Formal vs Informal Writing: Key Differences, Common Mistakes & How to Write Academically

There are many different ways we write today. We write WhatsApp messages, Facebook posts, emails, and we also need to write more formal writing like IELTS essays, business letters, and university assignments.

What is formal writing? Formal writing is an objective, precise, and professional style required for academic and business communication. Many students lose marks in IELTS Writing Task 2 because they use informal style in a formal essay.

Let’s learn 4 things you MUST avoid in formal academic writing.

1. NEVER Use Contractions in Formal Writing

Contractions are two words joined by an apostrophe: shouldn’t, can’t, don’t, won’t, it’s, couldn’t.

They are fine for speaking and informal writing, but strictly forbidden in academic essays.

❌ Informal (Contraction)	✅ Formal (Full Form)
Governments shouldn’t allow corruption.	Governments should not allow corruption.
Students can’t succeed without hard work.	Students cannot succeed without hard work.
It’s important to protect the environment.	It is important to protect the environment.
The results don’t support the theory.	The results do not support the theory.

Unique Example:

❌ “The economy isn’t growing fast enough.”
✅ “The economy is not growing at a sufficient rate.”

2. AVOID Personal Pronouns: I, We, You

In formal academic writing, you should not use personal, emotional style. Avoid I, we, you, I believe, in my opinion, you should.

Instead, use impersonal, objective structures.

❌ Informal (Personal)	✅ Formal (Impersonal & Objective)
We should be aware of the consequences of pollution.	Being aware of the consequences of pollution is important.
I believe online learning is better.	It is argued that online learning is more effective.
You can see that climate change is real.	It can be seen that climate change is a real threat.
We need to solve this problem.	There is a need to solve this problem.

Pro Tip for IELTS: Instead of “I think,” use:

It is considered that…
This essay argues that…
It is evident that…

3. AVOID Colloquialisms, Slang & Low-Level Vocabulary

Do not use slang or everyday spoken expressions. Use higher-level, precise academic vocabulary.

gonna → going to
loads of / a lot of → numerous / an abundance of / a significant number of
all that bad / kind of good → tolerable / moderately beneficial
get better → improve
bad → detrimental / adverse

❌ Informal & Vague	✅ Formal & Precise
The policy is not really all that bad.	The policy is tolerable / acceptable.
There are loads of reasons for pollution.	There are numerous reasons for pollution.
Kids get addicted to games.	Children become addicted to games.
The situation got worse quickly.	The situation deteriorated rapidly.

Unique Example:

❌ “The new law is kinda useful for small businesses.”
✅ “The new law is moderately beneficial for small enterprises.”

4. Use Complex, Longer Sentences (Not Just Simple Sentences)

Informal writing uses short, simple sentences. Formal writing uses a variety of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

Learning to combine ideas is the key skill for Band 7+ in IELTS.

Instead of 2 short sentences:

“The government invested in public transport. The traffic congestion decreased.”

Combine them into a formal complex sentence:

“The government invested in public transport, and consequently, traffic congestion decreased.”
Or even better with a semicolon:
“The government invested heavily in public transport**; as a result,** traffic congestion decreased significantly.”

Unique Example:

Simple (Informal): “Online education is cheap. Many students like it.”
Complex (Formal): “Because online education is more affordable than conventional education, it has become an increasingly attractive option for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.”

Quick Checklist: Is Your Essay Formal Enough?

Before you submit your essay, check:

No contractions? (did not, cannot, should not)
No I, we, you, my?
No slang? (gonna, loads of, all that bad, kinda)
Did I use academic words? (numerous, detrimental, subsequently)
Did I use complex sentences with because, although, while, therefore, semicolon?

If you follow these 4 rules, you will write in the formal style required for academic writing and IELTS.

Practice Task: Make this informal sentence formal:
“We shouldn’t think pollution isn’t all that bad ’cause it can get worse if you don’t do anything.”

Comment your formal version on Advanced English Lab!

Formal vs Informal Writing: Key Differences, Common Mistakes & How to Write Academically