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Formal and informal
language
Lecture 1
Asma
BS(IT)
Introduction
English language can be divided into three
segments or categories:
•Formal
•Informal
•Popular
Introduction:
• Language can be used in variety of ways.
• There are many ways to say the same things,
depending of:
Where you are?
Who are you talking to
How you feel.
• The choice of words and structures depends on the
situation in which you are using the language.
Formal and informal situations:
• In our daily life there are various situations, and depending
on the situation we choose are language i.e. formal and
informal language.
• Informal language is preferred in situations like playing,
when with friends, being with family etc.
• Informal English is used in everyday conversations.
• Formal English is preferred in situations like assemblies,
offices, academic writings or academic set ups, with elders
etc.
• Formal language is used in serious texts and situations,
books, news reports, articles etc.
Formal English:
• Formal English is mainly used in writings.
• Writing style and tone is academic.
• Commonly used in academic writings like essays, business letters,
contracts, agreements etc.
• Sentences tends to be longer and complex.
• Grammar rules are strictly followed.
• Slang and colloquialism are avoided.
• Contracted and abbreviated forms are avoided.
• In case of speaking, formal language is mostly spoken in offices or
serious situations e.g. to welcome a guest at annual day at school.
Informal English:
• Spoken by people everyday.
• Used in emails, letters or conversation to a friend.
• Simple grammatical structures and sentences are
used.
• When used in writing, informal English uses first and
second person point of view. ( I, you, we)
• Use shorter sentences
• Formal punctuations like colon and semi-colon are
avoided.
Popular English:
•It falls in the category of informal English.
•It includes slang and colloquial language.
•It employs the use of vernacular.
•Informal language and slang are not the
same.
Formal Informal
• Inform me let me know
• Cancel drop
• Contact get in touch
• Obtain get
• Apologize say sorry
• Postpone delay
• Compensate make up
• Establish set up
• Discover find out
Difference between formal and informal
English
•Informal words are those common, ordinary
and familiar words people use daily
•whereas formal words tend to be the more
serious and less frequently used.
•Formal words are longer than informal.
Slang:
•A type of language consisting
of words and phrases that
are regarded as very informal.
•Slang is usually used by minority groups.
•Use it to separate themselves form other people.
slang fulfills two different functions
•One to separate oneself from other groups
•Secondly to experiment with language, as it
gives rise to new words.
Bethany K. Dumas and Jonathan Lighter:
A word can be a slang:
It lowers, "the dignity of formal or serious speech.
Its use implies that the user is familiar with
whatever is referred to, or with a group of people
who are familiar with it and use the term.
"It's a taboo term in ordinary discourse with
people of a higher social status or greater
responsibility."
Slang:
• Earlier the word slang referred to the vocabulary of
"low or disreputable" people.
• By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer
exclusively associated with disreputable people, but
still below the level of standard educated speech,
• Nowadays, it does not apply to a particular class but is
scattered all over and in every society.
• However slang is not considered part of formal
language.
• Sheer laziness gives rise to slang,

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Formal and informal language.pptx

  • 2. Introduction English language can be divided into three segments or categories: •Formal •Informal •Popular
  • 3. Introduction: • Language can be used in variety of ways. • There are many ways to say the same things, depending of: Where you are? Who are you talking to How you feel. • The choice of words and structures depends on the situation in which you are using the language.
  • 4. Formal and informal situations: • In our daily life there are various situations, and depending on the situation we choose are language i.e. formal and informal language. • Informal language is preferred in situations like playing, when with friends, being with family etc. • Informal English is used in everyday conversations. • Formal English is preferred in situations like assemblies, offices, academic writings or academic set ups, with elders etc. • Formal language is used in serious texts and situations, books, news reports, articles etc.
  • 5. Formal English: • Formal English is mainly used in writings. • Writing style and tone is academic. • Commonly used in academic writings like essays, business letters, contracts, agreements etc. • Sentences tends to be longer and complex. • Grammar rules are strictly followed. • Slang and colloquialism are avoided. • Contracted and abbreviated forms are avoided. • In case of speaking, formal language is mostly spoken in offices or serious situations e.g. to welcome a guest at annual day at school.
  • 6. Informal English: • Spoken by people everyday. • Used in emails, letters or conversation to a friend. • Simple grammatical structures and sentences are used. • When used in writing, informal English uses first and second person point of view. ( I, you, we) • Use shorter sentences • Formal punctuations like colon and semi-colon are avoided.
  • 7. Popular English: •It falls in the category of informal English. •It includes slang and colloquial language. •It employs the use of vernacular. •Informal language and slang are not the same.
  • 8. Formal Informal • Inform me let me know • Cancel drop • Contact get in touch • Obtain get • Apologize say sorry • Postpone delay • Compensate make up • Establish set up • Discover find out
  • 9. Difference between formal and informal English •Informal words are those common, ordinary and familiar words people use daily •whereas formal words tend to be the more serious and less frequently used. •Formal words are longer than informal.
  • 10. Slang: •A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal. •Slang is usually used by minority groups. •Use it to separate themselves form other people. slang fulfills two different functions •One to separate oneself from other groups •Secondly to experiment with language, as it gives rise to new words.
  • 11. Bethany K. Dumas and Jonathan Lighter: A word can be a slang: It lowers, "the dignity of formal or serious speech. Its use implies that the user is familiar with whatever is referred to, or with a group of people who are familiar with it and use the term. "It's a taboo term in ordinary discourse with people of a higher social status or greater responsibility."
  • 12. Slang: • Earlier the word slang referred to the vocabulary of "low or disreputable" people. • By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer exclusively associated with disreputable people, but still below the level of standard educated speech, • Nowadays, it does not apply to a particular class but is scattered all over and in every society. • However slang is not considered part of formal language. • Sheer laziness gives rise to slang,