FORMAL V.

INFORMAL FEATURES
1. VOCABULARY/LEXIS
Why are some English wors !onsiere "o #e more $%oli"e& or $re'ine&( whereas
o"hers whi!h mean "he same "hing are "ho)gh" r)e or *)lgar+
English *o!a#)lary !om%rises wors "a,en 'rom many lang)ages( %ar"i!)larly
Anglo-Sa.on( /ren!h an La"in. In 1011 "he Anglo-Sa.on inha#i"an"s o' Bri"ain
were !on2)ere #y "he /ren!h-s%ea,ing 3ormans. As /ren!h was "he lang)age o'
"he Co)r" an r)ling !lasses 4an La"in "he lang)age o' "he !lergy an e)!a"ion5(
wors eri*e 'rom /ren!h or La"in ha*e #een !onsiere more 'ormal "han "hose
eri*e 'rom "he na"i*e lang)age o' "he Anglo-Sa.ons.
6he lis" #elow !om%ares rela"i*ely 'ormal wors o' La"in//ren!h origin wi"h "heir
less 'ormal al"erna"i*es( many o' Anglo-Sa.on origin. I" is an ill)s"ra"ion o' a
general "enen!y( no" a !on*ersion "a#le7 "he !hoi!e o' *o!a#)lary always e%ens
on "he !on"e.".
I. La"in//ren!h #ase Anglo-Sa.on #ase
4single-wor *er#s5 4%hrasal *er#s5
to remove to take away/out
to retain to keep bak
to on!u"t to "ook up
to enter to #o/ome in
to $e!en$ to #o $own
to e!ape to #et out
to $epart to !et out% !et o&&
to arrive to ome a"on#%
to turn up% to #et to
to $e!pair to #ive up '(ope)
to provoke to win$ up
to $i!u!! to ta"k over
to inve!ti#ate to (ek out%
to "ook into
to arran#e to &i* up
to po!tpone to put o&&
to vi!it to $rop in
to to"erate to put up wit(
to re!tore to brin# bak
to e"ap!e to #o by
to "aim to make out
to renoune to #ive up
to invent to make up
to one$e to #ive in
to $imini!( to &a"" o&&
II. Un!ommon wors Common wors
A5 Ver#s
to pur(a!e to buy
to obtain/proure/reeive to #et
to ea!e to !top
to &untion to work
to ma!tiate to (ew
to $emon!trate to !(ow
to $eteriorate to #et wor!e
to re!i$e to "ive
to abbreviate to !(orten
to terminate to en$
to a!!i!t/ai$ to (e"p
to ommene to be#in
to $e!ire/re+uire to want
to "iberate to &ree
to on!ume to eat
B5 3o)ns
arnivore meat,eater
putre&ation rot
$e&iieny "ak
vi!ion !i#(t
re!i$ene (ome
re!piration breat(in#
!omnambu"i!t !"eep,wa"ker
ompre(en!ion un$er!tan$in#
per!piration !weat
C5 A8e!"i*es
inorret wron#
amiab"e &rien$"y
vaant empty
in!ane ma$
ine*pen!ive (eap
vivaiou! "ive"y
!uperior better
in&anti"e (i"$i!(
!u&&iient enou#(
entire w(o"e
!enior o"$er
95 A*er#ials
!ub!e+uent"y ne*t/"ater
prinipa""y mo!t"y
on!e+uent"y !o
initia""y at &ir!t
&ina""y in t(e en$
:. ;)n!")a"ion
Una##re*ia"e wors A##re*ia"e an
!on"ra!"e 'orms
I wi"" I-""
we wou"$ we-$
wi"" not won-t
a! !oon a! po!!ib"e a.!.a.p.
memoran$um memo
3o e.!lama"ion mar,s Any "y%e o'
or ashes %)n!")a"ion
<. =rammar
I5 ;assi*e 'orms A!"i*e 'orms
.&r. A meetin# (a! been !(e$u"e$ &or / Otober 0112 at 33 a.m.
4e-ve !et a meetin# &or / Ot at 33 a.m.
II5 Im%ersonal 'orms ;ersonal 'orms
It i! !ai$ t(at5 T(ey !ay t(at 5
It i! po!!ib"e to on!i$er t(e re!u"t! 4e an on!i$er t(e re!u"t! &rom anot(er
&rom anot(er viewpoint. viewpoint.
It i! not "ear w(y !u( terrib"e I an-t un$er!tan$ w(y t(ey put up
on$ition! were to"erate$ wit( !u( ba$ on$ition! &or !o "on#.
&or !o "on#.
It !eem! t(at t(i! i! an 4e t(ink t(i! i! an e&&etive p"an.
e&&etive p"an.
III5 3o)n %hrases Ver# %hrases
4nominalisa"ion5 4*er#alisa"ion5
T(e 6re!i$ent-! !pee(e! T(e 6. wa! ta"kin# rubbi!(.
were rat(er uninte""i#ib"e.
7i! tone o& voie revea"e$ t(at 5. 8ou ou"$ te"" &rom (i! voie t(at.....
My &in$in#! are out"ine$ be"ow. I-ve $e!ribe$/!et out/written be"ow
w(at I-ve &oun$.
.
I! (appine!! po!!ib"e $urin# .an peop"e be (appy w(en t(ey-re
unemp"oyment9 out o& a :ob9
A&ter "ari&iation o& t(e 4(en t(e bit! everyone wa! #ettin#
prob"em area!5. wron# (a$ been e*p"aine$5
IV53o" ening wi"h %re%. Ening wi"h %re%.
To w(om were you !peakin#9 4(o were you !peakin# to9
V5 3o( none 3o" any
I (ave no money. I (aven-t #ot any money.
I !ee no rea!on5 I $on-t !ee any rea!on5
VI5 Com%le. sen"en!es Sim%le sen"en!es
S)#orina"ion - Coorina"ion >
Al"ho)gh/#e!a)se/i'/ an/#)"/so/'or/"h)s
when( e"!.
A"t(ou#( rui!e! roun$ t(e .rui!e! aroun$ t(e Me$iterranean are
Me$iterranean are &air"y e*pen!ive% &air"y e*pen!ive% but t(ey !eem to be very
t(ey !eem to be very popu"ar. popu"ar.

VII5 Use o' in*ersion In*ersion only 'or em%hasis
S(ou"$ you re+uire On"y t(en $i$ I rea"i!e5
&urt(er in&ormation5