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A common error I observe in student writing is beginning an essay with “In this essay, I will tell you about Shakespeare.” Formal writing should not announce its own structure — it should begin with authority and substance. That’s the key shift required for effective academic writing: formal English is not about being stiff or robotic, but about choosing words and grammatical structures that sound credible, precise, and professional across academic essays, business correspondence, and formal communication contexts.
Formal English is used across academic textbooks, university essays, business correspondence, and official documents. When speaking, we save it for serious occasions — graduations, ceremonies, formal introductions. But in writing, formal English is your default in professional and academic contexts. You’ll covers the key rules and vocabulary shifts you need to master to write with authority and clarity.
Key Takeaways
- Vocabulary shift: Replace short, simple words and phrasal verbs with longer, more formal one-word verbs (e.g., establish not set up).
- No contractions: Write “does not” and “is not” instead of “doesn’t” and “isn’t” in formal academic or business writing.
- Impersonal tone: Avoid first-person pronouns (I, me, my, we, us) unless the genre explicitly permits them — use passive voice instead.
- Complex sentence structure: Longer sentences with subordinate clauses are expected; grammar rules are followed strictly, with no sentence fragments.
- No slang, colloquialisms, or abbreviations: Avoid phrases like “gonna,” “a lot of,” “e.g.”, and “etc.” — spell everything out in full.
Why Formal Writing Matters
Formal writing is the language of authority. When you write formally, readers perceive your ideas as well-researched, credible, and worth taking seriously. In professional and academic contexts, informal or careless writing can undermine even your strongest arguments.
Example: An informal version might read: “We found that social media messes with people’s mental health.” A formal version reads: “Our investigation established that social media usage correlates with decreased mental well-being.” Notice the shift in authority — same idea, completely different impact.
Formal Vocabulary: The Single-Word Verb Rule
One of the quickest ways to elevate your writing is to replace phrasal verbs (two or three words) with their single-word, formal equivalents. Phrasal verbs are common in everyday speech, but they sound too casual for formal writing.
| Informal (Phrasal Verb) | Formal (Single Word) | Example in Context |
|---|---|---|
| set up | establish | The company established a new research division. |
| go up | ascend / increase | Temperatures ascended to record levels. |
| question | interrogate | The lawyer interrogated the witness about his whereabouts. |
| put off | postpone / defer | We deferred the meeting to the following week. |
| find out | discover / ascertain | Researchers ascertained the cause of the malfunction. |
| look for | seek | We are seeking additional funding for the project. |
Example: “We need to set up the meeting” (informal) becomes “We must establish a meeting schedule” (formal).
Memory trick: If a verb is one word in Latin or French, it’s probably more formal in English. Compensate (from Latin compensare), interrogate (from Latin interrogare), and establish (from Latin stabilire) are all more formal than their phrasal-verb cousins.
Sentence Openers You Must Avoid in Formal Writing
Certain conversational openers are absolutely banned from formal writing. They’re considered too informal or too directive, even if they’re common in casual speech or popular blog writing.
Banned Openers:
- And, Also, But, So, Or, Even so — informal conjunctions at the start of a sentence.
- Therefore — write “We therefore…” instead.
- Then, Now — unless giving a command (e.g., “Now observe the diagram”).
- In this article, To summarize, Let’s begin, Let’s explore, Let’s start — these are meta-commentary or too casual.
| Avoid (informal) | Replace With (formal) |
|---|---|
| And so we decided to study the problem. | Consequently, we decided to study the problem. |
| But the results were unexpected. | However, the results differed from our expectations. |
| So we had to revise the hypothesis. | Thus, we revised the hypothesis. |
| Also, there was a second finding. | Additionally, we observed a secondary finding. |
| Therefore we conducted further tests. (wrong) | We therefore conducted further tests. (correct) |
Example: Informal: “And then we looked at the data.” Formal: “Subsequently, we analysed the data.”
Contractions, Abbreviations, and Numbers
Formal writing avoids shortcuts. This means no contractions (don’t, can’t, won’t) and no abbreviations (e.g., i.e., etc., yrs).
Contractions — Never in Formal Writing
Incorrect: “The system isn’t designed for that purpose.”
Correct: “The system is not designed for that purpose.”
Incorrect: “We haven’t received the report yet.”
Correct: “We have not received the report yet.”
Abbreviations — Spell Them Out
Incorrect: “For e.g., you might use etc. when listing items.”
Correct: “For example, you might use the following when listing items: …”
Rule: If you abbreviate a word, ask yourself: “Would I see this abbreviation in a published academic journal?” If the answer is no, spell it out.
Numbers — Use Words Under 20
In formal writing, spell out numbers below twenty using words, not digits.
Incorrect: “We tested 3 methods and 12 participants.”
Correct: “We tested three methods and twelve participants.”
Exception: If you’re writing a report with heavy numerical data, digits may be acceptable — check your style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
Avoiding Personal and Conversational Language
Formal academic writing is impersonal. You avoid personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, we, us, our) and instead use the passive voice or neutral noun phrases.
Informal vs. Formal Pronouns
Informal: “I found that stress affects students’ grades.”
Formal: “Research indicates that stress affects student academic performance.” OR “It has been established that stress affects student academic performance.”
Informal: “You can see from our results…”
Formal: “The results demonstrate…” OR “It is evident from the data…”
Informal: “We decided to interview the participants.”
Formal: “Participants were interviewed…” OR “The research team conducted interviews with participants…”
Register note: Some academic disciplines (especially humanities and social sciences) now permit limited first-person use (“I argue,” “we conducted”). Always check your assignment guidelines or journal submission requirements before using personal pronouns.
