EXERCISE 2

Transform the following sentences from informal to formal English.

9. We are not going to renew the sole representative agreement again because you havent
produced enough
business for us.
10. The machine should work because it has been tested.
11. Our bank has told us that you havent made this months payment.
12. We cant send you the engineering blueprints on disk until the full joint-venture agreement
is signed in full
next month.
13. Were too busy to go to London for the meeting in this period. Can you come over here?
14. Your client didnt complete the documents properly. Please get him to do it and then send
them back to us
as soon as possible.
15. If youve got any problems give me a call.
16. Theres a problem on the computer system. It wont work between 10 and 12pm
tomorrow.
17. This is because we think its necessary.
18. Well help you if you need it.
19. If we dont receive payment well call our lawyers.
20. Well give you 8 days to solve this problem.
1.
Children can help out their parents in many different ways.
2.
Her e-mail was set up to automatically retrieve new messages.
3.
Ginas salary has gone up to nearly $8 per hour.
4.
Researchers have found out that teenagers would benefit from a later start to the school
day.
5.
Exercise alone will not get rid of weight problems for adults.
6.
I have been looking into purchasing a new vehicle.

7.
This issue was brought up during the the most recent meeting.

Examples
An informal letter: John, Im looking for a job, and Ive heard through the grapevine that you
need a workhorse for your shop. Well, Im the man of the hour, as Ive got a lot to offer. Im
pretty hard-working, and Im really good about being on time. Im also used to working by
myself. Anyway, tell me whether you want to get together for an interview, okay? -Informal
Joe

A formal, professional letter: Dear John: I understand that you are looking for a strong worker
to assist you in your shop. I would appreciate consideration because I am diligent, punctual,
and accustomed to working with minimal supervision. Please contact me if you are interested
in arranging an interview. I thank you for your time. Respectfully, Professional Joe
While it may be acceptable in e-mail or in chat rooms, excessive colloquialism can diminish
the quality of a formal written text. Presentation may be improved by applying the following
techniques:

Edit Steps

Sample Tips

Tips for Writing

The Difference Between Formal and Informal English

1. 1

Understand the difference between formal and informal English.

Formal and informal English differ in word choice, word usage, and
grammatical structures. Informal writing might use the words
"contraption," "fire," "kid," "how come," and "quote" as a noun. A formal
writer might prefer "device," "dismiss," "child," "why," and "quotation."
Informal writing may sound more like conversation while formal writing
may be more polished. An informal style may make listeners feel more
comfortable when you are speaking, but a formal writing style can make a
good impression.
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What to Avoid in Formal Writing

1. 1

Use appropriate punctuation. For example, American English employs a

colon in a formal letter as in Dear John: but British English employs a
comma.[1] Limit parentheses, exclamation points, and dashes (prefer
colons) in formal writing. Avoid the ampersand (&); write out the word
and. Punctuate your writing as you go along to reduce your risk of
leaving out punctuation.
2. 2

Avoid common colloquial words and expressions (colloquialisms),

such as "cute" (use "adorable"), "yeah," "how-do-you-do," and
"movie" (use "film"), as listed below or labeled as such in your
dictionary. This includes slang such as "cool," "dude," and "humongous."
Two good phrases to delete are "you know" and you might be thinking.
You do not have the power to know your readers thoughts while they read
your paper. Another empty sentence is Think about it. Assume that your
readers are already thinking about what they are reading, and state your
point more clearly. The adverb pretty, meaning relatively," "fairly," or
"quite, is unacceptable in all formal writing and is often unnecessary.
3. 3

Do not use contractions. Note that the full form of "can't" is one word:
"cannot," not "can not."

