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
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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.
