，那里已经鲜花遍地，现正在最美丽的时节。
我想，今年我们能让钓鱼钓得更快活。鱼儿比过去任何时候都爱上钓鱼。请把钓鱼的服装带来，也别忘记带上打网球的用具，因为我们还邀约了夫妇，我想，你们是乐意同他们打网球的。
有一班舒适的火车，我已经在火车时刻表上做了红色记号，火车大约在把你们送到这里，正是吃晚饭时间。你们可以乘晚车回来。或者，在也有一班快车，就是常坐的那一班车。
我们希望没有什么事情会阻碍你们，我们在等待着你们光临……我知道好盼望再次见到你们。准备乘哪一班火车，请一定告诉我们，好让到车站迎接你们。
4. 邀请参加招待会 An invitation for a reception
Dear :
It would give great pleasure to have your presence at a reception in honor of the Chinese delegation.
The reception will be held in the , on . Cocktails will be served promptly at to be followed b dinner at .
sincerely hope you can attend. Let know.
Sincerely yours
亲爱的:
如您能够出席为而举行的招待会，将感到十分荣幸。
招待会定于在举行。准时举行， 随之在举行。
期待着您的光临。请提前通知您能否出席。
5. 邀请演讲 Inviting someone to address a meeting
Dear :
would like to extend to you an invitation to be our guest speaker at the to be held at the at o’clock, .
As you know, the department is interested in Since you are familiar with the field, we know your views will be extremely interesting to us.
You will receive further details later, but we would appreciate having your acceptance soon so we may complete our agenda.
Cordially,
亲爱的:
特邀请您出席召开的并作演讲。
正如您所了解的，对。您对此领域很熟悉，您的见解定会给我们带来很大的兴趣。
我们将随后把有关细节通知您，但恳请您尽快予以答复
，以便作出安排。
6. 邀请参加新厂开工典礼 Invitation to opening ceremony of new factory
Dear :
Our new factory will be commencing production on and we should like to invite to be present at a celebration to mark the occasion.
As you will appreciate this is an important milestone for this organization, and is the result of continued demand for our products, both at home and overseas. We are inviting all those inspaniduals and trust that you will pay us the compliments of accepting.
Please confirm that you will be able to attend by advising us of your time —— we can arrange for you to be met. All arrangements for your stay will, of course, be made by us at our expense.
Yours faithfully,
亲爱的:
本公司新厂将于开始投产，希望能邀请来参加新厂开工典礼。
如您所知，新厂的设立是本公司的一个里程碑，而这正是海内外对本公司产品不断需求的结果。我们邀请了所有对本公司的成功贡献一切力量的个人，我们相信，您一定会赏光。
如您确能参加，请来函告知您抵达的时间 —— 以便我们为您安排会晤。当然，所有安排您在夜宿的费用，皆将由公司代您支付。
邀请信的回复
邀请信的复信要求简明扼要，在书写时应注意以下几点:
1. 接受邀请的复信中应重复写上邀请信中的某些内容，如邀请年、月、日，星期几、几点钟等，如 “I’ll be delighted to attend your luncheon next Friday, May the fifth, at twelve o’clock”。
2. 邀请信的复信中应明确表明接受邀请还是不接受邀请，不能含乎其
词，如不能写 “I’ll come if I’m in town”。这类的话，以使得对方无法作出安排。在接受邀请的复信中，应对受到邀请表示高兴。谢却的复信中应阐明不能应邀的原由。
1. 对迟复邀请表示歉意 Apologizing for being unable to give an early reply
Dear :
Please accept my apologies for the delay in acknowledging your invitation for on . I have been away from the office and only just returned.
Luckily, I have no other plans for the date you mention, and shall be happy to see you at at the Black Swan Restaurant.
Cordially,
亲爱的:
未能对您发来的出席今年举行的的邀请给予及时答复深表歉意。我因近期一直在外，刚刚返回。
幸运的是，我在那天没有其他安排，很愿意届时在与您会面。
2. 对不能参加而迟复邀请回信表示歉意 Apologizing for being unable to accept the invitation and give an early reply
Dear :
Please accept my apologies for the delay in acknowledging your invitation for on . I have been away form the office and only just returned.
Unfortunately, I have other plans for the date you mention, but shall be happy to make a date for some other convenient time.
Cordially,
亲爱的:
未能对您发来的出席举行的的邀请予以及时答复深表歉意。我因一直外出，刚刚返回。
很遗憾，由于有其他事务安排，故不能赴约。我很愿意在以后方便的时候前去拜会。
3.
接受与不相识的人共进午餐 Accepting an invitation to luncheon with strangers
Dear :
I’ll be delighted to come to your luncheon on , at o’clock.
has often spoken me of , and has told me how very much he enjoys having him for a . Although I have never met , I know him from hearing so much about him.
I assure you it will be a very great pleasure indeed to meet ! Thank you so much for asking me.
Truly Yours
亲爱的:
我将愉快地参加您于举行的午宴。
经常向我提起，并经常谈到与他是多么愉快。虽然我还没有见过他，但因为听到有关他的事情多，好像已经认识他了。
我相信，同相会一定会使人非常愉快，非常感谢您的邀请。
4. 谢绝不相识的人的邀请 Apologizing for being unable to accept an invitation
Dear :
I have heard so much about from that I almost feel as though I knew him. I would certainly enjoy meeting his mother!
But unfortunately I expect guests myself on ; and therefore cannot accept your invitation for luncheon on that day.
It was thoughtful of you to invite me, and I am extremely sorry I cannot accept, I do hope you will ask me again some time!
Sincerely yours,
亲爱的:
我已经从那里知道了许多关于的事，我好像已经认识他似的，能够去见他母亲我当然觉得十分荣幸!
但是很不凑巧:在我自己要招待客人， 因此就不能接受您在那天的午宴邀请了。
承您如此热情地相约，恰巧因事不能前往，深表歉意，但愿以后能再次荣获您的邀请。
