EPIC ACCELERATE 4
FORMAL & INFORMAL
LANGUAGE
Ms. Corine Mae Alvia-Rabara
ON
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
It is very important to use language
that fits your audience and matches
purpose.
Inappropriate language uses can
damage your credibility, undermine
your argument, or alienate your
audience.
DIFFERENT ASPECTS:
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
[Link] of formality: Communicate in a style that your
audience expects and that fits your purpose is key to
successful writing.
[Link]-Group jargon: Jargon refers to specialized language
used by groups of like-minded individuals. Only use in-
group jargon when you are writing for members of that
group. You should never use jargon for a general
audience without first explaining it.
[Link] and idiomatic expressions: Avoid using slang or
idiomatic expressions in general academic
writing/communication.
[Link] language and euphemisms: Avoid using
euphemisms (words that veil the truth, such as
"collateral damage" for the unintended destruction of
civilians and their property) and other deceitful
language.
[Link] language: Avoid using biased
language including language with a
racial, ethnic, group, or gender bias or
language that is stereotypical.
Registers or Types:
Formal vs
Informal
Language
Formal Language
is used in academic and
professional contexts.
is used to establish credibility,
professionalism, and distance.
It signals seriousness, respect,
and accountability.
Informal Language
is used in more casual
environments or with friends and
family.
is used to build rapport, warmth,
and immediacy.
It signals approachability and
personal connection.
The choice between formal and
informal language depends on
the context, audience, and
purpose of communication.
KEY ASPECTS:
Formal vs
Informal
Language
Formal vs Informal Language
AUDIENCE
Audience Expected Language
Employer / Supervisor Formal
Clients / Stakeholders Formal Neutral
Classmates Informal
Friends / Family Informal
AUDIENCE
Audience Expected Language
Employer / Supervisor Formal
Clients / Stakeholders Formal Neutral
Classmates Informal
Friends / Family Informal
Formal vs Informal Language
VOCABULARY
CHOICE
Formal Language
Precise, neutral, academic
Ex. purchase, request, assist, inquire
Informal Language
Conversational, idiomatic
Ex. buy, ask, help, check out
INFORMAL LANGUAGE FORMAL LANGUAGE
to go to depart
to keep to retain
to stop to cease
to show to demonstrate
to help to assist
to make to create
Formal vs Informal Language
Sentence Structure
Formal Language
longer, well-structured, often complex
Ex. “The results indicate that the proposed solution is viable.”
Informal Language
shorter, simpler, sometimes fragmented
Ex. “Looks like it works.”
INFORMAL:
Everyone was bummed.
FORMAL:
Everyone was disappointed.
INFORMAL:
They shouldn’t expect to see the changes right away.
FORMAL:
They should not expect to recognize the changes
immediately.
INFORMAL:
They needed help while recovering from the effects
of the hurricane.
FORMAL:
They needed assistance while recovering from the
outcomes of the hurricane.
Formal vs Informal Language
Tone & Objectivity
Formal Language
objective, impersonal
avoids emotional language and exaggeration
Informal Language
expressive, personal
uses humor, emotion, and personal opinions freely
Formal vs Informal Language
Contractions, Slang,
and Emojis
Feature Formal Informal
Contractions Avoid Acceptable
Slang Avoid Common
Context-
Emojis Avoid
dependent
Formal vs Informal Language
Nine Common
Mistakes
1. Avoid contractions
Speaking in academic or professional environments,
its fine to use contractions.
Writing essays, reports, emails and presentations, it’s
preferable to use the expanded form.
BUT you can use contractions if they are part of a
direct quote or a common idiom like ‘it’s a no-brainer.’
INFORMAL:
'In the following section of the presentation, I’ll
explain the results of the experiment.'
FORMAL:
'In the following section of the presentation, I will
explain the results of the experiment.'
2. Don’t use slang in a business or
academic context
It is never appropriate to use slang in formal
contexts like work or university. Try to find more
neutral, specific vocabulary to express yourself.
INFORMAL:
'The meeting was absolutely bonkers.'
FORMAL:
'The meeting was very poorly organised.'
3. Avoid casual greetings via email
Casual greetings are generally acceptable in informal, in-
person conversations.
When it comes to the written word, it’s important to be
more formal. So, when you start emails, make sure you
are using an appropriate greeting.
INFORMAL:
'Hey Liz, I need help with a project.'
FORMAL:
'Dear Ms. Smith, I am writing to ask for help with a
project.'
4. Don’t use non-standard abbreviations
It’s fine to use these when you’re DMing (direct
messaging) a friend - but these abbreviations are very
casual and inappropriate for academic or professional
language.
INFORMAL:
'IDK what the next steps will be on this project.'
FORMAL:
'I don’t know what the next steps will be on this
project.'
5. Don’t be too direct
Framing requests as questions, and using ‘please’ and
‘thank you’, sound more professional and polite.
INFORMAL:
'Give me the documents by tomorrow.'
FORMAL:
'Could you please send me the documents by
tomorrow at the latest? Thank you.'
6. Be wary of casual phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are essential for proficiency - but not all
phrasal verbs are appropriate for academic or
professional contexts.
Ex. Phrasal verbs like ‘figure out’ instead of ‘understand’,
or ‘call off’ instead of ‘cancel’ are too casual for formal
written English.
INFORMAL:
'The organisation will check out this issue next week'
FORMAL:
'The company will conduct a review of this issue next
week.'
7. Avoid vague nouns or expressions
Vague expressions are a group of words and phrases
which are broad, general terms lacking in specific details.
Ex. ‘stuff’, ‘guy’ and expressions like ‘sort of’ and ‘that kind
of thing’.
For formal English it’s important to avoid language that is
casual and unclear.
INFORMAL:
'Can you send me that thing we talked about a while
ago?'
FORMAL:
'Could you please send me the form I mentioned last
week?'
8. Don’t be overly formal in casual
conversation
Make sure to simplify your language in casual contexts or
you might give people the impression that you are
unfriendly or distant.
FORMAL:
'Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the
post office and assist me in sending this parcel?'
INFORMAL:
'Would you come with me to the post office to help
me send this parcel please?'
9. Avoid overarticulate, long responses
Your tone when writing a DM to your friend should be
different from writing an email to your supervisor. You
can be more direct and to the point in an informal
conversation with people you know well.
INFORMAL:
'Sorry for the late reply—will respond soon'
FORMAL:
'Apologies for the delay in my reply. I will get back to
you promptly.'
Thank you!
Ms. Corine