Submitted by: Submitted by chenone
Views: 417
Words: 869
Pages: 4
Category: English Composition
Date Submitted: 11/21/2012 02:18 AM
Formal language
for writing
Reports and Dissertations
in English
Lynn Andrews
Conférence de méthodes
Novembre 2012
Formal versus informal
language in English
Different types of writing require different
levels of formality:
O Email to a friend
O Email to a member of your family
O Email to a new customer
O Report for your line manager
O Report for a client
O Dissertation for the MBA
Formal versus informal
language in English
Reports and dissertations include:
O
O
O
O
O
Analysis
Evaluation
Discussion of findings based on research
Conclusions
Recommendations
Both of these types of documents must be ‘objective’
and are therefore written in a formal style
Making your written
language more formal
In April 2011, I had to have a look at customer
complaints about the time-keeping of the staff
in the general office.
To get some information, I had a chat with each
of the 12 workers concerned and watched out
for their time of arrival over a two-week period.
Source: www.ryerson.ca
What makes your language
formal in written English?
Formal
Informal
Use of verbs in the passive voice
Use verbs in the active voice
Rare use of personal pronouns
Regular use of personal pronouns eg.
I, you, we…
Neutral verbs whch do not show
feelings (objectivity)
Verbs that show feelings eg. I think, we
feel, I am pleased
Clear and concise words. Often
these are are ‘Latinate’ words :
usually one–word verbs and nouns eg.
punctuality; investigate, interviewed,
noted etc
Phrasal verbs (Verbs with
prepositions) : eg. watched out for,
‘have a look at’ etc
Get : most uses of get are very informal!
AVOID!
Avoiding personal
pronouns (I, we etc..)
O In English using personal pronouns
always makes your language sound more
informal.
O In reports and dissertations, formal
language requires impersonal phrases
beginning with ‘It’.
Avoiding personal
pronouns (I, we etc..)
Compare these...