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Understanding The Difference Between Formal and Informal Language in Writing

A good writer knows when to use formal or informal language in their writing. We’ll go over the difference between the two and provide examples.

Quick Summary of Formal and Informal Language

• The main difference between formal and informal language in writing is that formal language is more rigid and less personal, whereas informal language is more easygoing and adaptive.
• Deciding on using formal or informal language depends on what you’re writing and who you’re writing it for:
• Formal language is usually reserved for professional and academic settings, while informal writing is used for more casual settings, like friendly text messages and creative writing.
• There are many differences found in formal and informal writing. One of them is that contractions shouldn’t be used in formal writing, but are acceptable in informal writing .
• Vocabulary is another major difference between formal and informal language.

Formal vs. Informal Language

Effective writing has a lot to do with not only what you write but also how you write it. The type of language you use— formal or informal —must suit your audience and setting.

If you want your message to resonate, then it wouldn’t be a good idea to use colloquialisms in formal settings. Similarly, you shouldn’t use rigid language when you’re writing about something light, playful, or funny.

But what exactly is the difference between formal and informal language in writing? That’s what we’ll be covering in this blog. We’ll also provide helpful examples so you can better recognize the difference.

Plus, we’ll show you a paraphrasing tool that’ll ensure your text is pristine, regardless of what you’re writing.

Let’s begin!

What Is The Difference Between Formal and Informal Language?

Compared to formal language, informal language is considered more casual. Informal language also evolves much more rapidly than formal language. While new words or phrases can be introduced to informal language seemingly overnight (e.g., GOAT referring to the greatest of all time) , these changes can take years in formal language (e.g., you replacing thou, thee, and thy ).

But there are also more notable differences between formal and informal language. We’ll give some examples below.

1. Contractions

It is advised to avoid contractions (shortened versions of words) in formal language, but they’re acceptable in informal language.

Unfortunately, the team could not replicate the results. (Formal)

Unfortunately, the team couldn’t replicate the results. ( Informal)

2. Colloquial Phrases/Slang

Formal language is also marked by an absence of colloquial phrases and slang (words or phrases that are common only in everyday speech), but are typically used in informal language.

Everyone was disappointed . (Formal)

Everyone was bummed . ( Informal)

3. First-Person Pronouns

Generally, first-person pronouns (like I and we ) are avoided when writing with formal language. However, it’s accepted (and expected) in informal language.

The students were asked to fill out the questionnaire. (Formal)

Informal: We asked the students to fill out the questionnaire. ( Informal)

4. Phrasal Verbs

When using formal language in your writing, it is also recommended to replace phrasal verbs (proper verbs that are followed by one or more prepositions and act as a single verb).

It was something the protestors could endure . (Formal)

It was something the protestors could put up with . ( Informal)

5. Grammar Rules

When writing for formal settings, it is recommended to follow all grammar rules, even those that are considered trivial. In informal settings, some grammar rules can be ignored. For example, in informal settings, it’s okay to use who in place of whom . However, always using who in place of whom is not recommended when writing with formal language.

Whom do I have to speak to? (Formal)

Who do I have to speak to? ( Informal)

6. Vocabulary Choice

Formal language tends to use longer, more complex vocabulary. Sometimes it is not recommended to use this type of vocabulary with informal language (depending on what you’re writing) because it can confuse or distract your audience.

They needed assistance while recovering from the outcomes of the hurricane. (Formal)

They needed help while recovering from the effects of the hurricane. ( Informal)

Whether you’re writing in a professional or academic setting or a casual and creative one, LanguageTool can provide stronger vocabulary options—all you have to do is double-click on the word. This multilingual spelling and grammar checker can also detect different types of errors, whether you choose to write in formal or informal language.

Deciding When To Use Formal and Informal Language

Remember that choosing when to use formal or informal language in your writing depends on what you’re writing and who your audience is. However, you should also be mindful of the fact that formal and informal language is a spectrum, and some types of writing can fall in between these categories. Regardless of what type of language you’re using in your writing, keep these differences in mind to guarantee the most effective writing possible.

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Formal Vs Informal Speeches: An A-Z Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing , Workplace Communication

A speech is either formal or informal. Meaning, it can either be a formal address delivered to an audience or the daily use of grammar and words to communicate. The only purpose of either of those speeches is to put across a message well enough to invoke the desired response from your audience. Throughout history, humans all across the world cleverly inspired world-wide revolutions solely through the power of speech. Since then, a lot of tools and techniques of speeches have developed to ensure we use this power to its maximum capacity.  

The two broad classifications of events we use speeches are called formal events and informal events. Therefore, depending on the kind of audience, the situation, the message, the tone and the environment, the orator must decide whether they should address a formal speech or an informal speech. Working out where you use what kind of speech is the most important aspect of being a good communicator.

Formal Speeches

What are formal speeches.

Formal Speeches are made when you’re speaking to a sizable audience you don’t personally know. These are professional events where you’re expected to make a good impression on the audience. The nature of these events is often serious and decorous. These events therefore demand a similar respectable tone of language and speech.

For example, while at a job interview, speaking to an individual of authority, delivering a lecture, making a presentation, giving a pitch, motivating the audience, hosting a business event etc., you must ensure you speak formally. 

What makes a speech formal?

Formal speeches are also called orations. They are used in situations that are more ‘serious.’ They project a specific tone and specific characteristics. A few basic tools and attributes of formal speeches are:

The tone of a formal speech is always polite and respectful. Since formal speeches are mainly used to communicate with people in authority or strangers, it is important to structure your sentences suitably. The use of civilised words, appropriate grammar, complete sentences and enhanced vocabulary maintains the decorum of a formal speech.

Objectiveness

A formal communication style usually takes no stances. The sentence is spoken in a passive voice with a minimum use of personal pronouns. When we avoid using personal pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘We’ and ‘You’, the essence of the point changes from being an opinion to a fact. Therefore, the content of your speech sounds more objective than subjective.

Effectiveness

A formal speech is more effective than an informal speech because it comprises longer sentences and clear, non-colloquial phrases. It is well-spoken and the pronunciations are fathomable and precise. Its adherence to the Standard English language makes it comprehensible for the entire audience, even the non-native English speakers. It therefore proves to be extremely effective, suitable for a workplace or a business environment.

Standard English Language

A formal speech naturally follows the standards and rules formally set by the language. Languages tend to have regional differences and additional local slang to them. Even within England, British English and Scottish English tend to have different dialects and colloquial. For example, maybe phrases like “sure-fire” or “works like a charm” are deemed normal at your workplace but you cannot expect a non-English speaking trader to know them. When we adhere to the Standard English prescribed by Oxford, everybody who has academically learnt the English language is able to understand what one is trying to say.

The generous use of long sentences, no contractions, minimum abbreviations, proper grammar, complex sentence structure, clear pronunciation and overall objectiveness of the information brings a lot of clarity to one’s speech. There is seldom any room for doubts or misunderstandings. The extensive use of impersonal and formal language brings out professionalism and makes your information more credible.

What should you NOT include in a Formal Speech

The obvious ways of distinguishing between a formal speech and an informal speech are determined through the process of elimination. The following are a few things that you shouldn’t include in a formal speech:

Casual Greeting

There are a number of ways you can greet a person. Each kind of greeting has formal and informal versions that you can use based on how well you know the person and what degree of professionalism you are required to maintain with that person. For example,

• Formal: Hello, how do you do?
• Informal: Hey, how are ya?
• Formal: Nice to meet you/ Pleased to meet you.
• Informal: Good to see you.
• Formal: How have you been?
• Informal: Long time no see!

Slangs and Colloquialism

Slangs include a language that’s peculiar to a particular group, a regional reference, or even curse words. It’s extremely important to keep slang words at bay when you’re delivering a formal speech. A formal tone prescribes standard, professional English language. For example,

• Informal: Stats say, stress is the reason why this workplace is always screwing up.
• Formal: According to statistics, stress is one of the most frequent factors that disrupts efficiency and encourages problems in the workplace.
• Informal: Know yourself honestly and well enough to find what stresses you out.
• Formal: Being candid with ourselves is the most effective way to establish the triggers of stress we experience.

Contractions

Contracting words and sentences assert an informal and casual tone. If you are aiming to sound professional and polished, avoiding contractions is recommended. For example,

• Informal: I’ve had enough, I don’t think I’m gonna let this slide the next time.
• Formal: Your limit has been surpassed, I do not think this mistake will go unpunished the next time.

Personal Pronouns

The main characteristics of a formal speech are its impersonal nature and the precise, passive and objective delivery of information. While writing a formal speech, avoid using pronouns altogether. However, if required, try using neutral pronouns such as ‘one.’ For example,

• Informal: I was alarmed when I found out the effects of stress.
• Formal: The effects of stress were found to be quite alarming.
• Informal: You shouldn’t stress out about the things you can’t control.
• Formal: One shouldn’t take stress about the things beyond one’s control.

Poor Vocabulary

Gather your thesaurus before you write your formal speech because the better your vocabulary, more formal the content of your speech sounds. While both your sentences would mean the same thing, the tone in which they are delivered would classify them as informal speeches or formal speeches. For example,

• Informal: He took the item back to the shop.
• Formal: He returned the item to the shop.
• Informal: The CEO of this company gave up his position because his mental health was being affected.
• Formal: The CEO of this company relinquished his position due to his mental health being compromised.

