Formal: That child is distressed.

Informal: That kid is freaking out.

Formal: He’s an attractive man.

Informal: He’s a hottie.

Formal: I’m short on funds.

Informal: I’m broke.

Formal: That’s very unfortunate.

Informal: That sucks.

Formal: She’s a difficult person.

Informal: She’s a bitch.

Formal: I’m pleased to meet you.

Informal: Hi, how’re you doing?

Formal: Good-bye.

Informal: See ya.

Formal English: We use it when writing essays for school, cover letters to apply for jobs, or
emails and letters at work.

Informal English: We use it with friends, children, and relatives.

The following list will help you to recognize the informal and formal ways of saying the same
thing. The list is divided into sections of: verbs, transitions, emphasis words, abbreviations, and
slang.

Contractions

Informal: The improvements canʼt be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Formal: Improvements cannot be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Informal: I donʼt believe that the results are accurate.

Formal: The results are not believed to be accurate.

Informal: The research project wonʼt continue next year.

Formal: The research project will not continue next year.

Phrasal verbs

Informal: The balloon was blown up for the experiment.

Formal: The balloon was inflated for the experiment.

Informal: The patient got over his illness.

Formal: The patient recovered from his illness.

Informal: The results of the study were mixed up.

Formal: The results of the study were confused.

Slang/Colloquialisms

Informal: The mob was very rowdy during the protest against cuts to university funding.

Formal: The crowd was very rowdy during the protest against the cuts to
university funding.

Informal: Lecturers still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation
in essays.

Formal: Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

Informal: It was raining cats and dogs.

Formal: It was raining very heavily.

First person pronouns

Informal: I considered various research methods for the study.

Formal: Various research methods were considered for the study.

Informal: We believe the practice is unsustainable.

Formal: It is believed the practice is unsustainable.

Informal: During the interview I asked students about their experiences.

Formal: During the interview students were asked about their experiences.

Key Differences

1. Formal communication requires adherence to organizational rules and regulations while

in informal communication there is no requirement of following specific rules.
2. Formal communication requires officials’ recognition whereas informal communication
doesn’t require any officials’ recognition.
3. A delegation of authority is possible in formal communication only.
4. In time of need, formal communication can be proved as it is always backed by the
organization rules for communication. Informal communication can’t be proved.
5. The scope of formal communication is restricted to the organizational environment only,
while informal communication can be used in both professional settings with employees
and with friends and family as well.
6. Formal communication doesn’t use slang words whose usage is common in informal
communication.
7. Another name of formal communication is an official The another name of informal
communication is a grapevine.
8. Formal communication always follows a proper chain of command. Whereas informal
communication can move freely in any direction.
9. Formal communication is always written and in a documented format. Consequently,
informal communication is always oral.
10. Informal communication is rapid and quick as compared to the formal communication
that is very slow.
11. Formal communication is more reliable as compared to informal communication.
12. Formal communication rules are set by the organization while informal communication
starts itself by the employees.
13. Formal communication is always backed by the documentary evidence whereas the
supporting documents do not back informal communication.
14. In formal communication, a long chain of commands exists that has no concept of
informal communication.
15. The commons examples of formal communication are business letters, memos, contracts,
agreements, and reports. The common examples of informal communication are face to
face discussions and telephone calls.