Formal vs. Informal Writing
Definition
Formal writing is used in academic, professional, and official contexts. It follows strict grammatical conventions, uses full sentences, avoids contractions and slang, and maintains an objective or authoritative tone. Informal writing is used in personal, casual, or conversational contexts. It is more relaxed in grammar, allows contractions and colloquial expressions, and reflects the natural way people speak. Knowing the difference — and knowing when to use each — is one of the most practical writing skills you can develop as an English learner.
Characteristics and Rules
Rule 1: Formal writing avoids contractions.
In formal writing, always spell out contractions: ‘do not’ instead of ‘don’t,’ ‘cannot’ instead of ‘can’t,’ ‘it is’ instead of ‘it’s,’ ‘they are’ instead of ‘they’re.’ Contractions are perfectly appropriate in informal writing and speech.
Examples — Informal vs. Formal
1. INFORMAL: I can’t attend the meeting tomorrow. / FORMAL: I am unable to attend the meeting tomorrow.
2. INFORMAL: It’s been a really tough quarter for the team. / FORMAL: It has been a particularly challenging quarter for the team.
3. INFORMAL: We don’t recommend this approach. / FORMAL: This approach is not recommended.
4. INFORMAL: They haven’t responded to our proposal yet. / FORMAL: They have not yet responded to our proposal.
5. INFORMAL: She won’t be able to finish the report on time. / FORMAL: She will not be in a position to complete the report within the specified timeframe.
Rule 2: Formal writing avoids first and second person (usually).
Academic and professional writing often avoids ‘I,’ ‘you,’ ‘we,’ and ‘our’ in favor of third-person constructions. This creates objectivity and distance. However, some modern professional contexts welcome ‘we’ and even ‘I’ — always follow the guidelines of your specific context.
Examples
1. INFORMAL: I think this policy is unfair to workers. / FORMAL: This policy appears to disadvantage workers significantly.
2. INFORMAL: You can see from the graph that sales dropped. / FORMAL: The graph demonstrates a clear decline in sales.
3. INFORMAL: We found that exercise improves memory. / FORMAL: The study found that exercise improves memory.
4. INFORMAL: You should invest in training your staff. / FORMAL: Investment in staff training is strongly recommended.
5. INFORMAL: We believe this proposal will succeed. / FORMAL: The evidence suggests that this proposal has a strong likelihood of success.
Rule 3: Formal writing uses precise vocabulary; informal uses everyday language.
Formal writing uses specific, academic vocabulary. Informal writing uses the words you would say out loud in conversation. Neither is wrong — they simply serve different purposes.
Examples — Informal vs. Formal vocabulary
1. INFORMAL: The boss fired half the workers. / FORMAL: The organization terminated the employment of approximately fifty percent of its workforce.
2. INFORMAL: The plan was a total disaster. / FORMAL: The initiative failed to achieve its stated objectives on multiple critical dimensions.
3. INFORMAL: Kids do better in school when they sleep enough. / FORMAL: Adequate sleep duration has been positively correlated with academic performance in pediatric populations.
4. INFORMAL: The drug helps people with anxiety feel calmer. / FORMAL: The medication has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in adult patients.
5. INFORMAL: The meeting went really well. / FORMAL: The meeting was highly productive and resulted in three actionable decisions.
Rule 4: Formal writing avoids slang, idioms, and colloquialisms.
Slang (words like ‘gonna,’ ‘wanna,’ ‘legit,’ ‘lowkey’), idioms (phrases like ‘hit the nail on the head’), and colloquialisms (casual everyday expressions) are inappropriate in formal academic or professional writing. Use standard, widely-understood language instead.
Examples
1. SLANG: The new app is gonna be legit game-changing. / FORMAL: The new application is expected to represent a significant advancement in the field.
2. IDIOM: The new manager really hit the ground running. / FORMAL: The new manager immediately demonstrated strong performance and initiative.
3. COLLOQUIAL: She kind of messed up the whole project. / FORMAL: Her decisions compromised the integrity of the project significantly.
4. SLANG: I lowkey think this strategy is a waste of time. / FORMAL: There is reason to question whether this strategy represents an optimal use of available resources.
5. IDIOM: We need to get the ball rolling on the new initiative. / FORMAL: We must begin implementation of the new initiative without further delay.
Rule 5: Structure matters more in formal writing.
Formal writing — particularly academic essays and professional reports — follows a strict organizational structure: introduction with a clear thesis, body paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting evidence, and a conclusion that synthesizes the main points. Informal writing can be more flexible in structure, mirroring the natural flow of conversation or personal expression.