How should you structure a Formal Speech?

The basic structure of a formal speech is no different than the structure of an essay. Organising your speech not only improves the clarity of thought but also amplifies the effectiveness of your content. A formal speech includes an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

The Introduction

A formal introduction establishes a respectful contact between the speaker and the listener. The introduction should last for one minute at the most. It should sound deferential and strictly adhere to formal English. How should you begin a formal speech?

The Greeting

The introduction of a formal speech can typically begin with a greeting. After wishing ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ depending on the time of the day, you may introduce yourself humbly. You can thank the organisers of the event for inviting you to speak or compliment a senior member of the event to pay respect. 

Acknowledging the Audience

It is polite to thank the audience for gathering to hear you out. Greet them with a genuine smile and express what an honour it is to be speaking before them today. After all, they have sacrificed their precious time to be here today.

Placing your Claim

The introduction is the most crucial segment of your speech. The curiosity you are able to pique in this part decides how much audience you will retain throughout your speech. It is extremely important you place your claim in the most catchy manner. Even in a formal speech, you can use quotes, rhetorical devices, imagery, startling elements, stories or even silence. As long as the language used is respectful, professional and follows the formal English, it can be a good opener for a formal speech. 

In case you’re looking for a few creative ways you can open your speech, you can refer to our blogpost for help!

The body makes up everything you have to say about the claim you placed in the introduction. It can have additional facts, supporting arguments and other temporal modes of organising your information. The temporal modes of organising information can be:

• Cause-effect relation in past, present or future tense
• Effect-cause relation which is basically inverting it and highlighting the effects before you state how they are achieved.
• Compare and contrast your entities.
• Narrate your topics as a story by organising the flow of the speech by finding relation and joint-relevance between two topics.
• Subdividing a large chunk of information into headings and subheadings is also a good topical way to organise your information formally.

The Conclusion

How do you end a formal speech? The conclusion follows the transition that was laid down by the body. The two main aims of a conclusion are to summarise the ideas of the speech and provide a closure. The conclusion of any formal speech can include:

• A summary of the speech.
• A ‘Now-What?’ statement elucidating the takeaway of the speech for the audience.
• A reference back to the introduction of the speech.
• An open-ended question to ponder upon.

If the last line of your speech is as important as the introduction segment where you make the claim. The weight and impact of the last sentence decides how memorable your speech would be. If you don’t feel like dropping the mic after the last sentence of your speech, maybe it’s not as mind-blowing and impactful as it ideally should be. 

If you are looking to seek more advice on how you can structure your formal speeches more professionally , be sure to check out our guidelines.

Informal Speeches

Informal speeches are casual and relaxed. They are made while talking to friends, colleagues or people you personally know. There are no hard and fast rules while making an informal speech other than somehow conveying the message you want to convey. 

What makes a speech informal?

Informal speeches radiate a very comfortable and relaxed energy. They’re friendlier than formal speeches and they often carry the personality of the person addressing them. A few characteristics that can help you identify informal speeches are:

Since casual speeches don’t require a very strict preparation like formal speeches, they are often easygoing. Informal speeches are made sporadically and are mostly off the record. The level of ease informal speeches carry can differ from person to person given how extroverted they are, or how comfortable they are with the audience. 

Informal speeches sound colourful. In the sense, the speaker is given the liberty to express themselves as they truly are. They don’t have a monotonous tone like formal speeches. The speaker can add their own slang, phrases they normally use, their personality, their dialects and in general make the speech as entertaining and fun as they please. 

Informal speeches give you the artistic and comedic liberty to put forth your message. While formal speeches usually adhere to the strictness of sounding ‘serious’ and ‘professional’, informal speeches are like laid back and pleasurable conversations.

You do not normally talk in complex sentence structures or dramatically use vocabulary. Likewise, informal speeches are often simple and straightforward. They use short sentences and terms and references from day-to-day life. You may use words and phrases like ‘that’s dope’, ‘don’t be salty’, ‘bruh’, ‘I’m shook’, ‘No cap’ etc. 

Informal speech is used in day-to-day life. Unlike other languages, most English speakers tend to speak informally with strangers on the street. While they’re friendly, they might not necessarily be polite if the listener cannot interpret the tone of your speech. 

Since informal speeches are more often used in everyday life, they don’t really have a structure. They do not require an introduction, a body or a conclusion. Apart from the unspoken rules of exchanging pleasantries and courtesy, you do not need to ‘prepare’ anything formal, just have the idea of what you want to say in mind.

A few examples of informal speeches would be:

• A Best Man’s Speech for his Brother’s Wedding: In this example, the occasion is properly informal. The speaker is amongst friends and family, speaking about his brother and his new wife. It is hilarious and also contains a poem to deliver the message!

• A Valedictorian Speech for the Class of 2010: In this example, while the occasion is formal, the speaker has very cleverly added a subtle informal tone while still maintaining the collective polite structure. He framed all inside jokes in a way everybody could understand. It was overall confident, humorous, ingenious and a great valedictorian speech.

What are the Main Differences Between Formal and Informal Speeches?

The following table elucidates the main differences between formal and informal speeches, summarising all its characteristics.

Case Study: A Sales Pitch

Let’s study the an applied example of formal and informal speeches. The above video is a sales pitch for electric cars. There are two characters in this video, each used in informal speech and formal speech respectively. Let us analyse both their speeches to understand how you can implement the two styles in your communication. 

Informal Speech

The first man uses an informal style of speech. He begins his speech by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars. They’re totally gay.” Naturally, in a work environment where formal tones are expected, the opening statement left all the members of the meeting stupefied. They found his speech disrespectful and all the faces around the room were either shocked, perplexed or disapproving. The casual tone could have easily been found offensive on the pretext of homophobia. He also says things like ‘rock-and-roll-ness’, ‘sexiness of the car’, ‘this model took more virginities than Francis Albert Sinatra’, which can come across as rather controversial in a formal business meeting. Gradually, the informal and blunt approach did work out for the salesperson. However, the chances of it being successful are bleak and you could just be overruled any time. Using a formal tone is therefore a safer option.

Formal Speech

The second man in the film, referred to as Nicholas, takes over and summarises the pitch using formal speech. He uses statements like, ‘We believe we can produce the technology to incorporate an electric motor in your current model.’ He said the exact same thing the first man was trying to communicate but in a far more classy manner. Instead of calling it ‘sexy’ or ‘rock-and-roll’, he refers to its features as ‘exhilarating’ and ‘aggressive’, making the experience ‘visceral’ and retaining a manly retro element of the car than making it look ‘gay’. 

This example distinguishing formal speech with informal speech hopefully gives you a thorough idea of what they are. However, when should you use formal speech? And when should you give an informal speech?

Should you use Formal Speech or Informal Speech?

Knowing what speech is best suited for the given situation always depends on the context. You should be intelligent enough to be able to recognize situations that demand a formal tone and situations that can be handled casually.

Generally, informal speeches are made at weddings while giving a toast or at birthdays to express love etc. Formal speeches are made in professional settings, work places, educational institutes, talking to authorities, job interviews, business meetings, negotiations, elders or people you don’t know.  

However, sometimes in job interviews, the interviewer can be looking for what your personality is like. In situations like this, you need to tone down how formally you talk. Some corporate cultures embrace a casual and informal tone in their business affairs while some companies prefer individuals who can maintain a strong formal and professional persona. 

When you are doubtful about what speech to use, always stick to formal speech. While informal speech is friendly, formal speech is polite. It establishes goodwill and credibility. Although it’s not good to be overly formal either. Saying “Greetings, let me guide you through the floorplans of this building so you can navigate the office easily.” is frankly absurd and foolish. Being too formal can also come across as cold, distant and ironically even impolite. You do not want to be a robot. Sometimes saying, “Good morning, allow me to give you an office tour.” does just the right thing.

To Conclude,

A good communicator can not only convey any kind of message to their audience but also convey their message to any kind of audience. And in order to achieve this, a good communicator is the master of the art of speech as well as the master of knowing the audience and what tone they would appreciate. 

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Formal and informal language

We use formal language in situations that are serious or that involve people we don’t know well. Informal language is more commonly used in situations that are more relaxed and involve people we know well.

Formal language is more common when we write; informal language is more common when we speak. However, there are times where writing can be very informal, for example, when writing postcards or letters to friends, emails or text messages. There are also examples where spoken English can be very formal, for example, in a speech or a lecture. Most uses of English are neutral; that is, they are neither formal nor informal.

Formal language and informal language are associated with particular choices of grammar and vocabulary.

Contractions, relative clauses without a relative pronoun and ellipsis are more common in informal language.

More formal vocabulary commonly involves longer words or words with origins in Latin and Greek. More informal vocabulary commonly involves shorter words, or words with origins in Anglo-Saxon. Most dictionaries indicate very informal and/or formal words.

