Cambridge class: formal - informal

Cambridge writing
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This lesson contains 34 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 45 min

Items in this lesson

Cambridge writing

Slide 1 - Slide

Four things will be assessed:
1 Content

2 Communicative achievement         -correct form (letter, essay, report, review, proposal)
                                                                           -appropriate register (colloquial - formal)
3 Organisation

4 Language

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Slide 3 - Slide

Register
We are going to change an informal note into a formal complaint:
You will learn 8 ways to create a formal register
Make sure you write them in your Cambridge exam notebook.

Slide 4 - Slide

Slide 5 - Slide

Let's first look at:
'They’d given the room to someone else even though I’d reserved and paid for it beforehand. I was furious!'

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Make more formal: use an understatement for 'I was furious!'

Slide 7 - Open question

More formal: use a PASSIVE for: 'They'd given the room to someone else'.

Slide 8 - Open question

Slide 9 - Slide

Now let's change:
They did offer us another room, but it was right on the top floor – no telly, no phone. 

Slide 10 - Slide

Vocabulary: make more formal
Alternative for: 'another room'

Slide 11 - Open question

Vocabulary: make more formal
Alternative for: 'was right up on'

Slide 12 - Open question

More formal: use formal linking words.

'Although' instead of 'but',

'Neither-nor' instead of 'No - no'

Slide 13 - Slide

They did offer us another room, but it was right on the top floor. Although...

Slide 14 - Open question

Use full forms and complete sentences

also use neither / nor

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More formal way of saying 'No telly, no phone': There was ...

Slide 16 - Open question

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Now let's look at the  sentence:
… Anyway, the long and the short of it is I’ve sent them a letter and told them that if I don’t get my money back I’ll be taking them to court.

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No idiomatic language. Another phrase for 'the long and the short of it':

Slide 19 - Open question

Make more formal: 'If I don't get my money back, ...'

Slide 20 - Open question

Make more formal: 'I’ll be taking them to court'

Slide 21 - Open question

Use inversion (should) instead of 'if'.
Rephrase 'If I receive no satisfaction':

Slide 22 - Open question

No contractions!
NOT:  I'll be forced to ...
BUT:  I will be forced to ...

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Now make the following sentences more formal:

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The room was absolutely freezing!
Use an understatement:

Slide 28 - Open question

If there's a problem, call me!
Use an inversion:

Slide 29 - Open question

I'll pick you up from the station.
Non-idiomatic English:

Slide 30 - Open question

The waiter hadn't cleared the tables.
Use a passive:

Slide 31 - Open question

Slide 32 - Slide

RECAP
Now write down 6 ways to create a formal style
Use:     P...  U... I... F...
Avoid:  C... I... 

Slide 33 - Slide

Practice material
 More formal:              https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/register/formal.htm 
                                          https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/register/rgts1.htm
With phrasal verbs:  https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/register/phrasal.htm
Formal grammar patterns:
                                           https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/register/grammar.htm
Make LESS formal:    https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/register/rgts2.htm

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