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Year 9 English — Formal and informal register

Choose formal or informal wording to suit who you are writing to.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Sort each word by how formal it is.

    Groups: More formal · More everyday

    • commence
    • residence
    • purchase
    • buy
    • start
    • home

  2. 2.Which feature belongs to informal writing?

    • a) formal vocabulary such as commence
    • b) full forms such as do not and cannot
    • c) contractions such as don't and can't
    • d) long noun phrases

  3. 3.Match each everyday phrase to its formal equivalent.

    • find out
    • put off
    • ask for
    • get better
    • look into
    • put up with
    • investigate
    • postpone
    • discover
    • request
    • tolerate
    • improve

  4. 4.You are writing to a company about a faulty product. Which opening is right?

    • a) Hi, your thing broke.
    • b) Hey, fix this.
    • c) I am writing to report a fault in a product I purchased from you.
    • d) Your product is useless.

  5. 5.Which greeting suits a letter to a principal you have never met?

    • a) Hey Principal
    • b) Hello you
    • c) Dear Sir or Madam
    • d) Hi there

  6. 6.Rewrite "kids" with the more formal word.

  7. 7.In a formal letter of complaint, which sentence is better?

    • a) I would be grateful if you could arrange a refund.
    • b) Give me my money back.
    • c) I want a refund.
    • d) Refund me quickly please.

  8. 8.Sort each closing line by where it belongs.

    Groups: A note to a friend · An official letter

    • Can't wait!
    • Thanks a lot!
    • Thank you for your assistance.
    • I look forward to your reply.
    • I await your response.
    • See you soon.

Answer key — Year 9 English — Formal and informal register

  1. 1. purchase → More formal; buy → More everyday; commence → More formal; start → More everyday; residence → More formal; home → More everyday
  2. 2. c) contractions such as don't and can't
  3. 3. find out → discover; put off → postpone; ask for → request; get better → improve; look into → investigate; put up with → tolerate
  4. 4. c) I am writing to report a fault in a product I purchased from you.
  5. 5. c) Dear Sir or Madam
  6. 6. children
  7. 7. a) I would be grateful if you could arrange a refund.
  8. 8. Thanks a lot! → A note to a friend; Thank you for your assistance. → An official letter; See you soon. → A note to a friend; I look forward to your reply. → An official letter; Can't wait! → A note to a friend; I await your response. → An official letter