We often choose to use certain modal verbs to be more formal and polite:

Can I suggest you try this new model? (neutral)

May I suggest you try this new model? (more formal)

Might I suggest you try this new model? (very formal)

Contractions

Speech into writing

Word of the Day

be on the side of the angels

to be doing something good or kind

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

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• Formal and Informal Style

Whether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience.

Formal language is characterized by the use of standard English, more complex sentence structures, infrequent use of personal pronouns, and lack of colloquial or slang terms.

Informal language allows the use of nonstandard English forms, colloquial vocabulary and typically shorter sentence structures.

The choice of formal or informal style will affect the following areas:

• standard or nonstandard English
• choice of vocabulary
• use of contractions
• use of pronouns

Rule to Remember

Formal style affects the form of English, the choice of vocabulary, and the use of contractions and pronouns.

Standard or Nonstandard English

Standard English is the language used in professional and business communication. It is the form of English that follows the formal rules of the language.

Nonstandard English uses regional or social language variations. Nonstandard English should only be used when there is a purpose for it in writing. For example, it can be used in a narrative to describe a person with a specific regional dialect. Otherwise, the standard form of English should be used.

Choice of Vocabulary

Vocabulary  needs to be adjusted depending on the level of formality of any written work.

Consider the following words: investigate, examine, check out . Each of them has a different level of formality. While check out can be used in informal writing and speech, using it in a formal research paper would not be appropriate.

Use more formal vocabulary and avoid the use of contractions in formal writing.

Sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rephrased:

Contractions are more casual, and if you are striving for more formal style, they should not be used. Contractions in negative sentences should be especially avoided since they are easy to miss.

The Use of Pronouns

Formal language tends to be impersonal and precise. The use of pronouns , therefore, is restricted. In formal writing, when addressing the audience, you may use the passive voice or an adverbial clause in place of the personal pronoun:

Restrict the use of personal pronouns in formal writing.

The writer's presence, signaled by the use of the personal pronoun I , or we (if there are several authors), can also make writing more informal and less credible.

The second sentence is more formal and can be perceived by the audience to be more credible.

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Formal and Informal Language | Formal vs. Informal Words

It is extremely important to know when to use either formal or informal language. This will depend on the business you are working in, the industry you are in, the people you are speaking with, and the topic you are talking about. Learning the formal and informal way to speak is also a great way to master and learn the language.

Both formal and informal languages serve different individual purposes. The two styles vary depending on the tone you use, the words you choose to use, and the way you construct the words together. Using formal language is less personal than using informal language. Always remember that the type of language you decide to use in writing or speaking will solely depend on your purpose and the audience you are speaking to. Here are some tips you must remember to help you know when to use either formal or informal language.

Formal and Informal Language

Formal language.

As mentioned above, formal language is less personal than informal language. This is commonly used when writing or speaking for professional or academic purposes like emails for business , formal letters , academic write-ups, professional academic circumstances, presentations, reports, official and or legal documents, job interviews, and any scenario where formal language is appropriate. Since it is less personal, this can be used when you are communicating with a person you do not personally know well, like public speeches and tenders.

Note that very formal English in everyday situations may sound pompous at times, so always consider the context and the audience you are targeting. In situations that are more serious like job interviews or emailing your university professor, using formal language is highly encouraged. This can help you avoid sounding disrespectful and inappropriate and help you sound polite and professional instead. Remember that formal language has a more complex grammar where the sentences are generally phrased longer and use modal verbs . In pronunciation , speech is slower when using formal language and the tone should be serious.

Informal Language

Informal language is more casual and laid back. This is commonly used with people you know well as your family and friends. You usually use this when you are in a relaxed environment. When your agenda is to share your personal thoughts or you are telling a story, you should use language that is appropriate to the scenario. Informal language has a more conversational tone, frequently using personal pronouns , informal expressions, sentences are shorter, and the feelings are more personal.

This type of language is best suited to use when telling a story, personal narrations, and social forms like blogs and personal emails. This can also be used in advertising, spontaneous speeches, networking, or socializing with your clients, meetings with your teams, text messages, and everyday conversations with your family and friends you know well. Contractions are used in informal languages to ease the flow and make the speech faster. Abbreviations and acronyms are also used to shorten the words. Colloquial language is also used to allow the casual flow of conversation. You can even insert an emoji here and there when using informal language!

Examples of Differences between Formal and Informal Language

Here are some examples of formal and informal languages used below in terms of:

Contractions

Informal:  It won’t turn on.

Formal:  The device will not turn on.

Phrasal Verbs

Informal:  I don’t want to drop out of school.

Formal:  I have no intention of leaving the school.

Informal:  Imma go hit him up.

Formal:  I am going to contact him.

Collocations

Informal:  My business is going bankrupt.

Formal:  My business has now officially ceased to trade.

Informal:  I will send the files asap.

Formal:  I will send the files as soon as I can.

First-Person Pronouns

Informal:  I think my study is very useful.

Formal:  The researcher is certain that the research conducted serves a lot of purposes.

Formal language is commonly used when writing. Informal language is usually used when speaking. However, this is always not the case. Always refer to the situation you are in upon deciding when to use either formal or informal language. If you are ever uncertain about whether what type of language you should use in a conversation, especially when speaking to someone older than you are or in a work environment, pay close attention to how they talk to you and try to follow their lead. However, when you are emailing someone you do not know, it is best to use formal language to be respectful and polite to the person you are emailing to.

Formal vs. Informal Words/Phrases

Learn an extensive list of 400+ formal vs. informal words and phrases in English.

