FORMAL AND INFORMAL LANGUAGE

~ VERBS – INFORMAL & FORMAL ~

INFORMAL FORMAL
say sorry apologize, apologise
go up increase
go down decrease
set up establish
look at examine
blow up explode
find out discover
bring about cause
put off postpone, delay
rack up accumulate
make up fabricate
stand for represent
find out discover, ascertain
leave out omit
point out indicate
go against oppose
get in touch with contact
It’s about It concerns, It’s in regards to
need to required
think about consider
get obtain
put up tolerate
deal with handle
seem appear
show demonstrate, illustrate, portray
start commence
keep retain
free release
get on someone’s nerves bother
ring up call
show up arrive
let permit
fill in substitute, inform
block undermine
give the go ahead, authorize, authorise
greenlight

~ LINKERS / TRANSITIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL~

INFORMAL FORMAL
Anyways Nevertheless
Plus/Also Moreover/ Furthermore
But However
So Therefore/Thus
Also In addition, Additionally
ASAP as soon as possible/at your
earliest convenience
Okay, OK acceptable
In the meantime In the interim
I think In my opinion,
In the end, Finally
To sum up In conclusion,
In a nutshell/Basically To summarize,
Anyway, Notwithstanding
All right Acceptable
Well, -
To top it all off, -
On top of it all, -
- In order to
 ~ EMPHASIS WORDS – INFORMAL & FORMAL ~
INFORMAL FORMAL
lots of/ a lot of much, many
tons of, heaps of large quantities of, a number
of
totally completely, strongly
really, very definitely

~ LETTER EXPRESSIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL ~

INFORMAL FORMAL
Hi Robert, Dear Sir or Madam
Just wanted to let you know… I am writing to inform you…
Love, Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Cheers,
Yours Truly, Best regards, kind
regards
Hope to hear from you soon I look forward to hearing from
you
You can call me if you need Please do not hesitate to
anything contact me

~ ABBREVIATIONS – INFORMAL & FORMAL ~

INFORMAL FORMAL
ASAP as soon as possible
T.V. television
photo photograph
cell cell phone
net Internet
 MIXED WORDS (A-Z)
INFORMAL FORMAL
A
Anyway Nevertheless
Ask Out Invite
At First Initially
Ask for Request
Away Absent
At once Immediately
Also, In Addition,
Ask Enquire
A bit A Little
B
But However,
Bad Negative
Boss Employer
Bright/smart Intelligent
Big/Large Enormous
Bring in Introduce
Break out Erupt
Block Undermine
Buy Purchase
C
Come after Follow
Choose Select
Call on Visit
Childish Infantile
Cheap Inexpensive
Can capable of
Call off Cancel
Clear Transparent
 Come in Enter
Clothes Garment
Complex Convoluted
Climb Ascend
Come up To reach / attain
Chance Opportunity
D
Dad Father
Dim Indistinct
Death Demise
Describe Depict
Deal with Handle
Drop out (of) Withdraw (from)
Danger Peril
Dirty / polluted Contaminated
Deal with Manage
E
Eager Avid
Enough Sufficient
End Terminate/ Finish
Enjoyment Gratification
Expect Anticipate
Explain Disclose
Ease Facilitate
F
Friendly Amiable
Free Liberate
Fork out Pay (money)
Fall out Quarrel
Fight Combat
G
Go Depart
 Good Positive
Good for Beneficial
Good looking Attractive
Give Donate
Give up Quit
Go up Increase
Go on Continue
Go away Leave/ depart
Go through Examine
Go against Oppose
Go down Decrease
Go before Precede
Give out Distribute
Go ahead Proceed
Get out Escape
Go after Pursue
H
Hopeless Futile
Happy Pleased
Hit out at Criticise
Here Present
Hungry Famished
Hopeless Futile
Hurry Haste, hasten
Help Assist
I
In charge of Responsible
Idea Notion
Imagine Envisage
K
Kidding Jesting
Keep Preserve
 Kids Children
L
Lucky Fortunate
Look like Resemble
Live Reside
Look into Investigate
Let Permit
Lucky Fortunate
Lead to Cause
Loaded Rich
Look for Seek
Look up to Respect
Look at Regard
Leave out Omit
Laid back Relaxed
Let Allow
Live Reside
Lack (of) Deficiency / Shortage (of)

M
Maybe Perhaps
Mainly Principally
Marvelous Exceptional
Makeup Fabricate
Mend Repair
N
Next/later Subsequently
Need Require
Naked Nude
O
Over at an End
Older Senior
 Okay, ok Acceptable
P
Pick up Collect
Put/ set down Deposit
Put up with Tolerate
Put off Postpone
Pin down Determine
Put in Insert
Pay back Repay
Point out Indicate
R
Round Circular
Right Correct
Rack up Accumulate
Remove Eliminate
Really big Considerable
S
Sick Ill
Show Demonstrate
Start/ Begin Commence
Stop Cease
See Observe
Sight Vision
Small Diminutive
Smart intelligent
Seem Appear
Shorten Decrease
Speed up Accelerate
Seem Appear
Set up Establish
Sweat Perspiration
Stubborn Obstinate
 So Therefore
Settle for Choose
Set out Display
T
Tired Exhausted/ Fatigued
Test Experiment
Try out Test
Think of Conceive
Think about Consider
Talk about Discuss/consider
Talk into Persuade
Try Endeavour
Take out Remove
Tell Inform
Thanks Gratitude
Throw away Discard
W
Wait for Await
Worse Inferior
Wood Timber
Whole Entire / complete
Want / hope Desire
Wrong Incorrect