GRAMMARLearn EnglishSpoken English

Formal and Informal Language/ Expression; Day: 62

What is the difference between formal and informal language?

Formal and informal language serve different purposes in written communications depending on the reader (Audience) and reason for writing (Purpose). The tone, the choice of words and the way the words are put together vary between the two different styles.

āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻžāĻ—āϤ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ…āύāĻžāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻ• (āĻļā§āϰ⧋āϤāĻž) āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϞ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϰāĻŖ (āωāĻĻā§āĻĻ⧇āĻļā§āϝ) āĻāϰ āωāĻĒāϰ āύāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻ­āϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϞāĻŋāĻ–āĻŋāϤ āϝ⧋āĻ—āĻžāϝ⧋āϗ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āωāĻĻā§āĻĻ⧇āĻļā§āϝ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāϰ, āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒāĻ›āĻ¨ā§āĻĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻāĻ•āĻ¤ā§āϰāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āωāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻĻ⧁āϟāĻŋ āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻļ⧈āϞ⧀āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

Formal language is less personal than informal language. It is used when writing for professional or academic purposes like graduate school assignments. Formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first-person pronouns such as “I” or “We.”

āφāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āĻ…āύāĻžāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ•āĻŽ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤāĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āύāĻžāϤāĻ• āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāϏāĻžāχāύāĻŽā§‡āĻ¨ā§āĻŸā§‡āϰ āĻŽāϤ⧋ āĻĒ⧇āĻļāĻžāĻĻāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻ•āĻžāĻĄā§‡āĻŽāĻŋāĻ• āωāĻĻā§āĻĻ⧇āĻļā§āϝ⧇ āϞ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āφāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ, āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽ-āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ āϝ⧇āĻŽāύ “āφāĻŽāĻŋ” āĻŦāĻž “āφāĻŽāϰāĻž” āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āύāĻžāĨ¤

Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or family either in writing or in conversation. It is used when writing personal emails, text messages and in some business correspondence. The tone of informal language is more personal than formal language.

āĻ…āύāĻžāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āφāϰāĻ“ āύ⧈āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ• āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāϤāσāĻ¸ā§āĻĢā§‚āĻ°ā§āϤāĨ¤ āϞāĻŋāĻ–āĻŋāϤāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ⧇ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āϝ⧋āĻ—āĻžāϝ⧋āĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤ āχāĻŽā§‡āϞ, āĻĒāĻžāĻ ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤāĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāĻ• āϚāĻŋāĻ āĻŋāĻĒāĻ¤ā§āϰ āϞ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§ƒāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āφāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ…āύāĻžāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ­āĻžāώāĻžāϰ āϏ⧁āϰ āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤāĨ¤

Examples of formal and informal language are shown below:

Contractions

āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ

  • Informal: The improvements can’t be made due to budget cuts.
  • āĻ…āύāĻžāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ•: āĻŦāĻžāĻœā§‡āϟ āĻ•āĻŽāĻžāύ⧋āϰ āĻ•āĻžāϰāϪ⧇ āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž āϝāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āύāĻžāĨ¤

 

  • Formal: Improvements cannot be made due to budget restrictions.
  • āφāύ⧁āĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāύāĻŋāĻ•: āĻŦāĻžāĻœā§‡āĻŸā§‡āϰ āϏ⧀āĻŽāĻžāĻŦāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϰāϪ⧇ āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž āϝāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āύāĻžāĨ¤

Phrasal Verbs

āĻĢā§āϰ⧇āϏāĻžāϞ āĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž

  • The ballon was blown up for the experiment.
  • āĻĒāϰ⧀āĻ•ā§āώāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāϞāύ āωāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
  • The ballon was inflated for the experiment
  • āĻĒāϰ⧀āĻ•ā§āώāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāϞāύ āĻ¸ā§āĻĢā§€āϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ

Slang/Colloquialism

āĻ¸ā§āĻ˛ā§āϝāĻžāĻ‚/āĻ•āĻĨā§‹āĻĒāĻ•āĻĨāύ

  • Professors still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.
  • āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧇ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ•āϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦāĻŋāϰāĻžāĻŽ āϚāĻŋāĻšā§āύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĢ⧇āϏāϰāϰāĻž āĻāĻ–āύāĻ“ āĻ›āĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰāĻĻ⧇āϰ āωāĻĒāϰ āύāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻ­āϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
  • Professors expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.
  • āĻĒā§āϰāĻĢ⧇āϏāϰāϰāĻž āĻ›āĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧇ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ•āϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦāĻŋāϰāĻžāĻŽ āϚāĻŋāĻšā§āύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻžāĻļāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āύāĨ¤

