write a polished, professional email is now a critical skill both in college and the workplace. Below are some key distinctions between formal and informal writing, as well as some guidelines to follow when composing a formal email to a superior (professor, current or prospective employer, etc.) or someone who does not know you. Informal vs Learn the Types of Writing: Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive, and Narrative. Catherine Traffis. Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose. While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to paper Informal vs. formal contexts Using contractions in informal contexts (e.g., blog posts, casual communications, informal letter writing, social media posts) is recommended. This is because they help to convey a friendly and conversational tone that matches the situation. Formal writing is the less personal writing style of the two. With formal writing, ideas and concepts are expressed in a complex manner with complete sentences. Sentences in formal writing are longer than those in informal writing because they are meant to fully explain ideas and concepts. While ideas and concepts should be fully explained in Preference for “on” vs “nous” in Casual French. The standard French way of referring to a first-person plural is to use nous and its various conjugations. But in casual French, people prefer to use on, which in English is “one”. To emphasise that you’re talking about a group of people, you might even use nous as emphasis, too. Casual refers to something relaxed, informal, or nonchalant, while causal refers to something that causes or produces an effect. It is important to use these words correctly to avoid confusion and miscommunication. Using casual instead of causal can lead to misunderstandings, especially in professional settings. Informal – Here’s the delivery data for last month. While it is generally agreed that bureaucratic forms can obscure meaning, there is a debate on the use of formal versus informal styles in business communication. Formal styles often require more detail, adhere to rules of etiquette, and avoid shortcuts like contractions and folksy Code-switching: Teaching Standard English (Wheeler & Swords) As language users, we constantly shift styles according to the contexts in which we find ourselves speaking or writing. Similar to code-switching, style-shifting is often below our level of consciousness as speakers or writers, but can be problematic for us as listeners or readers. 1. Creative writing allows for artistic freedom. Creative writing can be fiction, nonfiction, or lyrical. 2. Creative writing has the capacity to entertain. Often, creative writing serves entertainment purposes, such as in fiction or creative nonfiction texts. 3. Creative writing has the potential to inform. If you’re writing a formal letter it’s best to use ‘want’ but if you’re writing to your friend, you can use ‘wanna’. Formal: I want to pass my English exam tomorrow. Informal: I q2GOUt.