Formal vs informal

Formal English is the standard and polished form of English used in academic, business and similar contexts (like communications from the government, for example). You use it for people in a higher position than you (like your teacher or boss) or complete strangers—as well as academic or business writing, interviews and presentations.

Formal VS Informal

Informal English is used in everyday conversations and written communication in places like social media. You use it with family members, friends and peers (people who are your social equals) in casual settings. 

Informal/Contracted Form	Formal Form
can't	cannot
don't	do not
shouldn't	should not
couldn't	could not
won't	will not
isn't	is not
aren't	are not
didn't	did not
hasn't	has not
haven't	have not
he's/she's	he is/she is
they're	they are
it's	it is
it'll	it will
it'd	it would

Contractions

Contractions are common in informal language. Usually, they are two words merged together and are characterized (differentiated from others) by an apostrophe ( ‘ ). 

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is an idiomatic phrase that consists of a verb and another element, typically an adverb or preposition. Phrasal verbs are more common in informal contexts than formal ones.

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example Sentence
speak up	speak more loudly	I couldn't hear what he said, so I asked him to speak up.
turn down	refuse	I can't turn down an invitation from my boss.
find out	discover	If my parents find out what I did, they won't be happy.
got away	escape	He left the door open, and one of the hamsters got away.
run into	to meet suddenly	I didn't expect to run into my friend at the mall, but I did.
set off	begin a journey, start	Bilbo Baggins set off for his journey into the kingdom of Erebor.
break up	end a relationship	They had such a good relationship that I didn't expect them to break up.

Colloquialism and Slang

Colloquialisms and slang are words and phrases regarded as very informal and rarely used in written speech. They typically vary between groups of people, regions, professions or age groups. 

In the English-speaking world, Americans use different slang from Brits and Aussies (slang word for people from Australia).

dude	friend (usually male)	Dude, what is happening to you?
buck	American dollar	How many bucks do you have left?
zonked	tired, exhausted	Working 16 hours a day for five days straight left me zonked.
chill out	relax	You should chill out after working 16 hours a day for five days straight.
sweet	good, awesome	Sweet, thank you for the birthday present!
bail	leave/depart quickly	I need to bail; the bus is leaving in five minutes.
hella	very, extremely	The sushi from that new restaurant was hella good.
freak out	become agitated/anxious	My friend doesn't freak out even under pressure.

Idioms

An idiom is an expression in which you can’t easily guess the actual meaning from the words used. 
Here are examples of idioms commonly found in informal conversations:

Idiom	Definition	Example Sentence
take a rain check	politely refusing an offer	Sorry, I'll have to take a rain check regarding tonight's dinner.
get the cold shoulder	to be treated in an unfriendly way	Please don't give me the cold shoulder. Talk to me.
spill the beans	to reveal a secret	Come on. Spill the beans about what's really going on with Lucy.
go Dutch	to pay for one's own food or drink	I don't have enough money, so you guys will have to go Dutch for tonight's dinner.
a piece of cake	easy, effortless	She's a smart girl, so most school subjects are a piece of cake for her.
break the ice	to start a conversation	Since we're all new here, let's break the ice!
on the same page	to have the same understanding about a matter	I want to make sure we're all on the same page regarding this project.
cut to the chase	get to the point, skip unnecessary details	It's better to cut to the chase than to talk on and on without getting anywhere.

First-Person Pronouns

In informal contexts, first-person pronouns (I and we) are more frequently used—this makes for sentences that use the active voice. On the other hand, you’ll typically see passive voice in formal settings, particularly in official or academic writing. 

Active Voice/Informal Form	Passive Voice/Formal Form
We asked the students to complete a survey.	The students were asked to complete a survey.
I need to finish this report by Friday night.	The report must be finished by Friday night.
We need to write a letter to the supervisor.	A letter must be written to the supervisor.
We will give incentives to those who have exceptional performance.	Those who have exceptional performance will be given incentives.
I will send you the draft next week.	The draft will be sent next week.
We will launch a new product within the next six months.	A new product will be launched within the next six months.
I will create a report for the board of directors.	A report will be created for the board of directors.

Multiple Choice

What is formal English?

• Slang and casual language used among friends.

• Language used in formal academic writing and professional settings.

• A form of poetry.

• A type of language used only by lawyers.

Poll

Why is it essential to know when to use formal English?

• It impresses friends and family.

• It helps maintain cultural traditions.

• It can lead to better job opportunities.

• It's a requirement for using social media.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary difference between formal and informal language?

• Formal language is outdated and rarely used.

• Informal language is more suitable for academic writing.

• Formal language is used in professional and serious situations.

• Informal language is more polite and respectful.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is in formal English?

• "I am delighted to accept your invitation."

• "I'm super excited about the party!"

• "This place is awesome, man!"

• "The weather is pretty nice today."

Multiple Choice

In what context might you use informal English?

• Giving a presentation at work.

• Writing a cover letter for a job application.

• Chatting with your friends during lunch.

• Chatting with your classmates during lunch.

Multiple Choice

What is the appropriate greeting in a formal email?

• "What's up?"

• "Hey there!"

• "Hi folks!"

• "Greetings!"

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of informal language?

• "I'd like to schedule a meeting, please."

• "Can we set up a meeting, please?"

• "Could you please arrange a meeting?"

• "Let's have a meeting, okay?"

Multiple Choice

When writing a formal letter, how should you address the recipient?

• Using "Hey" or "Hi" followed by their name.

• Using "Hey" or "Hi" followed by their name.

• Using "Dear" followed by their title and last name.

• Using their first name only.

Multiple Choice

What is the informal way of asking for someone's name?

• "What do they call you?"

• "What's your name?"

• "May I have your name, please?"

• "Could you tell me your name?"

Multiple Choice

Which phrase is informal when requesting assistance?

• "Can you give me a hand?"

• "I need a hand, please."

• "Could you help me out, please?"

• "Kindly provide some aid."