FORMAL V. INFORMAL FEATURES
1. VOCABULARY/LEXIS
Why are some English words considered to be more ‘polite’ or ‘refined’, whereas
others which mean the same thing are thought rude or vulgar?
English vocabulary comprises words taken from many languages, particularly
Anglo-Saxon, French and Latin. In 1066 the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants of Britain
were conquered by the French-speaking Normans. As French was the language of
the Court and ruling classes (and Latin the language of the clergy and education),
words derived from French or Latin have been considered more formal than those
derived from the native language of the Anglo-Saxons.
The list below compares relatively formal words of Latin/French origin with their
less formal alternatives, many of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is an illustration of a
general tendency, not a conversion table: the choice of vocabulary always depends
on the context.
I. Latin/French based
(single-word verbs)
Anglo-Saxon based
(phrasal verbs)
to remove
to retain
to consult
to enter
to descend
to escape
to depart
to arrive
to take away/out
to keep back
to look up
to go/come in
to go down
to get out
to set out, set off
to come along,
to turn up, to get to
to give up (hope)
to wind up
to talk over
to check out,
to look into
to fix up
to put off
to drop in
to put up with
to bring back
to go by
to make out
to give up
to make up
to give in
to despair
to provoke
to discuss
to investigate
to arrange
to postpone
to visit
to tolerate
to restore
to elapse
to claim
to renounce
to invent
to concede
to diminish
to fall off
II. Uncommon words
Common words
A) Verbs
to purchase
to obtain/procure/receive
to cease
to function
to masticate
to demonstrate
to deteriorate
to reside
to abbreviate
to terminate
to assist/aid
to commence
to desire/require
to liberate
to consume
to buy
to get
to stop
to work
to chew
to show
to get worse
to live
to shorten
to end
to help
to begin
to want
to free
to eat
B) Nouns
carnivore
putrefaction
deficiency
vision
residence
respiration
somnambulist
comprehension
perspiration
meat-eater
rot
lack
sight
home
breathing
sleep-walker
understanding
sweat
C) Adjectives
incorrect
amiable
vacant
insane
inexpensive
vivacious
superior
infantile
wrong
friendly
empty
mad
cheap
lively
better
childish
sufficient
entire
senior
enough
whole
older
D) Adverbials
subsequently
principally
consequently
initially
finally
next/later
mostly
so
at first
in the end
2. Punctuation
Unabbreviated words
Abbreviated and
contracted forms
I will
we would
will not
as soon as possible
memorandum
I’ll
we’d
won’t
a.s.a.p.
memo
No exclamation marks
or dashes
Any type of
punctuation
3. Grammar
I) Passive forms
Active forms
Cfr. A meeting has been scheduled for 3 October 2005 at 11 a.m.
We’ve set a meeting for 3 Oct at 11 a.m.
II) Impersonal forms
Personal forms
It is said that…
It is possible to consider the results
from another viewpoint.
They say that …
We can consider the results from another
viewpoint.
It is not clear why such terrible
I can’t understand why they put up
conditions were tolerated
for so long.
with such bad conditions for so long.
It seems that this is an
effective plan.
We think this is an effective plan.
III) Noun phrases
(nominalisation)
Verb phrases
(verbalisation)
The President’s speeches
were rather unintelligible.
The P. was talking rubbish.
His tone of voice revealed that ….
You could tell from his voice that.....
My findings are outlined below.
I’ve described/set out/written below
what I’ve found.
.
Is happiness possible during
unemployment?
Can people be happy when they’re
out of a job?
After clarification of the
problem areas….
When the bits everyone was getting
wrong had been explained…
IV)Not ending with prep.
Ending with prep.
To whom were you speaking?
Who were you speaking to?
V) No, none
Not any
I have no money.
I haven’t got any money.
I see no reason…
I don’t see any reason…
VI) Complex sentences Simple sentences
Subordination -
Coordination –
Although/because/if/
when, etc.
and/but/so/for/thus
Although cruises round the
Mediterranean are fairly expensive,
they seem to be very popular.
Cruises around the Mediterranean are
fairly expensive, but they seem to be very
popular.
VII) Use of inversion
Inversion only for emphasis
Should you require
further information…
Only then did I realise…