Formal Vocabulary Replacements
| Informal Word | Formal Equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kids / guys | children / individuals / people | The children were asked to complete a survey. |
| a lot of | many / much / considerable | Much research supports this theory. |
| lots | numerous | Numerous studies have examined this phenomenon. |
| OK / okay | acceptable / satisfactory / permissible | The results are satisfactory for publication. |
| got | obtained / acquired | We obtained permission from the ethics board. |
| pretty / really | notably / significantly / considerably | The effect is notably larger in younger cohorts. |
| big | substantial / significant | We observed substantial improvements in performance. |
The Passive Voice in Formal Writing
Passive voice is overused, but strategic use of it can add formality. It removes the personal agent and shifts focus to the action itself. Use it to avoid repetitive “I” statements.
Active (informal): “I conducted three experiments and collected data from fifty participants.”
Passive (formal): “Three experiments were conducted, and data were collected from fifty participants.”
Balance tip: Not every sentence should be passive. Aim for about 30 percent passive voice — enough to vary your sentence structure, not so much that your writing sounds robotic.
List Structure and Punctuation
When listing items, always use a coordinating conjunction (and) before the final item. This is the “serial comma” or “Oxford comma” rule.
Incorrect: “We used three methods: observation, interviews and surveys.”
Correct: “We used three methods: observation, interviews, and surveys.”
Also correct (more formal): “We employed the following methodologies: observation, interviews, and surveys.”
Sample Dialogue: Academic Writing Consultation
Student: Professor, I’m not sure if my introduction sounds formal enough. Can I start with “In this essay, I will discuss Shakespeare”?
Professor: Not quite. That phrasing is too self-conscious. Try starting with the idea itself: “Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter shaped English literary tradition.” You’ve jumped straight into the topic.
Student: Oh, I see. And what about using “we” instead of “I”?
Professor: Good question. Some disciplines accept “we,” but check your guidelines. If you’re uncertain, use passive voice or the subject itself: “Research shows” instead of “We found.”
Student: Thank you. That’s much clearer.
Common Mistakes in Formal Writing
✗ Incorrect: “Don’t use contractions or abbreviations in formal writing, etc.”
✓ Correct: “Do not use contractions or abbreviations in formal writing, and so forth.”
Why: The incorrect version uses both a contraction and an abbreviation in a sentence about formal writing — a meta-error.
✗ Incorrect: “And also, the results were really interesting.”
✓ Correct: “Additionally, the results were notably significant.”
Why: “And also” is redundant and informal; “really” is vague in academic writing. Use formal transition words and precise adverbs.
✗ Incorrect: “I was able to set up an experiment which tested if stress affects memory.”
✓ Correct: “An experiment was designed to investigate the relationship between stress and memory retention.”
Why: The informal version uses “I,” “set up,” and a weak pronoun reference (which). The formal version is passive, uses precise verbs, and clarifies the relationship.
Quick Quiz
Identify the more formal option for each sentence:
- Which is more formal: (A) “We found out that students don’t like early classes.” (B) “Research demonstrates that early scheduling reduces student attendance.”
- Choose the correct formal list: (A) “We used surveys, interviews and observations.” (B) “We used surveys, interviews, and observations.”
- Which sentence avoids the banned opener? (A) “And so the study proceeded to phase two.” (B) “Consequently, the study advanced to phase two.”
- Which uses formal vocabulary? (A) “The results were pretty important.” (B) “The results were notably significant.”
- How should this number appear? (A) “The sample included 15 participants.” (B) “The sample included fifteen participants.”
Answers: 1. B · 2. B · 3. B · 4. B · 5. B
Quick Checklist for Your Draft
- No contractions (don’t, isn’t, haven’t) — write them out.
- No abbreviations (e.g., etc., i.e., yrs) — spell in full.
- Numbers under 20 spelled as words (one, two, fifteen).
- Sentence starters avoid: “And,” “But,” “Also,” “Therefore” (fix: use “Consequently,” “However,” “In addition,” “Thus”).
- Vocabulary is elevated — phrasal verbs replaced with formal single-word verbs.
- Personal pronouns (I, we, you) used sparingly or replaced with passive voice.
- Lists use Oxford comma: “A, B, and C” not “A, B and C.”
- No meta-statements like “In this essay, I will discuss…”
Related Writing Resources
- Differences Between Formal and Informal Letters
- How to Write Informal Letters in English
- Academic Writing Tips and Strategies
- Common Errors in English Usage
- ↑ Back to pillar: English Writing (Pillar)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is passive voice required in formal writing?
No. Passive voice adds formality, but overusing it makes writing sound awkward. Aim for about 30 percent passive voice mixed with active sentences. Modern style guides (APA, Chicago) now favour active voice even in formal contexts, so check your discipline’s guidelines.
Can I use “I” in formal academic writing?
It depends on your field and assignment. STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) papers traditionally avoid “I,” preferring passive voice or “the researcher.” Humanities essays may permit “I argue” or “I contend.” Always check your course guidelines or journal submission requirements.
How do I know if a word is too informal?
Check a dictionary. Most dictionaries label informal or colloquial words. If it says “informal” or “colloq.”, find a formal equivalent. If you can picture yourself saying it in everyday conversation with friends, it’s probably informal.
What’s the difference between e.g. and i.e.?
In formal writing, avoid both and spell them out: “e.g.” means “for example” and “i.e.” means “that is.” Write these in full: “For example, …” or “That is, …” to keep your formal tone.
Should I use “you” in formal essays?
No. “You” is too informal and makes writing conversational. Replace it with “the reader,” “one,” “students,” or passive constructions: “One might argue…” instead of “You might argue…”
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