- I receive many email regarding to formal and informal. There are many ways to define formal and informal.
- I write some definition for formal and informal.
Formality in texts
To adopt an appropriate
level of formality in your writing of academic texts
you should avoid:
●
abbreviations
●
contractions
●
colloquialisms or slang.
Abbreviations appropriately used
in note-taking and informal writing should be avoided in written assignments
and examination papers that you submit to your lecturer or tutor.
Table 1: Extending abbreviations
Abbreviation
|
Complete expression
|
||
Ie
|
✗
|
that is
|
✓
|
eg
|
✗
|
for example, for instance
|
✓
|
etc
|
✗
|
et cetera, and so
on
|
✓
|
ok
|
✗
|
alright
|
✓
|
uni
|
✗
|
university
|
✓
|
WHO*
|
✗
|
World Health Organisation (WHO)
|
✓
|
NGO*
|
✗
|
Non-Government Organisation (NGO)
|
✓
|
USQ*
|
✗
|
University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
|
✓
|
* You
should
always
use
the full title of an organization
or association
when first mentioned
in a
text. The full title is
immediately followed
by the acronym in parentheses as indicated in the table
above.
Thereafter in
the
text, you may refer to the organization
by its acronym only.
Contractions appropriately used in
written dialogue
and spoken language should be
avoided
in written
assignments
and
examination papers that you submit to your lecturer or tutor.
Table 2: Extending contractions
Contraction
|
Complete expression
|
||
it’s
|
✗
|
it is
|
✓
|
can’t
|
✗
|
cannot
|
✓
|
don’t
|
✗
|
do not
|
✓
|
I’d
|
✗
|
I would
|
✓
|
they’re
|
✗
|
they are
|
✓
|
Colloquialisms (slang) and informal language
expressions, which may be commonly used in everyday spoken language, should be avoided in
written
assignments
and examination papers that you submit to
your
lecturer or tutor.
Table 3: Rewording colloquialisms
Colloquialisms in sentences
|
Reworded sentences
|
||
In government,
to pass the national
budget, more than half the Senators have to
give it the thumbs
up.
|
✗
|
In government, to
pass the national
budget, more than half the Senators have
to agree to its proposals.
|
✓
|
It is sometimes suggested that scientific research in Australia
gets pretty
well a big fat zero in terms of money.
|
✗
|
It is sometimes suggested
that scientific research
in Australia receives little
or no funding.
|
✓
|
The library lends stuff like books, videos and audio cassettes to kids.
|
✗
|
The library lends materials such
as books, videos and audio cassettes to
children.
|
✓
|
