Hello! In our previous lesson, we moved from learning individual academic words to mastering the collocations they form, which is crucial for fluent and natural-sounding English. This lesson builds on that by looking not just at the words you choose, but the overall style in which you present them.
Today, we address the final, critical piece of our grammar and vocabulary foundation: register. Your ability to maintain a consistent academic style is a key differentiator for a Band 7 score. The learning outcome for this lesson is to distinguish between formal and informal register by rewriting informal sentences in an academic style. This skill is non-negotiable for both IELTS Writing tasks and for expressing complex ideas in Speaking Part 3.
1. Understanding Formal vs. Informal Register
In professional communication, you instinctively adjust your language. An email to a client is different from a message to a team member. Academic English requires a similarly specific register, one that is objective, precise, and impersonal. The IELTS examiners for Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are specifically looking for this.
To begin, let's establish a clear set of rules that distinguish formal from informal writing. The British Council, one of the co-owners of IELTS, provides an excellent guide.
A Guide to Formal vs informal English for IELTS Writing
This article from the official TakeIELTS blog clearly outlines the most common mistakes writers make regarding register. It serves as an excellent checklist for self-correction.
Please read the introductory paragraphs and then focus on the main section, "Nine common mistakes in formal vs informal English". As you read, pay special attention to the rules about contractions, phrasal verbs, and vague expressions, as these are the most frequent issues in IELTS essays.
As you've seen, the "rules" of formal writing are quite specific. Think of it like a style guide in software development; consistency is key to producing a professional and easily understood final product. In IELTS, this "product" is your essay, and the "style guide" is academic register.
2. Seeing the Transformation in Action
Knowing the rules is the first step. Now, let's see how they are applied to transform a piece of writing from informal to formal. The following video from BBC Learning English deconstructs an informal email and rebuilds it using academic conventions.
Formal English and informal English - BBC English Masterclass
This BBC Masterclass video, "Formal English and informal English," provides a clear, practical demonstration of the concepts we're discussing.
Watch the video from the beginning. First, the presenter introduces an informal email as an example. She then explains how to replace informal words and phrasal verbs with formal vocabulary (e.g., 'find out' becomes 'enquire'). Next, she addresses shortened forms and abbreviations like 'uni'. Notice the brief but important point on using the passive voice to create a more impersonal tone. We'll see this is very useful for Writing Task 1. Finally, observe how she combines short, simple sentences into more complex ones, a key feature of academic writing.
This transformation highlights that formal writing isn't just about using "big words." It's about precision, structure, and an objective tone.
For some more highly targeted tips that you can apply directly to your writing, the next video offers five specific improvements.
5 tips to improve your writing
The video "5 tips to improve your writing" by English with Emma provides actionable advice that directly improves academic style.
Please watch the following segments: The first tip on avoiding contractions is a fundamental rule we've already covered. Pay close attention to the third tip on avoiding weak words like 'very', 'really', and 'a lot', and replacing them with stronger, more precise vocabulary (e.g., 'very hard' becomes 'difficult'). The final tip on using strong verbs is a high-level skill. Replacing a weak verb-noun pair like 'conducted an investigation' with a single, strong verb like 'investigated' makes your writing more concise and impactful.
3. Practice: Rewriting for Academic Style
Now it's time to apply these principles yourself. Your "practice-first" approach is most effective when you actively try to produce the target language. We will use a series of exercises to build this skill systematically.
The following guide from Birmingham City University's Centre for Academic Success contains a superb set of exercises designed for this purpose.
This guide provides clear rules and, most importantly, targeted practice exercises with an answer key.
First, quickly review the section "Avoid some aspects of informal English" to reinforce the rules. Then, you will work through the exercises on the subsequent pages.
Now, let's put this into practice. For each exercise below, first attempt to rewrite the sentence yourself. Then, compare your answer with the model answer provided. The complete answer key is at the end of the "Academic writing style" PDF.
Exercise 1: Replacing Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs (e.g., look into, get rid of) are common in speech but should often be replaced by a single, more formal verb in academic writing.
- Informal: Researchers have been looking into the problem for 15 years.
- Task: Rewrite this sentence using a more formal verb.
Model Answer
Researchers have been investigating the problem for 15 years.
- Informal: The cinema was pulled down ten years ago.
- Task: Rewrite this sentence with a more formal verb.
Model Answer
The cinema was demolished ten years ago.
Now, try Exercises 1 and 2 in the PDF resource to practice this skill further.
Exercise 2: Avoiding Personal and Vague Language
Academic writing aims for objectivity. This often means removing personal pronouns (I, you, we) and vague words (nice, sort of).
- Informal: You can clearly see the differences between these two learning processes.
- Task: Rewrite this sentence to be more impersonal and formal.
Model Answer
The differences between these two learning processes can be clearly seen.
(Note the use of the passive voice to remove 'You'.)
- Informal: The reaction of the officials was sort of negative.
- Task: Replace the vague phrase with a more precise and formal adverb.
Model Answer
The reaction of the officials was somewhat negative.
Now, refer to Exercises 4, 6, and 7 in the PDF for more practice.
Exercise 3: Full Sentence Transformation
This is the ultimate goal: transforming a complete informal sentence into a polished, academic one. This brings all the rules together.
- Informal: The positive feedback made up for the problems we came across during the trials.
- Task: Rewrite this entire sentence using formal vocabulary and a more academic structure.
Model Answer
The positive feedback compensated for the problems experienced during the trials.
Now, attempt all parts of Exercise 9 in the PDF guide. After you write your own versions, check them against the answers provided at the end of the document.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned to identify and correct the hallmarks of informal language, a crucial editing skill for the IELTS. By focusing on register, you ensure that your sophisticated vocabulary and grammar are presented in a style that meets academic expectations.
Key Takeaways:
- Formal Register is Essential: For IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2, a consistent, formal academic style is mandatory for a high score.
- Key Rules: Avoid contractions, slang, casual phrasal verbs, and vague words.
- Aim for Objectivity and Precision: Use impersonal structures (like the passive voice, where appropriate) and strong, precise verbs.
- Practice is Transformation: The most effective way to master academic style is by actively rewriting informal sentences into formal ones.
We have now completed our core module on Grammar and Vocabulary. You have the tools to build accurate sentences with sophisticated vocabulary and an appropriate academic style. In our next lesson, we will begin Module 5: Writing Task 1: Describing Visual Information. You will immediately apply what you've just learned as we tackle the first step: writing an effective overview paragraph that summarizes the main features of a chart or graph.