FORMAL/INFORMAL POLITE/IMPOLITE

Differences:
FORMAL: This is the style of an old letter. Ideas are presented politely and carefully and there is much use
of fixed expressions and long words. The language is impersonal. This style is not common in emails, but it’s
used if the subject matter is serious (example. Complaint)
NEUTRAL/STANDARD: This is the most common style in professional/work emails. The writer and reader
are both busy, so the language is simple, clear and direct. Sentences are short and there is use of
contractions. The language is more personal. However, the style is not similar to speech.
INFORMAL: This is the most common style for emails between friends. Sometimes the emails can be very
short, or it could include personal news, funny comments etc. This is the style that is closest to speech, there
are everyday words and conversational expressions. The reader will be more tolerant of bad grammar.
Informal Neutral/Formal
Please let us know your requirements
I was wondering if I could be of any assistance
What do you need?
Would you like me to help you?
Could I be of some help?
Thanks for the email of 12 Feb. Thank you for your email received 12 February
Sorry, I can’t make it I am afraid I will not be able to attend
I promise I can assure you that…
Could you? I was wondering if you could…?
You haven’t… We note from our records that you have not…
Don’t forget… We would like to remind you that…
I need to… It is necessary for me to…
Shall I…? Would you like me to…?
But/Also/So However/In addition o Moreover/Therefore
Please could you…? I would be grateful if you could…?
I’m sorry for… Please accept our apologies for…
Re… With regard to…
See you next week… I look forward to meeting you next week…
I’m sorry to tell you that… We regret to advise you that…

Impolite/Direct
That’s wrong
I want a meeting on Friday afternoon
Totally impossible
It won’t work
You’ve dialed the wrong number
30% is too much
You cannot be serious!
That’s totally unrealistic
It makes the supply way too expensive
You want money, right?
I’ll go 5% but that’s it.
The sales figures are bad
As soon as you can
CU next week
Don’t forget to come to the Tuesday meeting
Polite/Diplomatic
I’m afraid you are wrong/ you might be wrong.
That’s not quite correct
Could/Would you please make/book an
appointment for me on/for Friday afternoon?
This might not be entirely/completely correct/true
I’m afraid it might not be the right solution
I’m sorry, this might not be the right number
I’m afraid 30% would be too much
I couldn’t agree more, but../ I quite agree with
that but..
I’m not entirely agreed on that
I’m afraid that would make the supply too
expensive for us
Would/Do you need more money?
If you wish, I would be happy to lend you some
money
I’m afraid I cannot go under 5%
It appears the sales figures are not very good
At your earliest convenience
I am looking forward to seeing you next week
We would like to remind you to attend the
Tuesday meeting
 It sounds like a good idea, but I’m not sure if it
would work in practice
That is unacceptable I can see what you are saying, but I am afraid
that would not work in practice
I am afraid we cannot do that
To be honest, I am not entirely agreed on that
I completely disagree
To be honest, I am not sure about that.

DIPLOMATIC GUIDELINES
- The modal verb [would] or [might] is often used
That’s not acceptable > That would not be acceptable
- The statement can be turned into a positive or a negative question
That’s to late > Isn’t that perhaps too late?
- Modifiers and softeners can be added
I’m afraid, Perhaps, I’m sorry, A bit
- Use the YES, BUT structure
That’s fine, but…
The strategies in 1 and 4 help make a direct statement more indirect:
- That is unacceptable > That would not be acceptable
- You’re lying / You are a liar > That is not quite correct
- We’re dissatisfied / not happy with that > We are not entirely satisfied/happy with that
We often choose to use certain modal verbs to be more formal and polite:
1) CAN I suggest you try this new model? (neutral)
2) MAY I suggest you try this new model? (more formal)
3) MIGHT I suggest you try this new model? (very formal)

