Name: Carlos A. Álvarez I.D.
9-748-2009
Formal and Informal English
Formal English
• Used in official, literary, academic, etc.
content.
• Typically used in careful, edited writing — when
the writer has a lot of time to polish his text.
Formal English also occurs in speech, usually
when the speaker is saying something that was
prepared beforehand (for example, reading the
news or delivering an official speech).
• Sentences are longer and more complicated,
for example: Toyota’s US sales bounced back
in March as substantial discounts helped to
win back customers who had been shaken by
the firm’s mass safety recalls.
• The standard of correctness is higher. Some
things are considered correct (or at least
acceptable) in informal English, but wrong in
formal English. For example:
• I’ve made less mistakes. (formal:
I’ve made fewer mistakes.)
• She’s liking it. (formal: She likes it.)
• I feel real tired. (formal: I feel really
tired.)
• You did good. (formal: You did well.)
Informal English
• Used in everyday, personal
conversations.
• Typically used in “improvised”
speech — when the speaker is
speaking without preparation, as in a
conversation (in real life or over the
phone). Informal English also occurs
in writing, usually whenever the
writer is writing quickly and without
editing (for example, in an Internet
chatroom or in quick, personal e-
mails).
• Sentences are simpler and
shorter, for example: Did you see
Toyota’s sales figures? Looks like
the discounts have actually
worked.
• Informal English is “improvised”, it
is sloppy. Speakers (and sometimes
writers) often do the following:
• Use “delaying expressions” to
give themselves time: Well, I
think they should have asked
us first, you know?
• Use “correcting expressions”
to correct themselves: He’s not
well. I mean, he’s not sick, but
he’s very tired.
• Informal English contains
useful “everyday phrases”,
for example:
• Here you are. There you go.
(when
giving something to someone)
• Excuse me?, Come again?
(to ask someone to repeat
something)
• What do you mean? (to ask for
explanation)

• A huge number of words and phrases are
used mainly in formal English. For
example: nevertheless, to disclose, to
constitute, to undertake, daunting,
impervious, anew, truly, solace, to
enchant, frantically, sizeable, to clutch,
heyday, as it happens, upsurge, retrieval
• Many (but not all) phrasal verbs are
avoided.
• So, you’re saying that...? (to ask for
confirmation)
• Exactly!, I couldn’t agree with you
more. (to agree with someone)
• By the way..., Anyway... (to change
the topic)
• See you. Take care. (to say
goodbye)
• A huge number of words and phrases are
used mainly in informal English. For
example: dude, freaking, uh-huh, nope
(no), to puke, trashy, grownup, awesome, to
chill out, stuff, hard-up, to tick somebody
off, to sell like crazy.
• Phrasal verbs are used frequently. For
example, in informal situations, people
usually say found out instead of
discovered, came across instead of
encountered and got away instead of
escaped.
• Words and phrases are sometimes
pronounced in a shortened and simplified
way, e.g. Lemme go!, I’m doin’ fine,
Whassup?, Whatcha gonna do?