Formal and Informal English
Recognise and compare formal and informal uses of English, understanding that language choices vary based on audience, purpose and context
What a learner can do afterwards
- Identify whether a spoken or written example uses formal or informal language (e.g., 'Dear Sir' vs 'Hey mate')
- Rewrite an informal sentence in a more formal way (e.g., change 'Can I have some?' to 'May I please have some?')
- Explain why formal language might be used in one situation and informal in another (e.g., a letter to the headteacher vs a note to a friend)
The lesson
English changes depending on who you are talking to. With close friends and family, you often use relaxed, informal words. With people you don't know well, like a teacher or a stranger, you often use careful, formal words.
Asking for something can sound very different. To a friend, you might say, 'Can I have some?' To a headteacher, you might say, 'May I please have some?' Both ask the same thing, but the words change.
Starting a message changes too. A note to a friend might begin, 'Hey mate!' A letter to your headteacher might begin, 'Dear Sir or Madam.' The friend note is informal. The letter is formal.
Before you speak or write, think about who is listening. Do you know them well? Is this a serious moment, like school or a letter? If yes, choose formal words. If you're chatting with a friend, informal words are fine.
Formal words suit people you don't know well or serious writing; informal words suit close friends and casual chat.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.