Reading and Writing Skills Unit 8:

Language Use
Table of Contents

Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Formal vs. Informal Language 3

Warm-up! 3
Learn About It! 4
Check Your Understanding 6
Let’s Step Up! 7

Lesson 2: Familiar, Direct, and Simple Language 8

Warm-up! 8
Learn About It! 9
Check Your Understanding 11
Let’s Step Up! 12

Lesson 3: Biased and Unbiased Language 13

Warm-up! 13
Learn About It! 14
Check Your Understanding 16
Let’s Step Up! 16

Lesson 4: Gender-Neutral Language 17

Warm-up! 17
Learn About It! 18
Check Your Understanding 19
Let’s Step Up! 20

Performance Task 21

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 24

Wrap Up 24

Bibliography 25
GRADE 11/12 | Reading and Writing Skills

UNIT 8
Language Use
When speaking and writing, we have to take note of the language we
use. Different types of language affect people mentally and
emotionally. We have to consider who we are addressing and the
context surrounding the exchange of words. When we use language
that is inappropriate for our audience and situation, we run the risk
of being viewed negatively and being unable to achieve our goal.

Objectives
In this unit, you should be able to:
● distinguish between formal and informal language;
● differentiate familiar, direct, and simple language from a complicated one;
● distinguish between biased and unbiased language; and
● make use of gender-neutral language.

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 Lesson 1: Formal vs. Informal Language
Do you speak to your classmates the same way you speak to
your teachers? If you were to write a letter to a government
official, would you use the same language you use when
writing a letter to a friend? You probably subliminally change
the language you use depending on the person you’re
speaking to. This lesson will help you differentiate the
concrete differences between formal and informal language.

Warm-up!
Let’s Role-Play!

Pair up with a classmate. Assign which one of you will be “Student A” and which one will be
“Student B.” Then, play out the following situations:

Student A Student B
Situation 1
Role: Mother Role: Child
Situation: The child is asking his or her mother for permission to watch a movie with
friends this weekend.
Situation 2
Role: Friend 1 Role: Friend 2
Situation: Friend 1 is asking Friend 2 if he or she wants to watch a movie this weekend.
Situation 3
Role: Employee Role: Boss
Situation: Employee is giving a report to his or her boss about what he or she (the
employee) did during his or her business trip.
Situation 4
Role: Friend 2 Role: Friend 1
Situation: Friend 1 is telling Friend 2 about what he or she did during her business trip.

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After you finish role-playing, discuss your conversations with each other.

● What kind of language did you use in Situation 1, and how did it differ from the
language you used in Situation 2?
● What kind of language did you use in Situation 3, and how did it differ from the
language you used in Situation 4?

Learn about It!

Informal language is used in personal texts meant for family,

friends, and colleagues. When you send e-mails or write
messages to friends and family members close to your age,
this is usually the type of language you use.

On the other hand, formal language is used in academic,

business, and official texts. This is the language you use when
writing formal correspondence and memorandums, both in
school and work.

One must be able to determine when it is appropriate to use

either formal or informal language. Take a look at the
following examples:

1. We asked the secretary to call the professor and get her

permission to continue our research.

2. We requested that the secretary contact the professor and obtain her permission to continue
our research.

Notice the following differences:

Example 1 Example 2
asked requested
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 call contact
get obtain

The words asked, call, and get in the first sentence sound informal. It is acceptable to write in
such informal language to a close colleague, a friend, or a family member. On the other hand,
the words requested, contact, and obtain in the second sentence sound formal. It is
appropriate to write in such a formal manner to a person of authority in school, the
workplace, and the government.

Below are two sample paragraphs:

Paragraph 1
Dear Ms. Cruz,

Greetings!

This is to report about our meeting with Mega Corporation in Singapore. It went as planned. The
company has decided to accept our offer. The client’s representative will be meeting you once she
returns from her other business meeting. I will be sending a comprehensive report about the
agreements in a separate e-mail.

Respectfully yours,
Maria Santos

Paragraph 2
Nancy,

It’s a great day here in Singapore! The meeting with Mega Corporation has just ended. It went so
well that they accepted our offer. I can’t believe it! The company rep will meet you when she’s
done with her other meeting. I still have a lot of things to tell you. Will be sending a report soon.

Maria

Notice that Paragraph 1 uses formal language, while Paragraph 2 uses informal language. It is
evident that the first paragraph is addressed to a person of authority, while the second

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paragraph is addressed to a friend or a colleague of the same position. The use of
contractions it’s and can’t as well as the clipped word rep is also apparent in the second
paragraph. It indicates informality. Also, it is noticeable that the second letter sounds more
like conversational language, which is another indication of informality.

