Formal vs Informal Language
Formal and informal language are two different registers a writer chooses depending on audience and purpose: formal language suits serious or unfamiliar situations, such as a letter to an official, while informal language suits familiar, everyday situations, such as chatting with a friend. KS2 writing tasks often test the ability to switch between the two.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the audience and purpose of the writing: is it for someone you know well and casual, or someone official and unfamiliar?
- For formal writing, avoid contractions, writing 'do not' instead of 'don't', and avoid slang.
- Use full, standard English sentences and more sophisticated vocabulary in formal writing, such as 'purchase' instead of 'buy'.
- For informal writing, contractions, colloquial phrases and shorter sentences are acceptable.
- Check the tone throughout: formal writing is usually more polite and impersonal, while informal writing can be chatty and direct.
- Read the piece through and make sure the register is consistent throughout, not mixed.
Worked example
Rewrite this informal sentence in formal English: 'Hiya, just wanted to say I can't make it to footy practice, sorry!'
- Identify the informal features: the greeting 'Hiya', the contraction 'can't', the casual word 'footy' and the exclamation mark.
- Remove the casual greeting since a formal message does not need it.
- Expand the contraction: 'can't' becomes 'will not be able to'.
- Replace the informal word 'footy' with the standard term 'football practice'.
- Write the sentence as a polite, complete statement without the casual exclamation.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a English exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Identify two features that make this sentence informal, and explain what makes each one informal: 'Sorry, can't come, gutted about it though!'
Rewrite the following as a formal sentence suitable for a letter to a local councillor: 'The park's a right mess, someone needs to sort it out.'
A pupil is writing two pieces about being absent from school: a text message to a friend and a formal email to a teacher. Write one sentence for each, then explain one difference in language choice between them.
Free printable worksheet
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