Examples — Structural differences
1. INFORMAL (personal blog): ‘Okay so I’ve been thinking a lot about social media lately and honestly? I have a lot of feelings about it.’
2. FORMAL (academic): ‘This paper argues that social media platforms, despite their communicative benefits, have contributed significantly to the erosion of civil discourse in contemporary American society.’
3. INFORMAL (text message): ‘Meeting went great! Boss loved our idea. More details later!’
4. FORMAL (business memo): ‘The meeting of April 14th resulted in approval of the proposed marketing strategy. Full implementation details will be communicated to all stakeholders by April 21st.’
5. INFORMAL (journal entry): ‘I finally finished the research paper today. I was so exhausted but also kind of proud of myself.’ / FORMAL (professional summary): ‘The research paper was completed on schedule, meeting all specified requirements and citation guidelines.’
Extended Dialogue: Formal vs. Informal Writing in Real Life
Setting: A college campus. A career counselor, Ms. Nguyen, is helping a junior student, Elijah, prepare a professional cover letter for a summer internship at a law firm. Elijah has brought in a draft that he wrote.
Ms. Nguyen: Elijah, thank you for coming in early this week. Let’s look at the draft you’ve prepared for the internship cover letter. I’ve read it through once… and I can see you’re enthusiastic about the opportunity, which is wonderful. But there are some register issues we need to work through. Do you know what I mean by ‘register’?
Elijah: Is that like… how formal or informal something sounds?
Ms. Nguyen: Exactly. A cover letter to a law firm is about as formal a document as you’ll write at your level. Law firms in particular pay very close attention to language precision. So let’s start at the top. You opened with: ‘Hey, my name is Elijah Thompson and I’m super excited to apply for the summer internship position at your awesome firm.’ Can you identify the problems?
Elijah: Um… ‘Hey’ is too casual. ‘Super excited’ is informal. And ‘awesome firm’ is definitely too casual for a law office.
Ms. Nguyen: Precisely. In formal writing, you would never open with ‘hey.’ The appropriate salutation is ‘Dear’ followed by the specific person’s name, if you know it, or ‘Dear Hiring Committee’ if you do not. And instead of ‘super excited,’ you would say ‘I am writing to express my strong interest in…’ or ‘I am pleased to apply for the position of…’
Elijah: So something like: ‘Dear Ms. Patel, I am writing to express my sincere interest in the summer internship position advertised on your firm’s official website.’?
Ms. Nguyen: That is excellent, Elijah. Precise, respectful, and professional. Now, later you wrote: ‘I’ve always been really into the law and I think I’d be great at this internship because I work hard and I’m pretty smart.’ There are multiple issues. First, ‘really into’ is far too casual. Second, ‘pretty smart’ sounds both informal and, frankly, not very confident — it undermines rather than sells you. And the contraction ‘I’ve’ should be ‘I have’ in this context.
Elijah: How should I rephrase that?
Ms. Nguyen: ‘I have maintained a strong academic record in my pre-law coursework and developed a genuine passion for legal research and analysis. I am confident that my dedication, academic preparation, and strong analytical skills make me an excellent candidate for this position.’ Notice — no contractions, no casual language, and specific confident claims instead of vague ones.
Elijah: That sounds so much more professional. But won’t it sound fake or robotic if it’s too formal?
Ms. Nguyen: That is a great question. There is a balance. The goal is not to sound robotic — it is to sound polished and professional. You can still let your personality come through. For example, you wrote: ‘I got to see what real lawyers do when I shadowed an attorney last fall, and it was honestly the coolest experience.’ That feeling — that genuine curiosity and excitement — is worth keeping. But we phrase it formally: ‘During a professional shadowing experience in the fall of 2024, I gained firsthand exposure to litigation preparation and case strategy, an experience that deepened my commitment to pursuing a legal career.’
Elijah: That still captures the meaning but sounds like a completely different person wrote it.
Ms. Nguyen: It should sound like the most polished, professional version of you. And that is the skill we are developing — the ability to code-switch, to adjust your language to fit the context. The Elijah who texts his friends can say ‘this internship would be so sick.’ The Elijah who writes to a law firm says ‘this internship would provide an invaluable foundation for my legal career.’ Same person. Different register. Both completely authentic.
Elijah: That really helps. I think I was confusing ‘being myself’ with ‘writing like I talk.’ They’re not the same thing.
Ms. Nguyen: That is an insight that many writers take years to reach. You are going to do very well, Elijah.
About the Author