Check Your Understanding

A. Read the following set of sentences written using informal language. Rewrite them
using formal language.

1. Hey there. I’m Nick Santos. A friend told me your company’s got a job opening, so I
decided to give it a shot and send my application.
2. My research says that not sleeping enough is a reason why students can’t focus in class.
3. Hello, Miss Angeles. Really sorry to say this, but I won’t be able to go to your wedding
after all. My sister’s got pneumonia, so I gotta watch her at the hospital this weekend.

B. Read the following set of sentences written using formal language. Rewrite them
using informal language.

1. Salutations, Jessica! This is to confirm my attendance to your birthday party on the

Friday of this week. I am looking forward to engaging in the festivities.
2. The taste of this variant of ice cream is not to my liking. Perhaps I shall try a different
one on my next visit to the shopping mall.

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Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 2: Familiar, Direct, and Simple
Language
Having a large vocabulary is a great thing; it helps you
understand more things and allows you to express yourself
in various ways. However, when your intention is to
communicate rather than express yourself creatively, it is
better to stick to using familiar, direct, and simple language.
If you use language that is difficult to understand, more
often than not, your audience will lose interest in what you have to say.

Warm-up!
Think-Pair-Share

Read the following sentences. Without using a dictionary or

searching online, write down what you think they are trying
to say in simpler terms. You can make intelligent guesses if
you cannot figure them out.

● He found his key lodged betwixt the pages of his

journal.
● I’m not entirely certain that I want to go to the zoo with
you. I’m not very comfortable around animals.
● Upon further perusal of the site, Sabrina was able to
jot down additional findings and share her deductions
with her protégé.

After you write down your answers, compare them with

those of your seatmate. Discuss how you came up with your answers.

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 Learn about It!

A communicator has to make sure that he or she uses the

appropriate language for the target audience. Choosing to write
or speak using familiar, direct, and simple language, rather
than in a complicated one, will allow the audience to
understand the message more clearly.

Familiar language makes use of words commonly found in

everyday life. It often coincides with informal language, as
both can be heard or read on a regular basis. For example,
“Good morning!” is something you might hear every day, as
opposed to “Top of the morning to you!” which means the same
thing but is far less likely to be heard today.

Direct language makes use of words that get straight to the

point. For example, saying, “I don’t want to watch that movie” is
direct, while “I’m not sure I’d really appreciate that movie” is
indirect. The second sentence is similar in meaning to the first
but says it in a roundabout way.

Simple language is similar to familiar language, as it makes use of words that are
commonplace and easy to understand. To keep your language simple, you should avoid
highfalutin words and complicated turns of phrase. For example, “I like her; she’s very friendly”
is much simpler than saying “I am quite taken with her; she has an amiable disposition.”

As an example of keeping your language familiar, direct, and simple, read the following article:

Why Sunglasses Are a Must-Have for Kids (An Excerpt)

By NewsUSA

Most parents know how damaging the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can be to our skin,
which is why they dutifully slather sunscreen on their kids during the summer. But one thing that

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often gets overlooked is protecting their children’s eyes. According to vision-care experts, kids
receive three times more UV exposure than adults annually, yet less than 30 percent of parents
currently protect their children’s eyes with sunglasses.

The reason for concern is that children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the sun’s
rays because their ocular lenses are not mature enough to filter UV light as effectively as adults,
causing damage to the retina.

“Everyone buys into what happens to your skin when it comes to sun damage, but many parents
are really surprised to learn about the cumulative UV damage to the eyes,” Dawn Hartman, an
optometrist at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates in Columbus, Ohio, told the Wall Street
Journal in an interview. But the right sunglasses can help, as parents become more aware that
protection from the sun is not just skin deep.

In general, the language of the text above is simple and familiar. A few scientific terms are
used in the text, like “ultraviolet radiation,” “ocular lenses,” and “retina,” but they are
necessary in order to maintain the informative nature of the text. The ordinary language used
in the text allows its target readers (parents) to more easily understand the main idea of the
text: the significance of having children wear sunglasses.

Study the following sentences. Notice the differences in language use.

1. She had fever last night; that is why she could not go to school today.
2. She contracted pyrexia during the nocturnal hours, so she was not able to attend to her
academic obligations today.

The use of very formal vocabulary in the second sentence makes it complicated compared to
the simple language used in the first example.

