H5 Formal language vs Informal language - letter writing

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Welcome!

Formal and Informal Language

Understanding the differences and applying them effectively

Goal: Students understand the difference between formal and informal language and know how to apply it in practice.

When do you use formal language? And when do you use informal language?

Wat is formal language?

• Volledige zinnen en correcte grammatica.
• Geen gebruik van afkortingen of slang.
• Beleefd en onpersoonlijk van toon.
• Formeel vocabulaire (bijv. "require" i.p.v. "need").

Voorbeeld:
Formeel: I would like to request your assistance in resolving this issue.
Informeel: Can you help me with this?

Wat is informal language?

• Casual en relaxed toon.
• Gebruik van afkortingen en slang.
• Persoonlijker en minder strikt qua structuur.

Voorbeeld:

Formeel: Good afternoon, how are you?

Informeel: Hey, how’s it going?

Study the language (left: informal right: formal)

The biggest differences

When to Use Which?

Formal language: Job applications, official letters, academic essays.

Informal language: Conversations with friends, casual emails, social media.

Tip: Ask yourself: Who is my audience? What is the situation?

Is this sentence formal or informal?

They did an experiment.

1. Formal
2. Informal

Turn this sentence into a formal one:
They did an experiment.

The essay-burger

Assignment 1: Improve a formal letter

On the right you can see a formal letter from Belcalis Almánzar, also known as Cardi B) to her Lawyer regarding her divorce with Offset.

Her letter looks amazing as it is, but it is not considered formal yet. 

Have a look at the letter, detect the mistake and rephrase the letter. 

Have a look at all the readers online to make sure you correct it effectively.