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17 Words to Know Before Your Next Business Meeting
If you’re scheduled to attend a business meeting carried out in Business English, you’ll want to be focused and make sure you understand all the information being shared.
Do some preparation beforehand to learn common terms, phrases and words you’re likely to hear at the meeting.
Here are 17 words you’ll want to know:
1. A.G.M
Meaning: An abbreviation for ‘Annual General Meeting’
Example: We will start the A.G.M with some company news
2. A.O.B
Meaning: An abbreviation for ‘Any Other Business’
Example: A.O.B can be discussed at the end of the meeting.
3. Adjourn
Meaning: To postpone/to suspend the meeting and recommence it at another time
Example: If we run out of time, this meeting will have to be adjourned until next week.
4. Agenda
Meaning: Written program or schedule for the meeting
Example: Please look at your agendas so you can read through the matters we will be discussing.
5. Ballot
Meaning: A form of voting - usually done in writing
Example: At the end of the meeting, we will have a ballot on the decisions we need we make.
6. Casting Vote
Meaning: The vote that will decide the outcome of a ballot or voting procedure
Example: The chairman will have the casting vote if no decision can be made or the votes are equal.
7. Chairman
Meaning: Person who presides over/governs the meeting
Example: I am the chairman of this meeting but at the next meeting there will be a new chairman.
8. Comment
Meaning: Something you wish to say or discuss
Example: If you have a comment about what is being said, please raise your hand at the end.
9. Commence
Meaning: To begin/ start
Example: This meeting will commence once everyone is comfortably seated.
10. Consensus
Meaning: A general agreement
Example: After discussing the decision with our workers, we found the consensus was they agreed with it.
11. Conference
Meaning: A formal meeting for discussion - especially one that is held at regular periods
Example: At the next conference between our managing department, we will discuss all of your issues.
12. Conference Call
Meaning: A telephone call between three or more people in different locations.
Example: We will have to address the next issue through a conference call since Mr Brown is away in Europe.
13. Item
Meaning: A separate point for discussion (usually listed on an agenda)
Example: We have three items that we need to discuss today.
14. Minutes
Meaning: The written record of everything said or discussed at a meeting
Example: Please look through the copy of the minutes taken from the last meeting.
15. Motion
Meaning: A suggestion/proposed action that needs approval
Example: There has been a motion for more chairs to be added to the office and we will take a vote on this.
16. Show of Hands
Meaning: A request to have people raise their hands to express an opinion or vote
Example: Please could we have a show of hands for people who believe we should proceed with this decision.
17. Wrap up
Meaning: To finish/ draw to an end
Example: Before we wrap up, I would like to make one more point.
If you are interested in mastering your business English, opt to take ESL lessons in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
5 Ways to Get Better at English Reading Comprehension While Having Fun
Improving your ability to read in English fast and accurately requires a lot of work, and if the materials you read don’t interest you, most probably your English learning experience is becoming a nightmare and will not prove too effective.
It is not necessary to read boring materials to get good at reading in English, in fact it is counterproductive. Once you know the basics of the English language, you are free to choose among a wide array of reading materials and different methods of presentation.
Here are 5 ways to practice your English reading comprehension, which in addition to being effective and dynamic, are lots of fun:
1.Play word games
Today you can find all kinds of crossword and word game puzzles to amuse native and ESL speakers of all ages. These games will improve your vocabulary, sharpen your mind, and are a great way to have fun and pass the time.
Consider playing Scrabble and doing word searches, these can be of great help to train your mind to think in English.
2.Take a speed reading course
If word games are not your thing, consider taking a speed-reading course.
In this course you will learn how to pick the key words out of a paragraph to understand the message without having to read every word; thus, you must have, at least, an intermediate knowledge of English to be able to recognize and separate nouns and verbs.
3.Take notes on matters of interest to you
When you read a book about a topic you like, take notes. You can copy parts of the text word by word or you can try to write something in your own words.
As you write, you will have the chance to think in English, to think about the sentence structure, and to see how ideas are expressed; as a result, you will learn to talk about the topic in a more natural way.
4.Choose challenging materials
You must regularly establish new personal goals when learning English in order to progress and get better, just as you do when you exercise.
