Formal Verbs
Formal Verbs
Formal Verbs
Informal Formal
say sorry apologize, apologise
go up increase
go down decrease
set up establish
look at examine
blow up explode
find out discover
bring about cause
put off postpone, delay
rack up accumulate
make up fabricate
stand for represent
find out discover, ascertain
leave out omit
point out indicate
go against oppose
get in touch with contact
Its about It concerns, Its in regards to
need to required
think about consider
get obtain
put up tolerate
deal with handle
seem appear
show demonstrate, illustrate, portray
start commence
keep retain
free release
get on someones nerves bother
ring up call
show up arrive
let permit
fill in substitute, inform
block undermine
give the go ahead, greenlight authorize, authorise
Informal Formal
lots of/ a lot of much, many
tons of, heaps of large quantities of, a number of
totally completely, strongly
really, very definitely
Informal Formal
Hi Robert, Dear Sir or Madam
Just wanted to let you know I am writing to inform you
Love, Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Cheers,
Yours Truly, Best regards, kind regards
Hope to hear from you soon I look forward to hearing from you
Informal Formal
You can call me if you need anything Please do not hesitate to contact me
Informal Formal
ASAP as soon as possible
T.V. television
photo photograph
cell cell phone
net Internet
Informal Formal
kids children
bad negative
good positive
really big considerable
right correct
wrong incorrect
smart intelligent
cheap inexpensive
loaded rich
In order to write clearly and accurately you need to identify the difference between
formal and informal English. Here is a list of some of the most characteristic features
that differentiate formal and informal English.
Formal Informal
Words of Latin/French origin
Words of Anglo-Saxon origin
residence
home
Single-word verbs Phrasal verbs, idioms with get
to arise to get up
to mount / to board to get on
Formal Connecting words Informal connecting words
In addition, furthermore And
However, on the other hand, But
Therefore, consequently So
Active constructions
Impersonal constructions
They say that
it is said that
theyve put the price up
the price has been increased
you never know
one never knows
you can argue
it can be argued
No contractions in writing
Contractions is writing
I will, we would
Ill, wed
Formal Informal Formal Informal
Verbs Nouns
to depart to go deficiency lack
to retain to keep vision sight
to cease to stop residence home
to function to work respiration breathing
to demonstrate to show comprehension understanding
to reside to live
to appear to seem
to abbreviate to shorten Adjectives
to terminate to end incorrect wrong
to assist / aid to help amiable friendly
to commence /
to begin vacant empty
initiate
consequently /
so
therefore
initially at first
ultimately / finally in the end
to consult to look up
to enter to go/come in
to descend to go down
to provoke to wind up
to look into
to arrange to fix up
to visit to drop in
to elapse to go by
to renounce to give up
to invent to make up
to concede to give in
A) Verbs
to purchase to buy
to obtain/procure/receive to get
to cease to stop
to function to work
to masticate to chew
to demonstrate to show
to reside to live
to abbreviate to shorten
to terminate to end
to assist/aid to help
to commence to begin
to desire/require to want
to liberate to free
to consume to eat
B) Nouns
carnivore meat-eater
putrefaction rot
deficiency lack
vision sight
residence home
respiration breathing
somnambulist sleep-walker
comprehension understanding
perspiration sweat
C) Adjectives
incorrect wrong
amiable friendly
vacant empty
insane mad
inexpensive cheap
vivacious lively
superior better
infantile childish
sufficient enough
entire whole
senior older
D) Adverbials
subsequently next/later
principally mostly
consequently so
initially at first
2. Punctuation
I will Ill
we would wed
memorandum memo
or dashes punctuation
3. Grammar
It is not clear why such terrible I cant understand why they put up
for so long.
effective plan.
(nominalisation) (verbalisation)
His tone of voice revealed that . You could tell from his voice that.....
Subordination - Coordination
Although/because/if/ and/but/so/for/thus
when, etc.
further information