Can informal

Take Quiz. Toggle Main Navigation Main Navigation. Topics Grammar Punctuation Organization Style. Glossary Useful Links References. Effective Writing Practices Tutorial Style Formal and Informal Style Formal and Informal Style Whether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience.

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. Choice of Vocabulary Vocabulary needs to be adjusted depending on the level of formality of any written work. Informal The study checked out the health effects of passive smoking. Formal The study examined the health effects of passive smoking. Rule to Remember Use more formal vocabulary and avoid the use of contractions in formal writing.

Sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rephrased: Informal This experiment worked out just fine. Formal This experiment was successful. Informal The outcomes of the study haven't been documented yet. Formal The outcomes of the study have not been documented yet. The Use of Pronouns Formal language tends to be impersonal and precise.

House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at , see or watch?

Low or short? Man , mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt? No or not? Nowadays , these days or today? Open or opened? Opportunity or possibility? Opposite or in front of? Other , others , the other or another? Out or out of? Permit or permission? Person , persons or people? Pick or pick up?

Play or game? Politics , political , politician or policy? Price or prize? Principal or principle? Quiet or quite? Raise or rise? Remember or remind? Right or rightly? Rob or steal? Say or tell? So that or in order that? Sometimes or sometime? Sound or noise? Speak or talk? Such or so? Towards or toward? Wait or wait for? Wake , wake up or awaken? Worth or worthwhile? Noun phrases: dependent words Noun phrases: order Noun phrases: uses Noun phrases: noun phrases and verbs Noun phrases: two noun phrases together.

Pronouns: possessive my , mine , your , yours , etc. Pronouns: reflexive myself , themselves , etc. Pronouns: indefinite - body , - one , - thing , - where Pronouns: one , you , we , they Relative pronouns Questions: interrogative pronouns what , who Someone , somebody , something , somewhere That. Dates Measurements Number Time. Geographical places Names and titles: addressing people Nationalities, languages, countries and regions Place names.

Reported speech Reported speech: direct speech Reported speech: indirect speech. British and American English Dialect Double negatives and usage Formal and informal language Newspaper headlines Register Slang Standard and non-standard language Swearing and taboo expressions.

Past simple I worked Past continuous I was working Past continuous or past simple? Past simple or present perfect? Used to Past perfect simple I had worked Past perfect continuous I had been working Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous? Past perfect simple or past simple? Past verb forms referring to the present Past: typical errors. Present continuous I am working Present perfect continuous I have been working Present perfect simple I have worked Present perfect simple or present perfect continuous?

Present perfect: typical errors Present simple I work Present simple or present continuous? Present: typical errors Present verb forms referring to the past. Finite and non-finite verbs Imperative clauses Be quiet! Infinitives with and without to Infinitive: active or passive?

Perfect infinitive with to to have worked Verbs: basic forms Verbs: formation. Can the informal sector affect the relationship between unemployment and output? Economic development. Author: Islas C. December Download Publication pdf. Description A key aspect of developing countries is the existence of a large informal sector.