Let’s say you can already understand a 100 page children’s book, then it is time for you to try a 200-page book or one directed towards your age group.
No matter the topics that interest you, some books will be easier to understand than others; every time you chose the ones that are more challenging, you will be gaining mastery at understanding what you read in English.
5.Read materials from many different sources and authors
The number of websites out there gives you a good idea of the wide range of English writing styles that exist. You will most definitely discover how flexible the English language is and in which ways people feel more comfortable communicating.
If you are an expert in a certain topic in your native language, use that expertise to read websites in English that focus on similar topics.
In the same way, read books by different authors that talk about the same topics and try to understand the differences in writing styles.
After you learn the basics of the English language, only practice and time will make you proficient. It is crucial that, as a complement to your ESL class, you read about things that interest you in as many different forms as possible, and it is imperative that you have fun in the process.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
Cómo Escoger un Curso de Inglés en el Exterior
Puede ser difícil aprender inglés como segunda lengua, pero es imprescindible hacerlo si deseas tener acceso a los mejores trabajos, educación y oportunidades culturales.
Es por esto que muchos hispano hablantes deciden tomar un curso de inglés en el extranjero. Estos cursos se llaman “ESL programs” o “English as a Second Language programs”, que quiere decir ‘programas de inglés como segunda lengua’.
Hay cursos individuales o en grupo, y los mejores pueden ser caros, así que aquí te damos una guía de cómo escoger el mejor curso de inglés para que le saques el mayor provecho a tu inversión:
1. Confirma la experiencia del profesor
Cuando visites sitios de escuelas de inglés en Internet o veas anuncios sobre cursos de inglés, debes investigar a fondo y averiguar todo lo que puedas acerca del programa, quién lo enseña y su experiencia en el campo.
Pon atención y averigua si el curso es dirigido por un voluntario o por alguien que está certificado para enseñar el inglés como segunda lengua.
Una persona certificada ha sido entrenada y conoce muchos, si no todos, los retos que un estudiante de inglés puede encontrar. Por supuesto, esto no quiere decir que un voluntario hará un mal trabajo, sin embargo, un profesor certificado incrementa la posibilidad de que tu experiencia en el aula sea muy enriquecedora.
2. Pide referencias
Una vez que tengas varios programas en mente, pídele al profesor o a la escuela que te envíe referencias. No dudes en pedirlas, pues si estás pagando por el programa tienes derecho a saber si este lo vale.
La mayoría de escuelas y profesores tienen una lista de antiguos alumnos que están dispuestos a hablar con clientes potenciales sobre su experiencia con los programas. Contáctalos y pregúntales sobre el profesor y cómo el curso los benefició. Estas personas inclusive te pueden dar información valiosa sobre la comunidad donde se encuentra la escuela y sobre la cultura del lugar.
3. Analiza cómo aprendes mejor
Es importante considerar en qué tipo de ambiente aprendes mejor.
¿Eres el tipo de persona que trabaja mejor sola, fuera de un aula? Si es así, te conviene más trabajar con un profesor particular o tomar un curso de inglés virtual, sin embargo, esto puede resultar más caro, por lo que debes considerar tu posición financiera antes de decidir.
Hay también opciones de grupos muy pequeños y espacios tranquilos como bibliotecas y salas de conferencia; todo esto es importante porque mucho ruido y distracciones pueden entorpecer el aprendizaje.
4. Busca alternativas económicas
Dependiendo de donde vives, puedes encontrar alternativas más económicas a un programa de inglés, por ejemplo, grupos comunitarios o iniciativas gubernamentales. Estos van a resultar mucho más baratos que un profesor o escuela privada, sin embargo, probablemente no vas a recibir el mismo tipo de atención.
Si realmente deseas aprender el inglés profundamente, vale la pena invertir en un buen programa, en una ciudad donde se hable la lengua diariamente y donde puedas experimentar la cultura de habla inglesa en su totalidad.
5 Formas de Practicar el Inglés Escrito
Una vez que alcanzas cierto nivel de escritura en inglés vas a querer comprobar que te puedes comunicar efectivamente con otros.
