styles? 4. As an English learner, do you think we should be
inclined to using more formal words and styles?
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Formal and informal
Formal and informal words and/or language of English should both be learned. Formal language is usually used in term papers, research papers, reports, memos, minutes of meeting, and business letters etc, in which case, formal style of language should be used. Formal language is sometimes called written or academic language.
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Formal and informal
On the other hands, informal writing assumes a personal stance. It suggest close connections among writer, reader, and subject. Informal writing is usually used in daily conversations, notes, messages, personal letters, postcards etc.
• 5. Generally try to avoid `'s'. E.g.
• Instead of `the wavefront's curvature' use either `the curvature of the wavefront' or `the wavefront curvature'.
• 2. Don't start a sentence with `Therefore'. Instead write, for example, `We therefore...'.
• 3. Don't start a sentence with `Then' or `Now' unless it is a command.
• But, there are exceptions to this. e.g.
• `today's stock market prices' is better than `the stock market prices of today'.
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Formal and informal
6. Don't use `!' or `&' or `/'. It is also very unusual to see `?' in a paper. Don't put questions in a paper unless you really know what you are doing.
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Formal and informal
• 7. Don't use e.g. or i.e. or etc. • 8. When referring to the number of countable objects,
use words rather than figures when the amount is less than twenty. E.g. Don't write ``we used 3 methods'' instead write ``we used three methods''. • 9. Don't use `OK'. Use `acceptably', `permissible', `satisfactory', etc instead. •
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Formal and informal
• 4. Don't use `don't', or any other shortened negative such as `isn't', `hasn't', `wasn't', etc. Use `does not', `is not', etc. instead.
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Formal and informal
The English that you should use when writing a paper or thesis should be formal (like a legal document) but also clear (unlike a legal document). There are certain things that can be done in spoken English or in written English in newspapers, magazines, or lecture notes which are not appropriate for formal writing.
Formal and informal
Pre questions for discussions: 1. As a reader, why you find some essays easy to read
while others may difficult to read? 2. What is formal and informal words and style? 3. When shall we use these formal and informal words informal
• 1. Don't start a sentence with `And', `Also', `But', `So', `Or', `Even so'. Instead use `In addition', `However', `Hence', `Consequently', `Alternatively', `Nevertheless'.