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Formal and Informal Language

The document discusses formal and informal language in English. It provides examples showing that some grammatical structures, vocabulary words, and language features are more formal or informal depending on the context and relationship between speakers. English speakers code-switch between formal and informal language depending on the situation to show varying levels of politeness, respect, closeness or distance with the audience.

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Cecilia Browne
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62 views4 pages

Formal and Informal Language

The document discusses formal and informal language in English. It provides examples showing that some grammatical structures, vocabulary words, and language features are more formal or informal depending on the context and relationship between speakers. English speakers code-switch between formal and informal language depending on the situation to show varying levels of politeness, respect, closeness or distance with the audience.

Uploaded by

Cecilia Browne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Formal and informal language

Most people speak and write in different ways on different occasions. In some languages,
for example, there are very complicated rules about how to speak to older or more
important people. English does not have a system of this kind.
However, there are some words and structures which are mostly used in formal situations,
when people are careful about how they express themselves: for example in official notices
business letters or reports, meetings or conferences, or polite conversations with strangers.
And some words and structures are mostly used in informal situations: for example in
conversations with friends, or letters to one's family. Writing is more often formal, and
speech is more often informal, but informal writing and formal speech are used when the
situation makes them preferable.

Customer toilets are at the rear of the building. (Printed notice in an Oxfordshire petrol
station)

The toilets are outside round the back. (Handwritten notice in the same petrol station, put
up perhaps because the manager felt this would be easier for some of his customers to
understand.)

Most words and expressions are neither formal nor informal, but neutral - English speakers
do not have to know two ways of saying everything.

Grammar

Some grammatical structures have different formal and informal versions. For example,
contracted auxiliary verbs and negatives are common in informal speech and writing.
Compare:

FORMAL: It has gone. It is not possible.


INFORMAL: It's gone. It isn't possible

Prepositions come at the end of certain structures in informal language. Compare:

1
FORMAL: In which century did he live?
INFORMAL: Which century did he live in?

Some relative structures are different. Compare:

FORMAL: The man whom she married…


INFORMAL: The man she married…

Some determiners are followed more often by singular verb forms in formal language, and
by plural forms in informal language. Compare:

FORMAL: Neither of us likes him.


INFORMAL: Neither of us like him.

Subject and object forms of pronouns (e.g. I and me) are used differently in formal and
informal language. Compare:

FORMAL: It was she who first saw what to do.


INFORMAL: It was her that first saw what to do.

FORMAL: Whom did they elect?


INFORMAL: Who did they elect?

Ellipsis (leaving out words) is more common in informal language. Compare:

FORMAL: Have you seen Mr Andreus?


INFORMAL: Seen John?

FORMAL: We think that it is possible


INFORMAL: We think it's possible.

Vocabulary

Some words and expressions are used mainly in formal situations; in neutral or informal
2
situations other words or expressions are used. And some words and expressions are only
used in informal situations. Some examples:

FORMAL: commence
NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: begin, start

FORMAL: alight (from a bus or train)


NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: get off

FORMAL: I beg your pardon?


NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: Pardon? Sorry? (AmE Excuse me? Pardon me?)
INFORMAL: What?

FORMAL: repair
NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: mend (BrE)
INFORMAL: fix

FORMAL: acceptable, satisfactory


NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: all right
INFORMAL: OK

FORMAL: I am (very) grateful to you.


NEUTRAL/INFORMAL: Thank you
INFORMAL: Thanks.

Formal and informal words


Formality is all about your relationship with the person you're speaking or writing to. If you
use formal language, it may be because you wish to show respect, politeness, or to put
yourself at a distance (for example, ‘official' language). Informal language can show
friendliness, equality or a feeling of closeness and solidarity with someone. You should
never use informal language just to sound fluent or clever.

A Scales of formality
Some groups of words can be put on a scale from (very) formal to (very) informal.

3
very formal neutral very informal
offspring children kids
abode/residence house/flat place
alcoholic beverages drink booze

Short, monosyllabic informal words


Informal versions of words are often short and monosyllabic, as we can see in the right-
hand column in the table above. They include slang words.

It cost me ten quid. [pounds]

I'll help you peel the spuds. [potatoes]

My bike's been stolen. [bicycle]

I always go by tube. [word used for the London Underground]

Come and meet my Mum and Dad. [mother and father]

Hi! Can't stop; see you, bye! [hello; goodbye]

The milk's in the fridge. [refrigerator]

Clippings
Shortening a word tends to make it less formal, as in fridge and bye.

I'll meet you in the lab(oratory). What's on telly tonight? [television]

We should put an ad(vertisement)/ an advert(isement) in the (news)paper.

Shall I (tele)phone them?

Her sister's a vet(erinary surgeon).

Sources: Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, Third edition, Oxford.

Michael McCarthy and Felicity O’Dell, English Vocabulary in Use, Cambridge University
Press, 10th printing 2008, page 94.

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