Grammar
Formal and informal writing: choose the right tone
Sign in to saveYou would probably write Hi Maya, can we talk later? to a friend. The same message to a manager may need a clearer request: Hello Ms Green, could we arrange a short meeting this afternoon? The information is similar, but the relationship changes the tone.
Choose a suitable formal or informal tone for a short English message by matching the greeting, wording, level of detail, and closing to the reader and purpose.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Could you please send the form? /kʊd juː pliːz send ðə fɔːm/
The short answer
Choose your tone after you decide who will read the message and what you need from them. Use a suitable greeting and closing, make requests politely when the situation needs it, and avoid slang or very casual abbreviations in formal writing.
Dear Admissions Team, I would like to ask whether late applications are still being accepted.
Why it works: The writer does not know the reader personally, so the greeting and request are polite and complete.
6 more examples
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Dear Mr Lewis, I am writing to ask whether the workshop will be available online.
This opening names the purpose politely and gives the reader a specific question.
Not this:
Hi Dan, will the workshop be online? What changes: This is suitable when Dan is someone the writer knows and a short, direct question is normal between them. -
Could you please send the updated timetable by Thursday?
Could you please makes the request polite while keeping the action and deadline clear.
Not this:
Can you send methe new timetable by Thursday? What changes: This is friendly and direct. It can suit a classmate or a colleague you know well. -
I am unable to attend the appointment on 14 May because of a prior commitment.
The sentence gives a clear update in a restrained, formal style.
Not this:Sorry,
I can't make iton 14 May. I've already got plans. What changes: Contractions and the shorter explanation make the message more informal. -
Thank you for your help. I look forward to your reply.
This closing is polite and appropriate when you expect an answer from a person or organisation.
Not this:Thanks for sorting that out.
Speak soon! What changes: This closing suits an ongoing, familiar conversation. -
Please find attached the completed registration form.
This is a conventional formal way to point to an attachment, although the simpler form is also professional.
Not this:
I've attachedthe completed registration form for you. What changes: This version is clear and professional, with a slightly less formal tone. -
Hi everyone, I will be ten minutes late for the group call because my train has stopped.
The message is informal but still gives the group the useful information: the change, the time, and the reason.
Not this:
I apologisefor the delay. I expect to join the call at 10:10. What changes: This is a more formal version for a meeting where the writer wants to be especially polite.
Read the full guide
Before you write, ask two questions: Who is going to read this, and what do I need them to know or do? Then choose a tone that fits. You can sound warm and respectful without making a message long or difficult.
Start with the reader and purpose
Tone begins with the situation, not with a list of formal words. Think about how well you know the reader, their role, and what you are asking them to do. A note to a friend about tonight's plans can be short and relaxed. A message asking a college office to change an appointment needs a polite, complete request.
Hello Student Services, could you tell me how to change my appointment time?
The writer addresses a service rather than a close friend, so the request is polite and gives a clear reason for contact.
Would you use the same tone for a message to your brother and an email to a landlord?
Usually no. The landlord may need a clear, polite description of the issue, while your brother may already know the background.
Choose a greeting that fits the relationship
A greeting tells the reader what kind of message follows. Dear Ms Khan or Dear Customer Support is useful when you know the name or role but do not have a familiar relationship. Hello Mr Evans is polite and less traditional. Hi Priya or Hi everyone works well with people you know, including many colleagues and classmates.
Dear Customer Support, I need help accessing my account.
Dear Customer Support identifies a professional audience. Hi there may be too casual when you are making a formal complaint or request.
Do not guess a person's title. If you do not know their name, use the team or role when possible. A greeting such as Hello Admissions Team is safer than using a title that may be wrong.
Make requests clear and polite
A formal request often uses could, would, or phrases such as I would like to ask. These forms give the reader space to respond. They do not remove the need for a clear action. Say what you need and add the date, document, or other detail that helps the reader answer.
Could you confirm whether I need to bring identification to the interview?
Could you confirm is polite. The question also tells the reader exactly which information the writer needs.
Can you send me the address again?
This shorter request can be right in an informal exchange. It is still clear about the action the writer wants.
Use contractions and casual language with care
Contractions such as I'm, we've, and can't are normal in informal messages. They are also common in many friendly professional emails. For a more formal message, full forms can create a more measured tone: I am writing, we have received, I cannot attend. Slang, emojis, and very short abbreviations such as thx or u are best kept for conversations where you know they are welcome.
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with you.
The full form I am and the complete sentence make this suitable after a formal interview.
Which is more suitable in a first email to an employer: Thanks a bunch! or Thank you for your time?
Thank you for your time is the safer choice because it is polite without sounding overly familiar.
Match the closing to the opening
Your final line should suit the same relationship as your greeting. Thank you for your assistance or I look forward to your reply can close a formal email. Best wishes or Kind regards often works in neutral professional messages. Take care, See you soon, and Thanks again are more informal. Use a closing that feels natural for the message, then include your name when the reader needs to know who wrote it.
Kind regards, Elena Morris
Kind regards is polite and neutral. It can follow a greeting such as Hello Dr Wu or Dear Dr Wu.
In a short message to a close friend, you may not need a closing at all. The conversation itself may already show who is writing and why.
Check the whole message before sending
Read the message from the reader's point of view. Is the purpose easy to find? Does the greeting match the request? Have you included the practical details the reader needs? Finally, check whether the closing sounds as formal or informal as the beginning. A message can become confusing when its parts use very different tones.
Hello Ms Ortiz, could you please confirm the new delivery date? Thank you for your help. Kind regards, Jay.
The greeting, polite request, thanks, and closing all use a similar professional tone.
A message starts Dear Sir or Madam and ends Catch you later. What should you change?
Use a formal closing such as Kind regards or Yours faithfully, or change the whole message if the reader is actually a close contact.
Before you go
Remember this
Start with the reader and purpose. Use a more formal style for unfamiliar readers and important requests, and a relaxed style for people you know well. Choose a greeting, request, and closing that belong together, then check that the reader can find the important information quickly.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Formal and informal writing: choose the right tone"
What is the difference between formal and informal writing?
Formal writing usually uses a polite, complete style for unfamiliar readers, organisations, applications, and important requests. Informal writing is more relaxed and is common with friends, family, and close contacts. The reader, purpose, and usual relationship decide which tone fits.
Dear Mr Lewis, I am writing to ask whether the workshop will be available online.
How do I make an English email sound more formal?
Use a suitable greeting, state your purpose clearly, and make requests with polite forms such as Could you please or I would like to ask. Avoid slang and casual abbreviations. End with a professional closing that matches the rest of the email.
Hi Dan, will the workshop be online?
Can I use contractions in a formal email?
Contractions are common in friendly professional messages, but full forms often sound more formal. If the email is an application, complaint, or first contact with an organisation, forms such as I am and I cannot are usually a safe choice.
Could you please send the updated timetable by Thursday?
Which greeting should I use when I do not know the person's name?
Use the organisation, department, or role when you know it, for example Hello Recruitment Team or Dear Customer Support. This is clearer and more respectful than guessing a name or title.
Can you send me the new timetable by Thursday?
How can I check whether my message has the right tone?
Read it as the intended reader. Check that the greeting, request, level of detail, and closing fit the same relationship. Make sure the important action or information is easy to find, then remove any slang or overly formal phrases that do not suit the situation.
I am unable to attend the appointment on 14 May because of a prior commitment.