First Person Pronouns

āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ

  • I considered various research methods for the study.
  • āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ§ā§āϝāϝāĻŧāύ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ—āĻŦ⧇āώāĻŖāĻž āĻĒāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āϚāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
  • Various research methods were considered for the study.
  • āĻ—āĻŦ⧇āώāĻŖāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ—āĻŦ⧇āώāĻŖāĻž āĻĒāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āϚāύāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
  • During the interview we asked the applicants for a personal reference.
  • āϏāĻžāĻ•ā§āώāĻžā§ŽāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āφāĻŦ⧇āĻĻāύāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧀āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤ āϰ⧇āĻĢāĻžāϰ⧇āĻ¨ā§āϏ āĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
  • During the interview applicants were asked to provide a personal reference.
  • āϏāĻžāĻ•ā§āώāĻžā§ŽāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āφāĻŦ⧇āĻĻāύāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧀āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤ āϰ⧇āĻĢāĻžāϰ⧇āĻ¨ā§āϏ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāĻžāύ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤

VERBS – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
say sorry apologize, apologise
go up increase
go down decrease
set up establish
look at examine
blow up explode
find out discover
bring about cause
put off postpone, delay
rack up accumulate
make up fabricate
stand for represent
find out discover, ascertain
leave out omit
point out indicate
go against oppose
get in touch with contact
It’s about It concerns, It’s in regards to
need to required
think about consider
get obtain
put up tolerate
deal with handle
seem appear
show demonstrate, illustrate, portray
start commence
keep retain
free release
get on someone’s nerves bother
ring up call
show up arrive
let permit
fill in substitute, inform
block undermine
give the go ahead, greenlight authorize, authorise

 

TRANSITIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
Anyways Nevertheless
Plus/Also Moreover/ Furthermore
But However
So Therefore/Thus
Also In addition, Additionally
ASAP as soon as possible/at your earliest convenience
Okay, OK acceptable
In the meantime In the interim
I think In my opinion,
In the end, Finally
To sum up In conclusion,
In a nutshell/Basically To summarize,
Anyway, Notwithstanding
All right Acceptable
Well,
To top it all off,
On top of it all,
In order to

 

EMPHASIS WORDS – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
lots of/ a lot of much, many
tons of, heaps of large quantities of, a number of
totally completely, strongly
really, very definitely

 

LETTER EXPRESSIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
Hi Robert, Dear Sir or Madam
Just wanted to let you knowâ€Ļ I am writing to inform youâ€Ļ
Love, Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Cheers,
Yours Truly, Best regards, kind regards
Hope to hear from you soon I look forward to hearing from you
You can call me if you need anything Please do not hesitate to contact me

 

ABBREVIATIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
ASAP as soon as possible
T.V. television
photo photograph
cell cell phone
net Internet

 

SLANG – INFORMAL & FORMAL

Informal Formal
kids children
bad negative
good positive
really big considerable
right correct
wrong incorrect
smart intelligent
cheap inexpensive
loaded rich

FORMAL vs INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS

Formal and informal expressions for written or verbal communication.

Formal English expressions are used in letters or in situations involving people you do not know very well.
The tone is respectful and polite.
Informal English expressions are used in everyday conversations, letters and emails exchanged with friends, family, colleagues or people you know well.
The tone is casual and friendly.

FORMAL INFORMAL
â–ĒI regret to inform you that … â–ĒI hate to have to tell you this but …
â–ĒI am writing to inform you that … â–ĒJust a quick line to say …
â–ĒIt is a pleasure to meet you. â–ĒNice to meet you.
â–ĒUpon your arrival … â–ĒAs soon as you get here â€Ļ
â–ĒAt your earliest convenience â–ĒAs soon as you can
â–ĒI regret that I will be unable to attend … â–ĒSorry I can’t make it.
â–ĒI would appreciate being kept informed â€Ļ â–ĒPlease keep me posted/updated.
â–ĒKeep me in the loop!
â–ĒI would like to remind you that … â–ĒDon’t forget …
â–ĒWould you be available on ….. ? â–ĒI suggest we get together on …..
â–ĒI really appreciate your assistance â–ĒThanks a lot!
â–ĒPlease accept my apologies for … â–ĒSorry for …
â–ĒIt will not be necessary for you to … â–ĒYou won’t have to …
â–ĒIt would be of great benefit to you to … â–ĒIt would do you good to …
â–ĒWe have a vast amount of information at your disposal. â–ĒI have lots of information for you.
â–ĒWe were hoping you could … â–ĒCould you …?
â–ĒIt is my opinion that … â–ĒI think …
â–ĒPlease remember me to Alex. â–ĒSay hello to Alex for me.
â–ĒI’d like to express my gratitude for… â–ĒThanks a million. I owe you one!