Formal language is less personal than informal language. Most of the formal words/phrases are long. They don’t use contractions. Many people often use the informal language when communicating. They use the language in writing emails, comments in social media, and a lot more because it is casual and spontaneous.
Read the examples below and know if the words you are using everyday are in the formal or informal form/style.
| Formal | Informal |
| Acceptable | All right |
| acceptable | Okay, OK |
| accumulate | rack up |
| apologize | say sorry |
| appear | seem |
| arrive | show up |
| as soon as possible | ASAP |
| assist | help |
| bother | get on someone’s nerves |
| call | ring up |
| cause | bring about |
| cell phone | cell |
| children | kids |
| commence | start |
| completely, strongly | totally |
| consider | think about |
| considerable | really big |
| contact | get in touch with |
| correct | right |
| Dear Sir or Madam | Hi Joel, |
| decrease | go down |
| definitely | really, very |
| demonstrate | show |
| discover | find out |
| discover, ascertain | find out |
| establish | set up |
| examine | look at |
| explode | blow up |
| fabricate | make up |
| Finally | In the end, |
| However | But |
| I am writing to inform you | Just wanted to let you know |
| I look forward to hearing from you | Hope to hear from you soon |
| In addition, Additionally | Also |
| In conclusion, | To sum up |
| In my opinion, | I think |
| In the interim | In the meantime |
| increase | go up |
| indicate | point out |
| inexpensive | cheap |
| inquire | ask |
| intelligent | smart |
| Internet | net |
| It concerns, It’s in regards to | It’s about |
| large quantities of, a number of | tons of, heaps of |
| Moreover/Furthermore | Plus/Also |
| much, many | lots of/a lot of |
| negative | bad |
| Nevertheless | Anyways |
| Notwithstanding | Anyway, |
| obtain | get |
| omit | leave out |
| oppose | go against |
| permit | let |
| photograph | photo |
| positive | good |
| postpone, delay | put off |
| provide | give |
| receive | get |
| release | free |
| represent | stand for |
| required | need to |
| reserve | book |
| retain | keep |
| rich | loaded |
| substitute, inform | fill in |
| television | T.V. |
| Therefore/Thus | So |
| To summarize, | In a nutshell/Basically |
| tolerate | put up |
| undermine | block |
| verify | check |
By using the informal language doesn’t mean that the sentences that you are constructing are unacceptable. It follows the grammatical rules too. The formal and informal are the two styles that can be used in different situations or occasions like when you are in a job interview, talk on the phone with your friends, etc.
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