LK English/Style

Aspects of Informal Style

• beginning a sentence with a conjunction (e.g. But, And, Or, So, Yet, Because)
• contractions (e.g. can’t, won’t, doesn’t)
• use of the word you
• use of the imperative or command form (e.g. Watch this film.)
• abbreviations (e.g. etc. instead of and so forth)
• short sentences, and short paragraphs, paratactical structure
• stories in the text that are too personal or too compelling
• use of dialect, slang, informal or taboo expressions (kinda, kiddo, bugger, me mum an dad)
• use of fillers like You know, er(m), well, kind of / kinda, yeah, uhm, actually, I mean, O.K.
• ellipsis (I don't think we …. )

Aspects of Formal Style

• rather objective, non-personal point of view
• no contractions or abbreviations
• no use of imperatives
• varied length of sentences and paragraphs. ==> Hypotactical structure
• complete sentences
• absence of fillers, dialect, slang etc.
• use of latinate forms and technical terms rather than phrasal verbs (irrevocable, discover, arrive, reappear instead of impossible to take back, find out, get there, be there again)