Formal vs Informal English: Choosing the Right Tone

Imagine opening an email from a stranger that begins 'Hey mate, gonna be late!' Now imagine sending your best friend a message that begins 'Dear Sir or Madam'. Both are grammatically correct, and both feel wrong. Choosing between formal and informal English is a writing skill in its own right, and it's one learners are rarely taught. Here's a simple way to get it right.

Start by Asking Who Is Reading

Formality depends on your reader and the situation, not on your level of English. The less you know the reader, and the more is at stake, the more formal you should be. A job application, a complaint or a first email to a client calls for formal English; a message to a colleague you see every day usually doesn't. Many languages have a built-in switch for this, such as a formal and an informal 'you'. English has only one 'you', so the formality has to come from your words and sentence structure instead.

Contractions and Short Forms

Contractions such as I'm, can't and we'll make writing sound relaxed and natural. In formal writing, use the full forms instead:

• Informal: 'I can't make it on Friday.' / Formal: 'I am afraid I cannot attend on Friday.'

• Informal: 'We'll send it soon.' / Formal: 'We will send it shortly.'

Spoken forms like gonna and wanna belong in texts to friends only, never in emails to anyone you don't know well.

Phrasal Verbs and Single Verbs

Phrasal verbs sound friendly and natural, which is exactly why they feel informal. Formal writing usually prefers a single, more precise verb. If phrasal verbs are new to you, start with our beginner's guide to phrasal verbs, then compare:

• find out → discover or establish

• ask for → request

• look into → investigate

• put off → postpone

Greetings and Endings

The opening and closing of an email set the tone before the reader reaches your message. In British English, the usual conventions are:

• Formal, name known: 'Dear Mr Jones' ... 'Yours sincerely'

• Formal, name unknown: 'Dear Sir or Madam' ... 'Yours faithfully'

• Neutral: 'Dear Sarah' ... 'Kind regards'

• Informal: 'Hi Sam' ... 'Cheers' or 'Speak soon'

Polite Requests and Linking Words

The same request can sound casual, neutral or very formal depending on how you phrase it:

• Informal: 'Can you send me the report?'

• Neutral: 'Could you send me the report?'

• Formal: 'I would be grateful if you could send me the report.'

Formal writing also relies on linking words such as however and therefore to connect ideas; our guide to five ways to improve your writing shows how to use them. And if you need the same polished, confident tone out loud, try the phrases in ten phrases to sound more confident in business meetings.

Getting the tone right is much easier when someone can tell you how your message actually sounds. With JennyLingo, a tutor can review your emails with you, explain what feels too casual or too stiff, and help you choose the right register every time.