IELTS Writing: Informal and Formal Words

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Think – Consider
- Informal: I think that the government should invest more in education, because it will benefit the society.
- Formal: I consider that the government should invest more in education, as it will benefit the society.
Get – Obtain
- Informal: Students need to get permission before they can use the library, but many forget to do so.
- Formal: Students need to obtain permission before they can use the library; however, many forget to do so.
Give – Provide
- Informal: The teacher can give extra materials to help students understand better, but some students still struggle.
- Formal: The teacher can provide additional materials to facilitate better understanding, yet some students still struggle.
Help – Assist
- Informal: Volunteers help the community by organizing events, and everyone appreciates their effort.
- Formal: Volunteers assist the community by organizing events, and their efforts are greatly appreciated.
Tell – Inform
- Informal: The manager will tell the staff about the new policy, but it might take time for everyone to adapt.
- Formal: The manager will inform the staff about the new policy; however, adaptation might take some time.
Use – Utilize
- Informal: People often use social media to communicate, but it can also be a source of misinformation.
- Formal: People often utilize social media to communicate; however, it can also be a source of misinformation.
Show – Demonstrate
- Informal: The experiment will show how plants grow under different conditions, and we will record the results.
- Formal: The experiment will demonstrate how plants grow under varying conditions, and the results will be recorded.
Start – Commence
- Informal: The meeting will start at 9 AM, and we will discuss the annual report.
- Formal: The meeting will commence at 9 AM, during which we will discuss the annual report.
Buy – Purchase
- Informal: Consumers often buy products online, but they should be aware of potential scams.
- Formal: Consumers often purchase products online; however, they should be aware of potential scams.
Need – Require
- Informal: We need more volunteers for the event, because it’s a big task.
- Formal: We require additional volunteers for the event, as it is a significant undertaking.
Deal with – Handle
- Informal: The company has to deal with many customer complaints, but they manage to resolve most issues.
- Formal: The company must handle numerous customer complaints; nevertheless, they manage to resolve most issues.
Make – Create
- Informal: The artist can make beautiful paintings, and many people admire his work.
- Formal: The artist can create beautiful paintings, and his work is admired by many.
Build – Construct
- Informal: They plan to build a new school, but it will take several years.
- Formal: They plan to construct a new school; however, it will take several years.
Fix – Repair
- Informal: The technician will fix the broken computer, and it should be ready by tomorrow.
- Formal: The technician will repair the malfunctioning computer, and it should be ready by tomorrow.
Put up with – Tolerate
- Informal: Employees have to put up with a lot of stress, but they still perform well.
- Formal: Employees have to tolerate a significant amount of stress, yet they still perform well.
Break – Damage
- Informal: If you break the equipment, you have to pay for it.
- Formal: If you damage the equipment, you are required to pay for it.
Go up – Increase
- Informal: Prices are expected to go up next year, and this will affect many families.
- Formal: Prices are expected to increase next year, which will affect many families.
Go down – Decrease
- Informal: If demand goes down, the prices will drop, and the market will adjust.
- Formal: If demand decreases, prices will drop, and the market will adjust accordingly.
Get rid of – Eliminate
- Informal: We need to get rid of old files to make space, but it will take time.
- Formal: We need to eliminate old files to create space, although this will take time.
Check – Verify
- Informal: The accountant will check the financial records, and any errors will be corrected.
- Formal: The accountant will verify the financial records, and any discrepancies will be corrected.
Find out – Discover
- Informal: Scientists are trying to find out how the virus spreads, and they hope to develop a vaccine.
- Formal: Scientists are attempting to discover how the virus spreads, and they hope to develop a vaccine.
Look for – Seek
- Informal: Many graduates look for jobs immediately after college, but the job market is tough.
- Formal: Many graduates seek employment immediately after college; however, the job market is challenging.
Talk about – Discuss
- Informal: Let’s talk about the project details, so we can all be on the same page.
- Formal: Let us discuss the project details, so that we can all be on the same page.
Set up – Establish
- Informal: They plan to set up a new branch, but they need approval first.
- Formal: They plan to establish a new branch; however, prior approval is required.
