In essay writing, formal style is a broad term for speech or writing marked by an impersonal, objective, and precise use of language. A formal writing style is typically used in orations, scholarly books and articles, technical reports, research papers, and legal documents.
Formal Writing
Formal writing is written for an audience you do not know on a personal level. It is often the main style in academic writing (unless otherwise noted) and is more complex than informal writing. Formal writing is serious.
Informal Writing
Informal writing consists of short sentences and is used in more personal settings, such as writing a letter to a friend or writing a diary entry. It is much more relaxed than formal writing.
As per Fred Obrecht's, Minimum Essentials of English, "Formal style is characterized by long and complex sentences, a scholarly vocabulary, and a consistently serious tone. Grammatical rules are scrupulously observed, and the subject matter is substantial. The selection may include references to literary works or allusions to historical and classical figures. Absent are contractions, colloquial expressions, and an identified speaker, with impersonal one or the reader frequently used as the subject."
Formal writing tends to include the following:
- Long and complex sentences: Sentences tend to be compound and contain commas to link two ideas or use transitions like “Furthermore” and “To exemplify,”
- Does not use contractions: Would use “cannot” instead of “can’t”
- Objective: Does not offer personal opinions
- Doesn’t use colloquial language: You won’t see any slang or common everyday vocabulary
- Diverse vocabulary words: Vocabulary is of a higher level
- Use of words that are subject-specific: For example, if you are writing about biology, you’d use words like “epithelial cells” instead of “skin cells”
- Use of third person: Does not use first person pronouns like “I” or “me”