4. 4

Try to avoid the first and second person. Formal writing often tries to
be objective, and the pronouns "I" and "you" tend to imply subjectivity.
Phrases such as "I think that" can be deleted from a sentence when it is
obvious that this is the authors opinion. Using the pronoun "I" is almost
always acceptable in personal writing, and the pronoun "you" is almost
 always acceptable in letters and how-tos. In the most formal writing, the
pronoun I is replaced by the pronoun we; this is known as the royal we
or the editorial we. Formal writing generally avoids the pronoun you
when it refers to people in general.

o You should sleep eight hours each night. (informal)

o One should sleep eight hours each night. (formal)

o Most people should sleep at least eight hours each night. (formal
usage allowing for exceptions)

5. 5

Do not start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. In the

written language, do not use coordinating conjunctions such as "and,
"but," so, or or to start a sentence. Coordinating conjunctions are
meant to join words, phrases, and clauses; a coordinating conjunction is
left dangling without a role to play when it comes at the beginning of a
sentence. Consider attaching the sentence that starts with a coordinating
conjunction to the previous sentence, substituting the period for a comma
to produce a compound sentence. You can also use transitional adverbs
such as additionally (or moreover), nevertheless (or however),
therefore (or thus), and alternatively (or instead or otherwise).
Though can be used at the end of a sentence: This product here is
much cheaper. It will last only half as long, though. Starting a sentence
with also is useful in casual writing but should be avoided in formal
English unless the word "also" is modifying a verb (usually in the
imperative mood or an inverted sentence structure): "Also read Chapters
Two and Three;" "Also included is a free ticket." A paragraph that starts
many sentences with coordinating conjunctions may also lack smooth
transitions.
6. 6

Avoid clichs to be formal.[2] Formal writing tries to use literal language

that will not be misunderstood by any of the readers. Clichs can make
your writing unoriginal, but they can sometimes be fun in casual writing,
especially as an original play-on-words called an anti-clich. Here are some
clichs to avoid in formal writing:

o Hercules was as strong as an ox.

o I have to give an arm and a leg to find a parking spot during the
holiday season.
 o It was as pretty as a picture.

7. 7

Avoid stage directions. Do not commence a letter by telling the

recipient what you plan to do in the letter or begin an essay by telling the
reader what the paper will discuss.

o "I am writing to you to ask you to. . . ."

o "This paper is going to talk about how. . . ."

8. 8

Avoid vague words. Vague words are less formal[3] and are open to
interpretation; they do not express your ideas as well as more precise
words would. "A few" or "enough" can often be replaced by something
more precise.
What is Acceptable in Formal Writing

1. 1

Do not hesitate to split an infinitive when it is warranted. Split

infinitives are common in legal writing,[4] an important type of formal
English. In fact, the split infinitive is encountered in the most formal of
writing.[5] Split infinitives can be used even in very formal writing that
avoids the active voice. Infinitives, along with gerunds, contribute to an
active writing style and show action but are not actually in the active
voice.[6][7][8] Voice is a property of clauses, [9] and infinitives and gerunds
form phrases.[6][10] Split infinitives are grammatically correct (see How to
Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker, Tip One).

The split-infinitive rule is based on Latin, but split infinitives actually make
writing more like Latin, not less so. The Romans tended to place adverbs
right next to verbs, and adverbs usually preceded verbs. [11][12] Oxford
dictionary says that boldly to go is more formal than to go boldly; [13]
that is most likely because of the Latin word order. The effectiveness of the
split infinitive arises from the fact that to and the verb are like a single
unit. After all, to go would be translated into Latin as the single word
ire. For emphasis, an artist places a large picture between two smaller
pictures; in the same way, an adverb becomes emphatic when placed
between "to" and the verb.
2. 2

Do not be afraid to separate the auxiliary (helping) verb and the

main verb. See How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker,
Tip Two for a thorough explanation.

3. 3

Know when to end a sentence with a preposition (even in the most

formal of English). See How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English
Speaker, Tip Three for a thorough explanation.
4. 4

Always include the relative pronoun.[14] In formal English, you should

be sure to always include "whom" or "which" even when they are not
essential to your meaning. The relative pronoun can be omitted when only
a participle is used; in that case, there is no longer a relative clause. Also,
avoid using 'that' as a relative pronoun and replace it with 'which', 'whom'
or 'who'.

o This is the paper I wrote. (informal)

 o This is the paper which I wrote. (formal)

o That was the paper written by me. (formal) (This version uses the
past participle and does not contain a relative clause. It is the most
formal version because it does not contain any verbs in the active
voice.)

o The bear which was dancing was graceful. (formal)

o The bear dancing was graceful. (more formal) (Dancing is not

active; it is not even a verb[15] and is actually an adjective; this
becomes clearer when the sentence is rewritten as The dancing
bear was graceful.)

