Grammar. Formal and informal structures. Level C1. Week 7. Lesson 4

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GRAMMAR.
Formal and Informal structures
Level C1 Week 7 Lesson 4
Asynchronous
Oxford Grammar for EAP, Unit 4.4-4.5, pp. 41-43

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4.4 Formal verbs, nouns and adjectives
Some words have a more formal 'feel' to them than others. In
the selected examples in this section a less formal, but perfectly
acceptable, alternative is given in brackets. It is not necessary to
always use the more formal words in academic English, but it is
useful to be aware that these distinctions exist.

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1 Verbs
Many verbs have a more formal alternative.
• Symons argues that there is little point during a time o f recession in calling on
(asking) the government to support further spending in this area.
• The company’s profits exceeded expectations. (The company's profits were greater
than expected.)
• The oil tanker incurred/suffered serious damage in the collision. (The oil tanker was
seriously damaged in ...)
• In the body of our report, we make reference to (refer to) the significant
contribution in this field of Professors Walters and Marlow at Columbia University.

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• No self-respecting democracy can sanction (permit/ allow)
these coercive methods of interrogation.
• In his inaugural address Barack Obama spoke of (talked
about) the long political journey he had made.
• None of these important matters were addressed (were
covered/dealt with) in the work carried out by the Granger
inquiry.

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TIP
Other more formal verbs include acquire/procure
(obtain), assist (help), conduct (carry out), demonstrate
(show), dispose of (get rid of), entail
(necessitate/require), examine/study (take a look at),
investigate (look into), omit (leave out), treat
(present/discuss), write of (write about).

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2 Nouns
Sometimes more formal nouns are particularly appropriate in law or politics. A spouse
(husband or wife) and a sibling (brother or sister), for example, are useful in being
gender neutral. A dwelling means 'a place where someone lives’ without having to
specify whether it is a house or flat, etc., and premises means ‘a building’ or
'buildings', whether it is an office or a shop, etc. Politicians sometimes make pledges
rather than promises, and countries may use an embargo rather than a ban to prevent
some form of trade.
• Several of the dwellings were condemned as unfit for human habitation.
• An embargo has been placed on all oil supplies destined for the main cities.
• Under the current law, a spouse must wait for two years after separation, before
beginning divorce proceedings.
• Police conducted a thorough search of the premises, but no drugs were found.
• The government has made a pledge to review the composition of select committees.
(Or The government has pledged to review...)

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3 Adjectives
Some adjectives have more formal partners.
• Relations between Pakistan and India, rarely cordial (friendly) at the best o f
times, have recently worsened.
• The design of the new hospital, with its light-filled social areas, is exemplary
(ideal).
• Mistakes were made by the negotiating team, but these were described by
the government as negligible (minor).
• The sole (only) reason for delaying the launch of the new domestic heating
system appears to have been a desire to avoid the summer period, when few
people are as concerned with cold weather problems.

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TIP
Other more formal adjectives include characteristic (typical), correct (right) and
incorrect (wrong), final (last), justifiable (fair), problematic (difficult), overwhelming
(very powerful) and substantial (large).
TIP
In spoken and written English, there is a tendency to avoid emotive language that
shows a personal attitude in the words themselves, such as mob instead of crowd or
adjectives like appalling, disgusting, wonderful, etc.
• It is shameful that refugees in genuine fear for their lives in their home countries are
being turned away by immigration services.
—► We need to question the moral values that underpin any immigration service
that turns away refugees in genuine fear for their lives in their home countries.

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4.5 Other formal words, phrases, and structures
This final section covers the more formal versions of a small group of words and
phrases; Latin expressions in current use; and some formal negative expressions.
1 In this list, words or phrases that are more formal come first:
albeit (although); in excess o f (over/ above/more than); in sum
(in short/briefly); principally/primarily/predominantly (mainly);
somewhat (slightly); virtually (almost).
• There is a distinct, albeit minor, trend for furniture retail outlets
to offer customers free refreshments while they browse.
• ATMs generally do not permit withdrawals in excess o f £500.
• Retail turnover, in the period leading up to Christmas, has been
somewhat lower than expected.

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TIP
Using the words former, latter, and respectively
to make references to other parts of a text is also
a characteristic of formal English.

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2 It is not advisable to use Latin phrases simply to make your writing sound more
academic, but the following expressions can prove useful: bona fide (in good faith);
caveat (a warning); de facto (in reality, but not officially); in situ (in its original
location); inter alia (among other things); per capita (per head/ for each person); pro
rata (in proportion); quid pro quo (something in return for a service/favour); sine qua
non (an essential pre-condition); status quo (things as they are); vice versa
(reversing the order of things just mentioned). You may wish to check
if your department has a policy on the use of Latin
phrases.
• Classroom research carried out in situ (i.e. in the
classroom) can present its own difficulties.
• Wilkins argues that companies should take a more
flexible approach to employees who request a temporary reduction in their workload
for a pro rata loss o f salary.
•It is vital that charities seeking commercial sponsorship understand the details o f
the quid pro quo element o f such an engagement.
•Mitcham argues that the UK will have to do business with the rebel force, now that it
has formed the de facto government o f the country.

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3 The negative expressions no (instead of not any), little (instead of
not much), and few (replacing not many), all tend to sound more
formal, and can be used instead of contractions.
• (There aren't any) There are no easy solutions available to the
problem o f drug abuse among teenagers.
• (Not many) Few doctors would argue with a system that could
reduce the number o f inappropriate patient consultations.

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TIP
In formal English, we tend to limit our use of the terms etc., and
so on, and so forth, replacing them with more precise phrases
(The building of ready-to- rent apartments requires the
installation o f washing machines, fridges etc. and other
domestic appliances).

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Now do the quiz in Ms
Teams
Link for the instructors:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ShareFormPage.aspx
?id=8xWPFeCDBkmCTGm9xQ2dYQPoSOFLNSZJk7svA
_fAm9pUM1BDMzBQN0RWWUdCQkhMWVZGS0lJVzl
YMy4u&sharetoken=UeObCWCZXQg8w32kn4rF
Don't forget to duplicate and delete it!

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THE END