Formal Informal
1. Previous contact
With reference to your email sent (date) Re your last email…
2. Reason for email
We are writing to inform you that… Just a short note to let you know that…
3. Good news
You will be pleased to hear that… Good news!
We are able to confirm that… We can confirm that…
Certainly Of course
4. Bad news/apologizing
I apologize for… Sorry for…
We regret to inform you that… Unfortunately…
I regret to advise you that I’m sorry
5. Requests
I’d be grateful if you could Please
I would appreciate if you could Can you?
Could you help me?
Maybe you can help
I would be extremely grateful for your help
Do you have any ideas about what I should do?
Do you have any ideas?
6. Offering help
Would you like me to? Do you want me to?
If you wish, I would be happy to Shall I?
7. Promising action
I will contact you again I’ll get back soon
8. Attachments
 Please find attached I’ve attached
9. Final comments
Thank you for your help Thanks for your help
Do not hesitate to contact us again If there’s anything else
If you need further information Just let us know
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not
Get back to me/ get in touch if you need any help
hesitate to contact me
10. Closing
We are looking forward to Looking forward to
Yours/ Yours sincerely Best wishes/ Regards
POPULARIZATION STRATEGY
➢ (User’s) questions and non-finite forms (“Who we are”)
➢ Second person (in your diet)
➢ Imperative (directly addressing the user)
➢ A shift from terms to words (more words, fewer terms): meno termini specifici
➢ A shift from long and complex clauses, with embedding, to shorter sentences and coordination,
explanation that speak the user language, often preceding the term or acronym (se vengono
inseriti acronimi o termini specifici devono essere accompagnati da una spiegazione)
CONTENT CATEGORIES
 Denomination: introduction of a new object, terms (This is a scanner)
 Definition: description of the term (You are an employee if..); Full sentences definition with [when]
or [if] are typical (Sei di Parma se..) or definition with [to + infinitive] ( You use a scanner to..)
 Abstract shell nouns/ signaling nouns: they refer to an abstract category. (La lista dopo “right”
nella pagina di Gov.UK)
 Reformulation: introduced by (that is; i.e) or given in brackets [Coronavirus Disease 19 (Covid-19)]
When the acronym follows the full name
 Exemplification (for examples; for instance...)
 Scenario: introduction of an hypothetical situation (introduzione di una situazione ipotetica)
 Explication: provides additional information

INTERACTIONAL CATEGORIES
❖ Booster (Very; Absolutely) that reinforces the utterance and express sincerity or certainty (It is very
important to…)
❖ Hedges (a bit) that softens the impact of the phrase
❖ Attitude: expression of an opinion (It is essential that...)
❖ Engagement markers: address the reader explicitly (second person pronouns to focus the reader’ s
attention or include them as discourse participants)
❖ Self-mentions: (We) indicates the author’s presence and involvement
❖ Questions: create a dialogue with the receiver
❖ Directives: Imperatives (they invite a response from the receiver and help him plan future actions)

GOV.UK
On this page, UK government experts communicate factual information about employment types and UK
labor law to lay-users (employers, workers, employees).
Popularization strategies help explain and describe specialist terms and procedures. This reinforces the
government’s credibility.
Popularization strategies on the page comprise:
- Definitions, also full sentence definitions with lists of if-clauses; (An employee is…; Someone is an
employee is…)
- Exemplification and scenarios: for example, if an employer is dismissing them
- Definitions or explication: These rights include + list
- Interactive strategies such as Imperatives and 2nd person to engage with the user ( the steps in the
column on the right)
103 parole
ESEMPI
Gov.UK:
1) Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job
Retention Scheme
On this page UK government experts communicate factual information the possibility to request
employees' wages during the Coronavirus
Popularization strategies help explain and describe specialist terms and procedures. This reinforces the
government’s credibility.
Popularization strategies on the page comprise:
- Definition with if clauses: (You can now only claim if you have previously furloughed your
employee…)
- Exemplification: for example (For example, an employer had previously submitted 3 separate
claims…)
- Scenario: introduction of a hypothetical situation (If you receive public funding, If you have
staff costs that are publicly funded)
- Directives: The steps (Check if you can claim, Check with employees...)
- Engagement Markers: use of the second person pronouns (If you cannot maintain; You can now
only claim; The amount you can claim)
- 126 parole

2) Find protected areas of countryside

On this page UK Government experts communicate factual information regarding the procedure on how
to find protected areas in the user’s countryside
Popularization strategies help explain and describe specialist terms and procedures. This reinforces the
government’s credibility.
The following popularization strategies can be identified:
- Definition: (Nature sites and areas of countryside can be ‘designated’, which means they have
special status as protected areas)
- Engagement Markers: use of the second person pronoun (You can find different kinds of protected
areas)
- Exemplification: (for example building new houses or roads)
- Scenarios: introduction of a hypothetical situation with “if” (You might need to do certain things if
you’re opening a new business or building a home that may affect a protected area )
- 122 parole

3) Tetra Pak
On this page Tetra Pak experts try to engage the user attention and are aiming to promote the company
with the use of some popularization strategies, that is:
- User’s questions (The subtitles “What if”?) in order to engage the user’s attention
- Self-mentions: (We) indicates the author’s presence and involvement (We’re on a journey to
deliver the world’s most sustainable food package ; None of us previously experienced a situation)
- Engagement Markers: use of the second person pronoun in order to engage directly with the user
(helps you improve your performance)
- Questions: (What if all packaging were carbon-neutral? / Should I wash food cartons after
bringing them home from shopping?) in order to catch the attention
- 118 parole
 WEBPAGE USABILITY
Usability (or the ‘practice of simplicity’) is a quality attribute relating to how easy is something to use
It refers to:
- How quickly people can learn to use something: learn how to use a site quickly
- How efficient they are while using it
- How memorable it is: remember the structure of the site
- How error-prone it is
- How much users like using it
Users easily navigate the web site, without making too much effort, they learn quickly how to use it and
they remember the structure of it and they enjoy using it.

