Formal English
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Informal English
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- Used
in official, literary, academic, etc. content.
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- Used
in everyday, personal conversations.
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- 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).
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- 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).
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- 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.
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- Sentences
are simpler and shorter, for example: Did you see Toyota’s sales
figures? Looks like the discounts have actually worked.
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- The
standard of correctness is higher. Some phrases are considered correct
(or at least acceptable) in informal English, but wrong in formal
English. For example:
- I
have made less mistakes. (formal: I have made fewer mistakes.)
- She’s
liking it.
(formal: She likes it.)
- I
feel real good. (formal: I feel really good.)
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- Because
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.
Use “qualifying
expressions” to show that what they said is not exactly right: This
whole blogging thing is getting kind of old.
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- 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)
- 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)
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- 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
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- 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.
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- Many
(but not all) phrasal verbs are avoided.
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- 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.
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- Words
and phrases are sometimes pronounced in a shortened and simplified way,
e.g. Lemme go!, I’m doin’ fine, Whassup?, Whatcha
gonna do?
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