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Register: shifting between formal and informal
C2 C2 grammar · lesson 6 of 12
The same idea can be expressed in very different ways depending on who you are talking to. At C2 you control not only words but also grammar to move smoothly between formal and informal register.
Grammar has a register too
Register is often taught as vocabulary (purchase vs buy), but grammar matters just as much. Formal English tends to be impersonal, dense and complete; informal English is personal, direct and full of shortcuts.
| Feature | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Impersonal: It is recommended that… | Personal: We’d suggest… |
| Verbs vs nouns | Nominalised: the reduction of costs | Verbal: we cut costs |
| Voice | Passive common | Active common |
| Prepositions | Fronted: the person to whom I spoke | Stranded: the person I spoke to |
| Contractions | Avoided: do not, it is | Normal: don’t, it’s |
| Ellipsis | Full clauses | Dropped words: (Have you) Seen Tom? |
| Conditions | Inversion: Should you need help… | If you need help… |
One message, two registers
Formal: Applicants are required to submit two references.
Informal: You’ve got to send in two references.
Formal: Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Informal: Any questions, just give us a shout.
Formal: The committee, with whom the decision rests, will meet in May.
Informal: It’s the committee that decides – they’re meeting in May.
Formal: The failure to respond resulted in a delay.
Informal: Nobody answered, so things got held up.
Mixing registers
A common C2 problem is not lack of formality but inconsistency: a formal sentence with one chatty element, or a friendly email that suddenly sounds like a legal document. Keep one register per text, unless a shift is deliberate (for humour or emphasis).
✗ Should you need anything, just give us a shout, OK?
✓ Should you require assistance, please contact our team.
✗ Hey Ken! It is with great pleasure that I inform you I’ve got tickets!
✓ Hey Ken! Guess what – I’ve got tickets!
✗ This is the office to which I went to.
✓ This is the office to which I went. / This is the office I went to.
Neutral register
Most everyday professional writing – emails to colleagues, reports for a general audience – sits in the middle: few contractions, mainly active verbs, personal pronouns where natural. Aim for this neutral register when you are unsure, then move up or down as the reader requires.
Moving confidently between registers lets you write a report in the morning, chat with colleagues at lunch and send a careful complaint in the afternoon – each in the right voice.