Formal versus Informal
In both formal and informal English cohesion and coherence play an important part of text building. The difference is seen in the usage of connectives.
Formal
| Personally,… Moreover,… Incidentally,… …conversely… …any other relevant information… In conclusion,… It consists of three… I have been extremely busy at work… |
…and consequently… …absolutely exhausted… Would you prefer… Iʼm afraid I donʼt know… Thank you – thatʼs very kind of you. How are you? Whatʼs the matter? |
Informal
| As for me,… Also,… By the way,… on the back… anything else you think I should know… Anyway… There are three… Iʼve been up to my eyes in work… |
and so… …totally shattered… Do you want… …no idea… Cheers – thatʼs great… Howʼs it going? Whatʼve you been up to? |
Compare these two texts, the first one written in informal English and the second one written in formal English and underline noun phrases and put verbs in bold in both texts. Identify the elements of informal register and scan the academic text for these features and compare.
Informal writing on an observation of an English class:
It may be better if the teacher help in a more subtle way. I mean, the teacher can meet the student after class. This is better because the student wonʼt feel embarrassed. Imagine, if you are being called out during the lesson because of lower English proficiency, you will feel bad.
Formal conclusions based on classroom observations:
Effective support of English language learners requires due consideration of the social and emotional needs of the learner. Some professionals argue that the singling out of less able students in front of the class may have consequences for the learnerʼs self-esteem.
(Guse, 2011:258)
Informal writing on an observation of an English class:
It may be better if the teacher help in a more subtle way. I mean, the teacher can meet the student after class. This is better because the student wonʼt feel embarrassed. Imagine, if you are being called out during the lesson because of lower English proficiency, you will feel bad.
Formal conclusions based on classroom observations:
Effective support of English language learners requires due consideration of the social and emotional needs of the learner. Some professionals argue that the singling out of less able students in front of the class may have consequences for the learnerʼs self-esteem.
(Guse, 2011:258)