Formal/Academic English

Which of these do your English teachers NOT want to see in your written assignments?

• gotta

• gonna

• cuz

• They don't want to see any of these.

The way you need to write "gonna" in academic assignments is...

• finna

• going to

• gone to

• got to

Which of these should you NOT use when writing paragraphs and essays for English assignments?

• & [called an ampersand]

• cuz

• lol

• You shouldn't use any of these in formal paragraphs or essays.

Select the correct word to go in the blank.

You have yours and I have _______________.

• mine

• mines

What's wrong with the following sentence?

My perspective is that i should be allowed to come home at whatever time I please.

• The student should have written "permitted" instead of "allowed" because it sounds more professional.

• It is a run-on sentence.

• The student should have written "whatever time I want to" instead of "whatever time I please."

• The pronoun I always needs to be capitalized.

Which one of these should NOT appear in your written assignments?

• through

• thorough

• thru

• None of these is acceptable in formal writing.

How should the following sentence be improved for an essay? (Select any/all that apply.)

Researchers have conducted a bunch of studies about the link between smoking and various types of cancer.

• It should say "conduct" instead of "have conducted."

• "Many" would sound more formal than "a bunch."

• It should say "different types" instead of "various types."

• It should say "connection" instead of "link."

Pick the correct spelling.

I want to know if ___________ coming with us or not.

• their

• theyre

• there

• they're

How does this sentence of dialogue need to be changed?

"It's obvious that your lying!" Jason exclaimed.

• "Your lying" should be "they're lying."

• The exclamation point should be a comma.

• "Your" should be "you're."

• "Lying" needs to be spelled "lieing."

Why is this sentence not acceptable for formal writing assignments? (Be careful: There is more than one correct answer. Select all that apply.)

Ppl be hating on her just bc they're jealous she got 2 go 2 hawaii.

• We should not use numerals (numbers) in place of words like "to," "too," "for," or "four."

• We should not use abbreviations in formal paragraphs and essays.

• "They're" should be spelled "there."

• Proper nouns like state names need to be capitalized.

• This sentence contains language considered informal.