Ask >>——-<< Enquire

Ask for >>——-<< Request

Book >>——-<< Reserve

Check >>——-<< Verify

Get >>——-<< Receive

Help >>——-<< Assist

Need >>——-<< Request

Say sorry >>——-<< Apologise

Start/ Begin >>——-<< Commence

End >>——-<< Terminate/ Finish

Try >>——-<< Endeavour

Deal with >>——-<< Handle

Tell >>——-<< Inform

Wait for >>——-<< Await

Fight >>——-<< Combat

Use/Eat >>——-<< Consume

Go >>——-<< Depart

Tough >>——-<< Difficult

Small >>——-<< Diminutive

Explain >>——-<< Disclose

Set out >>——-<< Display

Throw out >>——-<< Eject

Old >>——-<< Elderly

Say >>——-<< Express

Afraid >>——-<< Fearful

In the end >>——-<< Finally

Lucky >>——-<< Fortunate

But >>——-<< However

Wrong >>——-<< Incorrect

Go up >>——-<< Increase

Cheap >>——-<< Inexpensive

At first >>——-<< Initially

Mad >>——-<< Insane

Formal Words vs. Informal Words in English | Image 1

Bright/smart >>——-<< Intelligent

Big/Large >>——-<< Enormous

Right >>——-<< Correct

A bit >>——-<< A little

Away >>——-<< Absent

Speed up >>——-<< Accelerate

Okay, ok >>——-<< Acceptable

Help >>——-<< Aid/ Assist

Let >>——-<< Allow

Call off >>——-<< Cancel

Friendly >>——-<< Amiable

Expect >>——-<< Anticipate

Seem >>——-<< Appear

Climb >>——-<< Ascend

Beat up >>——-<< Assault

Fall out >>——-<< Quarrel

Eager >>——-<< Avid

Stop >>——-<< Cease

Dare >>——-<< Challenge

Kids >>——-<< Children

Settle for >>——-<< Choose

Round >>——-<< Circular

Pick up >>——-<< Collect

Think of >>——-<< Conceive

Link up >>——-<< Connect

Think about >>——-<< Consider

Build >>——-<< Construct

Refer to >>——-<< Consult

Hurt >>——-<< Damage, harm

Go down >>——-<< Decrease

Want/ hope   >>——-<< Desire

Lack   >>——-<< Deficiency

Show >>——-<< Demonstrate

Brave >>——-<< Courageous

Pin down >>——-<< Determine

Put/ set down >>——-<< Deposit

Throw away >>——-<< Discard

Make out >>——-<< Discern

Talk about >>——-<< Discuss/consider

Give out >>——-<< Distribute

Give >>——-<< Donate

Remove >>——-<< Eliminate

Imagine >>——-<< Envisage

Break out >>——-<< Erupt

Get out >>——-<< Escape

Avoid >>——-<< Evade

Go through >>——-<< Examine

Make up >>——-<< Fabricate

Test >>——-<< Experiment

Ease >>——-<< Facilitate

Come after >>——-<< Follow

Sick >>——-<< Ill

Ask out >>——-<< Invite

Go away >>——-<< Leave/ depart

At once >>——-<< Immediately

Free >>——-<< Liberate

Deal with >>——-<< Manage

Bad >>——-<< Negative

Look into >>——-<< Investigate

Chance >>——-<< Opportunity

See >>——-<< Perceive

Happy >>——-<< Pleased

Give up >>——-<< Quit

Older >>——-<< Senior

Use >>——-<< Utilize

Enough >>——-<< Sufficient

End >>——-<< Terminate

Empty >>——-<< Vacant

Rich >>——-<< Wealthy

Mend >>——-<< Repair

Idea >>——-<< Notion

Mainly >>——-<< Principally

See >>——-<< Observe

Leave out >>——-<< Omit

Go against >>——-<< Oppose

Formal Words vs. Informal Words in English | Image 2

Hungry >>——-<< Famished

Childish >>——-<< Immature

Maybe >>——-<< Perhaps

Good >>——-<< Positive

Give >>——-<< Provide

Buy >>——-<< Purchase

Say no >>——-<< Reject

Free >>——-<< Release

Look for >>——-<< Seek

Choose >>——-<< Select

Get by >>——-<< Survive

So >>——-<< Therefore

Put up with >>——-<< Tolerate

Block >>——-<< Undermine

Catch up >>——-<< Understand

Sight >>——-<< Vision

Young >>——-<< Youthful

Get >>——-<< Obtain

Need >>——-<< Require

Pay back >>——-<< Repay

Live >>——-<< Reside

Point out >>——-<< Indicate

Find out >>——-<< Learn/Discover

Get away >>——-<< Elude

Come in >>——-<< Enter

Lively >>——-<< Energetic

Clear >>——-<< Transparent

Whole >>——-<< Entire/Complete

Blow up >>——-<< Explode

Break down >>——-<< Fail/Collapse

Hopeless >>——-<< Futile

Hit out at >>——-<< Criticise

Tired >>——-<< Exhausted/ Fatigued

Clothes >>——-<< Garment

Go before  >>——-<<  Precede

Thanks >>——-<< Gratitude

Hurry >>——-<< Haste, hasten

Funny >>——-<< Humorous, amusing

Better >>——-<< Improved

Dim >>——-<< Indistinct

Worse >>——-<< Inferior

Put in >>——-<< Insert

Bring in >>——-<< Introduce

Make up >>——-<< Invent

Kidding >>——-<< Jesting

Naked >>——-<< Nude

Childish >>——-<< Infantile

A lot of >>——-<< Numerous

Stubborn >>——-<< Obstinate

Danger >>——-<< Peril

Put off >>——-<< Postpone

Here >>——-<< Present

Keep >>——-<< Preserve

Go ahead >>——-<< Proceed

Go after >>——-<< Pursue

Anyways >>——-<< Nevertheless

Let >>——-<< Permit

Sweat >>——-<< Perspiration

Look at >>——-<< Regard

Laid back >>——-<< Relaxed

Take out >>——-<< Remove

Rack up >>——-<< Accumulate

Over >>——-<< At an end

Good looking >>——-<< Attractive

Good for >>——-<< Beneficial

By >>——-<< By means of

Lead to >>——-<< Cause

Complex >>——-<< Convoluted

Go out of >>——-<< Exit

Death >>——-<< Demise

Break off >>——-<< Suspend/adjourn

Also >>——-<< In addition, additionally

Wood >>——-<< Timber

Describe >>——-<< Depict

Go on >>——-<< Continue

In charge of >>——-<< Responsible

Enjoyment >>——-<< Gratification

Dirty/ polluted >>——-<< Contaminated

Again & again >>——-<< Repeatedly

Marvelous >>——-<< Exceptional

Really big >>——-<< Considerable

Can >>——-<< Is capable of

Fork out   >>——-<<  Pay (money)

Talk into >>——-<< Persuade

Come up to >>——-<< Reach/attain

Iron out >>——-<< Solve/overcome (a problem/difficulty )

Next/later >>——-<< Subsequently

Try out >>——-<< Test

Call on >>——-<< Visit

Drop out of >>——-<< Withdraw (from)

Look up to >>——-<< Respect

Look like >>——-<< Resemble

Job >>——-<< Occupation

Dad >>——-<< Father

Boss >>——-<< Employer

Formal and Informal Words | Video

Formal and Informal Words | Images

Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 3

List of Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 4

Useful Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 5

Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 6

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Formal and Informal Language

What is the difference between formal and informal language?

Formal and informal language serve different purposes in written communications depending on the reader (Audience) and reason for writing (Purpose). The tone, the choice of words and the way the words are put together vary between the two different styles.

Formal language is less personal than informal language. It is used when writing for professional or academic purposes like graduate school assignments. Formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first-person pronouns such as “I” or “We.”

Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or family either in writing or in conversation. It is used when writing personal emails, text messages and in some business correspondence. The tone of informal language is more personal than formal language.

Examples of formal and informal language are shown below:

Contractions

• Informal :The improvements can’t be made due to budget cuts.
• Formal : Improvements cannot be made due to budget restrictions.

Phrasal Verbs

• The balloon was blown up for the experiment.
• The balloon was inflated for the experiment

Slang/Colloquialism

• Professors still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.
• Professors expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

First Person Pronouns

• I considered various research methods for the study.
• Various research methods were considered for the study.
• During the interview we asked the applicants for a personal reference.
• During the interview applicants were asked to provide a personal reference.

What Are the Differences Between Formal & Informal Speech?

How to Use Adverbs in Writing

The major differences between formal and informal speech come from the social and cultural contexts in which speakers use them. Speakers tend to use informal English among friends and relatives. Informal speech can include informal text messages and other written communication. Speakers use formal speech in more professional settings, usually among colleagues or new acquaintances. Judgment of comfort level and social expectations give clues to speakers so that the average person switches between formal and informal speech in a variety of situations.

To recognize the difference between formal and informal English, pay close attention to contractions, phrasal verbs, colloquialisms and, in informal text, the use of the first person.

Informal English Uses More Contractions

A contraction is a shortening of two words that combines them into one. Some common examples of contractions are can’t, won’t and don't. While most who speak English use contractions regularly, whether you're speaking in a formal setting to business people or your friends at school, contractions in formal written English are less common. So the use of contractions sometimes makes an easy indicator if a piece of writing qualifies as informal text. The more informal a text is, the more it will sound like regular speech, contractions and all.

Example Sentence: "I can’t go to school today because my car won’t start."

This sentence is informal for a number of reasons. The primary one is its use of contractions. To make the sentence sound more formal, a writer could take out the instances of contractions and replace them with their standard English equivalent.

New Sentence: "I cannot go to school today because my car refused to start."

Phrasal Verbs Abound in Informal Speech

A phrasal verb is an idiom in which a verb is accompanied by another word to make a complete expression. Some examples include “picked on,” “takes after” and “looking forward to.”

Example Sentence: "I put up with his shenanigans for so long that the two of us would have passed for brothers."

Not only do the phrasal verbs in this sentence make it informal, they make the sentence feel long-winded and wordy as well. To correct that, a writer should find more succinct synonyms for the phrasal verbs.

New Sentence: "I endured his shenanigans for so long that the two of us seemed like brothers."

Informal Speaking Patterns Use Colloquialisms and Slang

Slang is a type of vocabulary used by one social group but not by the population at large. Colloquial speech often refers to the use of a regional dialect and is often conflated with informal speech.

Example Sentence: "My rad Delorean zapped me all the way to the 2020s, and it was a totally righteous trip."

The problem with slang is that it isn’t always descriptive. It indicates tone and feeling more than it does detail. As you will see, attempting to excise slang can completely change the meaning of a sentence, so be careful!

New Sentence: "My energy-efficient Delorean helped me travel to the 2020s, and the trip was quite informative."

Watch for First Person Pronouns in Informal Text

While most people speak in the first person, many types of documents require more formal third-person writing. If you're writing a formal essay, watch out for the sneaky “I” appearing where it shouldn’t.

Example Sentence: "I think time travel is a fascinating subject, but I’m not sure it will ever become as easy as in the movies."

Even when writing an opinion essay, the use of the first person is unnecessary. The reader will assume that you think or believe everything you write unless you say otherwise. To make your writing more formal, remove the first person.

New Sentence: "Time travel is a fascinating subject, but it will never become as easy as in the movies."

Related Articles

How to Speak Formal English

How to Teach Contractions to ESL Students

How to Write a Testimonial Speech

Difference Between Imperative and Exclamatory

Rules for Elementary English Grammar

What Is a Formulaic Phrase?

How to Teach Direct and Indirect Speech

How to Write an Essay in Conversation Style

• University of Technology Sydney: Formal and Informal Language
• RegisteredNursing.org: Distinguishing Between Formal and Informal Language: TEAS
• Espresso English: Formal, Semi-Formal, And Informal English

Rebecca Renner is a teacher and college professor from Florida. She loves teaching about literature, and she writes about books for Book Riot, Real Simple, Electric Literature and more.

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Formal Versus Informal English: 6 Key Differences

Like many languages, English has a formal and informal register (how a language is used in different situations).

Knowing the differences between the two can significantly improve your level of fluency .

So how do you, say, talk to a superior versus a close family member in English?

We cover all that (and more) in the post below!

Formal Versus Informal English: Definitions and Differences

Contractions, phrasal verbs, colloquialisms and slang, first-person pronouns, everyday phrases in formal and informal english, and one more thing....

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• Formal English is the standard and polished form of English used in academic, business and similar contexts (like communications from the government, for example). You use it for people in a higher position than you (like your teacher or boss) or complete strangers—as well as academic or business writing, interviews and presentations.
• Informal English  is used in everyday conversations and written communication in places like social media. You use it with family members, friends and peers (people who are your social equals) in casual settings. 

