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Register & Style

Formal informal and academic English

Formal English avoids contractions and slang

Write do not instead of don't — cannot instead of can't.

📊 Register comparison
Informal Formal
get obtain/receive
find out discover/ascertain
go up increase/rise
go down decrease/fall
help assist/facilitate
💬 Examples
Formal: I was unable to attend. / Informal: I couldn't make it.
formal language is longer and more precise
📝 formal vs informal
Formal: I would like to enquire. / Informal: I want to ask.
formal verbs sound more polite and professional
📝 formal vocabulary
Academic writing prefers passive and nominalisation

Active personal language is avoided in academic prose.

💬 Examples
The results show that… → It was found that…
passive removes the personal we from academic writing
📝 passive for academic tone
We analysed the data. → An analysis of the data was conducted.
nominalisation makes writing more formal
📝 nominalisation
Hedging softens claims in academic writing

May might possibly suggest indicate rather than state.

💬 Examples
This may suggest that climate change is accelerating.
may + suggest = careful academic claim
📝 may + suggest = hedged claim
The results appear to indicate a correlation.
appear to = the writer is not 100% certain
📝 appear to = hedging