English Vocabulary in Use Advance (Unit 97: Register: degrees of formality)


A. Formal and informal words

  • Some words are formal or informal, and others are quite neutral.
  • Is your partner (neutral) / other half (informal) not with you today? [husband/wife]
  • Rick’s a really nice bloke/guy. [man; informal]
  • She is able to converse with everyone, which is a great gift. [have a conversation; formal]

Sometimes it is possible to arrange words into sets of neutral, formal and informal words.

neutral formal informal
TV/television the box / (the) telly
glasses spectacles specs
clothes clothing/garments gear
use employ/utilise
try endeavour/attempt have a go/stab/bash/crack/shot at

Language help

Register is concerned with the overall tone of a text or conversation, and the relationship that is built between the speaker and listener, or reader and writer. It is important to speak and write in the appropriate register for the situation.

B. Speech and writing

Some words are more associated with either spoken or written language. It is worth noting if a word has a particularly strong association with speech (S) or writing (W).
word/phrase S/W comment and example
subsequently W Linking adverb: (in speech, more likely to be ‘later’ or ‘afterwards’) e.g. The police found some important clues.
Subsequently, three people were arrested.
in sum W Linking expression: means ‘to sum up’, e.g. In sum, we may say that most, but not all, English adverbs end in -ly.
whatsisname/whatsername S vague word: used when we cannot remember the name of a person, e.g. I met whatsername at the party, you know, the woman who works at the university.
thingy S vague word: used as a noun, of people and things whose name one cannot remember, e.g. Give me that thingy there, yes, that bottle opener.
mind you S discourse marker: used to bring attention to an important point, e.g. He’s a good actor. Mind you, he should be – he went to the best drama college.
now then S discourse marker: used to get people’s attention when you want to ask or tell them something, e.g. Now then, is everybody’s luggage here?

C. Outdated words

Some words and expressions may be correct, but may sound archaic (outdated) or old-fashioned, e.g. asylum [hospital for the mentally ill], frock [dress], wireless [radio], consumption [tuberculosis/TB], eyeglasses [glasses].
Exercise-97.1


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