Here are some formal English phrases you can use and their informal counterparts:

As you can see from the video, formal English uses correct grammar and vocabulary appropriate for the context . Meanwhile, informal English uses contractions, colloquialisms, slang and the like.  

In case you’re wondering what “contractions,” “colloquialisms” and “slang” are, you’re in luck: that’s what we’ll cover in the next sections!

Contractions are common in informal language. Usually, they are two words merged together and are characterized  (differentiated from others) by an apostrophe ( ‘ ). 

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Here are some of the most common contractions in the English language.

A phrasal verb is an  idiomatic phrase that consists of a verb and another element, typically an adverb or preposition. Phrasal verbs are more common in informal contexts than formal ones.

Here are some examples:

Colloquialisms and slang are  words and phrases regarded as very informal and rarely used in written speech. They typically vary between groups of people, regions, professions or age groups. 

In the English-speaking world, Americans use different slang from Brits (slang word for people from Britain) and Aussies (slang word for people from Australia), such as:

To paraphrase (explain in my own words) the definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary , an idiom is an expression in which you can’t easily guess the actual meaning from the words used.  

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Here are examples of idioms commonly found in informal conversations:

In informal contexts, first-person pronouns (I and we ) are more frequently used—this makes for sentences that use the active voice. On the other hand, you’ll typically see passive voice in formal settings, particularly in official or academic writing. 

Here are examples of sentences using first-person pronouns, along with their more formal versions. Notice how different they come across, even though they say the same thing!

If you want more examples (and need some handy phrases you can use for friends versus your boss), here’s another table for you!0

And if you want to see these phrases in action, you can browse any of the videos from FluentU ‘s library.

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Learning the differences between formal and informal English will go a long way in improving your grasp of the language. The better you master words and phrases from both registers, the more natural your speech will sound and the more confident you’ll feel!  

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

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Informal vs Formal Language: Usage and Differences

Follow the tips in this article and never get formal and informal language mixed up again, i want to learn....

Learning words and grammar structures is not only about memorizing meanings or grammar forms. It’s also about using appropriate language for the situation.

To be an effective communicator, you need to understand register. Register is how you say something in relation to your audience. It’s a scale from very casual and intimate (how you talk to friends and family) to formal (how you speak in professional situations).

In this article, you’ll learn all about formal and informal language, their similarities and differences, and when you should (or shouldn’t) use them.

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What is formal language?

Formal language is the words and grammar used in formal situations. People use formal language mostly in written communication in professional or academic settings. Formal language, on the other hand, is the everyday words and grammar people use in both written and spoken communication.

What is the difference between formal and informal language?

Let’s take a look at the characteristics of informal and formal language.

6 differences between formal and informal language

These rules aren’t set in stone. You can be formal and polite without using long words and complex grammar. Prioritize clarity. Make sure your audience understands everything you say.

When you should use formal language

Now you know the difference between formal and informal language, let’s take a look at when you should use each. Here are the common situations where you can use formal language.

When you communicate with someone you don’t know well, often in a professional or business situation

In academic writing and research articles

In reports and presentations

When talking to superiors***

In official documents

In legal documents

In business emails**

In job interviews

You’ll notice that many of them are examples of written English . This is where you’ll find most formal English nowadays. When you’re talking, you don’t need to be super formal. For example, you can use contractions or short sentences. It’s more important to be polite and professional than to speak formally.

** Business emails have become less formal over time. Back in the day, we used to start them with “Dear” and end them with “Sincerely.” Like we were writing a letter. Recently, starting with “Hello” and ending with “Thanks” is fine in many situations. How formal your business emails should be depends on the industry you work in and your relationship with the reader.

*** Again, the level of formality depends on your relationship with your superiors and the context of the discussion. If it’s someone you often have informal chats with, and you’re talking about an informal topic, keep it casual.

Bonus tip : To sound polite and professional without being too formal, speak in full sentences, and avoid slang and colloquial expressions .

Why you should use formal language in these situations

Using formal language in these situations is important for two main reasons. First, it shows respect for your audience. When you’re interviewing for a job, you show respect to the interviewers. They can see you’re taking things seriously. When you’re talking to a bank manager, they use formal language to show respect to you. You're a customer and they want your business.

Formal language also enhances professionalism and credibility. If you meet with a lawyer who uses too much slang, you might feel they’re not professional enough to help you. Or if you meet a doctor who never uses full sentences, you might doubt his intelligence and experience.

Use formal language when you want to maintain distance between you and the other person. Again, this is mostly going to be in professional situations. Doctors and lawyers, for example, are often involved in sensitive and serious discussions. They use formal language because they’re being careful not to offend or upset anyone.

Formal language examples

Here are some of the most common examples of formal English and the situations in which you’ll come across them.

“Dear” at the start of formal letters and emails.

“Sincerely” at the end of formal letters and emails.

“We regret to inform you” instead of “sorry” in rejection letters.

“In spite of the fact” instead of “ even though ” in academic writing.

“I’d appreciate it if you could…” when making a request in business situations.

“At your earliest convenience” instead of “as soon as possible” in professional emails.

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You will learn to book a table at a restaurant using formal language and ask “Can I book a table for four please?”, or use shorter sentences (informal language) like “I’ll book a resa for 4.” as you go through Busuus’ free online courses.

When you should use informal language

Let’s take a look at the kind of situations in which you should use informal language.

When communicating with people you know well in relaxed situations

In some business emails (see the point above)

When talking to friends and peers

In advertising and marketing

In everyday conversations

In personal emails

In text messages

In team meetings

When socializing

On social media

Why you should use informal language in these situations

Most interactions in English are in the informal register because informal is the default tone of English. Use it most of the time. It creates a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, encouraging openness and communication. When you're socializing, informal language helps you get closer to people and build relationships.

With informal language, there’s always some distance between you and the speaker — people take care not to offend anyone so they choose words more carefully. Informal language gets rid of this distance and brings people together.

Informal language examples

Here are some common examples of informal English and when it’s OK to use them.

“ How’s it going ” instead of “ How are you ?” or “ Hello ” in informal settings.

“ No worries ” can mean “ You’re welcome ” and “ no problem ” in casual situations.

“ Hey ” or “ Hi ” at the beginning of emails and text messages to people you know well.

“ Speak soon ” at the end of an informal email or when saying goodbye on the phone.

“ I wanna go out tonight ” instead of “ I want to get out tonight ” when chatting or texting with your friends or family.

Mistakes to avoid when using formal and informal language

Remember though, you don’t need to be formal to be polite. And using big words and longer sentences doesn’t make you sound smart. When you’re talking, always prioritize clarity, shorter sentences, and simpler language.

When you use the wrong register in the wrong situation, your English sounds unnatural. It creates a distance between you and the listener (if you use too-formal language) or might offend the listener (if you use too-informal language).

So be careful when you’re using formal grammar structures and longer words because it can sound unfriendly. But also be careful using slang or colloquial language because it can make you sound unprofessional.

Word of warning : Beware of sounding too formal when you speak. Formal English is most common in writing. The rules are much more relaxed for spoken communication. For most spoken interactions, using informal English is fine. If you want to be clear and polite, don’t use slang and use full sentences.

Do you need to know formal and informal English?

You might need to understand both of these registers. But it depends on how and why you want to use English.

For example, if you live in an English-speaking country , you’ll hear or read formal English when you deal with a bank or lawyer. So it’s important to understand it (even if you don’t use it yourself). If you’re studying English in your home country for a hobby or traveling , then maybe you don’t need to worry about formal English.

Most English interactions are in the informal register. So it makes sense to spend most of your time studying and practicing informal English. If you have dreams of living in an English-speaking country or working for a multinational company, understanding formal English is a benefit. But don’t worry too much about being able to produce formal English unless you have a specific need.

Use the right words for the right situations

Memorizing vocabulary and grammar is only one part of the language-learning puzzle. To be an effective communicator, you also need to use the right words and grammar for the situation.

90% of the time you’ll be fine using informal English (especially when speaking. But make a habit of always considering the situation and context of an interaction. Think about who you’re communicating with and how they’ll feel if you use formal or informal language.

Bonus tip: If you’re not sure whether to use formal or informal English, here’s a good compromise: Use full sentences with little slang or colloquial language, but use contractions, and simple words and sentences. Nobody will think this is too formal or too informal. You’ll be easy to understand and polite.

With Busuu you can learn business English to help you master the formal register. You can use the Busuu community to practice informal, everyday communication. And you can take Busuu lessons to learn real-life languages from real people.

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Language is a versatile tool that adapts to various contexts and situations. In English, communication can take on different tones and styles depending on the level of formality required. The choice between formal and informal language hinges on factors such as the audience, purpose of communication, and the setting. In this article, we will explore when to use informal and formal language, provide formal and informal langauge examples, highlight the main differences between the two, and offer a comprehensive overview of the distinctions.

When to Use Informal and Formal Language:

Informal Language: Informal language is characterized by its relaxed and casual tone. It is often used in familiar, everyday situations where the level of politeness is less important. Informal language is suitable for interactions with friends, family, and colleagues you have a close relationship with. It is also common in informal written communication, such as texting, personal emails, and social media updates. On our English speaking courses at English Al Fresco we will be using informal language all the time as we see you as a friends and want you to feel comfortable and relaxed when staying with us.