5. 5

Develop short, choppy sentences into longer, more graceful

sentences. Formal writing generally uses longer sentences: compound,
complex, and compound-complex sentences. You can develop two or more
simple sentences into one of the previously listed sentence structures.
Long sentences add variety to your writing and can be particularly
effective when paired with short sentences; the contrast grabs the readers'
attention.[16] As the last sentence shows, you also can use a semicolon to
join two simple sentences, provided that they are closely related to each
other.

Edit Common Colloquial Words and Expressions

Also see How to Use Commonly Misused Words and Nonstandard and Questionable Usage
in How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker.

Anybody, anyone - "Anyone" and its variants are more formal than
"anybody" and its variants.[17]</ref>


o I didn't see anybody.

o I saw no one.

As - As is often used in formal writing to mean because. [18] Placing a

comma before as can help prevent ambiguity when it could also be
understood to mean when or where.

Big, large, great - All three of these words are acceptable in formal English,
but "large" is more formal than "big," and "great" is more formal than
"large."

Fellow - Avoid using "fellow" when you mean "a person." Calling someone a
fellow is more formal than calling him or her a dude, but "fellow" is still a
colloquialism.[19]

For sure - Replace "for sure" with "with certainty" in formal writing, as in "I
know with certainty." You might also write, "I am positive" or "I am sure."

Get - Avoid all forms of this verb in formal writing.

o I got an A in the course.

o I received an A in the course.

o She didnt get the joke.

o She did not understand the joke.

o The machine never gets used.

o The machine is never used.

Got - "Got" is a colloquialism. Replace it with "have," as in "Do you have

[not "got"] an extra pen?"

Introduce, present - "Present" is more formal than "introduce." It is also

more respectful to the person presented.

 o The queen was introduced. . . .

o The queen was presented. . . .

Kind of, sort of - "Kind of" and "sort of" are unacceptable in formal writing
when used for "somewhat" and "rather." When used to categorize
something, "kind of" and "sort of" are acceptable, but "type of" is more
formal: "The parakeet is a type of bird." Note that it is informal to include
an article after "of": "The parakeet is a type of a bird."[20]

Let - When used in place of "allow" or "permit," "let" is a colloquialism.

Madam, maam - Both "madam" and "maam" are very polite forms of
address . . . but "maam" is unacceptable in formal English. In fact,
"maam" is much more informal than other contractions such as "Im" and
"Ill,"[21][22] which go unmarked in dictionaries.

Most - In formal English, do not use "most" for "almost." You should write,
"Almost everyone likes pizza," not "Most everyone likes pizza."

On the other hand - "On the other hand" is a very common phrase, but can
be considered a clich[23] and should, therefore, be avoided in extremely
formal English. Instead, use "conversely" or "by contrast." "On the other
hand" is particularly useful in everyday writing and can eliminate the
temptation to start with "but."

So - Avoid using "so" as a synonym for "very" in extremely formal writing.

In perfectly formal writing, you also should avoid using "so" as a
coordinating conjunction. You can eliminate this colloquialism by deleting
"so" and beginning the sentence with "because." Compare "The song may
bother me, so Ill cover my ears" and "Because the song may bother me, I
shall cover my ears." Sometimes, you need the conjunction "that" after
"so," as in "I wrote this how-to so that you could improve your grammar
and style."

Thus, thusly - Usually, the words ending "-ly" are more formal. For
example, "firstly" is more formal than "first." In particular, formal English
uses firstly, secondly, et cetera to discuss arguments, one by one. [24][25]
This is not the case for "thus," though; in formal writing, use "thus," not
"thusly."
 Yours truly - Ironically, signing a letter "Yours truly" is formal, but referring
to yourself as "yours truly" is informal.[26] Still, "Sincerely" is a more formal
signature than "Yours truly" because it avoids the second person. "Yours
truly" can be very useful in informal English because the proper pronouns
sometimes sound wrong. You can say, "Its yours truly!" instead of "Its
me!" because "yours truly" can be used for "I" and "me."

Writing in a formal style: practice

1. Multi-word verbs: Consider this passage and then re-write it making
changes where necessary

Coal is expected to continue to account for almost 27% of the world's energy needs. However,
awareness of pressures on the environment is building up and people have caught on to the
need to achieve sustainable development in energy resources. The way in which the resource
is extracted, transported and used is now seen as critical.