End – Terminate
- Informal: The contract will end next month, and they will negotiate a new one.
- Formal: The contract will terminate next month, and a new one will be negotiated.
Get on – Progress
- Informal: We need to get on with the project, because the deadline is approaching.
- Formal: We need to progress with the project, as the deadline is approaching.
Give up – Quit
- Informal: He decided to give up his job, but he is looking for new opportunities.
- Formal: He decided to quit his job; however, he is seeking new opportunities.
Call off – Cancel
- Informal: They had to call off the event due to bad weather, and it was disappointing.
- Formal: They had to cancel the event due to inclement weather, which was disappointing.
Think about – Consider
- Informal: We need to think about all the possible outcomes, and plan accordingly.
- Formal: We need to consider all the possible outcomes and plan accordingly.
Take care of – Manage
- Informal: She will take care of the arrangements, so everything will be ready.
- Formal: She will manage the arrangements, ensuring that everything will be ready.
Point out – Indicate
- Informal: I would like to point out that there are some errors in the report, and they need to be fixed.
- Formal: I would like to indicate that there are some errors in the report, which need to be corrected.
Speed up – Accelerate
- Informal: The company needs to speed up production, or they will miss the deadline.
- Formal: The company needs to accelerate production; otherwise, they will miss the deadline.
Slow down – Decelerate
- Informal: If the economy slows down, businesses will suffer, and unemployment will rise.
- Formal: If the economy decelerates, businesses will suffer, and unemployment rates will increase.
Bring about – Cause
- Informal: The new policy will bring about changes, and everyone needs to adapt.
- Formal: The new policy will cause changes, and everyone needs to adapt.
Deal with – Address
- Informal: We need to deal with this issue immediately, or it will get worse.
- Formal: We need to address this issue immediately; otherwise, it will deteriorate.
Talk to – Converse with
- Informal: I will talk to the manager about this problem, and see what can be done.
- Formal: I will converse with the manager regarding this issue to ascertain what can be done.
Ask for – Request
- Informal: We need to ask for more funding, because the current budget is not enough.
- Formal: We need to request additional funding, as the current budget is insufficient.
Find out – Ascertain
- Informal: We need to find out the cause of the problem, and then we can fix it.
- Formal: We need to ascertain the cause of the problem, after which we can rectify it.
Help out – Assist
- Informal: He offered to help out with the project, and we are grateful for his support.
- Formal: He offered to assist with the project, and we are grateful for his support.
Blow up – Explode
- Informal: If the pressure is too high, the container might blow up, and it could be dangerous.
- Formal: If the pressure is excessively high, the container might explode, posing a significant danger.
Check out – Examine
- Informal: We need to check out the new software, and see if it meets our needs.
- Formal: We need to examine the new software to determine if it meets our requirements.
Settle down – Reside
- Informal: They plan to settle down in a new city, and start a new life.
- Formal: They plan to reside in a new city and commence a new life.
Work out – Solve
- Informal: We need to work out a solution to this problem, and act quickly.
- Formal: We need to solve this problem and take prompt action.
Think over – Contemplate
- Informal: I need to think over your proposal, and I will give you an answer soon.
- Formal: I need to contemplate your proposal, and I will provide an answer soon.
Throw away – Discard
- Informal: You should throw away old documents, because they take up too much space.
- Formal: You should discard old documents, as they occupy excessive space.
Pick up – Collect
- Informal: She will pick up the reports from the office, and bring them to the meeting.
- Formal: She will collect the reports from the office and bring them to the meeting.
Put off – Postpone
- Informal: We have to put off the meeting, because the manager is not available.
- Formal: We have to postpone the meeting, as the manager is unavailable.
Give back – Return
- Informal: Please give back the books to the library, and avoid late fees.
- Formal: Please return the books to the library to avoid late fees.
Use up – Exhaust
- Informal: If we use up all our resources, we will be in trouble.
- Formal: If we exhaust all our resources, we will encounter significant difficulties.
Talk over – Discuss
- Informal: Let’s talk over the new plan, and see if it works for everyone.
- Formal: Let us discuss the new plan to determine if it is suitable for everyone.