Formal Language: Formal language, on the other hand, is reserved for situations that demand a high level of respect, professionalism, and politeness. It is utilised in academic, professional, and official settings, where proper etiquette and adherence to established norms are essential. Formal language is used in academic papers, business correspondence, official reports, presentations, and speeches.

Main Differences between Formal and Informal Language:

Vocabulary and word choice:.

• Formal: Formal language employs sophisticated vocabulary and avoids slang or colloquialisms.
• Informal: Informal language uses everyday words and may include slang or informal expressions.

Sentence Structure and Grammar:

• Formal: Sentence structures are often more complex, with a focus on proper grammar and punctuation.
• Informal: Sentence structures tend to be simpler, and grammar rules might be more relaxed.

Pronouns and Addressing:

• Formal: Third-person pronouns are commonly used (e.g., “he,” “she,” “they”), and titles and last names are used for addressing.
• Informal: First-person pronouns (e.g., “I,” “we”) are frequently used, and first names or even nicknames are used for addressing.

Contractions:

• Formal: Contractions (e.g., “don’t,” “can’t”) are often avoided in formal language.
• Informal: Contractions are commonly used in informal language.

Tone and Politeness:

• Formal: The tone is polite, respectful, and professional, often using honorifics and formal language markers.
• Informal: The tone is casual, relaxed, and may include humor or friendly expressions.

Cultural References and Jargon:

• Formal: Avoids cultural references and specialized jargon that might not be universally understood.
• Informal: May include cultural references and jargon that are familiar to the intended audience.

Verb Usage:

• Formal: Tends to use complete verb phrases and avoids phrasal verbs.
• Informal: Phrasal verbs (e.g., “take off,” “get along”) are more common in informal language.

Emphasis and Intensity:

• Formal: Emphasis is achieved through careful word choice and syntax.
• Informal: Emphasis can be achieved through exclamation marks, capitalization, and emotive language.

Mastering the Art of Using Informal and Formal English Language: How can you practice?

The ability to switch between informal and formal language is a valuable skill that enhances communication versatility. Whether you’re engaging with friends in a relaxed setting or presenting a professional report, practicing these two language styles is crucial for conveying the appropriate tone and achieving desired outcomes. Here’s a practical guide to help you navigate the nuances of informal and formal English language usage.

1. Understand the Context:

Before deciding whether to use informal or formal language, consider the context of your communication. Are you engaging in a casual conversation with friends, writing a business email, or presenting a report? Understanding the setting will guide your language choice.

2. Identify Your Audience:

The audience plays a significant role in determining the level of formality you should adopt. Consider the relationship you have with your audience – are they close friends, colleagues, superiors, or a diverse audience? Tailor your language to match their expectations and preferences.

3. Listen and Observe:

One effective way to practice informal and formal language is by listening to native speakers and observing their interactions. Pay attention to the words, phrases, and tone they use in different situations. This exposure will help you grasp the subtle nuances of each style.

4. Study Examples:

Collect and analyse examples of both informal and formal language. Read articles, watch videos, and review conversations that demonstrate each style. This will provide you with a practical understanding of how each style is employed in real-life scenarios.

5. Expand Your Vocabulary:

For formal language, work on expanding your vocabulary with more sophisticated words and phrases. Invest time in reading academic papers, professional journals, and well-written literature. To enhance your informal language, engage with contemporary media, novels, and conversations with friends.

6. Practice Writing:

Writing is an effective way to practice both language styles. Draft emails, essays, and reports in formal language to improve your ability to convey professionalism. On the flip side, write informal texts, journal entries, and social media posts to refine your casual language skills.

7. Role Play:

Engage in role-playing scenarios where you switch between informal and formal language. This exercise can be done alone or with a partner. Simulating real-life situations helps you gain confidence in adapting your language to different contexts.

8. Seek Feedback:

When practicing informal and formal language, seek feedback from peers, mentors, or language experts. Constructive feedback can provide insights into areas for improvement and help you refine your language choices.

9. Use Language Learning Apps:

There are several language learning apps and platforms that offer exercises and lessons on both informal and formal language usage. These interactive tools can help you practice in a structured and engaging manner.

10. Maintain Awareness:

As you practice, remain conscious of the language style you are using. This mindfulness will enable you to switch between informal and formal language seamlessly, enhancing your ability to adapt to different communication contexts.

11. Review and Reflect:

Regularly review your conversations and written work to assess your language choices. Reflect on instances where you successfully navigated between informal and formal language and areas where you could improve.

12. Embrace the Learning Process:

Learning how to use informal and formal language is a gradual process. Don’t be discouraged by mistakes; they are opportunities for growth. Embrace the learning journey and celebrate your progress.

In summary, the choice between formal and informal language depends on the context and the audience. Formal language is employed in academic, professional, and official settings, where respect and professionalism are paramount. Informal language is suitable for everyday interactions and personal communication. The key differences between the two lie in vocabulary, sentence structure, pronoun usage, contractions, tone, cultural references, and more.

Being able to navigate between formal and informal language is a crucial skill for effective communication. It allows individuals to adapt to various social and professional scenarios, convey messages accurately, and establish the appropriate level of rapport with their audience. Whether writing a business email, giving a presentation, or chatting with friends, understanding the nuances of formal and informal language enhances communication prowess and fosters successful interactions.

At English Al Fresco we will help you to understand better slang and colloquial phrases used in everyday situations so you can sound more natural when using English. To master both informal and formal language, consider joining one of our Courses where we delve deep into the nuances of English communication.

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1.2 Formal and informal language

Now that you have identified different formal and informal situations, it is time to look at formal and informal language.

Formal language is a style of speech used when you are speaking to someone you don’t know or on whom you want to make a good impression.

Informal language is a style of speech where choice of words and grammar tends to be familiar rather than formal. It is used when you know, or want to get to know, the person you are speaking to.

Activity 3 Formal and informal phrases

Match each formal phrase to its more informal equivalent.

I am unable to attend tomorrow.

I can’t come tomorrow.

Would you like anything else?

Anything else?

I am ringing to enquire about the job.

I’m ringing to ask about the job.

The manager will return your call.

The manager will phone you back.

I received your email.

I got your email.

He returned the item to the shop.

He took back the item to the shop.

Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.

a. I got your email.

b. I can’t come tomorrow.

c. I’m ringing to ask about the job.

d. The manager will phone you back.

e. Anything else?

f. He took back the item to the shop.

In some of these examples, simply replacing a word makes something sound more formal: ‘attend’ rather than ‘come’; ‘enquire’ rather than ‘ask’; ‘received’ rather than ‘got’; ‘returned’ rather than ‘took back’.

Using a different phrase can also make something sound more formal: ‘am unable’ rather than ‘can’t’; ‘return your call’ rather than ‘phone you back’.

In the following example, using a full sentence rather than a shortened form makes it sound more formal: ‘Would you like anything else?’ rather than ‘Anything else?’.

Slang is very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written. It is commonly used among friends when speaking or sending text messages.

Activity 4 The difference between slang and formal language

Can you match each formal phrase to its slang equivalent?

She was devastated when the team lost.

She was gutted when the team lost.

He had his wallet stolen.

He had his wallet nicked.

They were intoxicated on Saturday night.

They were legless on Saturday night.

She went shopping with her friends.

She went shopping with her mates.

His son can be outspoken at times.

His son can be gobby at times.

I’m feeling hungry.

I’m feeling peckish.

a. His son can be gobby at times.

b. He had his wallet nicked.

c. I’m feeling peckish.

d. She was gutted when the team lost.

e. She went shopping with her mates.

f. They were legless on Saturday night.

The slang words used here – gutted, nicked, legless, mates, gobby, peckish – are words that might be spoken or texted among friends. It is unlikely that you would see these words in formal writing.

Formal language is more likely to be grammatically correct. For example, you would say ‘I have not’ rather than the grammatically incorrect ‘I ain’t’.

When speaking and listening, you should think about three important questions:

• Who am I speaking to?
• What is the purpose?
• Is this a formal or an informal situation?

Activity 5 Formal and informal phrases

Think about each situation below and decide whether it’s formal or informal. Then write a phrase that you might use in that situation.

1. Making an appointment at the doctor’s surgery

2. Chatting with friends

3. Parents’ evening at a children’s school

4. Job interview

5. A community drop-in session

Compare your ideas with the examples below.

In this section you have:

• looked at what makes a confident speaker
• identified formal and informal situations
• considered the differences between formal, informal and slang language.

You will now turn to the important subject of non-verbal communication.

• Home »
• Blog »

10 differences between formal and informal language

Knowing when to use formal or informal English at work will depend on the business, the industry, who you are speaking with, and what you are talking about. When you are working cross-culturally or with people you do not know very well, using formal language helps eliminate any misunderstandings and helps you sound polite and professional.

Here are 10 tips on how to use formal and informal language.

1. Know in which situations you can use informal language

This table shows the main scenarios in which it is best to use formal language. Using very formal English in everyday situations can sound pompous, so always think about the context and your target audience.