Desafortunadamente, si vives en un área o país donde pocas personas leen en inglés, va a ser difícil que recibas retroalimentación acerca de lo que necesitas mejorar.
Por suerte, ahora hay muchas otras formas de practicar y mejorar tu inglés escrito, y aquí te presentamos 5 de ellas:
1. Utilizando una pizarra
Habrá ocasiones en que desees practicar escribir en inglés pero no necesariamente guardar lo que escribiste. Si escribes en una pizarra, podrás escribir cuanto quieras sin necesidad de gastar papel, y además es una gran manera de practicar tu ortografía.
Al mantener una pizarra siempre a la mano podrás hacer anotaciones rápidas acerca de diferentes temas antes de escribir una composición más formal.
2. Escribe un diario en inglés
Algunas veces sentirás la necesidad de practicar escribir en inglés pero no quieres compartir lo que escribiste.
En un diario puedes escribir tus pensamientos y crear un ambiente donde no te preocupa el resultado. Puede que inclusive descubras que te encanta escribir en tu diario y lo conviertas en una práctica diaria.
3. Lleva un blog
Eventualmente, vas a querer compartir tus ideas y puntos de vista en inglés, pero puedes sentir que no estás listo para enfrentarte a un público de carne y hueso.
Un blog es el balance perfecto entre un diario privado y un grupo de personas.
El blog está abierto al público en general y muchas personas lo leerán. Si alguien desea hacer un comentario lo puede hacer y tu te verás beneficiado con la retroalimentación.
No es necesario que te involucres en ninguna conversación en tu blog si no lo deseas.
4. Inscríbete en un club de inglés
Los clubes de inglés son muy populares, los hay de todo tipo y son el complemento ideal de una “ESL class” (clase de inglés como segunda lengua).
Al escribir junto a otros que desean mejorar su inglés, tienes la oportunidad de practicar el tuyo.
Aquí puedes compartir lo que te resulta difícil y entender porqué es así, a la vez que recibes consejos prácticos para mejorar.
5. Únete a un grupo virtual de crítica de escritura
Hasta los que nacieron hablando y escribiendo el inglés como lengua nativa desean mejorar su estilo. En estos grupos puedes encontrar desde personas que desean ser escritores hasta las que simplemente quieren aprender a comunicarse mejor en diferentes medios.
Ya que estos grupos se dedican a ayudar a otros a mejorar su estilo, vas a recibir retroalimentación muy honesta y directa sobre lo que necesitas mejorar.
Hay muchas formas de practicar el inglés escrito y las que te convienen dependen de tu nivel de aprendizaje. Conforme avanzas, es importante que empieces a compartir con personas que escriben en inglés como primera lengua, sin embargo, una mezcla de escritura privada y pública te puede ayudar a cumplir metas específicas.
4 Great Ways to Practice Business English
Nowadays, no matter where you are in the world, business is mainly done in English; thus, if you own or manage a business most probably you will have to talk in English and you will have to make sure the rest of your staff does too.
Whether you just need to create an ad for the local newspaper or negotiate a difficult international contract, it is vital that you understand how to do business in English; and you can’t wait until the business deal is imminent to put yourself into the perfect situation to learn business English.
Fortunately, there are many ways to practice business English in your daily life, here we show you 4 of the best:
1.Try out and share materials created by you
If, for example, you have to get better at creating a flyer to promote your business, begin by designing and writing one in your native language.
Once you have the ideas clear and organized, translate the flyer to English. When you’re done, find a native English speaker and ask him or her to check it for you.
If you repeat this over and over, you will eventually get a better understanding of the language rules and flow.
2.Go to town and city meetings
If you live in a country where the main language is English, you should go to town and city meetings regularly.
Even though these gatherings are mainly planned to talk about local government issues, you will discover that it is common to hear about money and contract negotiations too. Consequently, you will listen to words and vocabulary related and common to different business fields.
Don’t worry if you get lost in the discussion, you will still be able to see the body language and hear the tone in which people are saying the words.
3.Watch business videos
There are tons of videos that can help you learn business English, and we’re not talking about ESL videos. You can look for videos created to train salesmen and distributors; these give you a great opportunity to practice comprehension of sales and business conversations.