A wide range of pollution control devices and practices have been set up at most modern
mines and significant resources are spent on coming up with new ways to rehabilitate mined
land. In addition, programmes are currently being dreamed up which will be able to lead to
efficiencies and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases during coal consumption. Such
measures are helping coal to keep up its status as a major supplier of the world's energy needs.

The coal industry has been got at by its critics as a significant contributor to greenhouse
warming. However, the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon involving the global
surface temperature going up due to the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average temperature would be 33-35 degrees
Celsius lower. Life on Earth, as we know it today, would not be possible. Nevertheless,
despite its historic value, greenhouse warming and rising temperatures are issues that the
world's population need to urgently deal with.

Notes:
Coal is expected to continue to account for almost 27% of the world's energy needs. However,
awareness of pressures on the environment is growing and people are now aware of the need
to achieve sustainable development in energy resources. The way in which the resource is
extracted, transported and used is now seen as critical.

A wide range of pollution control devices and practices have been installed at most modern
mines and significant resources are spent on establishing new ways to rehabilitate mined
land. In addition, programmes are currently being devised which will be able to lead to
efficiencies and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases during coal consumption. Such
measures are helping coal to maintain its status as a major supplier of the world's energy
needs.

The coal industry has been criticised by its critics as a significant contributor to greenhouse
warming. However, the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon involving the global
surface temperature rising due to the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average temperature would be 33-35 degrees
Celsius lower. Life on Earth, as we know it today, would not be possible. Nevertheless,
despite its historic value, greenhouse warming and rising temperatures are issues that the
world's population need to urgently address

2. There are a variety of other factors that also characterise formal academic writing.
Have a look at these sentences and underline those elements that reflect an informal
style and would need to be changed in an academic essay,

1. As soon as you start to look carefully at social service provision in the community, you
frequently find evidence of abuse.

2. The advisory panel set up by the government couldn't establish the cause of the disaster and
in the end no blame was attached to the actions of the pilot.

3. The invasion of the island resulted in misery, starvation, destitution etc for large numbers of
the people in the area and in addition the ruling party was unwilling to ask for aid.

4. This proposal creates a way for raising awareness in the UK of effective approaches to
combat poverty practised by overseas partners.

5. The evidence produced at the enquiry was very damaging for the Prime Minister and
anyone could see that he felt uncomfortable.

6. 1 believe that without clear leadership from the United Nations, we are likely to find
ourselves in a similar position next year.

7. It is obvious that the decline of fish stocks in the North Sea will ultimately result in
significant environmental damage in that area.

8. They found evidence of a fight when they studied the ancient body and they wrote a report
which reflected their findings.

9. The results of the government study were great because they enabled the university to fund
the new department.

10. It is certain that the new financial regulations will lead to a significant growth in output.
11. The research proves that drinking high levels of vitamin C may help to ward off colds in
the winter.

12. The research was rigorous. But the way the results were used was poor. Few financial
managers were trained in the new techniques. Little progress was made despite the hard work
of the specialists.

Notes
1. As soon as you start to look carefully at social service provision in the community, you
frequently find evidence of abuse. (generalised use of you)

2. The advisory panel set up by the government couldn't establish the cause of the disaster and
in the end no blame was attached to the actions of the pilot. (use of contractions like
couldn't, can't, isn't)

3. The invasion of the island resulted in misery, starvation, destitution etc for large numbers of
the people in the area and in addition the ruling party was unwilling to ask for aid. (use of
etc/and so on/ and so forth)

4. This proposal creates a way for raising awareness in the UK of effective approaches to
combat poverty practised by overseas partners. (meaning totally unclear)

5. The evidence produced at the enquiry was very damaging for the Prime Minister and
anyone could see that he felt uncomfortable. (avoid use of expressions like anyone could
see)

6. 1 believe that without clear leadership from the United Nations, we are likely to find
ourselves in a similar position next year. (use of I / we / ourselves)

7. It is obvious that the decline of fish stocks in the North Sea will ultimately result in
significant environmental damage in that area. (avoid use of expressions like itis obvious)

8. They found evidence of a fight when they studied the ancient body and they wrote a report
which reflected their findings. (the passive voice would be more appropriate)

