You should still avoid embarrassing grammatical mistakes, though : remember, your writing needs to be clear and easy to read.ĭon’t use slang terms in formal writing - they’re informal pretty much by definition! - and don’t swear. In an informal piece of writing, like a blog post or email, short paragraphs and sentences that begin with conjunctions can work well to keep the pace and hold the reader’s interest. For instance, it wouldn’t normally be appropriate to have extremely short paragraphs, or to start a sentence with “because” or “and.” When you’re writing in a formal register, stick fairly rigidly to grammatical rules. It might, for instance, use a more technical or precise word where appropriate. Good formal writing is not unnecessarily convoluted, and while it may use long, Latinate words, it doesn’t use them unnecessarily. What exactly does formal writing involve? For instance, you might draft quite formal copy for a client’s website or blog, and also present them with an example of how it could be more chatty. Invoices could fall into this category.Īs a writing exercise, it can be interesting to rework a piece at a different level of formality. You might want to use standard templates. Some companies are known for being unusually informal and this can work well, but only if it’s what your client wants!įormal or legal agreements: These will almost certainly be written in formal language (though there’s no reason that can’t be in plain, straightforward English). Look at other websites in their industry, and think about their own corporate style. Jones…”)Ĭopy for a client’s website: This could be at almost any level of formality. If you already know a client fairly well, it might seem a bit distancing or cold to address them formally (“Dear Mr. If you run a corporate blog, however, it might be appropriate to write in a slightly more formal register.Įmails: Some of your emails will be more formal than others. Here are a few suggestions for what types of register to use in different writing scenarios.īlog posts: Most blog readers are used to an informal, friendly, conversational style.
How to adjust your register for different types of writing If your post is formally worded, it may sound intimidating or off-putting, and not attract the right people. On the other hand, imagine you’re posting on Facebook to encourage other writers in your local area to meet up for coffee. It might be a refreshing change and encourage you to hire the person…but chances are, it’ll put you off! You’re expecting a certain level of formality from this type of person or organization. You find a website that’s written in informal, chatty language with lots of swearing. Imagine, for instance, researching lawyers in your area. It might even undermine their confidence in your ability to provide what they need. Natural.īut t he wrong level of formality can be jarring for the reader. There’s no “right” or “wrong” register - only the right (or wrong!) one for whatever you’re writing.īy being aware of register, and noticing how your choices of words, phrases and sentence structures tie in with register, you can adjust your writing as needed. The first is in a formal register, with words like “impersonate.” The second is informal, with phrases like “we’re nice like that.” Note that both pieces of text have a similar context - they each instruct users on what they can and cannot do - but they’re written very differently. (From the footer of Writers’ HQ ’s website) PLEASE DON’T USE OUR STUFF WITHOUT ASKING, BUT DO ASK AND WE’LL PROBABLY SAY YES BECAUSE WE’RE NICE LIKE THAT.”
(From The Telegraph’s Terms and Conditions ) You must not use a false name or email or provide any false information nor impersonate another person when registering for use of the Site and our email services.” “ Access to our email services and to some areas of the Site is restricted to users who have registered their details with us. informal registerįor instance, compare the following two pieces of text: You could see it as a sliding scale, from formal language (for example, a legal document) to informal language (for example, a text message to a friend). It’s slightly different from what we might call tone or style. Register is the level of formality in a piece of writing. Whether you’ve heard of it before or not, you’re using the concept of “register” in your writing.