4.Join Internet business groups
Most probably there’s a part of the business you like more than others; it could be marketing, sales, accounting, or any other. Well, look for Internet groups and forums that specialize in that area you like and join the ones that are written in English.
This is a superb opportunity to practice words and phrases that are normally used in your industry, and also to talk about your own experiences.
To learn business English you have to practice and devote yourself to learning its nuances.
Based on your interests and goals, and to complement your ESL lessons, you can find means of practicing that let you participate in conversations or that just allow you to listen and observe. No matter what, in the end, you will find yourself talking business English fluently and with confidence.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
The 10 Best Questions to Break the Ice and Practice English
The following 10 questions will help you start a casual conversation in English and keep it going along an interesting line.
The first five questions will help you get to know people. These are simple questions that require simple answers and that give you information so that you can keep asking.
The last five questions will help you maintain a conversation and discover more about the person’s likes and dislikes.
1. What’s your name?
This is a basic question that can prompt an interesting exchange of information.
After the person answers, you can reply:
- “It’s a pleasure to meet you”
- “Where are you from?”
- “That’s an interesting name. Is it French, Indian, Russian…?”
2. Where do you live?
To keep the conversation going, you can ask:
- “How long have you lived there?”
- “Do you like it there?”
- “Do you live in an apartment or a house?”
3. What do you do?
You can find common ground with other people when you know what they do. After breaking the ice, you can follow with something like this:
- “Which company do you work for?”
- “How long have you had that job?”
- “Do you like your job?”
- “What’s the best/worst thing about your job?”
- “What do you like the most/least about your job?”
4. Are you married?
If the person answers “yes”, other questions to ask are:
- “How long have you been married?”
- “Where did you get married?”
- “What does your wife/husband do?”
- “Do you have children?”
If the answer is “no”, you may ask:
- “Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?”
- “Do you like single life?”
- “Would you like to get married someday?”
5. Where are you from?
It is always interesting to know where other people come from, even more so if they are foreigners. Keep the conversation going by asking:
- “Where is …?”
- “How long did you live there?”
- “What is … like?”
- “Do you like it here?”
6. What do you like to do in your free time?
This is a great question to discover common interests. You can ask:
- “How often do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.)?”
- “Where do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.) in town?”
- “Why do you like (eating out, playing video games, going to the opera) so much?”
7. Can you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
Ask about any sport you personally like and are a fan of. Keep it going with:
- “Do you enjoy playing soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
- “How long have you played soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
- “Who do you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc. with?”
- “Would you like to get together sometime to play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
8. What kinds of films/ food/ vacations do you enjoy?
This topic offers great opportunities to learn new things. Keep asking:
- “What’s the best place to see/ eat/ go on vacation?”
- “What’s your favorite kind of films/ food/ vacation?”
- “How often do you watch films/ eat out/ go on vacation?”
9. What do you do on weekends?
You can find new ways to have fun and even make a new friend. Keep the conversation going along the lines of:
- “Where do you go to …?”
- “Can you recommend a good place to (go shopping/ take my children for a swim/ go dancing)?”
- “How long have you done that?”
10. What kind of music do you like?
Find out more by asking:
- “Where do you go to listen to music?”
- “Do you play a musical instrument?”
- “Have you been to many concerts lately?”
You can use all of these questions in one conversation or use them separately to practice English outside of your ESL class, but remember that the most important thing when meeting people is to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience. This is the best way to learn!
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
4 Basic English Pronunciation Rules
Here we show you several basic English pronunciation rules to help you during your classes at your ESL school and in your practice time alone. Make your practice a dynamic and effective one by looking for new words these rules apply to:
1. Pronunciation of the “Y”
“Y” is pronounced as ‘ai’ or ‘i:’.
- In one-syllable words, “Y” is pronounced as ‘ai’. For example: my, by, fly, shy, sky, dry, cry, fry, and try.
- In two-syllable words, “Y” is pronounced as ‘i:’. As example: happy, funny, baby, bony, puppy, party, tiny, city, candy, berry, penny, and turkey.
2. Pronunciation of the “C”
“C” is pronounced as ’s’ or ‘k’. For example: city, cider, circle, and country.
