Difference Between Formal and Informal Writing

Published on 07-May-2023

Feature	Formal Writing	Informal Writing
Tone	Impersonal, serious	Personal, casual
Vocabulary	Technical, formal	Everyday, colloquial
Sentence structure	Complex, varied	Simple, repetitive
Use of contractions	Avoided	Commonly used
Abbreviations	Rarely used	Commonly used
Punctuation	Formal, proper	Informal, relaxed
Addressing the reader	Avoided	Directly addressed
Use of slang	Avoided	Commonly used
Use of jargon	Acceptable if necessary	Avoided or limited
Use of first person	Avoided or limited	Commonly used
Use of second person	Avoided or limited	Commonly used
Use of third person	Commonly used	Limited or avoided
Use of personal pronouns	Limited	Commonly used
Length of sentences	Longer	Shorter
Length of paragraphs	Longer	Shorter
Purpose	Informational or persuasive	Conversational or personal
Audience	Formal or professional	Familiar or informal
Use of humor	Rarely used	Commonly used
Use of rhetorical questions	Acceptable if necessary	Commonly used
Use of contractions in writing	Avoided	Commonly used