Formal vs. Informal Vocabulary

1. What Makes English Formal or Informal?

First, let's establish the difference. Formal English is the language of academia, professional communication, and official settings. Informal English is what we use with friends and family in relaxed, casual situations.

To begin, let's get a clear overview of this distinction from a trusted source.

As the article states, using the wrong register is one of the most common mistakes in the IELTS Writing test. The following image provides a helpful visual summary of the key differences between the two styles.

2. Choosing the Right Words: Building a Formal Vocabulary

The most noticeable difference between formal and informal English is vocabulary. Many common, everyday words have more formal equivalents that are better suited for academic writing and speaking.

The following video uses a story-based approach to introduce some of these word pairs. It's an effective way to see them in context.

Here is a summary of the vocabulary from the first part of the video:

Now, let's continue with the video to learn more useful words.

And here are the words from that segment:

Finally, the last part of the video introduces vocabulary that is especially useful for IELTS Writing Task 1 (describing data) and Task 2 (discussing issues).

This last set of words is very important for academic contexts:

3. Beyond Vocabulary: Other Features of Formal English

While choosing the right words is crucial, other features also define a formal academic style. These include sentence structure, grammar, and avoiding certain informal habits.

The next video from BBC Learning English clearly explains four of these key features.

The video highlighted four key areas:

1. Vocabulary Choice: Avoiding phrasal verbs like find out in favor of single verbs like enquire.
2. Abbreviations and Contractions: Writing the full forms, e.g., currently instead of at the mo, and I am instead of I'm.
3. Passive Structures: Using the passive voice (I was promoted) can sound more formal and objective than the active voice (they promoted me).
4. Sentence Complexity: Combining short, simple sentences into longer, more complex ones using linking words.

To solidify your understanding, the British Council article you looked at earlier provides a great checklist of common mistakes to avoid.

4. Put It Into Practice

Now it's your turn to apply what you've learned. The best way to master this skill is by actively transforming informal language into formal language.

Activity: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following informal sentences to make them suitable for an academic essay. Try to use the formal vocabulary and grammatical structures we've covered today.

1. Lots of people think that getting rid of baby teeth isn't a big deal.
2. The research was about why some people get gum disease.
3. It's really important for dentists to tell their patients what to do.
4. The new machine is good for finding problems early.
5. The number of kids with cavities went down after the program started.

Take about 10 minutes to write your new sentences in a notebook. Then, compare them with the suggestions below.

Suggested Answers

Here are some possible ways to rewrite the sentences. Your answers might be different, but they should follow the same principles of formal language.

1. Informal: Lots of people think that getting rid of baby teeth isn't a big deal.

   • Formal: It is a common misconception that the loss of primary teeth is an insignificant event. (Uses more formal vocabulary like common misconception, primary teeth, insignificant).

2. Informal: The research was about why some people get gum disease.

   • Formal: The research concerned the factors that contribute to the development of periodontal disease. (Uses concerned, factors, contribute, periodontal disease).

3. Informal: It's really important for dentists to tell their patients what to do.

   • Formal: It is crucial for dentists to provide clear instructions to their patients. (Uses crucial, provide clear instructions).

4. Informal: The new machine is good for finding problems early.

   • Formal: The new equipment is beneficial for the early detection of pathologies. (Uses equipment, beneficial, detection, pathologies).

5. Informal: The number of kids with cavities went down after the program started.

   • Formal: The number of children with dental caries decreased following the implementation of the program. (Uses formal vocabulary and a more complex sentence structure).

Conclusion

Great job today! You have learned to identify the key differences between formal and informal English and, most importantly, how to apply these rules to make your own language more academic.

Key Takeaways:

• For the IELTS exam, always use a formal register in your Writing tasks and maintain a formal tone in the Speaking test.
• Avoid informal vocabulary (thing, good, a lot), slang, contractions (don't, it's), and informal phrasal verbs.
• Instead, use precise, academic words (factor, beneficial, a considerable amount), full words, and more formal verbs (investigate, postpone).
• Using more complex sentences and the passive voice where appropriate can also make your language more formal.

In our next lesson, we will continue to build your vocabulary skills by learning how to form word families (noun, verb, adjective, adverb forms) correctly. This will give you the flexibility to use a core vocabulary word in many different grammatical situations.