Informal & Formal Language in Academic Writing.pdf

Informal & Formal Language in Academic WritinG

1. Informal & Formal Language
in Academic Writing
Mamta Chhabriya

2. Why Does Formal Language Matter
●Developing clarity, precision, and professionalism in scholarly
communication
●Academic writing requires objectivity, clarity, and credibility.
●Informal tone = conversational, casual, and often unclear.
●Formal tone = appropriate for literature reviews, case reports, thesis,
articles

3. Formal Linking Language
●"In addition,"
●"However,"
●"Consequently,"
●"According to recent studies..."
●"This suggests that..."
●"It is important to note..."
●Use of cohesive devices improves flow and professionalism.

4. Academic Reporting Verbs


● ❌ "The article says..."
✅ Use: "The author argues / suggests / indicates / observes..."
List of verbs:
●Argues (strong stance)
●Suggests (moderate stance)
●Demonstrates (evidence-backed)
●Highlights (draws attention to)

5. Key Differences
Formal language strengthens the academic quality of research documents
Tone Conversational Objective, Impersonal
Vocabulary Simple/Common Specific/Technical
Contractions Used (don’t, can’t) Avoided (do not,
cannot)
Pronouns Personal (you, I)Avoided or minimized
Slang Present Absent

6. Vocabulary in Academic Writing
Informal
A lot of
Help
Kids
Get better
Deal with
Formal
Numerous / Several
Assist / Support
Children / Pediatric patients
Show improvement / Recover
Manage / Address

7. Example: ❌ “Nurses help a lot of kids get better.”
✅ “Nurses support the recovery of numerous pediatric patients.”

8. Examples
Informal
Phrase
Formal
Equivalent
Inappropriate Use (Informal) Appropriate Use (Formal)
A lot of Numerous /
Several
The patient had a lot of pain during
the night.
The patient reported severe
pain during the night.
/ Several episodes of pain
were documented.

9. Examples
Informal
Phrase
Formal
Equivalent
Inappropriate Use (Informal) Appropriate Use (Formal)
Help Assist /
Support
The nurse came in to help the patient
walk.
The nurse was present to
assist the patient with
ambulation.

10. Examples
Informal
Phrase
Formal
Equivalent
Inappropriate Use (Informal) Appropriate Use (Formal)
Kids Children /
Paediatric
patients
The ER was full of kids with colds. The emergency unit
received multiple paediatric
patients presenting with
upper respiratory symptoms.

11. Examples
Informal
Phrase
Formal
Equivalent
Inappropriate Use (Informal) Appropriate Use (Formal)
Get better Show
improvement /
Recover
She got some meds and started to
get better.
The patient was
administered medication and
began to show clinical
improvement.

12. Examples
Informal
Phrase
Formal
Equivalent
Inappropriate Use (Informal) Appropriate Use (Formal)
Deal with Manage /
Address
The nurse had to deal with a difficult
family.
The nurse was required to
manage a challenging family
interaction professionally.

13. Avoiding Personal Pronouns
●Avoid using “I,” “we,” or “you.”
●Replace with passive voice or third-person construction.

Examples:
❌ “We did the procedure in the ICU.”
✅ “The procedure was conducted in the ICU.”
❌ “You can see that the patient improved.”
✅ “The patient's condition improved significantly.”

14. Convert the following informal sentences into formal academic language:
use formal tone, discipline-specific vocabulary, and objective structure:
1.“The nurse checked up on the kid every now and then.”
2.“You gotta wash your hands before touching the wound.”
3.“They gave her meds and she got better.”
4.“Nurses gotta be quick on their feet.”
5.“The doc said the meds won’t work.”

15. Examples
1.“The nurse checked up on the kid every now and then.”
The nurse conducted periodic assessments of the paediatric patient.
2.“You gotta wash your hands before touching the wound.”
Hand hygiene must be performed prior to any contact with the wound to
prevent infection.
3.“They gave her meds and she got better.”
The patient was administered pharmacological treatment, resulting in
clinical improvement.

16. Examples
4.“Nurses gotta be quick on their feet.”
Nurses are required to demonstrate prompt clinical decision-making and
adaptability in dynamic care settings.
5.“The doc said the meds won’t work.”
The physician indicated that the prescribed medication was unlikely to
yield the desired therapeutic effect.

17. Final Tips
●Avoid contractions, slang, and personal opinions.
●Use third-person, passive constructions where appropriate.
●Prefer discipline-specific terms (e.g., "intravenous infusion" over "IV
drip").
●Be concise, clear, and structured.
●Proofread for tone consistency.
Professional language reflects the quality and seriousness of your
research.