noteswale
Noteclass 11 12

Formal vs informal

Lesson 69 of 84

B2

Same matlab, alag kapde (register = formal/informal language): letter vs dost. Spotting = 68. Same meaning, naya grammar shape = 70. Noun-heavy extra = 63. Well / anyway = 66.

1. Kya hai

Register = formal/informal language (alag kapde). Galti nahi — galat jagah. Can't come dost theek; bank letter me nahi.

Situation Kapde
dost, WhatsApp, cricket baat informal: contractions, phrasals, short words
exam letter, office, unknown reader formal: full forms, Dear / Yours, formal words

2. Words / contractions

Informal Formal
kids / lots of / a bit / thanks children / a large number of / slightly / thank you
get / buy / help / tell / ask receive / purchase / assist / inform / request
I'm / don't / can't / gonna I am / do not / cannot (no gonna)
but / so (30) however / therefore (53) — matlab wahan, kapda yahan
find out / put off / look into (52) discover / postpone / investigate
got + V3 (55) was / were + V3

Spoken informal theek. Paper / letter = formal yahi. May I = formal permission (45). Hedging (savdhani se likhna) perhaps / might extra = 71.

3. Letter form / Indian office

British English Yeh nahi
Dear Mr Khan, … Yours sincerely Hi Mr Khan / Respected Sir / Cheers
Dear Sir or Madam, … Yours faithfully Yours sincerely (jab naam nahi)
I am writing to request… / Please send… I'm gonna need… / do the needful
Please reply. Please revert. / Kindly revert back.
Thank you. I look forward to your reply. Thanking you / Your goodself / I beg to say

Naam pata = sincerely. Naam nahi = faithfully. Date: 15 May. Idiom letter me kam = 65 galti. Spotting format = 68. Same-meaning naya structure = 70.

4. Examples

Bold = yeh kapde.

  1. Informal: I can't come after chai.
  2. Formal: I cannot attend on 15 May.
  3. Informal: Thanks for the lift, Ravi.
  4. Formal: Thank you for your assistance.
  5. Informal: There were lots of people in the queue.
  6. Formal: There were a large number of people in the queue.
  7. Informal: Can you find out the fees?
  8. Formal: Could you discover / enquire about the fees?
  9. Dear Mr Khan, I am writing to request the form.
  10. … Yours sincerely, Ravi Sharma
  11. Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about the delay.
  12. … Yours faithfully, Ravi Sharma
  13. Please reply before 15 May. (not revert)
  14. I should be grateful if you would send the form.
  15. Spoken OK: I'm on the metro. Letter: I am on the way to the station.

5. Common mistakes

Hi Mr Khan, / Respected Sir,
Dear Mr Khan, / Dear Sir or Madam,
I'm writing / I can't attend (letter me yeh form)
I am writing / I cannot attend
Kindly do the needful. / Please revert.
Please take the necessary action. / Please reply.
Dear Mr Khan, … Yours faithfully
Dear Mr Khan, … Yours sincerely (naam pata)
Dear Sir, … Yours sincerely
Dear Sir or Madam, … Yours faithfully
gonna / wanna / lots of / kids (exam letter)
going to / want to / a large number of / children
Well, anyway, by the way… (bank letter) / a piece of cake (letter)
66 / 65 galti. Letter: I am writing to…
Spot the error (as 69) / Rewrite using too…to (as 69)
68 / 70. Yahan kapde badlo, grammar paper nahi.
Hindi note. Dost = short + contraction. Letter = poore words. Naam hai to Dear Mr Khan + Yours sincerely. Naam nahi to faithfully. do the needful / revert / Respected Sir Indian office, British English nahi.

6. Practice

A. 10 MCQ

1. Letter to a named person:
2. Formal letter start:
3. Formal: The ______ waited in the queue.
4. Formal close-thanks:
5. After Dear Mr Khan:
6. After Dear Sir or Madam:
7. Please revert. British formal:
8. Formal quantity:
9. Letter: I ______ attend on 15 May.
10. Informal spoken (OK with a friend):

B. 5 fill-in

1. Letter open (named): ______ Mr Khan,

2. Formal: I ______ writing to request the form. (be)

3. After Dear Mr Khan: Yours ______,

4. Please ______ . (not revert)

5. Sahi karo: Hi Mr Khan,

C. 3 sentences

Model answers neeche. Ek Dear, ek cannot, ek sincerely.

  1. open: Dear Mr Khan, I am writing to request the form.
  2. cannot: I cannot attend on 15 May.
  3. close: Yours sincerely,

7. Answer key

MCQ
  1. b) Dear Mr Khan, — named. Hi informal. Respected Sir Indian office, British English nahi.
  2. b) I am writing — no contraction in the letter. gonna nahi.
  3. b) children — kids / guys informal.
  4. b) Thank you — Thanks / Cheers informal.
  5. b) Yours sincerely — naam pata. faithfully = unknown name.
  6. b) Yours faithfully — Dear Sir or Madam.
  7. b) Please reply — revert / needful Indian office, not British formal.
  8. a) a large number of people — lots / loads informal.
  9. b) cannot — letter. can't spoken. gonna nahi.
  10. a) I can't come after chai. — dost informal OK. hereby / needful galat kapde.
Fill-in
  1. Dear
  2. am — I am writing.
  3. sincerely — named addressee.
  4. reply — not revert.
  5. Dear Mr Khan,
Model sentences
  1. Dear Mr Khan, I am writing to request the form.
  2. I cannot attend on 15 May.
  3. Yours sincerely,

Check: Dear + sincerely / Sir + faithfully; no contractions in letters; reply not revert; no needful / Respected Sir; kids vs children; 52 phrasal meaning stays 52; 53 however meaning stays 53; spotting = 68; transformation = 70; noun-heavy extra = 63; well/anyway = 66; hedging (savdhani se likhna) extra = 71.