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。