1. Formality level of language
- Features of formal and informal language
May Horverak 2014

2. formal and informal language
FORMAL LANGUAGE
Contracted forms (I’m, he’s)
No contracted forms; (I am, he has)
Abbreviations (info)
No abbreviations (information)
Slang expressions (mate, wanna, gonna)
No slang expressions (friend, want to, going to)
Informal expressions (kids, teens, mom, dad)
No informal expressions (children, teenagers, mother and father)
Personal style (I, you)
Neutral pronouns (One, we; do not use “you” + do not use “I” more than necessary)
Dialect (youse)
Standard English (you)
Sentence fragments (Over there. Fantastic.) and incomplete sentences (Have been there.)
Only full sentences (It is over there.) (I have been there.)
Double negatives (I haven’t said nothing.)
No double negatives (I have not said anything.)
Punctuation: Sentences often start with conjunctions (And, Or, But, For), punctuation rules are not followed.
Punctuation: No exclamation marks (!), follow comma rules and never start sentences with conjunctions (and, or, but, for), use conjuncts followed by a comma (However, In addition, Therefore,)
May Horverak 2014

3. Formal language No slang No contractions No informal abbreviation
‘Going to’, not ‘gonna’
No contractions
‘It is’, not ‘it’s’
‘I am’, not ‘I’m’
No informal abbreviation
‘okay’, not ‘ok’
Some formal abbreviations: e.g. (for example) + i.e. (that is)
Modify your words
‘I am critical to this’, not ‘I hate this’
‘In my opinion he should be punished’, not ‘He deserves to die, they should shoot him!’
May Horverak 2014

4. exercises
Look for informal language in «Brenda’s got a Baby». Change 5 sentences so they become more formal
Look for informal language in the text you have written. Make the text more formal
May Horverak 2014