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2.3 Levels of Formality

It is not possible to divide English styles nearly into formal and informal compartments. The relationship is more like a continuum with two extremes, as on this diagrams: very informal very formal

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139 views2 pages

2.3 Levels of Formality

It is not possible to divide English styles nearly into formal and informal compartments. The relationship is more like a continuum with two extremes, as on this diagrams: very informal very formal

Uploaded by

Anakin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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STYLE – REGISTER

It is not possible to divide English styles nearly into formal and informal compartments. The
relationship is more like a continuum with two extremes, as on this diagrams:

very very
informal formal

For convenience, the continuum of formality can be cut up into various compartments in order to
grade various texts and styles:

very informal quite informal neutral quite formal very formal

A large number of factors (relating to grammar, vocabulary, style and punctuation) contribute
towards the ‘tone’ of a piece of writing. Some of the more important factors are listed (and
contrasted) below:

LESS FORMAL MORE FORMAL


Sentences are shorter. They use basic Sentences tend to be on the whole to be longer
punctuation, such as commas and periods. Where and more complex, making use of the full range
necessary, they also use brackets and dashes and of punctuation devices, including colons and
even exclamation marks. semi-colons, and tending to avoid the drama and
excitement of such things as exclamation marks.
I am more likely to mention myself and my The use of the personal pronouns, especially ‘I’
friends in informal material is generally avoided, and personal relationships
are kept in the background or ignored altogether.
People prefer the active voice of the verb The passive voice is generally preferred,
especially in technical writing, along with
impersonal expressions such as ‘one’ and the
impersonal ‘it’, as in It has been observed that…
People use all sorts of short forms and ellipses, Full forms are preferred, ellipsis occurs, but not
like I’d and won’t, and which and that are often of grammatically important words, and short
absent in certain kind of clauses forms are avoided. Various special formulas of
politeness, caution etc., are often used, such as
adverbs like probably and apparently, or phrases
like It would appear that… and As far as one
can tell at this stage…
Short vernacular words tend to be common, Longer Greco-Latin material tends to be used,
including phrasal verbs like get up and put out giving the text a more abstract quality. Verbs of
and vernacular compounds like tea pot, Latin provenance, like speculate and construe,
mountain areas, etc. We put them in all the time and polysyllabic Greek compounds like
in the everyday use of the mother tongue. bibliographical and epistemology are common
occurrences
Informal expressions are often (but not always) Formal language usually aims at precision and
rather vague. Words of general meaning like get, the avoidance of ambiguity, but sometimes it
put and do are common may be used simply to impress or to make a
subject look more complex and important than it
actually is
Informal expression is often idiomatic and Idioms and slang are generally avoided in formal
slangy, know what I mean? usage, unless the writer deliberately brings them
in for ‘colour’ or for purposes of exemplification

Formality and informality are complex matters, but for general purposes the following scale of
examples may be useful:

1. ‘This thing doesn’t work right,’ he told very


us. informal
2. He told us the thing didn’t work right.
3. He told us that the machine wasn’t / was
not working or functioning properly.
4. We were informed that the machine was
not functioning properly.
5. According to information received, the very
machine was defective. formal

Below are two sets containing five sentences each. The sentences are not, however, arranged in any
order of formality. In front of each sentence is a set of empty boxes in which a number (from 1 to 5)
can be written, indicating the proper order of formality as shown in the above example. Now
organize the sets. The first one is partly done for you as a guide.

a. She told them later that she had not known about it while it was happening.

Her later verbal report indicated that at the time she was completely unaware
of what was happening
I didn’t know about it while it was happening,’ she told them later.
1
She informed them later verbally that she had not known about the event while
it was taking place.
They were informed in her subsequent verbal report that she had had no
knowledge whatever of the event at the time of its occurrence.

b. He asked whether she could come and pick the stuff up at his place.

He wondered if it was possible for her to come and collect the material at his
house.
‘Can you come and pick up the stuff at my place?’ he asked her.

His request was that, if possible, she should collect the material at his place of
residence.
She was asked if there was a possibility that she might collect the material at
his house.

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