Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

MAKING SOCIAL CONTACTS 29.9Tengo/tenemos mucho agrado/gusto en comunicarles que . . .I have/we have great pleasure in informing you that . . .Note here the use of complacer ‘to be pleasing’ and tener mucho agrado or gusto en‘to have great pleasure in’, followed by the infinitive. 29.9.3.526 (p. 131)Requesting something:Le ruego que me envíe . . .Please send me . . .Les rogamos que se sirvan mandarnos . . .Please send us . . .Le agradecería (que) me respondiera con la mayor brevedad/a labrevedad posible . . .I would be grateful if you would reply as soon as possible . . .Note here the use of ruego, rogamos, present forms of rogar, literally ‘to beg’,followed by que plus a secondary verb in the present subjunctive. Note also theconditional agradecería, from agradecer ‘to be grateful’, followed by que, which isoptional in letter writing, plus a subordinate clause with a verb in the imperfectsubjunctive. 16.1.2.1 (p. 64); 18.1.1 (p. 84); 19.2 (p. 95); 68.1.8 (p. 383)29.9.429.9.4.1Closing a letterTo close a formal or business letter, the following phrases are used:Very formal:Atentamente,Yours sincerelyMuy atentamente,Yours sincerelyLe/les saluda/saludo (muy) atentamente,Yours sincerelyMe despido/nos despedimos de usted/ustedes atentamente,Yours sincerelyReciba un atento saludo deYours sincerelyLess formal:Le saluda cordialmenteReciba un cordial saludo deSincerely yoursSincerely yours168Note that le/les stands for masculine or feminine, singular and plural, respectively.In Latin American Spanish you are more likely to find lo/la, or the plurals los/las, formasculine and feminine, respectively, in this context. The verb saludar, literally ‘to