9. The results of the government study were great because they enabled the university to fund
the new department. (inappropriately informal language like great)

10. It is certain that the new financial regulations will lead to a significant growth in output.
(it is certain is too strong)

11. The research proves that drinking high levels of vitamin C may help to ward off colds in
the winter. (proves)

12. The research was rigorous. But the way the results were used was poor. Few financial
managers were trained in the new techniques. Little progress was made despite the hard work
of the specialists. (short sentences and no linking expressions)

Task
Rewrite this passage in a suitably academic style. When you have finished refer to the
feedback. Your re-written passage does not need to be identical of course, but it should
reflect an academic style.

The island was discovered in 1734 when a storm blew Sir Peter Newsbury off course and he
stumbled upon this bit of land which no-one knew anything about before. Some excavations
which have been carried out within the last ten years show us that members of the crew built
houses to live in, and got through the very cold winter. Analysis of the soil in and around
these buildings proves that the people liked to eat fish and fruit that they picked from the
trees. However, despite the food that they had, it's obvious that their life was quite difficult
because of the rocks and open ground and so on. People carrying out research have found
debris from the ship close to the buildings. They have come up with a number of explanations
for the smashing up of the ship but once you look at the waves you can see how dangerous the
waters are in this area and there are lots of rocks and reefs and things like that.

Notes on the Task

The discovery of the island was made in 1734 when Sir Peter Newsbury was blown off course
and chanced upon the undiscovered island. Excavations carried out within the last ten years
indicate that crew members built houses to live in, and succeeded in living through the very
cold winter. Analysis of the soil in and around these buildings suggests that the crew survived
by eating fish as well as fruit that they picked from the trees. However, despite the availability
of food, the evidence indicates that their life was difficult because of the rocky and exposed
landscape. Researchers have discovered debris from the ship close to the buildings. They have
proposed a number of explanations for the wreck of the ship but coastal tide patterns indicate
that the sea is dangerous in this area and there are many submerged reefs.
Dictionary of Formal & Informal English
Type Informal Formal
Prep. About Regarding / Concerning
Idiom Agree with Be bound by
Conj. And As well as
Idiom Bearing in mind Reference being made to
Conj. Because As a result of / due to (the fact)
Verb Begin Commence
Conj. But While / Whereas
Adj. Careful / Cautious Prudential
Verb Carry out Effect
Verb Check Verify
Adj. Enough Sufficient
Verb Fill me in Inform / Tell
Verb Find out Ascertain
Verb Follow Duly observe
Verb Get Receive
Verb Get in touch Contact
Verb Go over Exceed
Verb Has to be Shall be
Verb Have to give Submit
Conj. If Should
Conj. If or not. Whether or not.
Idiom If you don't Failing / Failure to
Idiom If you've got any questions Should you have any queries
Idiom In accordance with Pursuant to
Idiom In the red Overdrawn
Verb Involve Entail
Idiom Lost Inadvertently mislaid
Verb Make sure Ensure
Adj. Many Several / Numerous
Verb Order Authorise
Verb Pay Settle
Idiom Put in writing Provide written confirmation
Idiom Sorry! We regret
Verb Supply Furnish
Verb Take away Withdraw
Verb Tell Disclose
Verb Trusted Entrusted
Idiom We don't want to do this This a course of action we are anxious to
avoid
Idiom We'll call the law We will have no alternative but involving our
legal
Idiom When we get On receipt
Idiom Whenever we like Without prior notice
Verb Write (e.g. Cheque) Issue (e.g. Cheque)
Verb Written Shown / Indicated
Formal and Informal English Page 7 of 8
EXERCISE 1
Insert formal expression which correspond to the ones in brackets.
1. I ________ to ________ you that our prices have ________. (sorry - tell - gone up)
2. This is ________ to ________ ________ that costs have risen. (because)
3. Unfortunately, I have to ________ you that I ________ not ________ ________ to ________ the
meeting. (tell
- cant - come to)
4. ________ ________ ________ some brochures describing our products. (Here [in this letter]
are)
5. We have ________ ________ to increase our prices. (had)
6. You are 90 days past due on invoice #2792, please ________ ________ ________ as soon
as possible. (pay
up)

7. Please write ________ ________ ________