1. Submit your papers tomorrow.

2. Make sure you have your papers with you the next time we meet.

The first statement is a direct instruction compared to the second one. Given the context
that a teacher is addressing his or her students, the first statement will be more effective.

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 Check Your Understanding

Place a check mark (✓) on the blank if the sentence uses familiar, direct, and simple
language. Place an x mark (X) if it does not.

1. _____ I can’t go to soccer practice today ‘cause I sprained my ankle.

2. _____ I seem to have misplaced my writing implements; have you seen them,
perchance?
3. _____ I’m not sure it’s a good idea to follow the spiders, Harry.
4. _____ Stop whining and let’s go!
5. _____ There have been sightings of an as yet unidentified creature within the crevices of
the mountain.

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Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 3: Biased and Unbiased Language
Have you ever had someone insult the color of your skin?
How about your gender? When we hear someone use
offensive language, we no longer wish to hear more from
them. In effective and productive communication, biased
language is highly discouraged. When we insert our biases
into our message, we run the risk of alienating, or even
angering, our audience.

Warm-up!
Think-Pair-Share

Find a partner. Without researching on the topic, discuss why you think the following are
considered biased and offensive:

● Making fun of the accent of Filipinos from other

provinces
● Assuming that students from private schools are
smarter than students from public schools
● Thinking that all women should marry, have children,
and become housewives
● Avoiding tourists from Middle Eastern countries
because “they smell bad”
● Choosing all fair-skinned models over morenas to
promote a brand

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 Learn about It!

A responsible communicator has to be sensitive enough to

avoid offensive remarks toward an individual or particular
group of people. This can be achieved by writing in unbiased
language. The message must be free of any stereotype of
ethnicity, religion, political interest, social class, and the like. Of
equal importance, one must avoid using slurs or pejorative
language.

Below are some tips to ensure that you are using unbiased
language:

1. Use names or labels that individuals or groups chose

for themselves. Therefore, you must carefully assess
your audience.

The local school has accepted half-breeds for years now

to increase its population.

Half-breed is an offensive word for a person whose parents are of different races. A
more polite expression is “a person of mixed race.”

When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, the Indians were already living there.

Although the native people of America were once referred to as Indians, it is no longer
acceptable for anyone outside of their community to call them as such. Instead, they
should be referred to as Native Americans or by the specific name of their peoples.

2. Do not mention group membership unnecessarily. If a person’s affiliation is not

relevant to your point, do not mention it.

The Asian first-grade English teacher gave fewer assignments than my second-grade English

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 teacher did.

The use of the qualifier Asian is not necessary in the comparison of the two teachers. It
suggests racial bias.

The female driver who caused the build-up of traffic by running a red light wasted a lot of
people’s time.

In this sentence, the gender of the driver is unrelated to the point being made. The fact
that female was used as a qualifier shows gender bias.

3. Be aware of words that certain groups of people find negative or offensive and
avoid using them. These include racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, etc. slurs.

The government has opened a new clinic for the disabled.

Using the collective term the disabled to refer to people with disabilities is considered
offensive, as it reduces the person to only his or her disabilities. The word disabled
should be used as an adjective (e.g., disabled citizens) rather than a noun.

Because I’m taking up business management, I have a lot of classmates who are Chinks.

Chink is a highly offensive slur against people of Chinese descent. Slurs such as this are
looked down upon in civilized discourse and are likely to cause conflict between the
communicator and his or her audience. A communicator must never use such words.

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 Check Your Understanding

Answer the following questions in your own words. Answer each question in two to
three sentences.

1. Look up the definition of stereotype. Why do you think these can be harmful?
2. How can you tell if a qualifier (racial, gender, etc.) is objective or biased?
3. Based on what you have learned about biased language, what do you think is the main
difference between a stand and a bias?
4. Why do you think communication often does not continue when one or more
communicators resort to biased language?
5. Besides alienating and angering your audience, what other reasons can you think of to
avoid using biased language?

Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 4: Gender-Neutral Language
In today’s world, men and women are thought of as equal,
and as such, have more or less the same opportunities to live,
study, and work. As language and context also evolve with the
times, we must also learn to use language that reflects our
reality. When we communicate, we must no longer treat one
or the other gender as the default and instead learn to use
language that encompasses both.

