Verbs – Informal 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 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 Informal & Formal
Informal Anyways
Formal
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 Informal & Formal Informal Formal lots of/ a lot of much, many tons of, heaps of o f large quantities of, a number of totally completely, strongly really, very definitely
Letter Expressions – Informal Informal & Formal Informal
Formal Dear Sir or Madam I am writing to inform you… Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Hi Robert, Just wanted to let you know… Love, Cheers, Yours Truly, Best regards, kind regards Hope to hear from you soon I look forward to hearing from you
Informal You can call me if you need anything
Formal Please do not hesitate hesitate to contact me
Abbreviations – Informal Informal & Formal Informal Formal ASAP as soon as possible T.V. television photo photograph cell cell phone net Internet
Slang – Informal Informal & Formal Informal Formal kids children bad negative good positive really big considerable right correct wrong incorrect smart intelligent cheap inexpensive loaded rich
Formal and Informal Language
In order to write clearly and accurately you need to identify the difference between formal and informal English. Here is a list of some of the most characteristic features that differentiate formal and informal English.
Formal
Words of Latin/French origin residence
Informal
Words of Anglo-Saxon origin home
Single-word verbs to arise to mount / to board Formal Connecting words In addition, furthermore furthermore However, on the other hand, Therefore, consequently Impersonal constructions it is said that the price has been increased one never knows it can be argued
Abstract nouns Is happiness possible possible during during unemployment? After clarification clarification of the problem problem areas..
Not ending with prepositions; use of
whom
To whom were you speaking?
Complex sentences The student, who was late for class, sprinted across across the ground. ground.
Use of inversions for conditionals and emphasis Should you require further information, please contact …
No contractions in writing I will, we would would
Phrasal verbs, idioms with get get to get up to get on Informal connecting words And But So Active constructions They say that they’ve put the price up you never know you can argue
Modal verbs, adjectives, clauses etc Can people be happy when they haven’t got a job? When the bits everyone was getting wrong had been explained…
Ending with prepositions Who were you speaking to? Simple sentences The student was late for class. He sprinted across the ground.
Inversion sometimes used for emphasis Only then did I realise …
Contractions is writing I’ll, we’d
Formal
Informal
Verbs
Formal
Informal
Nouns
to depart
to go
deficiency
lack
to retain
to keep
vision
sight
to cease
to stop
residence
home
to function
to work
respiration
breathing
to demonstrate
to show
comprehension
understanding
to reside
to live
to appear
to seem
to abbreviate
to shorten
to terminate
to end
incorrect
wrong
to assist / aid
to help
amiable
friendly
to commence / initiate
to begin
vacant
empty
to desire / require
to want
insane
mad
to obtain
to get
inexpensive
cheap
to liberate
to free
animated / vivacious
lively
to consume
to eat
improved /
better
juvenile / infantile infantile
childish
sufficient
enough
entire / complete
whole
senior
older
Ad A dver bi als subsequently
next/later
principally consequently / therefore
so
initially
at first
Ad A djec jecti ves
ultimately / finally
in the end
. Latin/French based (single-word verbs)
Anglo-Saxon based (phrasal verbs)
to remove
to take away/out
to retain
to keep back
to consult
to look up
to enter
to go/come in
to descend
to go down
to escape
to get out
to depart
to set out, set off
to arrive
to come along, to turn up, to get to
to despair
to give up (hope)
to provoke
to wind up
to discuss
to talk over
to investigate
to check out, to look into
to arrange
to fix up
to postpone
to put off
to visit
to drop in
to tolerate
to put up with
to restore
to bring back
to elapse
to go by
to claim
to make out
to renounce
to give up
to invent
to make up
to concede
to give in
to diminish
to fall off
II. Uncommon words
Common words
A) Verbs
to purchase
to buy
to obtain/procure/receiv obtain/procure/receive e
to get
to cease
to stop
to function
to work
to masticate
to chew
to demonstrate
to show
to deteriorate
to get worse
to reside
to live
to abbreviate
to shorten
to terminate
to end
to assist/aid
to help
to commence
to begin
to desire/require
to want
to liberate
to free
to consume
to eat
B) Nouns
carnivore
meat-eater
putrefaction
rot
deficiency
lack
vision
sight
residence
home
respiration
breathing
somnambulist
sleep-walker
comprehension
understanding
perspiration
sweat
C) Adjectives
incorrect
wrong
amiable
friendly
vacant
empty
insane
mad
inexpensive
cheap
vivacious
lively
superior
better
infantile
childish
sufficient
enough
entire
whole
senior
older
D) Adverbials
subsequently
next/later
principally
mostly
consequently
so
initially
at first
finally
in the end
2. Punctuation
Unabbreviated words
Abbreviated and
contracted forms
I will
I’ll
we would
we’d
will not
won’t
as soon as possible
a.s.a.p.
memorandum
memo
No exclamation marks
Any type of
or dashes
punctuation
3. Grammar
I) Passive forms
Active forms
Cfr. A meeting has been scheduled for 3 October 2005 at 11 a.m. a. m. We’ve set a set a meeting for 3 Oct at 11 a.m.
II) Impersonal forms
Personal forms
It is said that…
They say that …
It is possible to consider the results
We can consider the results from
another from another viewpoint.
It is not clear why such terrible conditions were tolerated
viewpoint.
I can’t understand why understand why they put up with such bad conditions for so
long. for so long.
It seems that this is an
We think this is an effective plan.
effective plan.
III) Noun phrases (nominalisation)
The President’s speeches
Verb phrases (verbalisation)
The P. was talking rubbish.
were rather unintelligible.
His tone of voice revealed that ….
You could tell from his voice that.....
My findings are outlined below.
I’ve described/set out/written below what I’ve found. found.
.
Is happiness possible during
Can people be happy when they’re
unemployment?
out of a job?
After clarification of the
When the bits everyone was getting
problem areas…. areas….
wrong had been explained… explained…
IV)Not ending with prep.
Ending with prep.
To whom were you speaking?
Who were you speaking to?
V) No, none
Not any
I have no money.
I haven’t haven’t got any money. any money.
I see no reason…
I don’t don’t see see any reason…
VI) Complex sentences Simple sentences
Subordination -
Coordination –
Although/because/if/
and/but/so/for/thus
when, etc.
Although cruises round the
Cruises around the Mediterranean
are Mediterranean are fairly expensive,
fairly expensive, but they seem to be very
they seem to be very popular.
popular.
VII) Use of inversion
Inversion only for emphasis
Should you require
Only then did I realise… realise…
further information…
