OK everybody.
So now we are going to move into Part Number three of the general later Lt-Gen that are well where our
focus for you on the aspects of formal and informal language.
This is something that a lot of students are not clear on in terms of writing the general letter and
it actually makes a difference in your score.
If it's a formal letter and you're using informal language your task response score is going to drop
right you're not responding to the letter properly one or one of the things that you can really do to
help your task response score is to make sure that your tone is correct.
So on the next few slides that I go through I'm just going to be showing you some examples of formal
and informal language and and so you could really understand that difference.
Now some people write me and they ask me things like Can you give me the perfect formal language and
a perfec informal language can be the perfect word to use.
Look I can't do that.
All right.
It's not possible to give you the perfect language because a lot of times it depends on the question.
The question is going to say which like what word do you use.
Right.
So there are no perfect words.
There are some general words you use in terms of formal language and informal language.
You definitely have to understand the difference between words that I consider formal and words that
I consider informal.
But there is no perfect list or perfect words you can use.
But hopefully after you watch or listen and watch this lecture that I'm about to start you have a better
understanding of formal and informal language and when and how to use it.
OK.
So let's get started.
All right.
So here are some key points.
Now as you know if there if you want to read something on the screen more carefully.
Just stop.
Stop the video.
Take notes and look at it right.
Stop the video take notes write down.
Do you know this.
But sometimes people say well you're going through it too fast.
Well I have a time limit on how long a video can be.
But if you need to stop take notes just stop the video or listen again.
So first thing formal language makes use of complex and compound structures like a sentence one sentence
two.
And you'll see the difference between the informal and the formal informal and 2001 the bridge was built
that was good politically to countries united sentence to the bridge was completed in 2001 which resulted
in a positive political move that United two countries as more formal.
See the difference.
One thing that I will say before I keep going forward is their task number two the long essay is a formal
essay.
It's a formal essay is not an informal essay.
So really when you're doing task number two that's why I advise you to use compound in complex sentences
and your conjunctive you know correlators and your conditional sentences and using all the different
forms and higher forms of grammar and your adjective clauses.
Because it's a formal essay.
Right.
So I mean I digress I'm sorry for going off about that but that's something important for you to understand
has to do with a formal essay.
Let's keep going.
Be formal language does not use contractions.
Right.
Using a lot of contractions I'll you know those those kind of it's you know formal language is going
to be I have.
It is.
All right.
So that's something important to understand formal language is object if not like what you see with
center is number five.
I think I believe that the issue of global warming will be the primary concern at the meeting.
Right.
There is little doubt it is clear that the issue of global warming warming warming will be the primary
concern at the meeting.
Do you see the difference.
Right.
There's a difference between formal and informal.
Now listen to what I just told you.
Task number two is a formal essay.
That's why I tell students all the time you know the students all the time in their thesis statements
for their task number two they put it I think I believe and I always I like to cross it out because
it's not an informal essay it's a formal essay.
When you use words like I think and I believe in like task number two is weak is a weaker language is
not formal.
Right.
The formal language is not used to look you know Khaliq Williams complications.
It does not use any type of collocation at all.
So when you're using that that type of informal language like here in a sentence number seven.
Sweden's prime minister Fredrik Ryan feel totally flipped out when he read the latest report.
Language totally flipped out.
That's the collocation that is an informal language.
You should not have that in a formal letter.
Now I know some people are going to ask me Well what if it's semi-formal when is semi formal.
I think you should stay towards the formal side.
Right.
With a semi formal letter instead of saying Dear Sir or Madam you know you're talking to those MIB your
manager.
So you might say Dear John.
Right.
So but you keep it mainly formal in a semi formal letter writing is semi formal does it say semi informal
formal language focuses more on vocabulary choice that's important.
Right.
The type of vocabulary that you're using in formal language is higher level more complex right formal
language makes use of discipline specific vocabulary sentence 11 germs grow well in dirty and warm water
temperature temperatures cities 12 which is formal that ceria thrive in unhygenic you see that that's
a specific word on I genic and warm conditions.
So formal language makes use of discipline specific vocabulary.
Remember that for your writing
these are just a little bit of a little bit more.
I'm going to go over some of the things that were not covered.
Your informal letter uses the active voice with a formal letter the passive voice is ok informal letters
you might use an exclamation mark for the formal letters.
You're not going to use one.