2. Grammar

In formal language, grammar is more complex and sentences are generally longer. For example:

• We regret to inform you that the delivery will be delayed due to adverse weather conditions [formal]
• Sorry, but the delivery will be late because of the weather [informal]
• Have you seen my glasses? [formal]
• Seen my glasses? [informal]
• I am sorry to have kept you waiting [formal]
• Sorry to keep you waiting [informal]

3. Modal verbs

Formal language uses modal verbs. For example:

• We  would  be grateful if….
• Could  you kindly inform us as as to whether..?

4. Pronouns

Formal language is less personal, and is more likely to use the ‘we’ as a pronoun rather than ‘I’: For example:

• We  can assist in the  resolution  of this matter. Contact us on our help line number [formal]
• I  can help you solve this problem. Call me! [informal]
• We  regret to inform you that……[formal]
• I’m  sorry, but…. [informal]
• We  have pleasure in announcing….[formal]
• I’m  happy to say…[informal]

5. Vocabulary

In formal language, words are generally longer. For example:

• Require  [formal] vs  need  [informal]
• Purchase  [formal] vs  buy  [informal]
• Acceptable  [formal] vs  okay  [informal]
• Assistance  [formal] vs  help  [informal]
• Require  [formal] vs  want  [informal]

Improve your confidence in spoken English with our General English course or  Individual English training   in our centre in London or online.

6. Pronunciation

Speech is generally slower in formal language, allowing for correct and clear pronunciation, and the tone of the voice is more  serious .

7. Contractions

These are not used in formal language. In informal language they are used for easier flow and faster speech. For example:

• She has  decided to accept the job offer [formal]
• She’s  decided to accept the job offer [informal]

8. Abbreviations and acronyms

These are not used in formal language. For example:

• ‘As soon as possible’ [formal] vs ‘asap’ [informal]
• ‘Advertisement’ [formal] vs ‘ad’ or ‘advert’ [informal]
• ‘Photograph’ [formal] vs ‘photo’ [informal]

9. Colloquial language

This is not used in formal language. For example:

• Would you like a cup of tea? [formal] vs Fancy a cuppa? [informal]
• ‘Would you like to…’ [formal] vs ‘Do you want….’ [informal]

10. Emojis are never used in formal language!

Eliminate: to remove or eliminate something.

Pompous: grand, solemn, or self-important.

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Serious: grave, thoughtful or subdued.

This blog has been written at level C2. Practise your reading and listening by reading the blogs below.

More English tips and skills

• How to sound natural with adverbs of attitude  (listening skills)
• Working online: what are the implications for language and communication?  (level C2)
• How to write effective business and work emails in English  (Level B2)
• How to improve your telephone English  (level C1)
• Business English for work and careers: 50 words you need to know  (level C2)
• 'Fake news' expressions you should know  (level C1)

Recommended courses:

• Business and Professional English
• Business and Professional English 25+
• Business and Professional English - Virtual Groups
• English for Work & Careers
• Business and Professional English 25+ plus Individual Training
• General English - Virtual Groups
• General English

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Posted: 14 October 2020

Categories: Business, Communication skills, Workplace challenges, English skills

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Formal and informal language

Learn the difference between formal and informal language and when to use them.

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What is the difference between formal and informal language?

Formal and informal language serve different purposes. The tone, the choice of words and the way the words are put together vary between the two styles. Formal language is less personal than informal language. It is used when writing for professional or academic purposes like university assignments. Formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first person pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘We’.

Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or family either in writing or in conversation. It is used when writing personal emails, text messages and in some business correspondence. The tone of informal language is more personal than formal language.

Examples of formal and informal language are shown below:

Contractions

Informal:    The improvements canʼt be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Formal:      Improvements cannot be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Informal:    I donʼt believe that the results are accurate.

Formal:       The results are not believed to be accurate.

Informal:    The research project wonʼt continue next year.

Formal:       The research project will not continue next year.

Phrasal verbs

Informal:    The balloon was blown up for the experiment.

Formal:       The balloon was inflated for the experiment.

Informal:    The patient got over his illness.

Formal:      The patient recovered from his illness.

Informal:    The results of the study were mixed up.

Formal:      The results of the study were confused.

Slang/Colloquialisms

Informal:    The mob was very rowdy during the protest against cuts to university funding.

Formal:       The crowd was very rowdy during the protest against the cuts to university funding.

Informal:    Lecturers still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

Formal:      Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

Informal:    It was raining cats and dogs.

Formal:       It was raining very heavily.

First person pronouns

Informal:    I considered various research methods for the study.

Formal:       Various research methods were considered for the study.

Informal:    We believe the practice is unsustainable.

Formal:       It is believed the practice is unsustainable.

Informal:    During the interview, I asked students about their experiences.

Formal:       During the interview, students were asked about their experiences.

TAFE           Technical and Further Education

ANZAC        Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

QANTAS      Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services

Initialisms

UTS             University of Technology Sydney

ISO              International Standards Organisation

OECD          Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

The first time an acronym or initialism is used in an essay, it is acceptable to write the name in full with the acronym or initialism in brackets after it. Every subsequent time it is used the acronym or initialism can be used on its own. Commonly known acronyms such as ANZAC and QANTAS do not need to be written in full. If an acronym or initialism needs to be made into a plural, add a small ‘s’ to it without an apostrophe.

Do not use the acronyms 'ATSI' or 'TSI' to refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This must be written in full. Always capitalise the word 'Indigenous' when referring to Australia's Indigenous peoples.

Other academic style resouces

• UTS Publications Style Guide   is available on Staff Connect (requires UTS staff login).
• RMIT's Academic style

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

Style-Shifting: Examining and Using Formal and Informal Language Styles

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

As language users, we constantly move between speech communities and adjust our language accordingly. As students advance in their academic careers, they engage in more complex tasks in school, both spoken and written.  Consequently, their ability to style-shift becomes more important, as they are often judged on the appropriateness of their language choices. This lesson plan asks students to compare formal and informal language styles and articulate the specific features common to each style. Students examine their own language use to note how it varies across contexts. By becoming aware of the changes in their own language use, students can gain greater control over the language styles they adopt in different contexts.

Featured Resources

• Recognizing Formal and Informal Language Features :  Students use this resource to discuss examples of formal and informal language, as well as to begin developing a sense of what language features contribute to such labels.
• Translating between Informal and Formal Styles :  With this resource, students apply their understanding of formal and informal language features to shift between them.

From Theory to Practice

As language users, we constantly shift styles according to the contexts in which we find ourselves speaking or writing. Similar to code-switching, style-shifting is often below our level of consciousness as speakers or writers, but can be problematic for us as listeners or readers. Rather than ask students to leave their personalities and multiple language styles outside the classroom, this lesson plan seeks to draw on students’ multiple language styles to compare and contrast them. Through such meta-analyses of language, students gain greater control and choice over which styles to use when engaging in academic activities.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials and Technology

• Internet-connected computer with projection and sound
• Video:   Formal vs. Informal Writing
• Video:   Formal vs. Informal Writing: What's the Difference and When to Use Them
• Recognizing Formal and Informal Language Features
• Translating between Informal and Formal Styles

Preparation

• Make copies of the Recognizing Formal and Informal Language Features handout.
• Make copies of the Translating between Informal and Formal Styles handout.
• Prepare examples of speech communities and specific language features to help students get started.
• Ensure that available multimedia equipment will support projection of videos with sound.
• Select a text that students will read between Sessions One and Two for purposes of composing a formal summary. The text could be anything: a novel, a news article, a chapter in a history textbook, a film, a commercial.

Student Objectives

Students will

• recognize formal and informal language styles.
• identify specific language features found in formal and informal styles.
• develop meta-linguistic awareness.
• practice style-shifting from formal to informal and vice versa.

Session One

• Give students copies of the  Recognizing Formal and Informal Language Features handout. Explain that students will read and rate each sentence on the handout from 1 to 5, with 1 being very informal and 5 being very formal.
• After rating each sentence, have students work in pairs or small groups to compare their answers. During this discussion, encourage students to talk about which features they notice in the sentences they labeled formal and which are in the sentences they labeled informal. Have students make lists of their observations to report to the class.
• As a whole class, elicit observations from each group. You could use the board or computer screen to create two lists, one for formal and one for informal language features.
• As a class, select a few sentences and ask students if that is the type of sentence they would say to their teachers?  Parents? A close friend?  A coach?  A store clerk?  Help students notice that we use different types of language depending on who we are talking to.
• Ask students to make a list of the different people (or types of people) they interact with regularly. For example, students probably interact with parents, siblings, grandparents, close friends, classmates, teachers, passengers on a bus or train, cafeteria staff, store clerks, and so forth. Encourage them to think about any sports, clubs, religious affiliations, and hobby groups such as cheerleading, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, or choir practice. Consider providing the class with your own examples. Encourage students to work in pairs or groups to generate their lists.
• Elicit students’ lists as a class. Explain that each of these groups makes up its own speech community (or discourse community), with its own set of expectations for communicating. For example, we ask for information from a store clerk or librarian differently from how we ask our close friends or parents for answers.
• Ask students to focus on two speech communities on their lists: one that they would consider informal and one that they consider relatively more formal. Students should think about how they talk or write to other members of each speech community. If possible, have students pull up emails, text messages, or other writing that they have received or shared among members of those speech communities to compare them. Encourage students to draw on the features from earlier in the session.  It may be helpful to draw their attention to specialized vocabulary, abbreviations, sentence style, sentence length, and so forth.
• As a class, elicit from students the speech communities they thought about and compared and what they discovered in their comparisons.  A very basic comparison is texting about an event to a friend versus writing about an event to a teacher. (Again, it might be helpful to be prepared with your own examples to get students started.)
• The point of this activity is to raise students’ awareness of how they change their language behavior depending on which speech community with which they are engaging.  Be sure that students understand that this is normal and expected, since different speakers and listeners have different expectations about what is appropriate or not.
• Point out to students that what is true for speech communities is also true for the contexts in which they write; that is, students need to consider the community, or audience, for whom they are writing in order to select the most appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall organization.
• Share with students the text you expect them to read for the next session, explaining that they need to read it carefully in preparation for writing a formal summary of it.

