Formal vs Informal Writing

• newEditor
• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

Goals for today:

At the end of this lesson: You know how to distinguish an informal e-mail from a formal e-mail.

Which of the following is a formal sentence?

A

Could you please provide me with the report?

B

Would you mind sending me the report?

C

Can you give me the report ASAP?

D

Hey dude, can you send me the report?

Which of the following is an informal sentence?

A

Hey, what's up?

B

It will cease to be a problem

C

Excuse me, may I ask a question?

D

May I have your attention please?

Informal Writing 

Informal writing consists of short sentences and is used in more personal settings, such as writing a letter to a friend or writing a diary entry. It is much more relaxed than formal writing.

 

Use Informal Writing When:

• Writing to a friend;

• Sharing a story or writing a personal blog;

• Writing creatively;

• Instructed to do so (if in school);

• Writing dialogue and conversations.

Informal Writing 

Slang (dialect, streektaal)

Expressions (uitdrukkingen)

Personal tone (persoonlijk)

Simple language
, short sentences (simpel en kort)

Informal style (informele opbouw en stijl)

Contractions  are allowed
(You're, it's) (afkortingen toegestaan)

Expressing feelings (uitdrukken van jouw gevoelens en emoties)

Formal Writing

Formal writing is written for an audience you do not know on a personal level. It is often the main style in academic writing (unless otherwise noted) and is more complex than informal writing. Formal writing is serious.

Use Formal Writing When:

• Writing professionally (reaching out to a client or company);

• Academic writings (essays, research papers, etc.);

• Job applications (resume writing, CVs, and cover letters);

• Reaching out to someone you do not know.

Formal Writing

Complex (ingewikkelder)

Longer sentences (langere zinnen)

Explain your points (uitleg, argumenten)

Formal style (formeel taalgebruik, netter)

No contractions (such as you're) (geen afkortingen)

No expressions or slang (geen uitdrukkingen of dialect)

No or hardly any emotions/feelings (niet te persoonlijk)

Diverse vocabulary usage (diverser taalgebruik)

Formal letter writing

Example of an assignment

<--

Have a look at the assignment. 

What does your letter need to have in order to fit the assignment criteria?

Example one

Example two

Which letter would be the best for this assignment and why?

Which comes first:

A

Sender's address, date and recipient's address

B

Recipient's address, sender's address and date

C

Date, sender's address and recipient's address.

D

We start with

A

Ewa neef,

B

Dear Sir/Madam

C

To whom it may concern,

D

Dear Sir/Madam,

Handtekening?

A

always

B

never

C

always in formal letter writing

D

sometimes when I feel like it

We finish by saying (formal letter):

A

Yours sincerely,

B

Kind regards,

C

Yours sincerely

D

Yours faithfully,

Formal or informal? I would advise you to....

A

Formal

B

Informal

C

D

Formal or informal? You don't wanna go there...

A

Formal

B

Informal

C

D

Which is the correct salutation in a formal letter (when you don't know their name)?

A

Dear Sir/Madam,

B

dear sir/madam,

C

dear reader

D

Hello,

Which is allowed in a formal letter?

A

I'm a student at Harvard

B

My feedback was positive

C

What's more, I am eager to learn

D

My CV's enclosed with this letter

What is the best way to close your formal letter?

A

kind regards,

B

yours faithfully,

C

yours sincerely

D

best wishes,

Is this formal or informal? Kind regards

A

formal

B

informal

C

both

D

Match the expressions on the left with the paragraphs on the right.

Dear Sir,

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Dear Peter,

I would be grateful if you could ...

Closing (formal letter)

Asking for help (formal letter)

 Beginning (informal letter)

Beginning (formal letter)

Formal language

Informal language

Hey dude, how's it going?

I am writing this email to file a complaint

Dear Mr Burnsley,

Dear James,

He's always doing so much stuff.

Your book sucks.

I do not think the novel is suitable for young adults.

Yes or No? Mag je in een formele brief afkortingen zoals I'm gebruiken?

A

Yes

B

No

C

D

Correct this sentence taken from a formal email: i'm writing this email because i haven't received my parcel yet

Sleep de aanhef/afsluiting naar de passende situatie

Informeel

Je kent diegene persoonlijk

Formeel

Je kent de achternaam

Formeel

Je weet geen naam

Dear Carla,

...

Kind regards,

Dear Ms van der Kooi,

...

Yours sincerely,

Dear Sir/Madam,

...

Yours faithfully,

Dear Sir/Madam,

Dear Ms/Mrs Butter,

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Hi Koen,

Hello Koen,

Dear Koen,

Best wishes,

Cheers,

Many thanks,

Love,

Informal

Formal