Headword
 Formal/informal language
Level
 [E], SG/HS
Language
 English
Topic
 Stylistics
Definition
 Official or serious situations are often signalled by the use of formal language, while ordinary or relaxed situations are signalled by the use of informal language. Formality of language varies in relation to such factors as public v. private occasion, the size of the audience, the relationship of the speaker/writer with the audience, and so on. The ability to vary your language according to the situation is often considered a mark of an educated person (see Appropriateness).
Notes

1. Formal language, even when spoken, is often associated with the conventions expected of written standard English. At its most extreme, formal language is signalled by complex, complete sentences, impersonality, avoidance of colloquial or slang vocabulary, and a consistent preference for ‘learned’ words, often derived from Latin.

2. Informal language is characterised by a simpler grammatical structure (i.e. loosely-connected sentences and phrases), personal evaluation, and a colloquial or slang vocabulary.

3. Formal and informal forms of address also differ, e.g. from the ‘frozen’ My Right Honourable and Learned Friend associated with official parliamentary proceedings, to the intimate darling or love associated with close friends and family.
Compare
 Formal and informal styles in other languages
Concept
 Stylistic discrimination
See also
 Appropriateness, Register