Warm-up!
Job Guessing Game

Make a list of seven gender-biased ways of referring to jobs (e.g., stewardess). Research their
gender-neutral equivalent (e.g., flight attendant). In the classroom, pair up with your seatmate
and follow the directions below:

1. Student A says a gender-biased term.

2. Student B guesses the gender-neutral term.
3. Student A says if the guess is correct. If it is, Student B gets one point.
4. Student B says a gender-biased term.
5. Student A guesses the gender-neutral term.
6. Student B says if the guess is correct. If it is, Student A gets one point.
7. Keep taking turns until you run out of gender-biased terms.
8. The one with more points wins the activity.

Afterward, discuss with your partner why you think it is better to use gender-neutral terms.

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 Learn about It!

Another form of unbiased language is gender-neutral

language. A communicator should be careful not to favor a
certain gender when constructing sentences.

Study the following sentences. Notice the differences in

language use.

1. Each intern should record daily what he learns in the

workplace.
2. Each intern should record daily what he or she learns in the
workplace.

In the first sentence, the pronoun he is used even though an

intern could also be female. The use of a masculine pronoun to refer to a common noun used
to be a common practice. However, such usage is no longer acceptable at present as it shows
bias against women. On the other hand, the second sentence shows no bias in gender. The
pronouns he and she are used to recognize both genders.

1. More unmarried women than ever before are having babies.

2. More unmarried couples than ever before are having babies.

The first sentence is biased toward unmarried women. It implies that the pregnancy is solely
the women’s doing. On the other hand, the second sentence is neutral because of the use of
the collective term couples.

1. Now, more than ever, mankind needs to take care of the Earth as it is slowly dying.
2. Now, more than ever, people need to take care of the Earth as it is slowly dying.

The usage of masculine terms like mankind as generic terms is considered biased. The terms
should be replaced with humans, human beings, humankind, or people.

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 Check Your Understanding

Read each sentence carefully. Write GN on the blank if the sentence uses
gender-neutral language. Write GB on the blank if the sentence uses gender-biased
language, then rewrite it to become gender-neutral.

1. ______ If you wish to urge our congressman to vote for the anti-discrimination bill, write
to him about it.
2. ______ Man should never take nature for granted.
3. ______ You should be grateful to the parent who both disciplined and supported you; he
or she played a big part in molding the good person you’ve become.
4. ______ Sadly, the number of single mothers has been increasing in our country.
5. ______ Older brothers can be your biggest critics and fans at the same time.

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Let’s Step Up!

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 Performance Task
The Life of a Personal Assistant

Goal
Write two letters for your boss: one to his or her cousin in New York, the other to the CEO of a
company your organization is trying to collaborate with.

Role
You are the personal assistant of the president of an organization that advocates for
education for the less privileged. Your boss, the president, just handed you the rough drafts of
two letters he or she wants you to edit/rewrite and then send: one is a letter to a wealthy
cousin in New York, the other is a letter to the CEO of another company.

Audience
● The boss’s wealthy cousin in New York, whom he or she is close to. You are writing to
him or her to try to persuade him or her to donate to your upcoming project
● The CEO of another company, whom your boss does not know personally. You are
writing to him or her to try and persuade him or her to work with your organization on
the upcoming project.

Situation
Your organization is planning a project to help underprivileged youth get the education they
need. In order for the project to be successful, you need to raise a sizeable sum. You would
also need the cooperation of a bigger company to lessen costs. Your boss is very good at his
or her job, but bad at writing letters. Therefore, he or she has tasked you with writing a letter
to his cousin, a possible donor, and to the CEO of a local company.

Product
You will write two letters for your boss: one to his or her cousin in New York, and the other to
the CEO of a company your organization is trying to collaborate with. Your product needs to
include the following:
● Decide on a project you think would be worthwhile. The project must involve helping
underprivileged youth gain access to education. Do your own research on a possible

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 project. Be as specific as possible.
● You must write two letters. Both letters must be printed on short bond paper, using the
font Times New Roman, size 12. There should be one-inch margins on all sides, and it
must be double-spaced. Each letter should not be shorter than 500 words but not
longer than 1,000 words. Here are some reminders for the content of each letter:
○ Decide whether the letter should use formal or informal language.
○ Apply what you learned about familiar, direct, and simple language.
○ Make use of unbiased and gender-neutral language.

Standards and Criteria for Success

Your project will be graded using the rubric below:

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-12 points) (13-16 points) (17-20 points)

Content The letters were The letters The letters

very vague contained many contained
regarding the details about the specific details
project. Little to proposed project, about the
no details were but they could proposed
provided. have been more project.
specific.