- When an “E” or “Y” follow the “C”, it is pronounced as ’s’. Good examples are: cellar, center, cent, ice, cycle, cell, cypress, and cyclone.
- When an “O”, “U”, or “A” follows the “C”, it is pronounced as ‘k’. Some examples are: cold, country, computer, couple, cup, curb, cut, cap, can, and cat.
Read these sentences aloud and compare both sounds:
_ The city is cloudy.
_ The center is covered.
_ We cycle in the city but drive the car in the country.
3. Pronunciation of the “G”
- When an “E”, “I”, or “Y” follows the “G”, it is pronounced as ‘ʤ’. Examples are: gym, giant, gem, gorgeous, and George.
- When a “U” or “A” follows the “G”, it is pronounced as ‘’ or ‘æ’. For example: gun, gum, gas, garden, and gap.
4. Pronunciation of vowel letters
- The long “A” and the short “A”, for example: cape and gap.
-at: bat, cat, hat, fat, sat, rat
-ad: bad, had, mad, sad
-ag: tag, wag, rag, bag
-an: fan, pan, can, ran
-am: jam, ham, ram, yam
-ap: map, tap, nap
When the word ends in “E”, the “A” is pronounced as a long vowel. Examples of this are: rake, gate, face, base, cage, wave, and take.
When the word ends in “R”, the “A” sound is as in: tar, jar, car, and far.
- The long “I” and the short “I”.
-id: bid, kid, lid, did
-ig: big, rig, wig, pig, dig
-in: pin, fin, tin, win, bin
-ip: tip, lip, hip, rip, dip
-it: kit, hit, fit, sit, pit
When the word ends in “E”, the “I” is pronounced as a long vowel. For example: kite, bike, dime, ride, and vine.
- The long “O” and the short “O”.
-og: fog, hog, dog, jog, log
-op: mop, pop, hop, top
-ot: hot, pot, got, not
-ob: mob, cob, job, sob
When the word ends in “E”, the “O” is pronounced as a long vowel. As examples: rose, pole, and hope.
- The long “U” and the short “U”.
-ut: pup, cup, put, up, rut, hut, cut, nut
-ub: cub, tub
-us: bus, pus
-un: fun, sun, run, bun, gun
-ug: mug, bug, tug, hug
When the word ends in “E”, the “O” is pronounced as a long vowel. Examples: tune, cube, and cute.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
Free Writing, A Great Technique to Practice English
Free writing is a very simple process that has a lot of creative potential and is the starting point for discovering lots of hidden information.
The guidelines for free writing are:
-Write without stopping for a certain period of time, it could be between 10 to 20 minutes.
-Refrain from making corrections as you write.
-Keep writing, even if you must write, “I have no idea what to write”.
-Write anything that comes to your mind.
-Do not judge or censor what you write.
Yes, you got it right! Free writing turns out to be chaotic; actually, if it isn’t, you probably aren’t relaxed enough, but there is no going wrong with free writing.
What matters about free writing is the process, not the result. If you follow the guidelines above, you will be a successful free writer; one that will enjoy all its benefits:
-It makes you more comfortable about writing.
-It helps you get around your inner critic, the one telling you you can’t write.
-It helps release inner anxiety.
-It helps you discover topics to write about.
-It helps you improve your formal writing.
-It is fun.
When practicing free writing, use the tool that makes you feel more comfortable: pen, pencil, computer, or any other. Do not cross anything out, if you have a new idea, write it down, but leave your old idea there too, and forget about punctuation, it will help you write faster and more fluently.
You can use free writing to practice things learned in your ESL lessons. This technique will help you identify errors you commonly make, will help you notice sentence structure voids you may have, will help you understand what tone you use when writing, will help you detect words that you use too much, miss, or employ incorrectly, and basically, will help you understand how your brain is grasping the English language.
You can practice free writing anywhere; take advantage of this technique and use it to boost your learning experience outside the classroom.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).
Doing Business in English - Is it Mission Impossible?