USABILITY GUIDELINES
Content Desing Content Writing
- Lists of items - Use meaningful language in headings/text
- Keep it short (get straight to the point)
- Font size and line spacing - Headings need to be top-giving: they
- White space must be meaningful, give the topic,
- High Contrast summarize the main point of the section
that they introduce
- Avoid fancy headings
- User words and terms spoken by the
intended audience; write user-focused
content
- Don’t use jargon / specialist vocabulary if
the intended user does not belong in the
same community
- Be brief and concise. Avoid ‘verbiage’
- Use lists to give information
- Use short headings, paragraphs
- Use syntactic parallelism
- Font size and line spacing to highlight
different uses/function of content in the
text. Use bold and bigger font size and
capitals for titles, smaller size for
subheadings; much smaller for the text
High Contrast (black font against white
space) for accessibility (to make the
content easier to perceive and read)

BAD WRITING (COSA EVITARE)

- Useless verbiage (chiacchiere inutili)
- Vague language (linguaggio vago)
- Language play (giochi di parole)
- Terminology and acronysm (acronimi e termini troppo specifici senza spiegazione)
- Long and complex text with unnecessary details (testi lunghi e complessi con informazioni non
essenziali)
The page communicates factual information about employment types and UK labor law from UK
government experts to lay users (employers, workers, employees).
Usable content reinforces the government’s credibility.
Usability strategies comprise the following:
- Short, meaningful, topic-giving headings: … (employment status)
- Dilution of information via shortcuts/clickable keywords (Statutory sick pay : links in blue)
- Strong contrast (white background; black font; purple for selected shortcuts) and plenty of white
space (office holder is the link already selected)
- Line spacing to separate sections and paragraphs …
 - Font size and type to organize, frame and fix information into sections and main points
- Bullet lists for definitions/explanations; numbered lists for stepwise procedures: … (these right
includes..)
- You and imperatives: … (the column on the right; Decide..)
ESEMPI

GOV.UK
1) Maternity pay and Leave
This page communicates factual information about maternity pay and leave from UK government
experts to lay users (employees, especially those who are on maternity leave).
Usability content reinforces the government’s credibility and trust
Usability strategies comprise the following:
- Short, meaningful, top-giving headings (Maternity pay and leave)
- Clickable subtitles to split paragraphs (Overview; Leave; Pay)
- Strong contrast (white background, black font, blue clickable words and purple for selected
shortcuts) and white space
- Line spacing to separate paragraphs (…)
- Font size and type to organize, frame and fix information into sections and main point (bigger
font for subtitles, ‘Overview’)
- Bullet lists for definitions and explications (Statutory Maternity Leave/Pay..)
- You (you can work out..) and imperatives (Change your date for returning to work)
- Additional information (like ‘Maternity benefits’; ‘Extra leave’ in the ‘Extra Help section)
140 parole.

2) Benefits calculators
In this page government experts communicate to lay users how to calculate their benefits at work.
It is possible to identify the following usability features:
- Short, meaningful, top-giving headings (benefits calculator)
- Clickable subtitles to split paragraphs and to lead to another argument (like the column on the
right: Claim child benefit, Housing benefit, Income support)
- Strong contrast (white background, black font, blue clickable words and purple for selected
shortcuts) and white space
- Font size and type to organize, frame and fix information into sections and main point (bigger
font for subtitles ‘Calculators’)
- Bullet lists for definitions and explications (lists of ‘What you’ll need’)
- You (You cannot use the calculators if ..) and imperatives ( Use one of the following..)
- Language is plain and simple, it does not comprise verbiage and specific vocabulary without an
explication (Turn2us – followed by an explication)
147 parole

TETRA PAK
3) Tetra Pak October 2020
Tetra Pak page is usable.
The Tetra Pak experts are aiming to promote the company with the use of some usability
strategies, that is:
- Short, meaningful headings (Soluzioni end-to-end)
- Images beside the texts to make the subject of each paragraph more intuitive and a short
summary of the topic
- Strong contrast (white background, black font, blue clickable words, and purple for selected
shortcuts) and white space
- Font size and type to organize, frame and fix information into sections and main point (bigger
font for subtitles (bigger font for subtitles ‘Garantire la sicurezza’)
- Top-down menus help users navigate the website
- Links to Social pages to make the company's reliability stronger (such as Facebook page, email in
order to make contact with experts easier)
- Language is simple and it does not comprise verbiage and specific vocabulary
- Ability to locate the search object through a word
151 parole