So if you want to look at these differences a little bit longer or stay on this page a little bit longer
and study it.
Stop the tape study it.
Take notes if you want to.
Ok some more difference in terms of language.
If it's an informal letter you say help form letter assistance in a formal letter I think formal letter
I suppose informal get a formal letter obtain if you're doing this.
That's the difference in formal informal letters if you're writing test number two you should be on
the formal side right.
Formal language.
Here's a little bit more in terms of language differences.
I can give you a complete list.
There are many different differences differences between informal and formal language.
These are just examples and hopefully you can pull some of these examples out and add that into your
language is really what I want you to have is a deeper understanding of the difference between an informal
word choice or phrase any formal word choice or phrase that's what I want you to have a deeper understanding
so that you can use the right language automatically.
Really.
Definitely.
I'll pick you up at the airport.
You'll be collected at the airport.
You'll see that one right.
So those are the differences.
It'll be awesome if you come Friday.
I highly recommend you come on Friday.
All right.
Those are differences in our formal and informal language.
Here's some more differences.
Again stop the tape if you want to kind of write this down.
But I'm really trying to give you the idea of the difference between formal and informal language.
Again if it's a semi-formal letter you you fall on the side of being formal.
Now here are some differences between your opening language and your closing language right.
That's for a letter like a lot of time students ask me how do I open.
There are a lot of examples on there in terms of how to open.
Remember it's about quality quality of your sentences quality not quantity quality.
All right word choice I guess we'll hear some differences very quickly about the formal semi formal
and informal look at the formal.
This letter is a formal complaint regarding the unhealthy and deplorable state of the hotel suite that
was provided at Hotel right.
That's a good opening sentence for a formal letter.
My life partner and I cordially invite you to a costume party at our home this coming Halloween semi-formal
informal as I write this letter.
My first thoughts are to your will be are you well I truly appreciate you allowing me to borrow your
car last week.
Right.
That's more of an informal opening.
You see the differences
these are just some suggestions for formal letter openings.
And actually you know what this is something actually no.
Actually no I actually think we should change this here because really we should take out all the I
am right.
I want you to be strong in your in your formal letter opening so we're going actually we're going to
change I'm going to recommend we change that.
This is something that I used to teach before in terms of formal letter openings and you see this in
a lot of different places about formal that are openings but I'm showing you this page because this
is a page also that most of you have seen.
This is the kind of language that you see most of the time in terms of your formal letter openings.
I am I am I am I am right.
It should be a of saying I am writing to inquire about it should be this letter will inquire about this
letter is to request.
This document will explain why.
Right.
That's that's that's the way I want you to write it.
OK.
I want you to change that.
I am language too strong formal language.
OK.
Strong formal language
now informal openings might be a lot more you know cozy and touchy feely that's more of your informal
letter openings.
These are three examples for examples that you can take a look at.
But just stop the tape if you want to look at them a little bit deeper in terms of your informal letter
openings
OK.
So remember in terms of the formal language openings and closings I want you to really work on taking
out the I am language right.
And do strong formal openings strong formal closings take out the I AM I think I believe formal letter
should be objective.
OK.
That's what I want you to be.
I want you to be objective.
OK.
And then that's what you're going for to have a strong formal letter informal letters are a lot softer
a lot more friendly.
OK formal letters are going to have much more professional language professional tone.
OK.
All right.
So thanks a lot everybody.
I hope you now have a deeper understanding of formal and informal letters.
Also hope you have a deeper understanding of what I mean by taking out that I think I believe I am you
know that kind of lane which out of a formal letter and putting in is very direct and very strong.
This letter will enquire not I am writing to inquire.
OK.
So that does that change.
I kind of want you to make in terms of your differences in terms of your your letters.
Okay.
All right.
So thank you very much.
This will include this will conclude Section 1 in terms of explaining the basics of the general letter
and what you should or should not do in section 2.
Over the next four lectures they are going to basically present to you examples of the application of
the application of the theory as suggestions that I made.
You're going to see a letter and see the outline and see the different parts so that you can really
understand the strategy.
It doesn't matter what kind of letter it is is the same five part strategy.
The strategy doesn't change it doesn't alter it doesn't shift.
OK.
In terms of structure is outline intro part 1 part 2 Part 3 conclusion signature line.
Okay.
So I'll look forward to you joining me in the next few lectures and I'll talk to you soon.