How many times has a colleague of yours suggested taking a business English course? You, as an experienced executive, whose agenda has no place for any other extra activity, and who has been working for the same company for more than ten years, simply answer, “what for?” Never in your business life in that same company have you needed business English to do your job, so for you that is just a ridiculous suggestion. But imagine that one day, your company decides to invest in an English speaking country, just to expand the business and try new horizons, which of course will involve travelling to that country, having meetings and conference calls, making presentations and answering letters and e-mails, all of which involves using business English. I guess that now your colleague’s suggestion does not sound that ridiculous, right?
At first, you believe that you will be able to handle the situation. Bearing in mind your years of experience in the business and the fact that you understand English pretty well, how complicated can this be for you? So the day comes in which you and the rest of the company must travel to the other country to explain the company’s investment objectives and purposes. Before flying you buy a business English dictionary, just in case you may need it. The meeting starts and you discover that all the company’s staff speaks and understands English easily. Suddenly, you realize that business English is not as easy as you thought; even when you understand some parts of the conversation, it is not crystal clear at all. Not to mention the fact that it is impossible for you to give your opinion or explain the tasks that the sector you are responsible for performs. Apparently, even when you know the business well, trying to express the same ideas in another language is not a piece of cake at all.
So, after the meeting, your boss asks you why you were so quiet. Of course you will not talk about your language problems; therefore, you make up an excuse. And now you only wonder what you will do: is this the end of your career?
Fortunately, there is a quick and efficient solution for you. Travel abroad and attend classes at a school that has a special ESL program for executives like you, who need to learn business English to continue doing business. The first thing they should do is enquiry about your real needs, in other words, they prepare the lessons considering all the situations that you will have to handle, and they teach you in consequence. A great three-week program involves travelling to the US and meeting other executives, which will not only allow you to learn the language in real life situations, but also to share business experience with other colleagues.
To sum up, it is not impossible to do business in English; you only need a program that focuses on your needs as an executive. And the most important thing: enroll in the program even if you may not need business English for your current job, as you never know when things can change.
If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).
Main Differences between Formal and Informal English
One of the greatest fears affecting non native speakers of English is not just being misunderstood but also being inappropriate when trying to express something. People often speak of language as being correct or incorrect. It would be more accurate to refer to particular language structures as being formal or informal, appropriate or inappropriate for a specific context.
In everyday conversation we do not have to follow the rules of grammar as carefully as we would in a formal address or a business letter. If we adhere too closely to formal rules of grammar in an informal situation, we may come across as being stuffy and unnatural. It is like wearing a tuxedo or a formal gown to an ordinary business meeting. Formal English follows rules of grammar very strictly. Sentences tend to be longer and more complex. It tends to be used in professional and business situations. It is also better organized and thought out.
Informal English on the other hand is generally used with friends and family. A number of grammar expressions have common forms which differ in their formal or informal use. These differences are noted both in written and spoken English. However, they are most notable in written English.
As seen in ESL lessons, participating effectively not only requires a solid grasp of English grammar, but also an understanding of key communication factors. If you want more helpful language hints as to the most appropriate forms of English or key points to take into consideration each time you are using English, read on.
Contracted Forms
Formal - Don’t use contracted forms, use the entire auxiliary verb: They have lived in New York for many years.
Informal - Use contracted forms: They’ve lived in New York for many years.
Relative Structures
Formal - Use relative structures: The woman thought that it was important to be on time.
Informal - Drop certain relative structures: The woman thought it was important to be on time.
The Use of ‘Whom’
Formal - Use ‘whom’ as an object: Whom have they chosen for the position?
Informal - Use ‘who’ as an object: Who have they chosen for the position?
Auxiliary Verb Usage
Formal - Always use the full form of an auxiliary: Have you finished your work?
Informal - Sometimes the auxiliary verb is dropped in informal speech. Note: This is often grammatically incorrect, but is certainly common in everyday usage: Finished your work?
Word Choice
Formal - Many words tend to be used in more formal situations. For example, certain verbs tend to be used in formal situations, but have other synonyms (often phrasal verbs) that are used in informal situations. Also, it uses more vocabulary derived from French and Latin (bigger words) It uses more synonyms and doesn’t repeat the same words as much. The police investigated the situation.
Informal synonym: We looked into the situation.
Passive structures
Formal - It uses more indirect language, making it less personal. The student was given a book.
Informal synonym: We gave the student a book.
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