Formal vs. Informal Language

UNIT 5 Formal vs. Informal Language What is the difference?

Characteristics of formal language: • Serious • Specific vocabulary • Lack of personal pronouns • No contractions • Longer sentences • Sounds extremely polite When do we use formal language? • Job interview • At a business • In court • When talking with someone important • Principal's office • Class essay and academic papers • Business letter

Characteristics of informal language: • Slang and idioms • Fillers(er, um, uh) • Funny • Shorter sentences • Plain spoken • Punctuation (exclamation points) • Sometimes less proper or polite When do we use informal language? • On the sports field • At Home • At the park or playground • Text message • Jotting a note • With your friends or family • Any place that is casual

How do we know when to use formal or informal language? We need to think about….. • What is the event? • What is the size of the audience? • Who is the audience? • What is the relationship of the speaker to the audience? • What is the task you have been assigned?

Formal Informal May I participate in your Can I join your game? competition? Your soup is yummy. This soup is divine. I have completed my I’m done with my homework this evening. homework tonight. Let us head to the park Let’s go to the park after after dinner. supper. Unfortunately, I will not be No, I can’t go to your party. able to attend your celebration.

When we are speaking to a principal we might say: “Good morning.” When we are speaking to our best friend we might say: “Howdy!” When we are speaking to an adult we might say: “I am confused.” When we are speaking to a friend we might say: “I don’t get it.”

When we are speaking to a teacher we might say: “Please show me where the cafeteria is.” When we are speaking to a classmate we might say: “Show me where it is.” When we are speaking to an adult we might say: “Will the nurse assist the doctor?” When we are speaking to a friend we might say: “Who helps the doctor?”

Let’s compare words we might use in formal language and informal language. Verbs Formal Language Informal Language to depart to go to retain to keep to cease to stop to demonstrate to show to assist to help to create to make

Formal Language Informal Language Hello. Hi. Goodbye. See you later. How are you? What’s up? Sincerely, From, Dear ________, To _______, Good morning. Hey!

Expressions Formal Language Informal Language Nice to meet you. It is a pleasure to meet you. Worried about you What’s up? Concerned about you Don’t forget… How are you? Thanks a lot! I would like to remind Sorry… you that… I appreciate your assistance… Please accept my apologies for…

Let’s practice… Read each sentence and tell whether it is a formal sentence or an informal sentence.

The project will be completed next year. Formal We’ll finish this job next year. Informal

We did some experiments. Informal The students conducted an experiment. Formal

Your decision will be expected by 9:00 AM. Formal You have to decide by 9:00! Informal

Your idea is better than mine! Informal I think that your idea will help to solve this problem. Formal

Please place all new items in the container near the door. Formal Put them by the door. Informal

Directions: Decide which sentences are FORMAL and which are INFORMAL. Place them in a proper column. 1. You don’t know what I’m talking about. 2. This is too complicated for one to comprehend. 3. Let us have a discussion in a little while. 4. We’ll talk about it later. 5. Informal language lacks tact and respectability. 6. Formal language sucks. 7. I planned many different outcomes for the company. 8. Many different outcomes were planned for the company. 9. Safety officers are looking into the problem. 10. Safety officers are investigating the problem.

FORMAL INFORMAL This too complicated for one to You don’t know what I’m talking about. comprehend. Let us have a discussion in a little while. We’ll talk about it later. Informal language lacks tact and Formal language sucks. respectability. Many different outcomes were planned I planned many different outcomes for the company. for the company. Safety officers are investigating the Safety officers are looking into the problem. problem.