Organization The letters were The letters were The letters

very disorganized. mostly organized. contained
The ideas and There was an natural
specifics were evident progression; the
scattered. There introduction, body, introduction,
was no evident and conclusion. body, and
introduction, conclusion were
body, and clear.
conclusion.

Language Use The letters did not The letters had Followed proper
follow proper inconsistent spelling and
spelling use and spelling and grammar.
grammar. grammar. Language was
Language used Language used very persuasive.
was not was fairly

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 persuasive at all. persuasive.

Punctuality The letters were The letters were The letters were
submitted more submitted one day submitted on or
than one day late. late. before the
deadline.

Formal or The letters Formal and The letters used

Informal misused formal informal language formal language
Language and informal were mostly used and informal
language. The correctly, but language when
wrong type of some mistakes in appropriate.
language was language were
used for each evident.
letter.

Familiar, Direct, The letters did not The letters mostly The letters used
and Simple use familiar, used familiar, familiar, direct,
Language direct, and simple direct, and simple and simple
language. language. language. Only
Language use was necessary
inconsistent. technical terms
were included.

Unbiased The language used Language was The letters did

Language was very biased. mostly unbiased. A not use any
There were few words may be offensive or
offensive and/or offensive. pejorative
pejorative terms words; language
throughout. was unbiased
throughout.

Gender-Neutral Language showed Language was Language was

Language clear gender bias. mostly gender-neutral
gender-neutral. throughout.

Score:

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 Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?
Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the
appropriate box.
I am familiar and
I think I need more I am confident that I
can perform well
Skills practice and can perform this on
with minimal
assistance my own
assistance
I can distinguish
between formal and
informal language.
I can differentiate
familiar, direct, and
simple language
from a complicated
one.
I can distinguish
between biased and
unbiased language.
I can make use of
gender-neutral
language.

Wrap Up
Formal Language Informal Language
● For persons of authority ● For family, friends, and close
● Used in formal correspondences and colleagues
memorandums ● Used in casual letters and
● Makes use of formal and often conversations
highfalutin words ● Makes use of casual, common, and
even slang words

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 Familiar Language Direct Language
● Words heard/read in ● Words that get
everyday life straight to the point
● Does not involve old ● Does not involve
and highfalutin words being roundabout or
using vague turns of
phrase
Simple Language
● Words that are easy
to understand and
commonplace
● Does not involve
highfalutin and
complicated words
and phrases

Unbiased Language Biased Language

● Uses names or labels a particular ● Offensive words
group chose for themselves ● Slurs
● Does not mention qualifiers ● Pejorative terms
unnecessarily
● Avoids slurs

Gender-Neutral Language Gender-Biased Language

● Not biased for either men or women ● Biased for one gender
● Avoids using masculine and feminine ● Uses sexist phrases and words
terms and pronouns

Bibliography
Bigauskas, Ray. 2008. “Thinking and Writing: A Guide to Paragraphs and Essays.” Accessed
September 17, 2018.
http://rbigausk.disted.camosun.bc.ca/6methodsofdev6.htm#Cause and Effect.

Carter, Ronald, Michael McCarthy, Geraldine Mark, and Anne O-Keefe. 2016. “Formal and
Informal Language.” English Grammar Today.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/heads.

Driscoll, Dana, and Allen Brizee. 2010. “Appropriate Language.” Owl Purdue. Accessed
September 16, 2018. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/05/

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Kearney, Patricia, and Timothy G. Plax. 2006. Public Speaking in a Diverse Society. Mason, Ohio:
Cengage Learning.

Macmillan Dictionary. 2016. “Offensive Words for People according to Nationality or

Ethnicity.” Macmillan Publishers Limited. Accessed September 16, 2018.
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/thesaurus-category/american/offensive-words
-for-people-according-to-nationality-or-ethnicity

News USA. 2015. “5 Tips to Practice Good Public Hygiene.” Accessed September 17, 2018.
http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/5-tips-to-practice-good-public-hygiene/

News USA. 2016. “Why Sunglasses Are a Must-Have for Kids.” Accessed September 16, 2018.
http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/health/why-sunglasses-are-a-must-have-for-kids/

Office for Disability Issues. 2014. “Inclusive Language: Words to Use and Avoid When Writing
about Disability.” Accessed September 16, 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-langu
age-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability

Recommended Links for This Unit:

Walden University. 2018. “Scholarly Voice: Avoiding Bias.” Accessed September 17, 2018.
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/avoidingbias

Writing Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The. 2018. “Gender-Inclusive
Language.” Accessed September 17, 2018.
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/gender-inclusive-language/

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