Session Two

(This session may need to be divided over two sessions, depending on how much time is spent on the two writing activities.)

• For this session, students should all have read the same text (or viewed the same film) for homework.
• Tell students that they are going to prepare a summary of the text to hand in. (Ultimately, they don’t have to hand it in, but it is helpful for them to think that this is the case for now.)  Have students work in groups to discuss and share the content that they plan to write about.
• Once students have reviewed the content in their groups, have them work individually to write a one-paragraph formal summary with the teacher as intended audience. (Note: while the content of the summary is important, for this task it is secondary to how the summary is expressed, the language students use to produce an assignment to hand in.)
• When students have finished writing their summaries, elicit a few for the whole class by having a few students read their summaries aloud. If students are using laptops, you can project one or two responses on a screen for the whole class to read as well as hear. Typically, students’ summaries will be written in relatively formal language, since they are writing for the teacher.
• After reading a few summaries as a class, tell students to imagine that a close friend from another class or school asks them what they are reading in class and what it is about. Have students write their responses in the form of a dialogue between themselves and their friends. While students are writing, select one or two strong responses from the previous task to discuss as a class later. If possible, plan to project or write the response(s) for all students to see on the screen or blackboard.
• Alternatively, students could write an email to a classmate who is absent. In their emails, they can explain what was covered in class in a way that includes a brief summary of the same text or film.
• When students have finished writing their dialogues, ask a few students to read their responses aloud to the class. Consider asking students to act out the dialogues. Be sure to include the dialogues that correspond with the one or two responses from the previous task that are on the screen or board.
• Have students compare the responses from the first task with the responses from the second task. Elicit all the features they notice and write them on the board. Some things that might be noticeable are the use of contractions, slang, specific vocabulary, personal pronouns (especially you ), discourse markers ( well, you know, like ). Ask students to analyze word choice, word length (number of syllables), and sentence length as well.
• Show students the YouTube clips  Formal vs. Informal Writing and  Formal vs Informal Writing: What’s the Difference and When to Use Them and discuss how the videos confirm and enhance what students know about formal and informal language use.
• Give students copies of the  Translating between Informal and Formal Styles handout. Ask students work in pairs or small groups to “translate” the sentences into a much more formal or informal style.  Consider turnin this step into a competition by challenging students to come up with the most formal or informal version and then voting on them as a class.
• If students regularly write journals for the course, ask students to re-write one of their journal entries into a more formal text for homework or for an in-class writing activity.
• Invite students to make their own presentations or podcasts comparing formal vs. informal writing styles.  Share with students  Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts and/or  PowerPoint Tool Tips to support students in this work.
• Ask students to use the  Venn Diagram interactive to compare formal and informal language features and note where the two forms overlap.

Student Assessment / Reflections

The tasks in this lesson plan do not have strictly correct or incorrect answers, but allow students to examine which language features are most likely present in informal or formal contexts. When completing the writing tasks, students are encouraged to be creative and even exaggerate in their use of certain features for effect.

Students compose dictionary entries for words and phrases from pop culture texts (e.g., television shows, movies, lyrics, YouTube videos), connecting their definitions to their personal use of the terms.

Students explore using electronic messaging and Internet abbreviations for specific purposes and examine the importance of using a more formal style of writing based on their audience.

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Deciding When to Use Formal and Informal Language

Minilesson print.

When to Use Formal Language

Thurgood Marshall was a civil rights lawyer who became the first African American ever to serve on the Supreme Court. His biggest achievement, however, was his role in a legal case that changed America for the better.

Characteristics of formal language:

✓ teaching tone

✓ limited personal pronouns ( I, me, you ) and contractions ( you’d, we’ve )

✓ academic vocabulary

✓ longer sentences

✓ neutral voice

Your Turn Reread the sample paragraph about Thurgood Marshall and write down parts that show characteristics of formal language.

When to Use Informal Language

Other writing situations call for more casual, informal language. When your purpose is to share your personal thoughts and feelings or to tell a story, use language that sounds more like you are talking with your friends or classmates. This type of language works best for stories, personal narratives, and social forms (blogs, microblogs, personal email).

When I finally stepped on stage, my mind froze. “Oh no,” I thought. “I forgot my line.” I started to feel embarrassed, but then I looked at Chad. He pointed to his hat. That’s it! I remembered what I was supposed to say.

Characteristics of informal language:

✓ conversational tone

✓ frequent personal pronouns ( I, me, you ) and contractions ( you’d, we’ve )

✓ informal expressions ( what’s up? )

✓ shorter sentences

✓ personal feelings

Your Turn Reread the sample paragraph about the stage play and write down parts that show characteristics of informal language.

Your Turn Review the following writing scenarios. Decide which two should use formal language and which one should use informal language. Explain your choices.

• Jackie Robinson showed great courage in becoming the first African American to play major league baseball. Share a personal experience in which you demonstrated courage or witnessed someone else demonstrating courage.
• Write a biographical essay that explains the key events in the life of Jackie Robinson.
• In a classroom report, write about how Jackie Robinson broke baseball's racial barrier, showing causes and effects.

From page 31 in Writers Express

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Standards Correlations:

The State Standards provide a way to evaluate your students' performance.

• LAFS.K12.W.2.4
• 110.5.b.11.A
• 110.5.b.11.B.i
• 110.5.b.11.B.ii
• LAFS.3.W.2.4
• 110.6.b.11.A
• LAFS.4.W.2.4
• 110.7.b.11.A
• LAFS.5.W.2.4

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Using Informal Style in Prose Writing

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , informal style is a broad term for speech or writing marked by a casual, familiar, and generally colloquial use of language .

An informal writing style is often more direct than a formal style and may rely more heavily on contractions , abbreviations , short sentences , and ellipses .

In a recently published textbook ( The Rhetorical Act , 2015), Karlyn Kohrs Campbell et al. observe that, by comparison, formal prose is "strictly grammatical and uses complex sentence structure and precise, often technical vocabulary . Informal prose is less strictly grammatical and uses short, simple sentences and ordinary, familiar words. Informal style may include sentence fragments , such as the truncated style of text messaging ... and some colloquialisms or slang ."

But as Carolyne Lee reminds us, "[s]impler prose does not inevitably mean simpler ideas or simpler conceptualizing" ( Word Bytes: Writing in the Information Society , 2009).

Examples and Observations

• "An informal writing style is a relaxed and colloquial way of writing standard English . It is the style found in most personal e-mail and in some business correspondence, nonfiction books of general interest, and mass-circulation magazines. There is less distance between the writer and the reader because the tone is more personal than in a formal writing style. Contractions and elliptical constructions are common. . . . An informal style approximates the cadence and structure of spoken English while conforming to the grammatical conventions of written English ." (G. J. Alred, C. T. Brusaw, and W. E. Oliu, Handbook of Technical Writing , 9th ed. St. Martin's Press, 2008)
• "[T]he informal style , far from being merely a sloppy form of language, is governed by rules every bit as precise, logical, and rigorous as the rules governing formal language." (A. Akmajian, et al, Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication . MIT Press, 2001)
• Informal Style in Electronic Communications "As e-mail messages, text messages and social network postings become nearly ubiquitous in the lives of teenagers, the informality of electronic communications is seeping into their schoolwork, a new study says. "Nearly two-thirds of 700 students surveyed said their e-communication style sometimes bled into school assignments, according to the study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, in partnership with the College Board’s National Commission on Writing. About half said they sometimes omitted proper punctuation and capitalization in schoolwork. A quarter said they had used emoticons like smiley faces. About a third said they had used text shortcuts like 'LOL' for 'laugh out loud.' "'I think this is not a worrying issue at all,' said Richard Sterling, emeritus executive director of the National Writing Project, which aims to improve the teaching of writing." (Tamar Lewin, "Informal Style of Electronic Messages Is Showing Up in Schoolwork, Study Finds." The New York Times , April 25, 2008)
• Standard English and Informal Style "[T]here is no necessary connection between Standard English and formal styles, or non-standard dialects and informal styles: My mate is bloody knackered. is informal style... but it is also Standard English. On the other hand, My friend be very tired. which is stylistically less informal, is not in Standard English but some other dialect." (Peter Trudgill, Dialects . Routledge, 1994)
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