Page 197 - English Vocabualry In Use 3 (Upper Intermediate)

95 Formal and informal words 1

A What is formality?

Formalityisallaboutyourrelationshipwiththepersonyou’respeakingorwritingto.Ifyouuse
formallanguage,itmaybebecauseyouwishtoshowrespect,politeness,ortoputyourselfat
adistance(forexample,‘official’language,oracademiclanguage).Informallanguagecanshow
friendliness,equalityorafeelingofclosenessandsolidaritywithsomeone.Youshouldneveruse
informallanguagejusttosoundfluentorclever.

B Scales of formality

Somegroupsofwordscanbeputonascalefromformaltoneutraltoinformal.

formal neutral informal

offspring children kids
abode / residence house / flat / home place
goodbye bye bye-bye / cheerio
go amiss go wrong go pear-shaped

C Words of Latin and Greek origin

ManylongerwordsthatcomefromLatinandGreekarequiteformal.Herearesomewiththeir
neutraland/orinformalequivalents,whichareoftenshorterwords.
I’llgoandemailKieranimmediately.[neutralequivalent:atonce;informalequivalent:rightaway]
Theresearchersutilisethemostmodernequipment.[neutralequivalent:use]
Thisproblemfrequentlyoccurswitholdersoftware.[neutralequivalent:oftenhappens]
Thestudyestablishedalinkbetweenstressandill-health.[neutralequivalent:showed/proved]
ThisbookprovidesuswithapictureofordinarylifeintheMiddleAges.[neutralequivalent:gives]

Thegovernmentattemptedtoreduceunemploymentbysupportingnewbusinesses.[neutral
equivalent: tried]

Physicistsseekanswerstofundamentalquestionsabouttheuniverse.[neutralequivalents:
search for / look for; basic]

D Formal phrases

Manyphrasesaretypicalofformalcontextssuchasacademicorofficiallanguage.
2
1
Whatshouldthegovernmentdointermsof helpingyoungpeople?Students,inparticular ,need
3
supporttocompletetheirstudies,onaccountof thehighfeesandlivingcoststheyhavetomeet.
4
Shouldstudentsbegivenfinancialsupportonthebasisof theirfamilycircumstances?Andhow
5
shouldthegovernmentactinrelationto youthunemployment?
Thedefinitionsgivelessformalorneutralequivalents.

1 as regards, about 2 especially 3 because of 4 according to 5 as regards, about, in connection with

E Formality in notices, instructions, etc.

Youwilloftenseeratherformalwordsinsigns, THIS STAIRWAY DO NOT DO NOT
ADDRESS
noticesanddirections.Makesureyouknowthe IS CLOSED ALIGHT WHILE THE DRIVER
meaningofthewordsusedsothatyoucould UNTIL FURTHER THE BUS UNLESS THE
tellsomeonewhatthenoticesaysusingless NOTICE. IS IN MOTION. BUS IS
formalwords. STATIONARY.

LIFT Articles Tickets
We regret
CAPACITY SIX deposited we no must be
PERSONS must be paid longer accept purchased
before
OR MAX for in cheques. boarding
500 KILOS advance. the train.

196 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate